Category: Uncategorized

Headaches – Physio can help

Headaches can significantly impact daily life, and understanding their origins is key to effective management. Two common types are cervicogenic and tension headaches. Both present with distinct symptoms and can benefit from targeted physiotherapy interventions.

Cervicogenic Headaches: Symptoms and Management

Cervicogenic headaches originate from the cervical spine (neck region) and are often misdiagnosed as migraines or tension headaches. Common symptoms include:

• Pain that starts in the neck and radiates to the forehead, temples, or behind the eyes.
• Reduced neck range of motion.
• Pain on one side of the head or face.
• Triggered by certain neck movements or positions.

Physiotherapy can play a crucial role in managing cervicogenic headaches by addressing the underlying issues in the cervical spine. Treatment may include:

• Manual therapy to improve joint mobility and reduce muscle tension.
• Specific exercises to strengthen neck muscles and improve posture.
• Education on ergonomics and posture correction to prevent recurrence.
• Techniques such as dry needling to alleviate pain and inflammation.

Tension Headaches: Symptoms and Management

Tension headaches, the most common type, are often associated with stress, poor posture, and muscle tension. Symptoms typically include:

• A constant, dull ache or pressure around the forehead or back of the head and neck.
• Sensation of tightness or band-like pressure around the head.
• Tenderness in the scalp, neck, and shoulder muscles.
• Mild to moderate pain, often bilateral.

Treatment approaches addressing muscle imbalances and promoting relaxation often include:

• Soft tissue massage to relieve muscle tension and improve circulation.
• Stretching exercises to alleviate tight muscles in the neck and shoulders.
• Strengthening exercises to correct posture and prevent muscle strain.
• Relaxation techniques such as deep breathing exercises and biofeedback to manage stress.
• Education on maintaining good posture and ergonomic workspaces.

Both cervicogenic and tension headaches can be debilitating, but effective management is possible with the right approach. Physiotherapy offers a range of treatments tailored to the specific type, focusing on alleviating pain, improving function, and preventing recurrence. If you experience persistent headaches, please contact us to book an appointment. Our team of experienced physios can help provide relief and improve your quality of life.

Why am I experiencing back pain?

Lower back pain is a pain and understanding why we get it and how to treat it will have you back on your feet in no time. Our spine is an interconnected system of bones, nerves, muscles, tendons and ligaments – it is central in how our body operates. Starting at your head and moving down towards the pelvis, we have 31 segments which are pivotal in normal human functioning. We use it in everything we do! This blog will outline how we can help optimise the movement of your spine and in turn, help improve your overall health.

The spine is a major cause of grief for many individuals. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reports:

• Over 4 million people reported significant back problems in 2017-2018
• Back problems are the 2nd leading cause of disease burden in Australia
• 86% of the population will experience pain at least once per week.

During the current COVID times, we have seen the impact of self-isolation, social distancing and working from home on the spine.

These include:

• Postural related injuries
• Osteoarthritis flare-ups
• Disc degeneration
• Neural compromise
• And many more

What can cause back pain?

There are many factors that contribute or increase risk of back pain. Age, physical fitness, weight, type of work are all factors that can influence your own individual experience of pain. Clinically, we see people present with a significant reduction in function and movement. Whether it is having difficulty sleeping, focusing on work or study, exercising or simply doing daily activities, back related problems can have a significant effect on our day to day lives.

Our bodies are strong, and robust and this includes our spine! It is built to withstand all the stress we put it through daily. The key to physiotherapy and back pain, is figuring out how we can help make it stronger and even more robust. There are many ways we can work on helping you with this, including:

• Pain management so your day to day activities are less impacted
• Improve your movement, so you can do the things you want to do
• Increase your strength and stability in key muscles and joints to optimise your movement and reduce too much strain on your spine.

At Physio On Miller, this could include one-on-one physiotherapy, private or group rehab sessions that incorporate clinical pilates and strength and conditioning principals. Our team are here to support your overall spinal health and help you continue to function to the best of your ability.

If you are experiencing back pain, please book into to see one of our fantastic physiotherapists. We would love to get you back to feeling and moving better!

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.

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.