It has been suggested in the literature that as many as 30-50% of people will experience shoulder pain at some point in their lives with many experiencing pain annually. As there are many reasons why you may have shoulder pain, it is important to have a thorough assessment to figure out the cause of your pain and commence a treatment plan.  However, one of the most common presentations of shoulder pain we see in the clinic is due to rotator cuff pathology. There are multiple terms given in the literature to [...]

Autumn is upon us and the running season has well and truly kicked off as runners prepare for events such as the SMH half marathon in two weeks and the famous City to Surf in August. In our Clinic, many of the injuries the runners are presenting with, around this time, relate to an increase in their training loads and volumes.  It is suggested in the literature that almost 80% of injuries arise due to error in training loads.  Within the "Physio, Strength and Conditioning World" we talk about the Goldilocks Principle [...]

Continuing on from our blog last week, below are some safe ways for runners to incorporate the principles spoken about into their training plan : 1.   Remember the Goldilocks Principle; running just enough to cause adaptive changes, but not enough to cause injury.  Apply the 24 hour rule: if you recover well after 24 hours with no discomfort or pain, then your body can tolerate the load that it is being placed under.  If there is pain or discomfort, we need to be kind to ourselves and reduce the loading [...]

Keeping in theme with our last blog on running injuries, I thought that I would discuss one of the most common running injuries that present to us in the clinic. Patellofemoral pain Syndrome (PFPS). Patellofemoral pain is the term used to describe pain under around or behind the kneecap, it is very common and can cause pain with squatting, stair climbing, walking, running and twisting movements. It can be a frustrating and challenging injury for both the patient and therapist due to the multifactorial nature of the condition. There is [...]

So what can we do? There are a number of treatment modalities that we can provide which all help in the management of Patellofemoral pain. In the short term, Orthotics can be useful, particularly if your foot is a driver of the patellofemoral pain. However there is no evidence to say that orthotics are better than a multimodal physiotherapy approach and so exercises and other interventions will be necessary along with the provision of an orthotic. Specific taping techniques for the individual can help to reduce load on the irritated [...]

Have you ever woken up a day or two post-exercise feeling like you have been hit by a bus, your muscles are that sore?  Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) can be felt following periods of exercise or activity when the muscles are not accustomed to the increased work load. DOMS occurs due to micro trauma to the muscle fibres as a result of increased load on the muscle, and occurs more so during eccentric exercises (when the muscle is lengthening as it is placed under load).  For example, the lowering [...]