With 24/7 gyms popping up all over the place, the health department increasing their emphasis on exercise promotion, everyone trying to get their beach bodies set for summer and the warm weather making any kind of exercise that bit more appealing, more and more people will start hitting up the gym and pounding the pavement. As everyone begins to emerge from their winter exercise hibernation, we will slowly see the usual suspects start to fill the clinic: The Hibernators: Now that you can go for a run without fear of frostbite or getting drenched, there will be plenty of people...
Lower back pain, what does it mean? Lower back pain is an extremely common problem assessed and treated by physiotherapists on a daily basis. It is estimated that around 80% of the population will experience lower back pain in some form during their life. It is a far too common occurrence for people to panic and assume the worst when they experience pain in their lower back, when in fact the prognosis for a diagnosis of acute nonspecific low back pain is excellent. An individual’s attitudes and beliefs towards their lower back pain will directly affect their recovery and outcomes....
The Golf Swing The golf swing is a complex series of movements, and many golfers are limited by their physical capabilities to perform these movements, whether it is due to poor coordination of their body segments, lack of adequate flexibility, or lack of appropriate control and strength. Our Physiotherapists at QSP can identify these physical restrictions and implement an appropriate program to address them. By eliminating these physical restrictions you will improve your capability to swing the club better. The way we posture and move ourselves on a daily basis can affect the ability for our bodies to work optimally in...
Sleep could be influencing your pain and more…. Whatever the reason, ongoing pain, crying babies, iPhone addictions, snoring partners, increasing work demands and constant worries. We have all woken up on the ‘wrong side of the bed’ more sensitive to certain things, our kids nagging us, barely able to get ready for work and function through the day. Interestingly the effects of ongoing sleep issues are much more detrimental to our health than just feeling constantly tired. Firstly, take pain, who would of thought poor sleep would influence pain we feel. We know pain can affect our sleep but it...
Every year one in three of us will get some form of back pain with most back pain affecting the lower back. In the majority of cases you will be able to manage this yourself with over-the-counter painkillers, by keeping mobile and exercising the affected area. It can last for anything from a few days or weeks, or continue for many months or in some cases even years. Back pain can influence your mood, your normal daily activities, your regular sleep patterns, and your ability to carry out your work. If you are experiencing lower back pain, you will likely...
Using a spiky ball on a regular basis is a great way to maintain flexibility, ease muscle tension and optimise performance. Spiky balls are particularly effective at releasing tightness due to myofascial trigger points. These are the knots and contractions that form in response to poor posture and over-use. WHY USE A SPIKY BALL? There are some parts of the body that you can’t quite get to with a foam roller or traditional massage techniques and this is where the spiky ball comes in handy. Spiky balls are firmer and larger than a tennis ball and not quite as...
If you use the right technique, a foam roller can act like a really good, free masseuse. It not only prepares your body for the stresses of a workout, but it also relieves aches and prevents them from coming back, he says. That’s right: a free massage that stops pain. It doesn’t get much better than that. So, what hurts? Keep reading to find your foam rolling fix for common pains. (Of course, if the pain persists or continues to get worse, see a qualified health professional.) Foam rolling might feel uncomfortable at first, but that means the muscle needs...
There are many thoughts about why we get injuries. How come it is always those who exercise regularly? The fitter you are, it appears that you’ll eventually end up in the physio chair or the surgeon’s table. One thought process is the relationship to exercise overload. For example: When you don’t service your tyres on your car, they often run out of alignment, leading to wear and tear on certain parts of a tyre. This can eventually cause alignment and balance issues. This is the same with the body as there’s multiple elements in which one must maintain to try...
In many aspects of life where we need to use our brain power, we also tend to sit down: at school, at work, sitting exams or concentrating on a crossword. In a new paper, we explore how prolonged sitting may affect the brain’s fuel supply and have a negative impact on brain health. The brain is a glucose hungry organ. It weighs about 2% of body mass but demands about 20% of our resting energy requirements, which is mostly in the form of glucose, the primary brain fuel. If this energy supply is disrupted it can impair and even damage brain cells....
Unfortunately, we have seen quite a few knee injuries involving the meniscus at the clinic lately. Here is a little more information about the meniscus and how it is injured. The knees take a lot of impact when doing medium- or high-impact activities such as running, jumping, hill-walking and playing field sports. The meniscus is commonly damaged during these activities, and can be a cause of significant pain and movement dysfunction if damaged. What exactly is this mysterious meniscus, and why is it so important? What is the role of the meniscus? The meniscus is a thin, fibrous cartilage lining...
