Running: All you need to know.

Posted by Atif Razvi on November 1, 2018 with 0 Comment

Running has been described as the world’s most accessible sport. It’s probably true. It’s free. It can be adjusted to anybody. Different speeds and distances are appropriate for different individual health and fitness levels. For new runners, like me, it takes time to get into shape. The key is consistency and a slow increase in speed and distance. And there are so many wonderful benefits.

These benefits can extend well beyond medications. Studies have shown that running can help prevent obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke and even some cancers. Running also strengthens the joints in the body and can help with age-related bone problems i.e. osteoarthritis. Studies have shown that running can also vastly improve the quality of your emotional and mental life. It is frequently recommended as a therapy for people with clinical depression and people coping with addiction. A recent study has also linked running with improved memory and learning skills. The list of benefits is a long one!

The ACSM guidelines suggest that adults should get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week. These can be moderate sessions five days per week or vigorous sessions three days per week. However, they also recommend a gradual progression of exercise time, frequency and intensity for the best adherence and least injury risk. However, that may not be possible for everybody, especially if someone is just starting out. So, it’s important to start small, even 5-10 minutes and then build up slowly, knowing that you will still get some benefits from any length of activity.

The down-side to any physical activity, including running, is that there is always a chance of injury. Running is high impact activity so injuries aren’t uncommon. However that is what we are here for! If you have a running injury of any kind or simply would like to build strength to improve your running, the skilled team at North City Physiotherapy can get you started today!

Joanne Sullivan is a physiotherapist working out of our Tawa clinic.
Want to see Jo?
Why not book online now at: https://northcityphysio.co.nz/booknow
Or call us on 0800 627497

When can I return to sport?

Posted by Atif Razvi on November 1, 2018

BY MAU KEELAN – SENIOR PHYSIOTHERAPIST

If you’ve had an injury, one of your main concerns may be when can I go back to sport? This is a tough question to answer and every injury is unique depending on its severity.

If you return back too soon, there is a risk of re-injury or developing a chronic problem that will lead to a longer recovery time. If you wait too long you can risk deconditioning or take on poor compensatory movement behaviours. This can be a very frustrating time for most athletes but the earlier you seek intervention, the smoother your recovery will be.

Here are some “tips” to help allow a safe return back to sport:

1. Get professional advice EARLY:When an injury happens it is important that you get professional advice early preferably from a Physiotherapist or a Sports GP. From here they will be able to give you:

A diagnosis (What the injury is?)
Timeframes (How long you will be off sport)
Recommendations (Guidance on what you can and cannot do)
Education on the injury with regards to healing

Most of us go straight to A&E where we are rushed through an Xray to clear a fracture, then given pain relief/ anti-inflammatories, crutches/moonboot and sent home with no further advice. Poor information is given to us on what to do after this. Seek help from a Physiotherapist.

2. If ACUTE, don’t wait! Start rehabilitation EARLY:
Early intervention is always the best way to faster recovery. Below I have listed common injury types including a Joint sprain eg: Knee/Ankle or a Muscle strain eg: Calf/Hamstring

Acute joint sprains (Shoulders/Knees/Ankles – Average timeframe 4-8 weeks):

We are used to the R.I.C.E principle. Try the P.O.L.I.C.E principle
Please take note of the “Optimal Loading” segment which encourages and promotes recovery:

Acute Muscle Strains (Average timeframe 4-8 weeks):
Evidence suggests that commencing rehabilitation early (2 days after injury, rather than waiting 9 days) shortened the interval from injury to pain-free recovery and return to sports by 3 weeks without any increase in the risk of re-injury.
Regular and controlled mechanical loading early after trauma is needed to reduce the adverse effects of protracted immobilization on muscle and tendon structures. (Bayer, Magnusson, Kjaer. NEJM, 2017).

3, Get a plan and set some goals:
It is important to make a plan! This will assist with “acceptance” of your injury and faster recovery times. Your Physiotherapist will help you design a “return to sport” plan and set some realistic goals considering the speed at which you need to recover and what can be done to prevent the injury from coming back.
Here are some general goals to consider:

Normal range of movement. Compare the injured side to the non-injured side
Decrease in pain to zero, decrease in swelling
Strength of the injured part is 80-100% of the un-injured part
To return to training at 80-100%
To run or jump without pain

4. The dreaded “Waiting Game”

Here are some tips to help get you through “waiting game” of rehabilitation:

Stay positive!
Do not “break” the plan! Be patient!
Continue to be involved in your sport. Being injured does not mean that you can’t move! Go to trainings and help out with these. Be a post, set up a cycle or just watch and do your physiotherapy exercises. There are plenty of things that you can be doing to remain active. Your physio should encourage and guide you with this.
Don’t forget you can still continue training the un-injured areas.
Now is a good time to work on “fine tuning” and working on your balance and stability
You can also chat to your physiotherapist about “Mental Skills” eg: using imagery, self-talk and visualization to help with rehabilitation.
Give back to the sport and offer to speak to the younger athletes in your chosen sport.

5. Functional testing
Your physiotherapist will carry out different types of fitness tests to determine whether you are capable of returning to play.Here is a basic progression of exercises after a lower limb injury that tests your ability to return back to sport:

Walk with no limp
Jog with no limp
Sprint with no limp
Figure 8, jog and run with no limp
Quick zig-zag running with no limp
Double leg hop
Single leg hop maximally
Non-contact sports specific drills comfortably
Contact sport specific drills comfortably
Return to full training at 80-100%
Return to sport

Overall, your Physiotherapist wants you to return back to your chosen sport as safely as possible without having a re-occurrence.This requires for you to be patient and trust in your plan.

Recovering from an injury cannot be sped up!The best tools to make your rehab progress quickly are actually taught before you get injured. Making sure you are fit and strong for your chosen sport helps! You can recover faster and prevent more injuries if your body is conditioned for your sport.

Maumahara Keelan is a physiotherapist working out of our Johnsonvile clinic.

Want to see Mau?
Why not book online now at: https://northcityphysio.co.nz/booknow
Or call us on 0800 627497

Why Swimming is the Best

Posted by Atif Razvi on November 1, 2018

BY BRIDGET STEWART – PHYSIOTHERAPIST

As someone who used to be a swimmer and is now a swim coach it is no surprise to most people that I love being in around or on the water. Besides my general obsession with water it has so many great properties for healing and rehabilitation, and once people get over the fact that they have to get wet and sometimes cold it often has really good impacts on injury, regardless of what is injured! So here are 7 benefits of the water, and hopefully an encouragement to get in for a walk even if it isn’t your cup of tea.

It doubles as both cardio and strength training – aqua jogging or walking and swimming both mean you are constantly moving, so your cardiovascular fitness is improved which should allow you to walk and move better on land. The resistance that the water gives also means that muscles are strengthened, as they are having to push through more to function. It is also said that having increased resistance around your lungs/ribcage can help to strengthen your respiratory muscles, making breathing less difficult on land.
There is less impact – when in water you weight about 50% less than what you do on land. So, if you are struggling to put weight through any part of your leg or even your back, water can reduce a lot of the impact which we feel when walking. This is dependent on how deep water is but the more your body is in water, the lighter you are.
More muscles get used – when sitting at a desk for most of the day we don’t tend to use our arms a lot, particularly not with overhead activity. We also tend to be sitting with our hips bent up. Luckily swimming or being in the water allows us to be extended through our hips and ensures that our arms are working more. Pulling yourself through the water will naturally mean your strength develops in your shoulder more compared to running. Core strength is also tested, ensuring that you are staying balanced in the water, especially when turning to breathe.
Improving range of movement – due to the decreased weight and impact, we are able to work more on improving mobility into joints when we are in the water. Floats are really useful to help get things bending or straightening in a way which we may not be able to quite get on land. Getting the range of movement in the water will mean that you will develop strength to then be able to move better on land.
Heat – I do understand not every pool is particularly warm, but if you are able to find or go to a pool specifically for hydrotherapy then the pool tends to be about 33 degrees! Warm water increases blood flow and circulation in order to reduce swelling or muscle inflammation which is particularly beneficial when you have an injury. The heat also helps you to relax, easing muscle tightness and helping to calm your body mentally and physically.
Cross training – being that most people reading this probably aren’t swimmers, believe me when I say you will feel the benefit. So many athletes will do some form of swimming to help improve their strength, fitness and most importantly endurance. Being able to control and effectively use the air you breathe in will help to improve the oxygen use, and using muscles more effectively will help with running in any form
Anyone can do it – whoever you are, you can get in the water and walk around, float, swim, dog paddle or anything! The most important thing is that you are present and doing something for your body, regardless of if you are injured or not!

If you have any questions about swimming, chat to your physio about it. If you have any questions about technique or specific things that you want to work on with your swimming then I am always happy to chat. The pool and water are my happy place, and something I never get sick of discussing.

Bridget Stewart is a physiotherapist working out of our Johnsonvile clinic.
Want to see Bridget?
Why not book online now at: https://northcityphysio.co.nz/booknow
Or call us on 0800 627497

Common Injuries seen in teens and younger athletes

Posted by Atif Razvi on November 1, 2018

BY RYAN HICKLING – PHYSIOTHERAPIST

Engaging in sports and physical activity from a young age has numerous health benefits, but in turn, may increase the risk of developing specific sport/growth related injuries.

It is known that children in the pre-teen age range from 8-12 can be training/playing sport up to 20 hours per week (That’s a lot!!)

Young athletes may be particularly susceptible to injury, due to the physical and physiological demands on the body as your kids continue to grow. In combination with the activity overload and these ongoing growing changes, there is a small chance that your children may unfortunately become injured a a result of this.

The most common growth-related injuries in kids affect both the knee and the heel, and sometimes both at the same time. In sports medicine these conditions are classed as diseases but in fact they are just growth-specific injuries, usually in relation to high activity levels in adolescents.

The first condition affects the lower part of the knee (patella tendon) where the kneecap (patella) attaches to the shin bone (tibia). This condition is called Osgood-Schlatter’s disease and is classed as inflammation of this patella tendon. Pain is usually located over the hard bony lump on the top of the shin bone. It most often occurs during growth spurts, when bones, muscles, tendons and other structures are changing rapidly. Because the demand of physical activity puts additional stress on these structures and in combination with growth-related changes it can cause the tendon to become overloaded, inflamed and often very sore!

Sever’s disease is another common growth-related condition and is similar to Osgood-Schlatter’s but instead of affecting the knee, it targets the heel of the foot where the achilles tendon attaches to the heel bone.

Both of these conditions can be treated effectively by your Physiotherapist using a variety of treatment techniques in order to settle pain levels and get your child back to their everyday sporting activities safely.

Feel free to book in and see one of our friendly staff members to get your kids back to doing what they love as soon as possible!!

How Does Diabetes Affect Healing Times?

Posted by Atif Razvi on November 1, 2018

It can be surprising to many people that one of the questions their physiotherapist will ask them when assessing an injury is ‘do you have diabetes’. This may seem more like an issue for your doctor than your physiotherapist! The reason why your therapist is asking is that diabetes can actually have quite a large effect on healing times of body tissues. At times, injuries can take up to twice as long to heal properly in patients with diabetes and your physiotherapist will need to update their training and rehabilitation programs to factor this in.

How does this happen?

From what most people know about diabetes, it seems strange that it would affect healing times. However, the more you understand about the processes that cause diabetes the more sense it makes. It all comes down to blood flow. Our veins and arteries are made of flexible and elastic tissues that expand and contract when necessary to allow the optimum amount of blood flow to an area. Sometimes is it better for tissues to have less blood flow and other times they require more. This flexibility of the blood vessels is essential for controlling and modulating the amount of blood to an area at any given time. When someone has diabetes, they have an excess of glucose in their blood. This occurs because the body is unable to regulate insulin, which is used to break down glucose and provide the body with energy. This can be due to an autoimmune disorder that affects the cells that make insulin (Type I) or insulin resistance due to dietary choices (Type II). Over time, this excess glucose sticks to the blood vessel walls and they can become harder, losing their elasticity and ability to change size rapidly. Primarily this will affect the ability of the blood vessel to expand reducing the amount of blood flow available to the tissues. Diabetes can also affect the health of the nerves in they body, particularly in the hands and feet. This can result in poor sensation, which means that the person may not realize when the injury is being further injured.

Does exercise help my diabetes?

As physiotherapists we prescribe exercises as part of your rehabilitation. Everybody benefits from regular exercise. If you have diabetes, or are at risk of diabetes it plays an even more important role in keeping you healthy.
For a person with diabetes exercise helps:

Insulin to work better, which will improve your diabetes management
You control your weight
Lower your blood pressure
Reduce your risk of heart disease
Reduce stress.

Regular exercise is an important part of your diabetes management. If you are on insulin, it will help your insulin to work more efficiently and assist with your blood glucose control. However, if your diabetes is poorly controlled (i.e. fasting blood glucose levels greater than 14 mmol/L and urinary ketones) then it is best to avoid exercise until your blood glucose has settled. Exercise in these circumstances can actually elevate blood glucose and increase ketone production.

What does this mean for recovery times?
While not everyone with diabetes will have this issue, it is something that needs to be made known to your physiotherapist so they can be aware of the possibility. These changes are more likely to occur after having diabetes for a long period of time and if it is poorly managed. Ask your physiotherapist for more information on how diabetes may be affecting your recovery and for tips to ensure the best outcomes possible.

The In’s and Out’s of Breathing?

Posted by Atif Razvi on February 12, 2015

Breathing is such an essential part of life. It’s what allows us to move, function and repair our bodies. But many of us don’t realise how powerful a tool that breathing can be in our daily lives. Today, I want to focus on some points regarding exercise, encouraging good patterns of breathing and trying to deter those of us who forget how important breathing is.

For many of us our natural tendency when working out, particularly when doing something that is a bit of a challenge, is to hold our breath. Research tells us that this is because it helps us to engage our core muscles better so makes us feel stronger when doing an exercise. But holding our breath isn’t a great thing to do, we don’t really want people getting lightheaded due to lack of oxygen when exercise, or worse, passing out. Most of the time we breathe without thinking, but when it comes to exercise sometimes we need to make that conscious effort to breathe more regularly.

With sports like running, maintaining the 3:2 ratio of inhale vs exhale is what helps us to settle into a rhythm, which then can help us feel more comfortable settling into a stride which can be maintained for longer periods of time. With a sport like running when you have a rhythmic pattern it is easy to follow breathing in for three steps, then breathing out for the next two. Maintaining this pattern can allow it to turn into a habit which we then no longer have to think about how we are breathing. By maintaining a more relaxed style of breathing rather than trying to rush through it with every step it helps to lower your heart rate and ensures that you are adequately removing the carbon dioxide from your body as well as ensuring you have enough oxygen to keep going. This technique can also apply to any sport when the focus is on cardio, find a rhythm and settle into this, adapting your breathing to fit around the continuous movement.

Sports which don’t have that same repetitive nature gives us a different challenge when it comes to breathing, particularly lifting activities. As a general rule we want to breath out when we are exerting ourselves or doing the most challenging part of the movement. This might be if you are having to lift, push, pull or when you are at the biggest point of stress through the movement. The benefit of breathing during this point of exertion is to protect your body and prevent if from injuring itself. When you aren’t breathing, internal pressure increases which can cause a rise in blood pressure, put more strain on muscles or blood vessels or even cause come more medical issues like a hernia. The main thing to ensure with lifting is that you aren’t overstressing your body by not breathing with lifting, or lifting too heavily, because there is never an ideal time to get injured.

So, there we have it. A few small tips to help get you started on your mission of achieving better breathing in exercise, hopefully gives you something to ponder on. Or even allow you to run without getting as short of breath! Whatever this may do to you hopefully we have sparked an interest, because our breath is so simple yet so effective and is something I hope to continue to explore with you next time.

Bridget Stewart is a physiotherapist working in our clinic in Johnsonville.

Want to book in with Bridget, why not book online now at:
http://27.124.115.1/~currypla/test-ncp.co.nz