Research Summary
The Musculoskeletal Health and Performance Research Team is in the Kinesiology and Health Sciences Building on the Cal State University Fullerton Campus. Our mission is to improve the lives of individuals who experience a muscle or tendon injury by advancing rehabilitation and physical activity management.
We are a multi-disciplinary group of athletic trainers, physical therapists, physicians, biomechanists, strength and conditioning specialists, and community partners. We perform research that spans from sports science to clinical intervention to benefit physically active people of all ages and abilities.
Our interdisciplinary research team uses a broad array of methods to evaluate injury and recovery including:
- Ultrasound imaging and shear wave elastography (SWE) to evaluate tissue structures
- Adolescent growth plate examination
- Patient-reported outcome measures to quantify general health, symptom severity, quality of life, and psychological factors
- Lower extremity function assessment to measure strength, power, and endurance
- Pain assessment using questionnaires and physical examination techniques
- Clinical measurements (anthropometrics and range of motion)
- Gait biomechanics and muscle activity (motion capture, IMUs, EMG)
- Personal factors
- Physical activity monitoring and assessment through wearable technology
Treatments we evaluate include supervised exercise interventions, return to sports progressions, blood flow restriction training (BFRT), physical activity modifications, and behavior change techniques