Blogs
August 2020 - With this blog I thought I would give all our readers some basic insight to what our physiotherapists are thinking about when we are rehabbing a structural knee injury (ACL, meniscus, cartilage, chondral defect etc) after the knee becomes ‘quiet’.
September 2020 - Injuries are not a new thing for runners with some research showing that up to 80% of runners will have an injury at any given time. Runners, coaches and physiotherapists are always in the pursuit of injury prevention with load management and strength training being the Gold standard. Managing training intensities is something that isn't talked about as much but can have a huge impact on injury and performance.
September 2020 - The calf complex is made up of two main muscles - the gastrocnemius and the soleus. The gastroc is more superficial and its outline can be seen when you go up on your toes. The soleus is deeper.
The calves have a major role in propulsion (initiating movement). Previously it was thought the gastroc produced more explosive force (sprinting and jumping), and that the soleus was a postural muscle suited better for endurance tasks (jogging, walking, standing).
However modern sports medicine shows that the soleus produces huge amounts of force and is often underdone in rehab programs.
September 2020 - Jumping higher is one of the most common goals that people have for general sports performance and following ankle, knee and hip injuries which have limited their jump height. It could be the life-long dream of being able to dunk or get more rebounds in basketball, or compete better for headers in soccer, or take more contested marks in football, athletes of all skills would like to jump higher as part of being more athletic. For physiotherapists, the ability to jump higher and absorb high landing forces is a sign of good hip, knee and ankle joint and tendon health.
October 2020 - The incidence of serious knee injuries in sport has been shown to occur substantially more frequently in women than in their male counterparts. Research suggests female athletes are at x 2-5 greater risk of Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury than males, and in the first 2 seasons of AFLW this rate was higher again.
October 2020 - A high pain threshold and a high pain tolerance are phrases commonly used, but what do they really mean?
October 2020 - In simple terms, a stress fracture is a crack that develops in the bone. They can range in severity from periostitis, caused by inflammation of the periosteum, right through to a complete stress fracture which is a cortical break.
October 2020 - Tight hips are something we see at the clinic every day. Runners, gym goers, athletes, desk workers you name it! Whether it is related to the injury they’ve come in for or it’s the reason they’re at the clinic - people are asking us why their hips are so damn tight. Now the answer to that question will take a bit to unpack. But bear with me, by the end of this blog you will be well on your way to unlocking your tight hips. I have even thrown in a couple of exercises to get you started!
November 2020 - The weather is warming up and pools are gradually re-opening! After months of walking, running and cycling, many of us are itching to get back in the water and get back into swimming. For many Melburnians, (super keen Winter bay swimmers- we salute you!) it’s been months since we’ve had the chance to turn the arms over. Read on to find out about how to get back into it safely and avoid injury.
November 2020 - Everyone knows how important it is to stretch, especially if you exercise regularly.
Having stretching as a part of your routine can help to prevent injuries, help to prepare the body for exercise and it helps after exercise to prevent muscle stiffness.
November 2020 - Often, when we take a break from sport and exercise, we forget how hard it feels to start exercising again. But besides how difficult it feels, we need to remember how much of a physical shock it is to the body.