CircSci Aaron Koz

Beth and I discussed pain science and how it comes into play for professional and recreational circus artists and aerialists answering these questions below:



Pain perception - how do you describe and define pain? 







What is the bare minimum you think a circus artist, coach, and physio should know about pain (and how to assess it) as it relates to circus artists? 



How do we know what is “okay” pain vs. bad pain? 



What are patterns of pain among circus artists and aerialist?



How does fear interact with pain in circus and aerial?



When circus artists are experiencing pain, how can we expect that to impact performance and motor control? 



What trends do you see in your practice among circus artists? Is there more pain masking, endurance coping, or avoidance coping? 



What are the pros and cons of pain masking vs. distraction as analgesic?



What are some methods for addressing pain?



Sleep → how do we support sleep 

You'll just have to listen to this one for the full description but below are some key take-aways!



Takeaways:



Incorporating variability and creativity in circus training and teaching is essential for skill development AND personal expression.

Pedagogical approaches should be rooted in beliefs about learning and should align with the values of the coach and the student.

Creativity can be fostered in students through intentional scaffolding and opportunities for personal input.

Variability and creativity are distinct concepts, with variability being a necessary prerequisite for creativity.

Balancing risk and creativity is important, and coaches should consider the physical, psychological, and social risks involved of including variability and NOT including variability.

Individual journeys in circus are valuable, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to training and performing.



Adam's resources are here! And the Montreal Straps Lab early bird registration is here!





Chapters



00:00 Introduction and Background

05:16 Influence of Other Disciplines on Circus Training

11:09 Gymnastics' Influence on Circus Handstand Training

14:51 The Origins of Circus Technique

21:04 Challenging Traditional Handstand Coaching

25:16 The Importance of Task Orientation in Teaching Handstands

28:54 The Impact of Performative Risk Assessment on Teaching

33:58 Including Students in Risk Assessment

39:35 Challenging Preconceived Notions in Teaching Circus

45:23 The Blurry Line Between Risk and Safety in Circus

49:44 Letting Go of Strict Teaching Methods and Embracing Self-Expression

50:13 Constructing Skills with Safety and Creativity

51:33 Pedagogical Approaches and Beliefs about Learning

53:29 Incorporating Variability and Creativity in Teaching

55:39 Fostering Creativity in Students

57:10 Scaffolding Creativity in Teaching

59:52 Understanding Variability and Creativity

01:00:30 Different Definitions of Creativity

01:03:14 The Value System and Beliefs about Creativity

01:06:32 Balancing Risk and Creativity

01:09:49 Introducing Variability and Creativity from Day One

01:14:10 Expanding Variability in Straps and Other Apparatus

01:18:55 The Relationship Between Variability and Risk

01:25:46 The Influence of Social Media on Circus Culture

01:29:51 Using Social Media to Promote Counter-Cultural Messages

01:35:46 The Importance of Individual Journeys in Circus

01:43:44 Making Small Changes in Teaching

This conversation explores the concept of movement optimism and its application in circus and aerial training. The discussion covers topics such as biomechanics and performance in circus, the task-based approach to training, managing pain and injury, and addressing beliefs about joint misalignment. The importance of individual differences in training capacity and the role of minimal effective dose in recovery are also explored. The conversation emphasizes the need for a personalized approach to training and the importance of self-management in the circus and aerial fields. In this conversation, Greg Lehman and I discuss the principles of exercise prescription and rehabilitation for circus artists and aerialists. Greg emphasize's the importance of focusing on individual goals and what the person wants to return to doing.



He also highlights the concept of comprehensive capacity, where exercises should aim to improve overall strength and function rather than targeting specific dysfunctions. The conversation concludes with a discussion on finding the minimum effective dose and overcoming fear when starting new movements.

Takeaways:


Movement optimism promotes a positive and optimistic view of human function and resiliency.
Biomechanics in circus and aerial training should be viewed in the context of performance and function rather than adhering to strict biomechanical ideals.
Pain and injury in circus can be managed by understanding individual differences, focusing on task-based training, and addressing beliefs about pain and joint misalignment.
Recovery and rehabilitation in circus can benefit from a minimal effective dose approach, tailoring training to individual needs and goals.
Self-management and self-rehabilitation can be effective in circus training, but access to quality healthcare and professional guidance is also important. Prescribe exercises based on the individual's goals and what they want to return to doing.
Focus on comprehensive capacity by improving overall strength and function.
Specificity is needed in certain cases, such as ACL tears, but general approaches can often be effective.
Find the minimum effective dose by identifying what the person sucks at and what hurts.
Overcome fear by starting slow and gradually building up confidence in new movements.



Find more about Greg, his work, and his podcast here!



Chapters:

00:00 Introduction and Background

02:10 Therapeutic Neuroscience and Movement Optimism

04:26 Biomechanics and Performance in Circus

06:34 Task-Based Approach to Training

07:49 Balancing Goal-Oriented Training with Secondary Activities

09:24 Individual Differences in Training Capacity

11:44 Developing Attributes for Specific Skills

14:29 Managing Pain and Injury in Circus

18:16 Hypermobile Individuals and Risk Prevention

21:39 Addressing Beliefs about Joint Misalignment

25:23 Managing Pain Perception in Circus

28:26 Self-Management and Minimal Effective Dose

32:38 Accessing Quality Healthcare and Self-Rehabilitation

36:28 Movement Optimism and Circus Training

39:15 Minimal Effective Dose for Recovery

42:54 Challenges in Rehab and Recovery

43:18 Testing Minimal Effective Dose on Oneself

43:27 Prescribing Exercises Based on Goals

46:09 The Importance of Comprehensive Capacity

48:22 When Specificity is Needed

51:51 Finding the Minimum Effective Dose

53:09 Overcoming Fear and Starting Slow

In this episode, I had two amazing researchers, Dr. Meghan Warren (epidemiologist/physical therapist from the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute, and research specialist/athletic trainer, Dr. Monica Lininger from NAU, who extensively researched the Functional Movement Screen and movement screens in general. Movement screens can be incredibly useful clinical tools, especially depending on patient population (for athletes who may need a relatively objective test to view their movement quality from), but they also have some limitations. In this episode, we cover what movement screens are useful for, how they maybe shouldn't be used, as well as the potential impact of asymmetries as more predictive of injury than low scores on a movement screen.

New season of CircSci is dropping y'all! Sorry for the delay between 'sodes (I've been slammed with programs and more online coaching resource development! If you want to help support the time that goes into interviewing and editing these episodes, definitely consider contributing via Patreon.com/circkoz (where you'll also get video tutorials and more!).  Anyway, Henri and I get up to some pretty deep discussions on how motor learning and skill acquisition occurs from a neuronal and proprioceptive perspective as well as practical examples of how you might program strength drills versus skill work. This one probably could do with a few listens to get the most out of it!  "'Just because we had to suffer doesn’t mean everyone after us should suffer too. The future is supposed to be better than the past.' About Henri: Henri Hänninen (B.Sc) is a coach, an educator and a circus artist.

He is currently finishing up his M.Sc. studies in science of sports coaching and fitness testing, having completed minor studies in chemistry, molecular biology and cognitive neuroscience. His thesis is going to examine retention of a motor skill during a training break.

Henri has years of experience teaching parkour, aerial silks and floor acro, as well as performing as an aerialist. He's also a certified academic personal trainer.

At the moment he's working mostly as a strength and conditioning coach and an educator, bringing current evidence-based information to coaches, trainers and artists.

Having studied extensively and coached national level athletes and professionals in several completely different sports and disciplines (from figure skating to powerlifting, pole dance to hammer throw, parkour to aerial...), his specialty is analyzing the demands of a sport/discipline and designing training programs to meet those demands.

He's a strong advocate of sustainable practice and information-based decision-making, fighting against harmful traditions.

If you're curious about the online 40+ hour Aerial Straps Level 1 Teacher Training, you can find out more here!

I had the pleasure of interviewing Mariah before the holidays - they are an awesome physical therapist who specializes in pelvic floor health for queer, trans, and other under-served populations, though works with all sorts of athletes. They work at Bethany Physical Therapy, but offer monthly pelvic floor focused physio classes online. We covered some commons signs and symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction, ways to assess whether we are breathing properly during a movement (and how to scale if we aren't to avoid pelvic floor issues), and more!

PHYSICAL THERAPIST


Certified Manual Physical Therapist

Pronouns: They, Them, Theirs

Mariah received their Doctoral Degree in Physical Therapy and Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Physiology from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As a collegiate cross country and track and field athlete they became an anatomy enthusiast with an admiration for the body’s capacity to perform and heal.

Mariah has a strong interest in working with patients that have a history of chronic pain, orthopedic concerns, and pelvic floor dysfunction. They are particularly passionate about providing care for the LGBTQIA+ community and other under-served populations. Mariah experiences joy in helping their patients return to the life they love and is always their fiercest advocate.
Mariah stays up to date on the latest research to ensure the best care for their patients. They are pursuing their Pelvic Rehabilitation Practitioner Certification through Herman & Wallace and their Manual Therapy Certification through the North American Institute of Orthopedic Manual Therapy (NAIOMT).

Mariah grew up in Wisconsin, has traveled extensively, and is currently enjoying all that Oregon has to offer. On the weekends they enjoy hiking, cooking, and exploring used bookstores.