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Pre season injuries prevention - Physio On Miller, Cammeray
By Team @ Physio On Miller Uncategorized

Pre season injuries – how to avoid them

It’s been an endless summer (at least in theory) since we all played our team sports. Change in schedules, unplanned holidays with last minute openings of boarders and of course the big wet have all contributed to our time away from sport being a bit longer than usual. Enter the risk of pre season injuries.

With training kicking off we have had an influx of pre season injuries related to this sudden, yet welcomed, change in our activity levels. Common areas of injuries have been ankle sprains, quad strains and of course the dreaded hamstring. Our anecdotal findings seem to be happening amongst the pros too.

 A recent study in the British Journal of sports medicine conducted on professional football (soccer) players it was found that…

“The thigh (23%), knee (17%), and ankle (17%) were the most common locations for injuries during the preseason, there was a relatively greater number of lower leg injuries (15%) during the preseason.  Achilles tendonitis was most prevalent in the preseason, with 33% of all Achilles related injuries sustained during this period. Muscle strains were the most common injury during preseason (37%). Rectus femoris muscle strains were observed twice as frequently during the preseason relative to the in season. Ligament sprains were the second most common injury during preseason (19%). Non-contact mechanisms were the cause of significantly more injuries during the preseason with relatively more preseason injuries sustained while running or shooting”.

But don’t let this put you off. While you may be at an increased of injury during this period – it is well documented that those who engage in regular physical activity can add in excess of 4 years to their lives  (Reimers et al, 2012).

So if you’re interested in living longer and spending less of it with pre season injuries I have put together a few strategies to get the best of both worlds.

1. Warm – up:

The reasons for warming up before any physical activity are well known. But are our warm-ups adequately preparing us for an improved performance on the pitch while reducing our inherent risk of injury? Developed and studied by the FIFA Medical Assessment and Research Centre (F-MARC), the FIFA 11+ injury prevention program has been proven in multiple research studies worldwide to significantly reduce injuries and enhance performance.

Injury Prevention

The FIFA 11+ warm-up has been shown to substantially reduce major injuries, particularly in females between the ages of 13-18 who have a high risk of knee and ACL injury, by 50% and a reduction of 39% of overall injury incidence in recreational/sub-elite football.

The program is only effective when the warm-up exercises are performed regularly, at least twice a week. Compliance is of utmost importance—injury risk is lowest in those players with higher adherence to the program.

The program consists of 3 parts with a total of 15 exercises that are to be completed in a specific order.

Part 1: Slow-speed running exercises paired with active stretching and partner work.
Part 2: Core and leg strength exercises, along with balance, plyometrics, and agility exercises.
Part 3: Moderate/high speed running exercises integrated with cutting and pivoting movements.

Pre season injuries prevention - FIFA 11+
FIFA 11+ program

2. Strength and conditioning program

  1. Strength and conditioning exercises

Developing a specific and highly individualized fitness plan that includes a varied range of exercises such as cardiovascular exercise, strength training, flexibility and mobility is effective in increasing sporting performance and sports injury prevention.  There is no one size fits all and the demands on your individual sport would dictate the program you should follow. However, I have formulated a list of a few fundamental exercises that would feature in the majority of strength and conditioning programs.

  • Calf raises
  • Single leg squats
  • Side lying leg raises
  • Glute bridges
  • Hamstring curls
  • Explosive bodyweight movements
  • Agility exercises such as sprints
  • Single leg balancing with catching and throwing.

Ensure that you are gradually increasing your load and progression as you progress through these exercises.

 If you have any further questions about how you can minimise your risk, or your loved ones risks of injury, or what to do if this e-mail got to you a little to late then give us a call at Physio on Miller so you can start of your season with a bang!

Reimers, C. D., Knapp, G., & Reimers, A. K. (2012). Does physical activity increase life expectancy? A review of the literature. Journal of aging research, 2012.

Woods, C., Hawkins, R., Hulse, M., & Hodson, A. (2002). The Football Association Medical Research Programme: an audit of injuries in professional football—analysis of preseason injuries. British journal of sports medicine, 36(6), 436-441.

Sports Physiotherapy Rehab Exercise Classes ACL Injury Prevention Physiotherapy Cammeray, Physio On Miller
By Team @ Physio On Miller Blog, featured , ,

ACL injury prevention and physio

A big focus in our clinic is injury prevention, in particular ACL injury prevention. With the run of ACL injuries we’re treating we’re highlighting the importance of ACL injury prevention.

Many of our clients are active sports people and we’re keen to see our clients succeed in their sport and most importantly injury free. There’s been an abundance of research into the success of injury prevention programs and fortunately many physios, coaches and athletes are adopting these programs. In particular there’s been a lot of research around ACL injury prevention and the significant reduction of injury in athletes who regularly complete a prevention program.

When it comes to ACL injury prevention it is important to include strength, agility, proprioception (balance) and plyometrics. In addition these programs need to be completed regularly, for at least 10 minutes prior to playing sport and continue for 6 weeks or the duration of the sports calendar (whichever is longer).

There are many sport specific programs that have been developed with the knee and ACL in particular in mind.

Netball: https://knee.netball.com.au/

Soccer FIFA 11+ and Santa Monica PEP

AFL – FootyFirst

With this in mind if you’re joining a team this season, have a previous ACL tear that needs rehab or a weekend warrior come see one of our fantastic physios to get your program started. To book an appointment click here.

Hip flexor stretch - Physio On Miller, Cammeray
By Team @ Physio On Miller Blog, featured

How to improve your hip mobility – Hips don’t lie

As humans we are the most adapted and have potential to be the best movers on the planet. Yes, we cannot jump up a fence like a cat or sprint like a cheetah but we can throw a Frisbee, tie a shoelace and loco mote on 1,2,3 or 4 limbs.
As a species we evolved for long distance migration (walking and running) yet, foot, knee and Achilles ‘over use’ injuries have never been so prevalent. So why is this? Sadly, the majority of us have lost the ability to do everything that our body has evolved to do and, as a society, we take our movement for granted.

The body is a highly adaptable machine. It allows us to move, even with joint restrictions in place, but it is only a matter of time until it begins to break down and you go to see your physiotherapist.
When walking (and running) form follows function. If we lack movement in the lower limb – especially in the hips we begin to compensate. This leads to
increased transmission of force in the joints and ligaments and our doctor or other health care provider diagnoses us with ‘jumpers knee”, Achilles tendonitis or some kind of plantar fasciopathy we are unable to pronouce.

Lower limb and lower back injuries almost always have a hip component. Because we do not regularly use our body for the purpose it has evolved for and the 90° lifestyle that has become the norm, think sitting, prevents us from accessing the full function of our hips.
The many hours we spend sitting causes us to loose hip mobility and in turn hip stability. Our hip flexors and lower back begin to tighten and our pelvis starts to tip forward. This in turn leads to an inability to extend our hip and thus propel us forward in and efficient manner when walking or running. If our hip cannot extend we cannot access the full power of our gluts and then other, less suited muscles take over leading us down the path of over use injuries and metal joints.
It’s not all bad news! To adapt means to “make (something) suitable for a new use or purpose” or “become adjusted to new conditions”. With this in mind it tells us that we merely have to change the conditions to change our destination.
Listed below are a few ideas of how to reclaim your hip movement and prevent yourself from injury. While this list is not exhaustive it is a great start and seeking the advice of a health or movement professional should not be avoided altogether.

  1. Reduced the amount of time spent sitting at 90°. Sitting can be divided into optional and non-optional.

Optional:

  • E-mails
  • Netflix
  • Park

Non-optional:

  • Car
  • Meeting (where everyone sits)
  • Work

For those times where sitting is optional think about a different position you could adopt: standing, sitting on the floor, walking etc

2. Offset the amount of time spent sitting with hip extension stretches.
Spend 1 minute in the modified hip flexor stretch for every 1-hour you spend sitting on any given day.

  • Kneel on the Left knee.
  • Right knee at 90.
  • Drive the hips forward and keep
  • The core engaged.
  • Squeeze the left glut and feel the
  • Stretch in the left hip flexor.
  • Hold 1 minute – change leg

3. Obtain hip dominance and glut activation in standing – Complete 2 x 5s hold on each leg.

  • Stand on the left leg.
  • Pull the right knee to the chest using the hands.
  • Squeeze the left glut and keep the left knee straight.
  • Release the Right knee and hold for 5 seconds.

These are a few ideas for you to reclaim you hip mobility and once you have done the hard work of obtaining it, all you have to do to keep it is to use it.

So you are at a fork in the road – do you want to run yourself to injury or do you want to move yourself to health.  Like with all things health, prevention is better than cure and remember…. Embrace progress, no perfection.

Prevent injury through these tips of how to return safely to the gym post Covid 19
By Team @ Physio On Miller Blog, featured

How to return safely to the gym post Covid 19

Now that restrictions are easing and gyms are open many of you are keen to return to your pre-Covid exercise regime. However it’s important to know how to return safely to the gym post Covid 19 to avoid injury. Here are our tips on how you to get back to the gym:

  1. Hygiene

Number 1 tip throughout Covid 19 has been hygiene and this is not the time to stop. Remember to always wash your hands (or sanitise) and avoid touching your face. Wiping gym equipment before you use it can help minimise the risk of contracting Covid 19.

  • Warm up and Cool down

With many of us working from home and changing our exercise program (such as taking up running) we may have stiff areas and weak muscles requiring some extra focus and care. Ensuring a 10 minute warm up of gentle cardio and dynamic stretching and foam rolling, stretching and icing can aid in recovery and injury prevention.

  • Reducing your weight lifting

Given gyms have closed for 3 months it’s important not to lift too heavy a weight to ensure you return safely to the gym post Covid 19. It’s recommended you drop 20-30% of pre-iso weight to reduce your risk of injury.

  • Limiting your intensity

The excitement of returning to the gym must be tempered with the risk of injury. Remember it has been a while since you’ve attended the gym so having a rest day between sessions and reducing your reps and sets can all help for recovery and injury prevention.

  • Address any niggles

During isolation you may have been working from home and not had an ideal desk setup or you may have taken up a different type of exercise as the gyms were closed. Make sure as you return to the gym that if you feel any niggles get them checked out by your physio. Injury prevention is key and you don’t want your niggle to become a full blown injury.

We hope you enjoy returning to the gym post Covid 19 and these tips will help to ensure a safe return.

By Team @ Physio On Miller Blog, featured , ,

Confined to Run – running during Coronavirus

Over the last few weeks one positive that has surprised us in the clinic is the number of people seeking our expertise for exercise related injuries. It seems that half of North Sydney has managed to dust of their running shoes and hit the pleasantly empty streets.

With gyms closed, CEO’s working from home and a temporary hold on the school run, time has been created for the most important thing – the self. New work out routines and self-imposed running schedules are abundant.

With all of this in mind I thought it would be a good idea to provide some encouragement and education on how to prepare for your run, progress as a runner and how to keep version 2.0 of yourself running, exercising and meditating when the virus is nothing but a distant memory.

Preparation:

Our clients are so keen to lace up the runners and race at the door that many of them are missing the most important part of the run. The old phrase ‘fail to prepare and prepare to fail’ rings true.

School PE lessons would have us take a few laps around the oval and then some good old-fashioned hamstring stretch and this is exactly that – old fashioned.

Instead ask your self – how’s my butt? The glut muscles are the powerhouses of the body. Not only do they keep our pelvis aligned, contribute to single leg balance and knee alignment when running they also serve to drive us forwards and thereby taking the stress of those sore calves you are plagued with!

The series of exercises below should be completed prior to starting your run. They can also work, as a set of exercises to be used when taking a mini-break from your desk as those hours spent sitting will have your backside snoozing.

1. Single leg bridge

2. Lying hip abduction (With or without resistance band)

3. Single leg dead lift.

Bonus point:

Before you put on your running shoes spend 2 minutes rolling the base of your foot with a lacrosse/spiky ball. This simple movement will re-awaken your constricted feet and begin to mobilise the 26 bones, 33 joints and 100 tendons, muscles and ligaments.

How to increase running distance:

If you’re completely new to running then the Couch to 5KM is the most commonly used program that has people up and moving in no time. (https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/couch-to-5k-week-by-week/).

If you’re already pounding through 5km and, the proverbial carrot is not getting any closer, then keep reading. Every time we increase our running routine whether its distance, time or speed we also increase our likely hood of picking up an injury. But good news, there is ways to prevent this.

1. Increase running distance by no more than 10% each week. So if you’re running 10km this week – next week you can do 11km.

2. Ensure you are wearing well-fitted running shoes that are suitable for your running style. Head over to Pace Athletic (https://paceathletic.com/) for a running gait analysis and a pair of runners made for you.

3. Cool down – this is more important than most people realise.  Aim to complete a cool down that is 10% of you’re workout – add an additional 1km to your workout at a slower pace gradually reducing to a walk.

4. Implement a preventative programme including, stretching, Pilates, good nutrition, hydration and adequate sleep.

Upgrading version 2.0

Now you’re running at version 2.0 its time to keep upgrading.  It is commonly thought it takes 66days to form a new habit. The length of time public health restrictions have been going on for means we are almost there!  When events are up and running (excuse the pun) and we can start to be more human by gathering outside there is a few ways you can push your exercise to new heights.

1. Join a running club

2. Park run – The world’s biggest running event. A free, weekly 5km in open spaces and parks around the world. Park run offers a positive, welcoming experience. Feel free to walk, jog, run, volunteer or spectate. (https://www.parkrun.com.au/)

3. Sign up to an event – This single most effective way to give yourself a purpose. 5km, half marathon, mud-run or sponsored walk. Put it on the calendar and keep working!

Now you have managed to find time for all your new healthy habits – exercising, connecting with food in your kitchen, listening to and engaging as a family – I hope that life doesn’t return to the way it was.