Happy New Year!

With a new year on the horizon, we all have new goals and ambitions for this year!
With New Years Resolutions comes new exercise goals and  training regimes to start the year right!
Although this starts with your best interests, it tends to lead to an increase in injuries!

Here are our tips for starting exercise WITHOUT getting injured!

SLOW AND STEADY WINS THE RACE

Increase your training volume steadily and slower than you think. Your bone, tendon and joints takes time to adapt to certain training loads. Irrespective of your exercise choice, a gradual return is always recommended. 

CHECK YOURSELF BEFORE YOU WRECK YOURSELF

Get any niggles or past history of injury sorted before you start. Typically preventative strengthening or flexibility programs to supplement your training will help reduce the likelihood of ending up injured whilst tackling your new years goal.

THE POWER OF CROSS TRAINING

Variety is the spice of life, by finding various ways to train it will help warn off any injuries. By utilising different muscle groups, movement patterns and planes of movement it helps prevent repetitive strain injuries from a new exercise regime.

RECOVER RECOVER RECOVER

Recovery is as important as the training itself, the time spent recovering is when your muscles are rebuilding, your tissues are getting stronger and tendons becoming robust to sustain more training. Start with a rest day between every training session. Initially you will feel like your body can keep training, but it may catch up with after a few weeks of consistent training.

USE A PROFESSIONAL TO GUIDE THE RETURN TO EXERCISE, SPORT OR ACTIVITY

Like anything using a Personal Trainer or Physio to help guide your return to exercise can be instrumental to returning without getting injured. Aside from providing structure to your training program it will provide accountability to ensure at end of January your not back into your old habits.

CONSISTENCY

Being consistent with realistic amounts of exercise over a long period is far more effective than setting unrealistic training volumes for a short period of time. Exercise and training should have a plan and have goals that are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic + Time based). 

If you have any questions shoot us a message or book an appointment online!

Any questions about an  injury shoot us a message, give us a call on (02) 4751 9127

or book a session online here.

Written by Patrick Lincoln

(Physiotherapist)

Are you wanting to take up running in 2020?

We love seeing people out enjoying running and one of the great things is anyone at any level can run! BUT we hate seeing patients in the clinic who have started running and have ended up with an injury!

How to start your running program and avoid injury!

Consistency is key

Stopping and starting a training program often leads to injury. Make sure the program you start is going to be achievable in the coming months so that you stay consistent. Think about the number of sessions you have time for in your week and write the program to fit that.

Rest and recovery

Scheduling rest and recovery is extremely important as part of your program. Make sure you have allocated rest days each week. Recovery can look like many things depending on your program and could include a walk, swim or a yoga session (not sitting on the couch watching Netflix).

Training Load management

Too much load to soon is often the cause of many injuries we see in the clinic. This sudden increase in training volume leads to a variety of running injuries including achilles tendon issues, plantar fasciitis or gluteal tendinopathy. Start your training load at your appropriate fitness level and slowly build your load up. No more than a 10-15% increase in load per week. That load change could either be the speed of the run, distance covered or adding hills into your run.

Training Variability

Variety within a training program is great for the body and helps keep you in running pain free. Cross training such as yoga, swimming or running is a great way to get cardiovascular benefits without putting load through the same muscles used for running.

Strength Training

Strength training can help to prevent injury and make you a better runner. You don’t need to be lifting huge weights to get benefits form it. Just 1 strength session a week with some basic exercises can have huge benefit for your running performance and injury prevention. Read our 5 favourite strength exercise blog post for some strength exercise ideas you can do at home.

Happy Running Team 🙂

If you have any questions shoot us a message or book an appointment online!

Any questions about an  injury shoot us a message, give us a call on (02) 4751 9127

or book a session online here.

Written by Georgia King

(Physiotherapist)

SHOULDER PAIN AT THE GYM??

What makes up the shoulder?

The shoulder joint (Glenohumeral joint) has the greatest range of motion of any joint in the body. It is made up of three bones the humerus, scapular (shoulder blade) and clavicle (collar bone). These bones make up 3 main joints the gleno-humeral, sterno-clavicular and acromio-clavicular joints. The gleno-humeral joint is the large ball and socket joint and the socket is made deeper by surrounding cartilage. These bones provide some stability around the shoulder however majority of the shoulders stability comes from the surrounding muscles, tendons and ligaments. The muscles that move the humerus provide more stability to the shoulder than all the ligaments and capsular fibres combined. The rotator cuff muscles are the primary mechanism for supporting the shoulder joint.

A lot of people with the tasks we perform as a society, now have shoulders that are rounded forward. The problem with forward-rolled shoulders is that it puts the shoulder into an unstable position that limits the capacity to create external rotation and stability around the shoulders. The external rotators of the shoulder become overstretched, weak and stiff which can lead to acute shoulder pain at the gym.

Fortunately there are a number of things you can do to help relieve shoulder pain at the gym beginning with modifying activities, mobility work and a strength/stability rehab program.

How to reduce shoulder pain in your gym program!

The three main ways shoulders are trained are through pulling, pushing and pressing movements.

• Shoulders find pulling work the easiest as it opens the front of shoulder up and works on keeping the shoulders in a neutral position which is best for force production.
• Pushing work increases the load on the shoulder more than pulling work and therefore this type of load should be limited if the shoulder is painful.
• Overhead pressing work is the hardest for the shoulders to perform with the shoulder in the least stable position.
• Taking some time away from overhead work, limiting your pushing work and really working on your pulling work can make a huge difference in settling down your shoulder pain at the gym.

Shoulder Mobility Exercises!

Working on the mobility restrictions around the shoulder to increase the range of motion will also help to restore the shoulders to a neutral position to help optimise force production.

Shoulder capsule release
Position a lacrosse ball right behind your shoulder, just above your armpit, apply as much pressure as needed to release this tissue.

Flexion stretch kneel in front of a box with your arms facing toward your body and elbows positioned next to each other, keep elbows together and drop your head down between the box and yourself.

Banded Lat stretch: Hook your wrist through a large band, fold your body in half with your arm overhead and lean away from the band to stretch your lat.

Strength Exercises for Shoulder Pain!

Stability and strength will allow for you to keep your shoulders happy whilst training at the gym and through life. Start with stability and slowly increase the difficulty of exercises you train.

• Shoulders like a 2:1 ratio of pull:push work. Pulling work is where you will develop your shoulder stability which will allow you to do the pushing work pain free.
• The stages of strength and stability rehabilitation around the shoulder:
  • Isolate the shoulder = rotator cuff activation exercises and scapular control exercises both in a small range of motion.
  • Get the shoulder stronger = Start in neutral positions with exercises like static bear crawls, chest press from the floor and modified push ups on a bar.
  • Increase difficulty/stability = Change the exercises to have harder positions such as dynamic bear crawls, shoulder taps and mini Turkish get ups
  • Resume pressing = add a band around your wrists to increase your rotator cuff activation during your press movements to begin with and then reintroduce kettle bell press and Arnold press’.

These stages should take you between 6-12 weeks to rebuild the shoulder stability and strength. After this it is important to maintain your pulling work so that your shoulders don’t slip back into a forward rolled shoulder position. Neutral shoulder position will allow for the greatest force production pain free.

If you have any questions shoot us a message or book an appointment online!

Any questions about an  injury shoot us a message, give us a call on (02) 4751 9127

or book a session online here.

Written by Georgia King

(Physiotherapist)

SHIN SPLINTS
– Also known as that god-awful pain you get in you shin when you run!

Shin splints is the slang term used to describe pain experienced on the inside of your shin. The technical term is medial tibial stress syndrome. Typically this injury occurs gradually with the onset of increased training volume and repetitive stress to the shin.

There is sliding scale of injury when diagnosing shin splints and the management changes for each end of the spectrum. It can vary from muscle overload to an actual stress fracture of the tibia.

It is crucial you have an accurate diagnosis prior to undertaking a rehabilitation program.

Any questions about an  injury shoot us a message, give us a call on (02) 4751 9127

or book a session online here.

Written by Pat Lincoln

(Physiotherapist)

Are you struggling with persistent hip pain that is not getting better?

Do you get hip pain lying on that side in bed?

Do you suffer for a few days after a long walk or going up lots of stairs?

You could have a gluteal tendinopathy!

What is a gluteal tendinopathy?

Gluteal tendons live on the outer aspect of the hip and connect your big glute muscles to the hip bone. Their job is to stabilise the pelvic and hip during activity. Tendinopathy is characterised as tiny micro tears within the fibres of the tendon where it attaches onto the bone. The tendons job is dissipate load evenly onto the hip bone as the muscle contracts. When the load becomes to great for the tendon we get a very sore tendon that starts to break down over time. Typically this type of injury affects highly active population or sedentary females aged 40-60.

Symptoms of gluteal tendinopathy?

Soreness over the outer aspect of the hip that is often noticed during or after the following activities:

• Prolonged walking or fast walking
• Getting up after prolonged sitting
• Sitting with your legs crossed
• Getting out of bed first thing in the morning
• Sleeping on your side
• Navigating a lot of stairs
• Pain that starts with an activity like running that gets better once you warm up.
• Tenderness touching outer hip bone and muscles.
• Gym programs involving jumping work or lots of single leg strength exercises.

What causes gluteal tendinopathy to develop?

• Poor lumbo-pelvic control.
• Weakness in hip muscles: Specifically glute medius and minimus.
• Poor daily habits: Standing positions or sitting with legs crossed.
• Sitting in low chairs prolonged periods.
• Running load: Increasing speed or hill training or weekly kilometres.
• Holidays: Yes that trip to Europe with all that walking is common spike that can make tendons unhappy.
• Starting an exercise program with a little too much motivation.
• Age: As you get older your tendons get weaker generally and handle changes in load less.

Any questions about an  injury shoot us a message, give us a call on (02) 4751 9127 or book a session online here.

Written by Georgia King

(Physiotherapist)

Does your child limp after sport or activity?
Are they complaining of sore heels post activity and sport?
Do they limp after periods of running or jumping?

They may have Sever’s Disease.

Don’t worry this is not as bad it sounds.  Severs disease a condition commonly affecting the feet of children 8-14 who are growing and active. It’s typically associated with pain at the heel bone where the achilles attaches. The pain is due to inflammation at the growth plate where the achilles tendon attaches to the calcaneal apophysis due to traction and overuse.

Why do kids get Sever’s?

• Growth spurt: Bone naturally grows faster than muscle. Therefore the muscle cannot maintain optimal length at the attachment point of the tendon when kids are growing. This creates a traction effect where the tendon joins onto the bone. The pain will usually occur towards the beginning of the growth spurt so you may not have noticed the spurt yet.
• Training load: Training load can vary depending on training schedule, sessions per week or training intensity. Watch out for rapid spikes in training or at the start of new sport seasons,
• Muscle tightness: Tight calf muscle are often a big factor with severs. The tighter they are the more it will pull on the achilles attachment point.
• Gender: Unfortunately, boys get this more than girls!
• Footwear: Change of footwear can also play a big role in the development of heel pain in kids. (Try aim to keep them in shoes where the heel is slightly higher than the toe box).

What does Severs look and feel like?

• Tenderness over the base of the heel.
• Pain with prolonged running and jumping activities, typically towards the end of a training session or game.
• Walking with a mild limp or on their tippy toes after sport.
• Heel pain that goes away an hour or so after they stop exercising.

Any questions about an injury shoot us a message, give us a call on (02) 4751 9127 or book a session online here.

Written by Georgia King

(Physiotherapist)

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