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Newsletters Newsletter July 2007 | Newsletter July 2007 |
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Given our booming snow season this year, before you hit the slopes this year, take the time to have a look at an article. 1. Welcome New Staff
Michelle
Borkowski – Practice Manager
Jeremy Scrivener –
Physiotherapist
2. Massage Therapy is Back
!! Carolyn Wilson commenced with Balmain Sports Physiotherapy in July 2007 and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in massage therapy to our practice. As a former dance teacher, Carolyn understands the demands individual’s and athlete’s place on their bodies and believes that massage therapy can be an invaluable aide to assist in the management and recovery of their musculoskeletal system, allowing them to return to their daily routines.
Massage Options
Prices
Gift Vouchers also available
Health Funds
Given our booming snow season this year, before you hit the slopes this year, take the time to have a look at an article where James was recently interviewed regarding ‘Dynamic Warm-Ups’ to perform prior to skiing each day. This will give you the best chance of having a great day on the mountain!! Click on the link below…
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,,21909680-5006048,00.html
Ever wished to have your own snowboard or ski’s and shred the powder in absolute comfort? For all your snowboarding, telemarking, backcountry skiing and camping needs come visit Sydney’s newest backcountry snow and camping store. We have Option and Arbor snowboards; K2 and Fischer telemark and backcountry skis; RED helmets; Option, G3 and Rottefella bindings; Jackets and pants by Mountain Hardwear, Section, Mount and garmot; oyu’ll also find beanies, gloves, thermals, daypacks, kid carriers and much more. Bring in this newsletter to receive 10% discount on your purchase (except Option Snowboard package). Our address is:
168 Victoria Rd, Drummoyne (next to Drummoyne RSL Club) 5. Back in Business Qn: My neck is very sore in the morning and I find it difficult to turn my head before I’ve had a shower. Why would this be? Is there anything I can do to free it up? Morning stiffness is often associated with arthritic conditions; osteoarthritis is the most common form, where your joints become stiff. This is just like the back gate that rarely gets used and becomes rusty and stiff. Put some oil on the gate, start swinging it back and forward, and it loosens up. Movement is nature’s oiling can for your joints. During the day you are moving around, using your neck, so it stays lubricated and loose. While sleeping, if your pillow is too high / low or too old, it won’t provide the necessary support for your neck, which can then irritate your neck joints (Ask one of our staff about our NEW PILLOWS which will be available for purchase soon). Additionally, at night you don’t have anywhere near as much as movement and occasionally you will sleep on your stomach, which will combine to cause the joints to get a little ‘rusty’, resulting in stiffness and discomfort in the morning. While moving your neck in the morning and applying heat (i.e. shower) will free up joint stiffness, sometimes this isn’t enough to loosen it completely. This is where physiotherapy, via a number of methods, can be extremely helpful to stimulate extra ‘lubrication’ and movement of the neck. Your physiotherapist can then provide you with expert instruction on the best methods to maintain this looseness as much as possible. Maintaining looseness and flexibility in your neck generally means a brighter start to the day. Qn: I have a ‘slipped disc that goes out occasionally, particularly if I bend forwards or drive for too long. The back is becomes very sore and I often find it very difficult to sit or walk. Apart from spending time in bed, is there anything else I can do to ease the pain? Where did your disc go? Did it have a good time while you were left at home in pain? I don’t mean to tease you, but the simple fact is that there is no such thing as a ‘slipped disc’. It is a horrible term that implies something that just doesn’t happen. The disc can indeed be injured though - it can tear, it can bulge and swell and fragments can break away from the disc resulting in as herniated disc. The feeling of something being ‘out’ in your back is a common one. Rather than originating from a slipped disc though, this sensation is usually due to the injured structures in your back and the associated muscle spasm that can be extremely painful and disabling. Fortunately in many cases it can be reduced by various manual techniques which a physiotherapist can provide immediately. To assist your back, it is generally accepted that trying to keep mobile is the best option i.e. ‘active rest’. This means it is best to move around and change your body position regularly between sitting, standing and lying on your side, in order to help relieve muscle spasm. Don’t try to force your back with the movement though, as the muscle spasm can react to excessive movement by spasming even more. Heat or ice, depending on the individual, could be useful for the pain. Try both to find out what is best for you, but the majority of the people we deal with find heat the most soothing. Consulting your pharmacist for advice on anti-inflammatory medication for some pain relief can be very useful.
Qn: My bad back makes it
uncomfortable to sit in an office chair and a friend has suggested that I sit
on a fitball instead. Would this help? A recent study compared sitting on a fitball with sitting on a stable surface and found no differences between the two in terms of muscle activation and spinal load; this suggests there is no scientific evidence to support the proposition that sitting on a therapy ball is better for your back than sitting on an office chair. Interestingly, the subjects in this study found sitting on the ball for 30 minutes less comfortable than sitting on a wooden stool. Importantly the ball will not magically correct poor posture, as it is possible to sit with ‘poor posture’ on both a fitball and a supportive office chair. Hence improved posture is critical to improved sitting tolerance. This can be assisted by improving general back muscle strength and frequent breaks from sitting will minimize the loading on your spinal joints. In summary, the fitball may be helpful for some people, but it can’t be considered a cure for all.
Title: Comparison of in-shoe
foot loading patterns on natural grass and synthetic turf. Procedures: (1) A 20 metre ‘zig zag’ slalom course was set up on both a natural grass and synthetic turf fields. (2) Each athlete was fitted with the same type of specific molded football boot (14 cleats) (3) In each boot was a pressure measuring inner sole (4) Each athlete was allowed several trials to familiarize themselves with the course and were then randomly allocated to a starting surface condition. (5) One maximal effort time trial was performed on each surface, within 1 hour. Results: (1) The peak pressure was significantly higher in the front and middle of the foot on the synthetic turf. (2) The peak pressure was significantly higher on the inside and outside of the foot on the natural grass. (3) There was no performance time difference between each surface. Practical Implications: (1) Different playing surfaces do result in different foot pressures during the same sporting activities.
(2) The higher loading patterns on the inside / outside of the foot
maybe related to a greater ‘cleat catch’ (i.e. the football boot cleat gets
caught in the grass) and thus more injuries on natural grass. 7. Quote of the month
“The greatest mistake you can make in life
is to continually be afraid you will make one.”
If you would like us to cover a specific topic in our next newsletter or have any further suggestions of how we can improve our service for you, please visit our web site, www.balmainsportsphysio.com.au and click on the ‘Feedback’ icon. |
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