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Winter Blues

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Heater on and room warm- check

TV on ready to catch Hawthorn about to annihilate Geelong- check

Suitable beverages and snacks ready to keep hunger pangs at bay-check

Does this sound like your approach to winter activity? If so you are not alone. The European Journal of Physiology in 2009 reported that across many countries including Australia, and in all age groups from children to the elderly, that activity levels reduce in the winter months. There is world wide agreement that good health depends on us engaging  in sufficient physical activity to maintain fitness. Unfortunately in developed countries such as Australia, many fail to engage in enough exercise at any time of the year. So are we more likely to suffer more health issues in Winter due reduced exercise levels?…

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Prevention is better than a cure

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Regular physical activity is essential to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and central to the prevention, care and management of diabetes. Currently 70% of Australian adults and two thirds of Australian children are not getting sufficient amounts of exercise to maintain their health. This trend in physical inactivity is contributing to the increased prevalence of type 2 diabetes in our communities. Low levels of physical activity and physical fitness, along with poor nutrition, are major risk factors influencing development of type 2 diabetes.…

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Shouldering the pain is sure not the answer

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The shoulder anatomically is called the glenohumeral joint. This is where the head of the humerus (upper arm bone) attaches to the shoulder blade. It is a ball and socket join. The socket is very shallow, only encapsulating 30 per cent of the actual ball. This design makes the shoulder the most mobile joint in the body. Movement and stabilisation of the shoulder thus heavily relies on the surrounding musculature.…

Article written by Healthfocus Physiotherapist Julia Rossiter. To book an appointment with Julia Rossiter, contact Healthfocus Physiotherapy .

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Boning up on breaks

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Although the term “break a leg” is a lighthearted “good luck,” actually breaking a leg (or any other bone) is not much fun for anyone. Broken bones, or fractures, are usually the result of an unexpected incident such as a car accident, fall or sporting injury. The three most common bone fracture sites are the wrist, ankle and the hip. The six to eight week healing time often requires the affected area to be held in one position, usually with a cast. This can make everyday life difficult and stop us from doing the things that we love.…

Article written by Healthfocus Physiotherapist Kellie Ladgrove. To book an appointment with Kellie Ladgrove, contact Healthfocus Physiotherapy .

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Hydrotherapy:heated and happy, year-round

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Now that the cooler months have started to set in, the last thing many of us would be considering is a quick dip in the pool. However hydrotherapy continues on regardless of the outside temperature because it is always nice in the water. Hydrotherapy pools are normally heated to around 30-35˚C to generate maximum benefits.

Hydrotherapy is water based exercise normally supervised by a physiotherapist that takes place in a heated pool and can be used for a large number of conditions such as; chronic pain, fibromyalgia, arthritis like conditions, and as pre and post-surgical rehabilitation. Benefits of Hydrotherapy include: pain relief, strengthening of muscles, increased range of motion, improved balance and circulation.…

ACL

How to prevent the dreaded ACL injury

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Three letters no-one wants to hear. ACL. It’s the injury no one wants, though it is all too common in many of the popular sports on the border.

The recovery is typically lengthy, and surgery is usually an option, especially for young people, and those keen on returning to competitive sport. The injury is more common in women than men, with an estimated two to eight times increased risk of injury.…

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How to prevent tennis injuries

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Tennis is a great social game where friends and foes alike can battle it out on the courts through skill, decision-making and in some cases, a stroke of luck. It’s also a sport where injury can plague players in the long term making it not so enjoyable. The three major problems I often see are shoulder pain, elbow pain and knee pain.…

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Concussion in sport must be taken seriously

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The topic of concussion in sport has certainly caused a great deal of discussion in recent years and provoked extensive debate.  On one hand it has been portrayed as a most serious condition that requires extreme caution with catastrophic consequences.  While alternatively there still exist attitudes of contempt where the condition is oversimplified and concerns are merely dismissed as over-reactions. …

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Training the lungs for asthma-free exercise

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Asthma is a chronic disorder of the lungs and airways, characterised by wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, and tightness in the chest. These symptoms are caused by increased sensitivity of the airway to stimuli or ‘triggers’. Common triggers include allergens (dust, pollen), chest infections, emotional factors (stress, heavy laughter), smoke (cigarette or fire), and perhaps most relevant to this time of year, cold/dry air and exercise. The severity of the condition can range from mild, occasional symptoms, to constant and severe. In most cases, the symptoms resolve quickly, either on their own or with the use of inhaled medication.…

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Staying vocal about neck injuries in sport

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A much lesser known type of injury that can occur in sport, in particular contact sports is injury to the larynx or voice box.

 

With the winter sports season set to kick off, physiotherapy clinics in the region gear up for the typical influx of ankle, knee and hamstring injuries.

There has been plenty of preseason preparation that players can undertake to minimise these typical musculoskeletal injuries. Once injuries occur, timely assessment and treatment of injuries hopefully assist players back onto the field as soon as possible.…