Category: Blog

Introducing Rocktape to Physio On Miller

Many injuries we see as physios respond well to support through the use of tape.  Research has shown tape can have beneficial effects such as:

• Improved support/bracing
• Feedback and proprioceptive awareness
• Reduce muscle spasm/tension
• Reduce swelling
• Pain relief

We are excited to announce the use of Rocktape (a brand of kinesio-tape) at Physio On Miller.  Kinesio-taping has elastic properties making it stretchy. Although it doesn’t replace traditional rigid sports taping, it has several uses where rigid tape was not suitable therefore filling a gap in taping techniques.

Kinesio-taping has been around for some time, originally developed by Dr. Kenzo Kase over 25 years ago in Japan. In more recent times this style of taping has become popular within several elite sports and led to further research and development of its application. I’m sure everyone has seen the brightly coloured tape used on athletes during competition… its hard to miss!

Kinesio-tape is used to

• Facilitate postural re-education
• Reduce pain
• Provide support whilst allowing full range of movement
• Prevent injury
• Improve blood flow and healing
• Promote reduction in odema and inflammation

Rocktape stretches up to 190% of its original length but has amazing ‘snap-back’ or recovery. Due to this property it can be worn for several days / during physical activity and maintain its elasticity and therefore effectiveness.

It is hypoallergenic and can be worn directly against your skin for several days without causing irritation. Rocktape also adheres well in water and during vigorous physical activity, leading it to be the kinesio-tape of choice for Cross Fit training and elite sports.

We have attended the ROCKTAPE comprehensive seminar and are able to utilise the full range of applications kinesio-tape has to offer.  So far we have had great feedback from our clients and are excited to see the benefits kinesio taping offers.

World Diabetes Day – Physio Tips

World Diabetes Day is a nominated day of awareness, featured around a yearlong campaign of diabetes education and prevention, engaging millions of people worldwide.

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), or non-insulin dependent DM, is a lifestyle related disease that is rapidly increasing throughout the population at an alarming rate. Centered on the basis of poor glycemic control, T2DM has many lifestyle components involving both diet and physical activity. There is much research indicating that there is a greater likelihood to developing the disease with an insufficient amount of physical activity, otherwise a highly sedentary life. As little as 210 minutes of moderate intensity exercise, or 125 minutes of high intensity exercise per week has been shown to improve cardiovascular fitness, and body composition profiles in people with T2DM or pre-diabetes, as well as reduce the cardiovascular risk profile in those without, along with improving glycemic control.

Pilates is a great way to increase your physical activity through low impact exercises. Based in a studio, Pilates aims to strengthen and lengthen muscles to support everyday activities, along with improving core strength and postural awareness. Pilates programs can vary in intensity and can be specifically tailored to suit any individuals level of fitness and goals.

Due to the high incidence of co-morbidity in those with T2DM, it is also recommended that individuals be assessed by a Physiotherapist prior to the implementation of exercise programs, and that they be designed and delivered by appropriately qualified individuals such as Physiotherapists and Exercise Physiologists.

How to improve cycling technique

With the recent publicity cycling has gained you may have decided to increase or begin your participation in the sport.  As physios we see a lot of injuries from cycling, not only the ones inflicted by cars, but also overuse or poor technique injuries.

Often patients present to us following an increase in training or a change in technique to improve power and speed.  A misguided conception is that the more time spent on a bike the better the cyclist will become.  While this is somewhat true, focusing on technique rather than hours on the bike might prove to be more worthwhile.

Good cycling technique involves understanding how muscles work most efficiently.  A muscle’s ability to develop power is dependent on the length tension relationship.  Put simply a muscle at its shortest or longest length has difficulty optimally generating tension.  A muscle works best at its mid-length.

When related to the cycling action the quads and gluteals are at an optimum during the push phase to generate power .  Likewise the hamstrings and calf muscles work optimally across the bottom of the revolution, not on the upstroke. The drive for the upstroke or pull phase comes from the opposite leg.

A common mistake when increasing speed is to use the dominant leg to push and pull the pedal creating poor efficiency and possibly resulting in injury.  When training to increase speed the cyclist should work on increasing the push phase on both the dominant and non-dominant leg as well as the pull of the hamstrings across the bottom of the revolution not when the knee is bent back behind (as illustrated below).

Specific exercises can assist in training the strength and power generation of the gluteals, quads, hamstrings and calves.  If you want to kick start your cycling prowess or just wanting to prevent injury come in and we can discuss your technique and tailor an exercise program to improve your speed and aid injury prevention.

Are your glutes weak?

One of the largest and most powerful groups of muscles in the human body is located in the buttocks. Consisting of the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus — collectively known as “the glutes”. These muscles are important to most of the body’s active movements. If they are weak or underdeveloped, bad posture and numerous health problems can result.

How do “glutes” become weak?

1. Inactivity  as we spend most of our day sitting on them
2. Following an injury (low back, hip, knee or ankle) the glutes can ‘turn off’ to prevent further compression or pain
3. After an episode of pain we will avoid movement because we are scared they will cause pain.  This leads to decreased use of muscle.

Some very common conditions that we see in the clinic that can be directly related to glut weakness include:

1. Trendelenburg sign which can lead to injuries to the lumbar spine, sacroiliac joint (SIJ), greater trochanter bursa, overactivity of piriformis and tensor fascia lata (TFL)
2. “Knocked knees” can lead to injuries to the patellofemoral joint, patella tendon and fat pad.
3. Same-sided shift of trunk (lateral flexion of trunk) can lead to injuries to the lumbar spine due to increased disc and facet joint compression or SIJ due to increased shear forces.

Physiotherapy can improve glut strength

Our physios can conduct a thorough assessment to establish which glut muscles are weak and prescribe an exercise program to improve recruitment, strength and endurance.  This includes specific muscle training to help recruit muscles and improve control and strengthening exercises to assist in strengthening and improve efficiency of the muscle.

Strengthening exercises of the “glutes” can help to reduce any secondary problems associated with the weakness by helping with stability and function of the joints.  The gluteus medius and minimus are important lateral stabilizers of our pelvis.  The major purpose of this is to prevent tilting of the pelvis.  This is important as it allows our swing foot to clear the ground when walking and provide a stable base for our lower back.  The glut max is our power muscle giving us strength to get out of a chair, climb up stairs and sprint up hills.

So get your butt into gear this summer (your body will thank you)!

Are your bones strong enough?

A recent article in the Sydney Morning Herald reported a third of Australians over 65 years are doing no exercise, and many more are not doing enough to improve strength, co-ordination and balance.  The Australian Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport published a study that revealed the older population mostly took part in aerobic activities such as walking, which is beneficial to cardiovascular fitness but does little to protect the exerciser against falls or loss of bone mass.

Osteoporosis is a chronic, progressive disease and is one of the most common metabolic bone diseases in people over 65. It has been most frequently recognized in elderly women, although it does occur in both genders, all races, and age groups. It is characterised by low bone mass and deterioration of bone tissue, with a consequent increase in bone fragility. Unfortunately the disease often does not become apparent until a fracture occurs (usually from a fall).

Another term that is linked with osteoporosis is osteopenia. Osteopenia refers to a bone mineral density (BMD) that is lower than normal but not low enough to be classified as osteoporosis. Bone mineral density is a measurement of the level of minerals in the bones, which shows how dense and strong they are.

Physiotherapy can help to reduce your risk of osteoporosis by improving your strength, flexibility, posture, and balance. Spinal bone mineral density (BMD) is linked with the strength of the back extensors; therefore, maintaining and strengthening the back extensors should be emphasized.

Regular weight-bearing exercises are essential for the maintenance of bone mass  and should be encouraged in all patients, including children and adolescents. Exercise also improves agility and balance, thereby reducing the risk of falls.