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Blog

By Team @ Physio On Miller Blog, featured , , ,

How to prevent injury for an endurance event

With an active community of clients and ourselves having participated in trail runs/walks we understand the importance of preparation and injury prevention. Nothing can be more disappointing than putting in all the training only to pull out of your event due to injury. We’ve put together some simple tips to ensure you get the most out of your event.

  1. Preparation

It might seem simple but the most frequent comment from walkers who visited us at the physio tent at Coastrek 2018 was that they hadn’t trained enough. Many walkers thought “it’s only walking, I can do that” but when do we ever do 30km or 60km walk in 1 day or multiple days of walking if you’re preparing for an adventure tour. Your feet, legs and body need to get used to walking long distances to understand where you might feel niggles, what energy you require for that distance, how much water will you need to drink. These are all important factors that can stop you in your tracks on event day but are so easy to find out during training walks. Put together a training plan, grab a friend to keep you accountable and you will fly through the event knowing you’ve given it your best with the amount of preparation you did.The right gear

2. The Right Gear

Again being prepared and discovering during the training walks what gear is best for your body is going to prevent injury on event day.  Most of us know the importance of wearing in new shoes, but what if we have the wrong shoes. There are great shoe stores with knowledgeable staff who can help select the best footwear for you to prevent blisters, plantar fasciitis or tendonopathies (to name a few). Likewise you may find during training your knees start to hurt, this is where walking poles can help to take some of the load off your knees particularly when climbing stairs or descending hills.

3. Strength training

This is where your physio can help you be event ready. The stronger your legs and core the less likely you will suffer an injury. We’ve included a few key exercises we recommend for our clients who are training for endurance events.

Calf raises:

Start in a balanced stance with your feet shoulder width apart and then raise yourself up on your toes as high as possible, keeping your ankles straight and not rolling in or out. This can be done standing on both feet or just one foot.
Return back to the starting position. Repeat 10 x for 3 sets

Squats:

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. 
Engage your core muscles and gently squat down. 

Bend your knees, pushing your hips back behind you and leaning your body forwards, as though you are about to sit on the chair. Make sure your knees don’t come forwards of your toes, or come closer together. Repeat 10 x for 3 sets

Bridging:

Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. 
Tighten your buttock muscles and lift your hips up into the bridge position. 
Make sure you keep your hips up and level throughout the movement. Repeat 10 x for 3 sets.

Sit ups:

Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.  Place hands behind your head.

Draw in your deep abdominals and lift your chest/upper torso until your shoulder blades are just resting on the mat.

Make sure your spine stays in neutral, not flattening or arching.  Your neck and shoulders should be relaxed, and the weight of your head resting in your hands. Repeat 10 x for 3 sets.

You shouldn’t experience any pain with these exercises so if you do please chat with your physio.

4. Address the niggles

Nothing is better than addressing your aches and pains before they become full blown injuries. If something feels tight or stiff a remedial massage can help but if that area starts to become painful see your physio straight away. With some treatment and exercises your niggle can go away and not stop you from completing your event.

5. Have fun

We’re hearing a lot about the benefits of mindfulness and mental wellbeing on pain. With a positive outlook on event day what can be seen by the brain as a threat or injury (but is actually just muscle soreness) can be overcome through having fun with your peers. The power of positive thinking is true and will get you through those hard kms to the finish line. And even better your achievement might even get you forgetting the pain and signing up for next year.

We look forward to supporting Coastrek 2019 and if you need any physio before the event please get in touch with us at Physio On Miller, Cammeray.

By Team @ Physio On Miller Blog, featured, Physio , , , , ,

Five Health and Safety Tips for Tradies

August is Tradies National Health Month and here are our five health and safety tips for tradies.

According to research by the Australian Physiotherapy Association:

  • Tradies account for 58% of all serious injury/disease claims but only make up 30% of the workforce
  • 79% of tradies said they took good care of their tools compared to only 47% of tradies who said they looked after their body
  • The most common cause of injury is muscular stress caused by lifting, carrying, or putting objects down with back pain being the most common site of injury

Our five health and safety tips for tradies are:

  1. Make time for regular physio and doctors appointments – if something hurts or you’re concerned about a health issue it’s always best to get it seen to earlier rather than later. What can be a niggle can quickly become a chronic injury. With repetitive lifting, sustained postures and heavy lifting your body is under a lot of strain. And remember prevention is always better than a cure so even booking in a regular massage can help to relieve any muscular tension.
  2. Keep fit and strong – although your job is physical it is still important to maintain your fitness and strength. Going to the gym or establishing a home program working on your core strength, leg and arm muscles can help reduce the load on your joints and prevent injury.
  3. Be sun safe – with a lot of work being outdoors sun protection is vital. Try to do as much work in the shade or plan your day to get those jobs outside done early or late in the day.
  4. Protect yourself – whether it be wearing protective gear, learning safer ways to lift or taking regular breaks make sure you’re responsible for your own health and safety at work.
  5. Eat healthy food – it’s not only what’s happening on the outside that’s important it’s what you’re taking inside your body too. Swap burgers and pies for healthy protein filled salads, fresh fruit and lots of water and not only will you look better but you’ll also feel better.

 

Pre and post natal physiotherapy, Physio On Miller, Cammeray
By Team @ Physio On Miller Blog, featured, Physio, Pilates , , , , , , ,

Keeping active during pregnancy

Many pregnant clients ask us the best way in keeping active during pregnancy. In the past it was recommended that women rest whilst their bodies adapted to growing another little person inside. Exercise was to be avoided and lifting kept to a minimum. However now it is recommended by specialists, doctors and physiotherapists to keep exercising and encourage gradual strengthening.

New mums need their strength both during and after their pregnancy for a few key reasons. Firstly during a single pregnancy most mothers-to-be will end up carrying an extra eight to twenty kilos of weight so any extra thigh and back strength is going to help with offloading your joints in your pelvis, hips and knees.

After birth a newborn will weigh on average 3.3kg which is a weight that will need to be lifted and carried right from day one, whilst by four months your childs weight can double and by twelve months can triple. Imagine walking around lifting and carrying a kettlebell of 7-10kg all day!

Therefore strengthening exercise like pilates (both matwork and reformer) can be so helpful both during and after pregnancy. There is evidence that increased strength can help with reducing back pain, reducing risk of gestational diabetes, cramps and leg swelling. It is also a chance to talk about the changes that are happening to your body in a supportive environment.

Having a university trained physiotherapist overseeing your graduated strength training in a small supervised session will help guide your journey through pregnancy and beyond whilst helping you meet the demands of motherhood from a physical perspective. As exercise professionals we understand that all bodies are different and not everyone has done exercise before so we ensure that a one-on-one session is conducted prior to joining any group classes so we can best understand your background and goals and any specific concerns you may have. We have pre and post natal specific classes which your physiotherapist can discuss with you.

If you are at any stage from planning a pregnancy to having delivered a child we would recommend an assessment with one of our experienced physiotherapists at Physio On Miller. Please give us a call on 02 8065 6902 with any questions.

By Team @ Physio On Miller Blog, featured , , , , , , , ,

Physios for Coastrek

We’re excited to be the supporting physios for Coastrek this year. The event, which raises funds for the Fred Hollows Foundation, is a 30km or 60km walk starting from Manly/Kirribilli and finishing at the iconic Bondi Beach.

We’ll be at Kirribilli after midday on Friday 16th March providing physio treatment, advice and taping for any injured walkers. As part of the event we are offering all new Coastrek clients 40% off their initial physio consult. It’s important to rehab/manage any injuries before the event to ensure a great day out.

Our top tips for event day are:

  • Drink plenty of water
  • Wear good shoes and socks to prevent foot blisters
  • Warm up your muscles and keep them warm at each checkpoint
  • Dynamically stretch your muscles
  • Come see us if you’re injured

We hope your training is coming along well and look forward to seeing you on event day.

Fred Hollows

Coastrek

By Team @ Physio On Miller Blog, featured , , , , ,

Ankle sprain, how physio can help

Ankle sprains are extremely common in both the sporting and non-sporting worlds, with 70% of Australian’s reporting a history of ankle sprain during their lifetime. It has long been regarded as a harmless injury with very few individuals following a rehabilitation program after injury. However current research indicates that the pain, swelling and ligament damage that occurs with ankle sprains result in reduced functional capacity and the potential for the development of chronic ankle instability.

Research conducted back in 1995 demonstrated that 25-50% of first time ‘sprainers’ went on to develop functional instability or the inability to control the position of their ankle within normal range. This increases the risk of future sprains, can change the way other joints in the lower limb (such as the knee and hip) are loaded and may affect the activities and sports that individuals can play comfortably.

Thankfully, research also demonstrates that with correct acute management, followed by a 8-14 week progressive exercise program individuals can regain good stability in their ankle and dramatically reduce the risk of future complications.

Initial ankle sprain management should follow the PRICER acronym: Protection, Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation, Referral. Physiotherapy can assist in this early stage with taping, compression, manual therapy techniques to reduce soft tissue and joint stiffness and providing guidance on a safe level or early movement and activity.

Once pain and swelling have reduced, strength, flexibility and proprioceptive exercises can be progressed appropriately to regain that normal level of control around the ankle. Further muscles higher up in the kinetic chain such as around the hips can be assessed to identify whether any weaknesses or imbalances exist that predispose the individual to ankle sprains.

Call us on 80656902 for a comprehensive rehabilitation program to ensure safe return to sport, work and daily activity demands