Blog
Practical physiotherapy tips, wellbeing insights and news to help you build resilience, prevent setbacks and stay active.
Winter Aches and Pains: What Causes Them?
Angus Lally, Senior Physiotherapist & TPI Accredited Golf Swing Assessor Why Does Everything Hurt More in Winter? Have you ever noticed that as soon as winter descends, that old knee injury from your glory days of sport suddenly starts making itself known again? Or perhaps you stand up from the couch and make a noise that sounds like popcorn in the microwave? If so, you’re in good company. Every winter we see an increase in people reporting stiff backs, sore joints, tight muscles and old injuries that seem to have woken up from hibernation. While the weather itself isn’t necessarily causing the pain, there are a few reasons why your body might feel a little less enthusiastic about moving when the temperature drops. To begin with, colder temperatures can make muscles and connective tissues feel stiffer. Think of it like trying to stretch a cold rubber band versus a warm one – these parts of your body generally need a little more encouragement to get moving during winter. Then there’s the fact that many of us become slightly more iindoorsy’ when it’s cold. The morning walk becomes a morning coffee by the heater. The gym session becomes a blanket on
The Importance of Strength Training for Injury Prevention in Football
by Feisal Zaw, Physiotherapist (Leeming clinic) With the world cup in full swing, I thought it would be a good time to touch base with my fellow footballers. Whether you’re a Sunday league amateur or a contracted professional, injury prevention is super important (for differing reasons). For my semi-professionals and professionals playing in the state leagues or NPL – this is a no brainer. The less games you play, the less games you’ll be selected for. The best ability is availability. If you can prevent those niggles from turning into missed games, you’ll be a much bigger asset to the team. For my Sunday leaguers and casual Monday night 5-a-side players, there’s other things at stake. Spraining an ankle or tweaking your Achilles means you’ll be limping around for your 9-5. Trying to get your work boots on over a swollen ankle never fairs well. Plus, your team could be running low on numbers already with some sickness going around and your favourite “fair-weather teammates.” So how do we prevent injuries? Better, Faster, Stronger Injuries occur when tissue capacity is exceeded through a specific movement, stretch or activity. Most footballing injuries are preventable, and one of the best ways to
Sleep Study Reports: Why Understanding the Intricacies Matters
by Alvin Ho, myofunctional therapist, Leeming clinicSleep Study Reports: Why Understanding the Intricacies Matters In my conversations with patients, there seems to be a huge gap in understanding of their sleep study reports. Many people are very focused on the AHI (Apnoea-Hypopnoea Index) number which is used as the main indicator for presence and severity of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA). However, depending on a few other factors, the AHI can give a very misleading view of the extent of OSA. In some cases, the AHI can grossly underestimate the severity of OSA and this may present with dire circumstances for the person due to under-management. What is the Apnoea-Hypopnoea Index (AHI)? The AHI indicates the average number of times an apnoeic event or hypopnoeic event occurs per hour of recorded sleep. To qualify as an event, each episode of apnoea or hypopnoea has to last 10 seconds or more. An apnoea refers to complete stopping of breathing, while hypopnoea refers to a partial blockage of at least 30% compared with baseline breathing airflow. The categorisation of severity of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) – a topic I recently covered in detail here – based on the AHI for adults are as
Returning to Strength Training After Having a Baby
by Rebekah Taylor, Senior Physiotherapist – Womens & Men’s Health Trained (Palmyra, Mon-Tues) As a women’s health physiotherapist, new mums often tell me of feeling both physically weaker and intimidated by the thought of getting back into strength training. The reality is, pregnancy is hard work! Your body spends nine months growing a baby, adapting to huge physical changes and, for many women, dealing with exhaustion, nausea and a disrupted routine. It’s no surprise that your strength takes a hit along the way. The good news is that losing strength during pregnancy is normal, and it can be rebuilt. Why do we lose strength during pregnancy? There are a few reasons this happens, one of the primary ones being the changes to your posture as bub grows. Your centre of gravity shifts forward, and your body adapts to accommodate your growing belly, which lengthens the muscles through your back. As the months go on, these lengthened muscles grow weaker. Fatigue is obviously another factor. Even thinking about the exhaustion I felt—particularly when pregnant with my second child—makes me feel like a nap! Pregnancy tiredness is real, and for some women, just getting through the day is enough of an achievement.
The Connection Between Poor Sleep and Weight Gain
by Alvin Ho, myofunctional therapist, Leeming clinic There was a period in my late teens when I was suffering badly from primary insomnia. I was sleeping an average of 2-3 hours per night over a two-month period. I had to get a sleep study done in the hospital where they told me there were no explanations for my condition. During that period, I had also developed a habit of binge eating during the night when I couldn’t sleep. I would raid the fridge for anything I could get my hands on – biscuits, cookies, ice cream. I suspect I am not alone in this, as there is a physiological explanation for what was happening. I have seen many patients with sleep apnoea who have been told to lose weight to improve their sleep. But what if it’s poor sleep that is keeping the weight on? The Hunger and Satiety See-Saw Hunger and satiety (feeling full) are modulated in the body by two opposing hormones: ghrelin (hunger) and leptin (satiety). When ghrelin is produced, the body limits the production of leptin and vice versa. A single night of sleep deprivation is enough to increase ghrelin levels in the body, leading to
Pain in Adolescents: Common Causes and When To See A Professional
by Feisal Zaw, Physiotherapist (Leeming clinic) When your child complains of pain that won’t go away, it’s hard to know whether to wait it out or act. We see and treat patients of all different ages, and while plenty of injuries come with the territory of an active life, not enough is spoken about pain in children and adolescents: what causes it, what to watch for, and when to get it looked at properly. Kids typically bounce back from aches and strains quickly, and as a result many parents don’t take formal action straight away. If a child has a sore knee after running around at school all day, it doesn’t necessarily mean alarm bells. But there are certain signs to look for when your child may need a bit more than an ice pack and a pat on the back. Here, we look at red flags, common injuries we see in younger patients, and what parents can do to help prevent pain becoming a longer-term problem. Red Flags To Look Out For When it comes to pain in adolescents, red flags are the signs and symptoms we look for as physiotherapists to determine if something more serious could be
6 Pillars of Health and Longevity
by Alvin Ho, myofunctional therapist, Leeming clinic In today’s world, improvements in healthcare and medical technology are allowing us to live longer and longer. However, we are in a crisis of battling against chronic diseases – cardiovascular disease (e.g., strokes), degenerative brain conditions (e.g., Alzheimer’s disease, Dementia), and loss of mobility from joint and muscular conditions. It is paramount we work on preserving our health span early on so that we can preserve quality of life in the last 20-30 years of our lives. Below are six vital aspects to maintaining health in the long term: ABCDES. 1. Airways We breathe from the moment we break past the uterine wall into this world. Oxygen is essential for the healthy functioning of every cell in our bodies. How much air we draw through our air passageways determines how efficiently we get air into our lungs, and subsequently the rest of our bodies. Below are a few areas I look out for when assessing for airway space and patency: The palate determines the space for our nasal cavity – a narrow palate also means less space for air to get through the nose Are there any nasal blockages? Any past trauma (common
Lower Back Pain from Golf? Here’s What Might Be Going On
Angus Lally, Senior Physiotherapist & TPI Accredited Golf Swing Assessor A lot of golfers finish a round feeling fine, and then their back starts to tighten up later that day. It might not show up straight away. Sometimes it’s that dull ache later that evening, or stiffness the next morning that takes a while to loosen up. For a lot of golfers, it becomes something you just expect after playing. But it’s not something you have to put up with, and in my experience, there’s likely a reason it’s happening. The good news? In many cases, golf-related back pain can be addressed once you understand what’s driving it, and that’s where a physio assessment can help. The Mechanics Behind Your Golf Swing There’s a reason lower back pain is so common amongst golfers: your swing places a significant amount of rotational stress on the spine. The golf swing is one of the fastest rotational movements in sport. The average PGA tour player’s trunk turns at a rate of nearly 20 full (360°) rotations per second. During a swing the body generates power and movement from the ground up, and that movements gets faster at it transfers from the ground to
The Ins and Outs of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea
by Alvin Ho, myofunctional therapist, Leeming clinic What is Obstructive Sleep Apnoea? Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a medical condition where the muscles of the throat and tongue relax excessively during sleep causing the airway collapse. This can affect a person’s ability to breathe. In formal sleep studies, episodes are categorised as a person stopping breathing for 10 or more seconds. Mild sleep apnoea is categorised as five to 14 of these episodes occurring within the span of an hour. Now put this into context by holding your breath for 10 seconds and imagine this happening repeatedly in your sleep every night. Exhausted yet? Why you should take it seriously It’s estimated that 20 per cent of adults struggle with OSA, which is a significant number. Importantly, 80 per cent of cases are undiagnosed. I see this this is reflected in the clinic where I come across many patients who display signs and symptoms consistent with OSA. Often, this presents as chronic neck or jaw pain, along with fatigue. Sleep is a vital function, and a time when our bodies recuperate and regenerate. So, it’s no great surprise that obstructive sleep apnoea can significantly affect a person’s quality of life.