Elon University marked its April 5, 2017 marked the second annual National Biomechanics Day celebration at Elon University on April 5.
Elon University celebrated its second National Biomechanics Day with an event produced by Exercise Science and Physical Therapy Education departments that drew more than 50 local high school students.
National Biomechanics Day is a worldwide celebration of biomechanics in its many forms for high school students and teachers. The American Society of Biomechanics started National Biomechanics Day as an educational outreach to enhance the awareness of a cutting edge science and promote its education prior to the collegiate level.
This year, more than 50 students from the Career and Technology Education Center, which is part of the Alamance Burlington School System, participated in Elon’s National Biomechanics Day event.
Broadly, biomechanics is the study of life using the tools of physics or mechanics. This general definition is often applied to the study of human movement and in underestanding how injury can affect movement performance.
To demonstrate this concept, high school students were presented with a scenario of a basketball ankle injury and then learned about different perspectives of assessment, rehabilitation and performance related to the injury.
Elon exercise science and physical therapy students led the participants through each station explaining how video, force measurement and muscle activation are all integrated to understand fundamentals of human movement; the use of instrumented walkways that allow clinicians to see small changes in how individuals walk; clinical and research grade balance assessments and therapies; and potential exercises and rehabilitation techniques to treat an injury.
Faculty members Sue Chinworth, Joyce Davis, Srikant Vallabhajosula and Matthew Wittstein from the Exercise Science and Physical Therapy Education departments organized this event for the second year and provided clinical and resaerch expertise to help guide discussion. Several student volunteers also helped guide discussion and demonstrate how specific equipment is used in biomechanics.
This annual event will continue to serve the community by providing an engaged opportunity to learn about biomechanics.