Noisy knees?

I have been asked frequently recently how to fix creaky knees!

The truth is sometimes you can and sometimes you can’t!

The good thing is that there is no evidence that having crunchy knees is causing any damage to the knee joint!

Although it’s hard to convince yourself that when your knees sound like bubble wrap every time you squat, lunge or go down stairs!

WHY DO THEY CRUNCH AND CLICK?

As the knee bends the knee cap slides up and down a groove within the thigh bone. If the relationship between these two parts of the joint lose perfect synergy we get poor movement, this then leads to the joint clicking and crunching.

• Joint position throughout movements where there is added compression around joint leading to popping or clicking.
• Tendons flicking across boney prominences as you move through squatting or stairs.
• ‘Gas bubbles’ within the joint burst as we move through fast or large movements (much like when you crack your knuckles!).
•  Mild wear and tear within the cartilage surfaces of your knee means there is more friction between the bones and can lead to crunching.

Simple solutions to help quieten the crunch!

1. Loosen your quad muscles

   Foam rolling or stretching the thigh muscles out is crucial. The tighter the quads become over time the more compressive forces develop around the knee cap. More compression force means the joint mechanics are altered and you get more clicking.

   

4. Improve glute strength and control

   Does you knee wobble all over the place when you do a single leg squat?? If this sounds familiar then it’s due to poor hip muscle coordination and strength. Improving this can improve knee control which in return will reduce noisy knees as the knee is not ‘dropping in’ when you do a squat.

5. Move more & Sit less

   Chronic sitting can lead to quad and hip flexor tightness that builds over time. Over time this starts to wreak havoc with the knee cap as the quads span the hip and knee joint meaning it gets pulled from the both end.

6. Quadricep strength

   Improving quadricep muscle strength especially VMO  (the inside quadricep muscle) helps stabilise the knee cap within the groove of the thigh bone and can reduce crunching inside the joint.

7. Knee cap mobility

   Getting stuck into the tissue surrounding the knee cap with a massage ball is important to keep the knee cap gliding smoothly through its groove. This is key for quietening those knees down.

If you need help get in touch here  www.thephysiodepot.com.au 

Lower back pain is the pits!

We all know someone that has a ‘bad back’ with constant struggles when it ‘goes out’.

We understand at The Physio Depot how if effects your life and family.

Our Physio’s have treated 100’s of lower back patients back to full function.

5 quick ideas to help your back pain fast!

Keep it moving!
Lower backs don’t like to sit still, keep them walking regularly and avoid lengthy periods of sitting.

Don’t hold your breath!
Breath holding increases muscular spasm and creates unhelpful movement strategies.
Aim for 30 big diaphragmatic (belly breaths) every hour.

Gentle stretches!
Your back will not like aggressive stretches or holding positions for too long. Aim for gentle movements in and out of positions (think flow not hold).

Ice or Heat!
Most of the time with back pain there is a degree of muscular spasm (That horrible cramping feeling when a muscle tightens).This a protective mechanism and is perfectly normal to experience this. We encourage HEAT to help relax this muscle response.

A good nights sleep means a strong pillow game!
Use pillows either between your knees if on your side or under your knees if lying on your back to help reduce the pressure off your back.

If you need help get in touch here  www.thephysiodepot.com.au 

Shoulder Labral Tears

What is it?

A ring of flexible, fibrous connective tissue, known as the glenohumeral labrum, surrounds the shoulder joint. This labrum increases the stability of the shoulder while allowing for the required flexibility of one of the bodies’ most sophisticated joints. One well-known muscle of the arm, the biceps, has an attachment directly into the labrum and is a common site of injury. A tear of the labrum can occur in many locations, however the most common is at the point where the biceps tendon attaches to the labrum. Usually, this tear follows a typical pattern and is referred to as a superior labrum tear, anterior to posterior (SLAP tear).

What causes it?

SLAP tears can be caused by trauma such as a fall onto an outstretched hand or a dislocated shoulder. Tears can also develop over time with repeated throwing actions or overhead activities as the labrum is weakened and eventually injured. Traumatic tears are more likely to be symptomatic than tears that develop slowly.

What are the symptoms?

As mentioned, SLAP tears can occur suddenly, through trauma or develop slowly through repeated stress. Often if the injury develops over time, patients can be unaware they have sustained a tear and the injury doesn’t have a significant impact on their pain or function. Preexisting SLAP tears can however, place more tension on the long head of biceps tendon, leading to overuse disorders as a secondary complication.

When the tear occurs through a sudden action or trauma, symptoms can be more marked. Sufferers often notice pain deep in the shoulder joint with overhead shoulder movements, a feeling of weakness, loss of power and/or accuracy with throwing activities. Some people may notice a popping or clicking sensation and occasionally the shoulder may give way. In severe tears, the shoulder might feel unstable and even be at increased risk of dislocation.

How can physiotherapy help?

Your physiotherapist is able to help diagnose a suspected SLAP tear and send you for further imaging if needed. SLAP tears are often graded by severity from I to IV as a way to guide treatment. Physiotherapy is usually recommended as a trial for all tears before considering surgical repair and in many cases can effectively help patients return to their previous activities, symptom-free.

Treatment involves:

• Gradual strengthening of supporting shoulder muscles.
• Flexibility of shoulder capsule and surrounding muscles.
• Graded return to full activity with sports specific condition.

If physiotherapy is unsuccessful, surgical repair with a full rehabilitation program is recommended.

Are you having shoulder pain or issues training due to shoulder pain?

We’d love to hear from you!

Send us a message and we can reach out to see if Physio can help you 🙂

Avoid an injury with these 6 tips!

1. SLOW + STEADY WINS THE RACE
   A sudden increase in training load is the number one reason people get injured running so take it slow. Aim for no more than a 10% increase load per week, when I say load this could be measured via time or distance.
2. DON’T NEGLECT YOUR STRENGTH TRAINING
   Your muscles and tendons are exposed to very high loads when you run. Your calf may produce loads of up to 4-5 times your body weight when you run so get strong and you will reduce your likelihood of an injury.
3. FOOTWEAR
   There is a maze of expensive footwear to confuse a new runner. As well as a range of different opinions about barefoot, supportive, ultra-gel cushioning, zero drop… And the list goes on!  Just find something comfortable to start and this will be a process of trial and error until you find what works for you. It will depend on your type of training, foot muscle strength, terrain and distances you run each week.
4. INTENSITY MATTERS
   If you’re new to running do not jump straight into speed work. Your body needs time to adjust to this type of training, so focus on 90% of your training being completed at an easy to moderate pace with periods of active recovery/walking.
5. REST
   Your body will need more rest than a conditioned runner. Your raining gains are made when you recover so ensure you’re getting your 8 hours of sleep a night. Aim for no back to back running days in the first 3 months of your journey to running.
6. HAVE A GOAL
   Create a  plan for your running journey. Then you can create a system of increasing your running capacity each week for the desired outcome. This works well as you can calculate your weekly kilometres run in total and build this number slowly (see 10% rule above).

Happy Running!

If you need help with running injuries, running programming or strength training
Get in touch here  www.thephysiodepot.com.au

Or Book an appointment here  https://the-physio-depot.cliniko.com/bookings#service

PREGNANCY! WHATS HAPPENING TO MY BODY?

It can often feel like you are walking around in someone else’s body while you’re pregnant. You gain weight, your body becomes more stretchy (ligamentous laxity) and you grow a tiny human. If you have never been pregnant, imagine suddenly having to carry around an extra 15kgs strapped to your front and trying to do your everyday activities. Evidence has shown that exercise during pregnancy is really beneficial when done safely and can reduce complications during delivery.

EXERCISE DURING PREGNANCY

Research has shown many health benefits from exercising during pregnancy. If you have haven’t been active leading up to your pregnancy it is recommended that you start with low intensity exercise such as walking or swimming accumulating 150 minutes per week. If you have been active leading up to your pregnancy then between 150-300 minutes of low-moderate intensity exercise is recommended per week. Here are examples of suitable forms of exercises during pregnancy.

• Walking
• Swimming
• Cycling
• Strengthening exercises
• Pilates
• Pregnancy yoga
• Water based exercises

WHEN TO STOP EXERCISING IF PREGNANT!

If you experience any of the below during exercise it is recommend you stop the activity you are doing,

• Bleeding
• Shortness of breath prior to exercise
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Chest pain
• Preterm labour
• Decreased foetal movement
• Amniotic fluid leakage
• Excessive body temperature

EXERCISES TO AVOID

• Contact sports
• High altitude or scuba diving
• Exercises laying on your back after the 4^th month
• Holding your breath during exercise
• Walking lunges
• Sudden change of direction activities
• Jumping and high impact exercises in 3^rd trimester

Now that you are pregnant, looking after your changing body is even more important. Below are some common muscles that get tight and some stretches you can do to help! It is common during pregnancy that some muscle groups become tight.

These include: Hip flexors – Low back – Quad – Chest – Shoulders.

STRETCHES

Although your body begins to stretch out some muscles will still be working harder than others and can often get tight.

Here are some safe stretches for you to do!

Cat cow stretch

Hip flexor lunge +  Seated piriformis stretch  

Chest openers on foam roller

If you are having pain during pregnancy be sure book an appointment online or call us on (02) 4751 9127.

Written by Georgia King
(Physiotherapist at The Physio Depot)