Tag: Parramatta Physiotherapy

Tips for Finding Your Perfect Exercise Match

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 Exercise is such an essential part of mental and physical wellbeing, however many of us find it difficult to make time to stay active. 

Often, when we think of exercise we imagine jogging or the gym. Exercise can be anything that gets you moving, and the trick to reaping the long term benefits is to find an activity that you love and do often.

Exercise can offer more than just physical benefits, a new activity can be a way to join a new community, improve self-esteem and can even improve brain function. By learning new skills or movements, your brain is laying down new neural pathways, a process known as neuroplasticity. Physical exercise has also been shown to help to improve learning and memory, in some cases even having a slight protective effect against age-related dementia. Here are a few tips to help you find the right exercise for you. 

1. Do a quick personality assessment.

Are you a competitive person? Or do you prefer to focus on your personal improvement of technique? The type of activity that captures your attention and focus will be easier for you to commit to. Matching your activity to your personality will also mean that you meet people who have similar interests to you.

2. Work with your injuries.

Injuries that stop us from participating in an activity we love can be devastating. However, you can often find another activity that doesn’t aggravate your injury, either as a replacement or to maintain fitness while rehabilitating.

If you are struggling with hip or knee pain with impact sports such as running, switching to swimming or cycling are great options. If you like a little adrenaline, then mountain biking can be more of your style. Physiotherapists are able to advise you on which activities will be suitable for your particular condition.

Capitalise on your natural ability. 

Throwing and catching might not be your thing, but your balance might be exceptional. We all have natural abilities, finding a sport that challenges and develops areas that you find to be strengths is key to enjoying a hobby.

None of the information in this article is a replacement for proper medical advice. Always see a medical professional for advice on your individual condition. 

Shoulder Labral Tears

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 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.  

If physiotherapy is unsuccessful, surgical repair with a full rehabilitation program is recommended. Surgery will usually either repair the tear or reattach the biceps tendon to the humerus (tenodesis). Following surgery, a period of rest in a sling is required before rehabilitation can begin. 

None of the information in this article is a replacement for proper medical advice. Always see a medical professional for advice on your individual injury.

Physio Tips for Better Running

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Distance running can be a surprisingly complicated sport. In this article, we offer some words of wisdom from our physiotherapists to help you get the most out of your training and avoid injuries. 

 Choose your shoes carefully:

Repeated stress from running long distances will show up any biomechanical flaws in your body relatively quickly. Choosing the wrong shoes can exacerbate an existing problem causing pain and injury. Your physiotherapist can guide you on what style of shoe will best suit you. 

Don’t neglect your upper body:

While running can appear to be a purely leg based activity, increasing the strength and mobility of your upper body can have a surprisingly large impact on your posture, running style, breathing and overall performance. 

Find time to train strength as well as endurance:

Your body is great at finding ways to compensate for weak muscles, however, over time this can lead to overuse injuries of tendons and muscles. Identifying any areas of weakness early and specifically strengthening these muscles can both improve your running and help keep you injury-free.

Pace your progress: 

Entering an event is a great way to set a specific goal and keep you motivated. While trying to increase distances and speed, it is easy to forget to include rest days as a part of your routine. Your body needs time to recover and restore itself, just as much as the active portions of your training program.

Increasing your speed and distances gradually also allows your body to adapt to new demands without breaking down. 

Enjoy your training and listen to your body:

Your body will guide you as to when you need to rest and when you can push a little further. Training will be more enjoyable when you are well-rested and pain-free. Most importantly, if you are able to enjoy your runs, this will help you maintain motivation over a longer period of time, so you can continue for many years to come.

Ask your physiotherapist for more tips on how to reach your running goals while staying injury-free. None of the information in this article is a replacement for proper medical advice. Always see a medical professional for assessment of your individual condition. 

Focus on Shin Splints

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 What is it?

Shin splints, are a painful condition of the lower leg, also known as Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome, it is an overuse injury that causes pain along the inside of the tibia or shin bone. It is a common condition in runners, hikers and soldiers who march long distances.

What are the symptoms?

Shin splints are typified by persistent leg pain, usually the inside of the shin, halfway down the lower leg. The pain might be felt during exercise or directly after. Some people experience a dull ache over their shin that lasts for quite a while after exercise stops, while for others the pain may be sharp and fade quickly. The pain is often progressive, becoming worse with shorter distances. Eventually, shin splints can severely impact activity levels as the pain becomes too severe to continue exercising. 

Shin splints can be extremely painful and very disruptive to activity levels. As the pain usually starts gradually and progresses many people find themselves unable to continue 

training, shin splints may also progress to stress fractures if not diagnosed early and managed effectively. 

How does it happen?

Shin splints are predominantly seen in runners who increase their distances quickly, often while training for an event. Activities that require repetitive weight-bearing of any kind, such as marching or high impact sports have also been shown to cause shin splints. Although the pathology of shin splints is unclear, studies have been able to identify certain risk factors that may predispose someone to shin splints. These include; 

·An abrupt increase in activity level

·Improper footwear and support

·Higher BMI 

·Training on hard or uneven surfaces 

·Tight calf muscles 

·Flat feet

·Increased external rotation range of the hips

·Females are more likely to develop shin splints than males.

·Prior history of shin splints

·Wearing or having worn orthotics

How can physiotherapy help?

The first step for your physiotherapist will be to address any contributing factors and help to adapt your training program to a level that is optimum for you. A period of relative rest may be recommended along with a targeted strengthening and stretching program for any tight or weak muscles. Switching to low-impact activities such as swimming, cycling and yoga may also help to maintain fitness during recovery. Your running technique will be analyzed and any training errors may be corrected. When getting back into your training routine, it is usually recommended that distances are not increased by more than 10% per week as this allows the tissues of the body to react to the increased demands and adapt accordingly. 

None of the information in this article is a replacement for proper medical advice. Always see a medical professional for advice on your injury. 

Four Surprising Reasons Why Your Pain Is Not Improving

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CUMBERLAND PHYSIOTHERAPY PARRAMATTA: Most tissues in the body have healed completely in six to 12 weeks following an injury, however, many people have severe pain that lasts much longer than this. We know that the intensity of the pain you feel is not always associated with a similar amount of damage. In some cases, there can be a severe amount of pain with almost no detectable damage. With this in mind, we explore some reasons why your pain might not be getting better, long after the tissues have healed. 

You’re afraid of the pain. 

Pain can mean many different things, for some of us pain can affect our ability to work or can be a symptom of a serious disease. What you believe about your pain can either amplify or reduce the symptoms you experience. If you feel that every time you experience pain you are causing more damage, you will naturally pay more attention to this and your nervous system will amplify the signals in an attempt to keep you safe. 

If you understand the cause of your pain and know that while there is discomfort, you are not in danger of causing more damage, often the pain will feel less severe. This is one of the benefits of seeing a physiotherapist after your injury as they can help you to understand your pain, giving you more control over your recovery.

You started moving differently after the injury.  

Immediately after an injury, it’s natural to change the way you move to avoid painful movements. After a while, these changed movement patterns can become maladaptive and actually begin to cause pain and discomfort on their own due to the altered stress patterns placed on your body. 

Correcting these adaptive movement patterns can often go a long way in reducing pain after an injury. You might not have noticed these changes and might need a physiotherapist to identify and help you to return to your usual movement pattern.

You have lost muscle strength since the injury. 

While a certain amount of rest following an injury is always helpful, if we stop moving altogether, our muscles can lose strength. This can mean that our posture changes, we fatigue easier during our usual activities and that we are more susceptible to further injury. Less movement also means we actually focus on the pain more when it does happen. Physiotherapists are able to advise you on the right types and amounts of excercise for you in the period following your injury.

The pain has affected your lifestyle.

When pain affects your ability to sleep, work and even concentrate, it’s not surprising that this can have a negative affect on your overall wellbeing and mental health. This can create a negative cycle of anxitey and depression that perpetuates and increases the experience of pain. If your pain is really getting you down, speaking to a mental health professional can actually be a valuable part of your physical recovery.  

 

Tibialis Posterior Tendinopathy

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CUMBERLAND PHYSIOTHERAPY PARRAMATTA The tibialis posterior muscle sits just inside the shin, halfway up the lower leg. The muscle travels downwards and runs along the inside of the heel, with the tendon attaching at the base of the arch of the foot.    

The role of the tibialis posterior muscle is to move the foot and ankle downwards and towards the midline of the body. The tibialis posterior also helps to support and maintain the arch of the foot. Tendinopathy is a broad term that refers to painful pathologies of the tissues in and around a tendon, usually related to overuse. 

What are the symptoms?

Signs and symptoms of tibialis posterior tendinopathy can include pain and/or stiffness over the tendon, clicking or ‘crepitus’ sounds with movement and swelling. Pain can be felt both when you touch the tendon or with movements that involve contraction of the tibialis posterior muscle, such as when going up on to your toes, hopping or running.  

As the condition progresses, the tendon might be come weaker and elongated, providing less support to the arch of the foot. This might become more noticeable over time as the lack of support in the foot further aggravates the damaged tendon.   

Pain may become so severe that eventually running becomes too painful to continue and even walking may be sore. In some cases, the affected tendon may be weakened but painless. For some, a complete tear of a weakened tendon can be the first sign that anything is wrong. 

What are the causes?

Like most tendinopathies, overuse and biomechanical errors are the main cause of tendon pathology. Prolonged or repetitive activities that place excessive strain on the tibialis posterior tendon can cause degeneration and disorganization of collagen fibres within the tendon.   

Excessive pronation or rolling in of the foot while walking can place the tendon under extra stress as it acts to support the arch. Unsupportive footwear can exacerbate this process as it allows the foot to roll inwards. Often, a person may not have any issues until they begin to increase their training. If tendons are subjected to too much load too quickly, they can begin to breakdown, developing into a tendinopathy.

Being overweight, muscle weakness or tightness, poor warm up and insufficient recovery periods can all contribute to the development of tendinopathy. As you might expect, runners are most affected by this condition, along with other athletes of sports that require lots of running. Non- athletes can also be affected with day-to-day activities causing tendinopathy.  

How can physiotherapy help?

Your physiotherapist can help by making an accurate diagnosis in clinic, which can be confirmed by MRI or ultrasound. Your physiotherapist can also identify which factors may be involved in the development of this condition, helping to address them and reduce pain as quickly as possible. 

For most tendinopathies, a period of relative rest is required and a graded training program to help strengthen the tendon has been shown to have the best evidence for recovery. Other interventions such as ultrasound, ice or heat treatment, soft tissue massage, stretching and joint mobilization may be used. Arch support taping, biomechanical correction, bracing and footwear advice may also be added.

None of the information in this article is a replacement for proper medical advice. Always see a medical professional for advice on your individual injury.  

Ten Surprising Facts about Tendons

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CUMBERLAND PHYSIOTHERAPY PARRAMATTA:Tendons are found all over the body and while you may know a little about them, you might be surprised to learn a few of these facts. 

1. Tendons can be found at the ends of muscles. Tendons are simply connective tissues that attach muscles to bone and help them move our joints when they contract. 

2. Tendons come in many shapes and sizes. While the most recognisable shape is the long thin kind (such as the Achilles tendon), they can also be flat and thin or very thick, depending on the shape of the muscle and attachment of the bone. A thin flat tendon is also known by the name aponeurosis.

 3. Tendons are able to act like elastic bands, they can stretch and bounce back into shape. Like elastic bands, if too much force is applied they can stretch or tear. 

4. Unlike elastic bands, tendons are living tissue and their properties are affected by many different factors. Seemingly unrelated things such as hormonal changes, autoimmune disorders and nutrition can all affect a tendon’s ability to withstand load. 

5. Tendons don’t only attach muscles to bone, they can attach to other structures as well such as the eyeball. 

6. Tendons can tear however; more often they are injured through overuse. Healing of tendons can be quite slow as they have less blood supply than other tissues of the body, such as muscles. 

7. Tendons are mostly made of organised collagen fibres. Areas of tendon degeneration have been shown to have collagen fibres that are disorganised, with this area having less strength and elasticity. 

8.The Achilles tendon is the strongest tendon in the body. This connects the large calf muscles to the back of the heel to point the ankle away from the body. Most tendons are simply named for the muscle they attach to, however the Achilles has it’s own name, named for the mythical Greek character who’s heel was his only point of weakness.

9. The smallest tendon is located in the inner ear, attaching to the smallest muscle in the body. 

10. Tendons and muscles work together to move your joints and are called a contractile unit. 

Facts about Osteoporosis

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 CUMBERLAND PHYSIOTHERAPY PARRAMATTA: Osteoporosis is a condition characterised by very low bone mass or density. This is caused by the body either losing too much bone, not making enough or both. Osteoporotic bones become weak and fragile and can break from small forces that would normally be harmless.

In osteoporotic bones, as well as loss of bone density and mass, there may also be abnormal changes to the structure of the bone matrix, which further contributes to the bone weakness. 

Osteoporosis is an extremely common bone disease and women are more affected than men. As it is a progressive disorder that worsens with age, while the disease process might begin earlier, the effects are usually only noticed and diagnosed in people who are 50 years and older.

What are the Signs and Symptoms?

Often called a silent disease, many people with osteoporosis will have no idea that they have the disease, as there are no obvious symptoms. In fact, sometimes the first sign that an individual has osteoporosis is when the first bone is broken. Along with fractures, which are the most serious signs of this disease, osteoporosis can cause the upper back to become excessively hunched (itself often a result of spinal wedge fractures) and there maybe widespread pain as bony tissue is increasingly unable to withstand normal forces. 

Fractures are a serious problem, especially in the elderly population. Bone breaks due to osteoporosis occur most frequently in the wrist, spine or hip. When the spine is affected by osteoporosis, people may develop a hunched or stooped posture, which can itself lead to respiratory issues and places pressure on the internal organs. Osteoporosis can severely impact a person’s mobility and independence, which can have a huge impact on quality of life.

What Causes It?

As this is primarily a metabolic disorder, there are a variety of things that can cause osteoporosis if they either interfere with the body’s ability to either produce bone tissue or encourage excessive breakdown. This can be anything from gastrointestinal conditions that prevent absorption of calcium, lack of dietary calcium or low levels vitamin D, which is essential for absorption of calcium. 

Certain medications may also cause bone loss especially if they are taken for a long time or in high doses. A good example is the long-term use of steroids. Although steroids are used to treat various conditions, it has been proven that steroids can cause bone loss and eventually, osteoporosis. 

As bones respond to force and weight bearing by building more bone, having a sedentary lifestyle or doing activities with low impact can also lead to osteoporosis and this has been shown be an issue amongst professional swimmers and cyclists.

How Can Physiotherapy Help?

Physiotherapy can help you to improve your overall bone health, avoid or recover from fractures. Physiotherapy exercises can direct you to safely increase your weight bearing, which can help build bone mass. Balance training is also an important factor as this can reduce the risk of falls. Your physiotherapist can also educate you on how to adjust your lifestyle, at home or at work, to protect your bones and improve your posture.

None of the information in this article is a replacement for proper medical advice. Always see a medical professional for advice on your individual condition. 

Tips for Helping Kids of Today Stay Active

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 CUMBERLAND PHYSIOTHERAPY PARRAMATTA:Research shows that many children today are struggling to meet their daily-recommended targets for physical activity. We know that inactivity is a risk factor for a multitude of chronic diseases and many of the habits that shape our adult lives are set in childhood. Physical activity is important for a growing body as movement and weight bearing have a large impact on bone strength, muscle and tendon health. Here are some tips to make sure your child is staying as active as possible. 

1. Find an activity that suits your child’s personality and abilities. 

Children who are very coordinated and excel in competition may find team sports both increase their self-esteem as well as keep them fit. For other children, being a part of a team can cause embarrassment and they may say they dislike exercise, when in fact what they dislike is feeling like a failure and letting down the team. 

These children may prefer a sport where success measured by improving on their own performance, rather than being compared to other children. Surfing, yoga, martial arts, dancing or gymnastics may be activities that suit your child if competitive and team sports cause them to be discouraged. 

2. Do get injuries checked out by a professional and invest in proper rehabilitation.

While children do bounce back quickly from injuries, they also may have difficulty expressing themselves and their worries when they have pain. A niggling pain that won’t go away may cause your child to say “I don’t like sport” rather than mentioning that they are in pain.

Some children may retain worries that they will hurt themselves again because of a previous injury and avoid exercise because they don’t feel completely confident.  Your physiotherapist can help to identify any issues that your child is having and help to resolve them. 

3. Set fun and challenging goals for them to complete during their daily routine. 

As less children are walking and riding to school, try to find ways to fit extra activities into the day. Have a daily long jump competition in the back yard at the same time each day or have bed making time trials. Have a routine before bed of age appropriate exercises, such as star jumps, hopping, balancing and running on the spot. You can make this part of the night or morning ritual, just like brushing your teeth.

Talk to your physiotherapist for more tips on how to increase your child’s activity levels. Finding an activity that matches your child’s age level is key to keeping them engaged and active. None of the information in this article is a replacement for proper medical advice. Always see a medical professional for advice on your individual injury. 

Where is Your Pain Really Coming From?

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CUMBERLAND PHYSIOTHERAPY PARRAMATTA: Have you ever been to see a physiotherapist for pain in one part of your body and when they treated you, they focused on a completely different area? While this can be a strange experience, it can be even more puzzling when the treatment actually works. So what is going on, shouldn’t pain be treated where it is being felt?

When pain is felt at a different location from where the pain is being caused, this is called ‘referred pain’ and is actually more common than you think. Exactly why this happens is a little complicated, and in fact, we don’t yet understand everything about the way that pain is processed. 

Pain is usually felt when something causes damage to the body, sending an electrical impulse to the brain. The brain receives this information and process it to make sense of which part of the body the signal is coming from and what kind of pain it is. When the brain thinks that the pain is coming from a different area than where the damage or signal is actually coming from, this creates the phenomenon of referred pain.

Sometimes referred pain is easy to explain, such as when a nerve becomes injured or irritated, causing the pain to be felt along the length of the nerve. This often feels like a sharp, burning pain that runs in a strip, along the skin. Other examples of referred pain are more difficult to explain and in some cases seem to defy explanation. Perhaps you have heard about the strange phenomenon of phantom pain where amputees continue to feel pain as though it was in the place where their limbs used to be. 

Muscular trigger points can also cause referred pain. The mechanism behind this is a bit trickier to understand, but is thought to be explained by tight bands of muscle tissues that cause pain to be felt in predictable patterns around the body. 

Adding to this, we know that other tissues of the body can cause pain to be felt in a different location, including discs of the spine and internal organs. Many times the internal organs can refer pain in peculiar patterns and this can actually lead to serious illnesses being mistaken for muscular aches and pains. Kidney pain can be felt in the lower back and tragically, some people fail to recognize that they are having a heart attack because they feel pain in their neck and arm, not in their chest. 

We also know that not understanding or being afraid of pain can make pain feel stronger. In rare cases, people who have pain in one hand can feel pain just by seeing their other hand moving in a mirror. There are many other fascinating aspects to pain, and understanding how it works is an important part of managing your symptoms.  

To understand how referred pain may be affecting you, chat to your physiotherapist who can help with any questions. None of the information in this newsletter is a replacement for proper medical advice. Always see a medical professional for advice on your individual condition.