HOW DO WE TRAIN IT TO “TURN ON”? When we train our core, we re-educate the timing and activation of the muscles.  Timing and co-activation with other muscles within the core is called ‘core training’.  At Janet Brandt-Sarif Physiotherapy, we will teach you how to find these deep muscles on yourself and to correctly activate them.  You start with activating the transversus abdominus while being able to breathe properly, and then progress to activating the smaller muscles in your back (multifidus).  We will work out the correct cue that works [...]

– WHAT IS IT REALLY?  – WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?  – HOW DO WE TRAIN IT TO TURN ON?   – HOW DO WE STRENGTHEN IT? WHAT IS THE “CORE”? Lots of people have the goal of having a strong stable core but what does that really mean?  On the infomercials on TV, there are hundreds of machines used to “tighten” your core and give you a six pack.  This can be very misleading.   Here at Janet Brandt-Sarif Physiotherapy we take a deeper look at the core which is actually made [...]

Dynamic core stability is the ability of the body to use various muscles in complex ways to control movement around the pelvis, lower trunk and abdomen.  Core stability allows for optimum posture both when stationary and with activity and also helps to reduce the risk of injury. Poor core stability results in poor posture, inefficient transfer of power from the upper body to the lower and vice versa and a marked increase in the risk of injuries to many body areas, including the lower back and pelvis, mid-back and neck [...]

I've been Diagnosed with Tendinopathy, what does that mean? Tendinopathy means pathology of a tendon.  Tendons are connective tissues which connect muscle to bone, they are extremely strong tissues and assist with transmitting forces from the muscle to bone thus assisting movement and loaded transfer.  In recent years, there has been much research into tendon pathology.  The term "tendinopathy" has replaced the well-known terms "tendonitis" and "tendinosis" as a result of this.  We now know that the tendon itself does not become inflamed as initially thought; which is where the [...]

How can I treat my Tendinopathy? As mentioned in our article last week, a reactive acute tendon can respond nicely to a period of unloading and anti-inflammatories.  After the tendon itself has settled down then it is important to load the tendon with a tailored exercise program.  Both clinically and in the literature it has been shown that tendons respond to progressive heavy loads. Wait, didn't you say that loading the Tendon caused my pain in the first place? Yes and No!  Yes, tendon overload can be one of the [...]

Usually the injuries we see in runners are as a result of overload. Most of our bodies are pretty efficient at healing our bones, joints or muscles when they have been loaded a bit too much. Recovery then allows the structures to adapt to the stress and become stronger, so that increasing the amount of load or stress over a period of time will enable you to increase distance and speed without injury. However, loading the tissues at a greater rate than they can repair, leads to failure and injury. [...]