Sitting at a desk looking at a computer is something that many of us spend a large chunk of our day doing. In fact, chances are that if you’re reading this right now, you’re doing exactly that. With research showing that prolonged sitting is linked to heart disease, cancers and even dementia, it’s clear that sedentary behaviour isn’t all that great for us. Additionally, if sitting for extended periods forms part of your daily routine, it can leave your muscles tired, tight and achy from lack of use. To alleviate this here are some simple stretches you can do at...
This month I educated the team at Queen Street Physiotherapy on recent research surrounding impingement of the shoulder, also commonly known an impingement syndrome. Impingement of the shoulder is a very common condition in which we see and treat at our Queen Street clinic frequently. Patients often report pain at the top or front of their shoulder which is often exacerbated with overhead movements, placing the hand behind the back and lifting objects. An individual may also experience weakness at the shoulder or pain referring down the arm. Impingement syndrome may arise from direct trauma to the shoulder, such as...
While much is known in the way tibial plateau fractures and how they are managed, little is known about bony contusions or “bone bruises” and their course of healing. Tibial plateau fractures are usually the result of car vs. pedestrian accidents, or in the elderly with low bone density. Depending on the type of force (hitting from the front or the side) determines the type of tibial plateau fracture, as well as the prognosis. A skilled therapist is often able to recognise a tibial plateau fracture based on the presenting signs and symptoms of: knee pain, swelling, joint line tenderness,...
Last week I presented an in-service to the physiotherapy staff looking at the current literature surrounding cartilage surgery and the benefits and possibilities of stem cell therapy. As physiotherapists, we wanted to update our knowledge on cartilage repair and stem cells and how this can affect our treatment sessions. As adults our own stem cells can be harvested from adipose tissue (fat tissue), blood, or bone marrow. The cells can then be manipulated and grown to form a type of cartilage in a laboratory or inside the effected joint. Multiple studies report positive changes with the introduction of stem cells...
Six weeks ago, early on a bright and sunny Wednesday morning, the staff from our three clinics gathered in the Brisbane City Botanical Gardens. There were some looks of apprehension, excitement and also sleep deprivation as we awaited the beginning of our first group training session aka “Boot Camp” (also dubbed “torture morning” by some). What we were up against we weren’t sure but with a group like Committed Training at the helm we knew we were in safe hands. Committed Training is a Brisbane City based personal training company headed by Jason Clark and Brent Coglan. Collectively they have...
Try this: Close your eyes, standing feet hip width apart with a slight bend in your knees. Now turn your focus onto your breathing, in and out, leaving all other thoughts to the wayside, in and out. Sounds fairly simple just focusing on breathing, nothing else. Until that errant thought runs through your head, “What should I have for lunch today?” or “Did I send that email?” And then your mind is away thinking about anything but that most basic human function: breathing. Recently Marcello from Tattersalls gym kindly organised for all our staff to attend six weeks of Qigong...
Core stability plays a vital role in how our body performs and copes with everyday life. Poor core stability can lead to a number of injuries, particularly those involving the back, groin, hamstrings and knees. Physiotherapists regularly prescribe core stability exercises for injury rehabilitation purposes, but also as part of an injury prevention strategy, particularly in the case of athletes. Core Stability Exercises Within the repertoire of ‘core stability’ there is a large range of exercises that can be prescribed by your physiotherapist, the suitability of which will vary according to the injury and therapeutic needs of each individual patient....
The QSP team once again had the pleasure of joining Liz and the Athletes Foot team at their Wintergarden store for the Athletes Foot Annual Health Professional Breakfast. We were brought up to speed on the latest products and services that the Athletes Foot offer that may assist some of our patients suffering from foot or lower limb conditions or injuries. We also took the opportunity to catch up with some of our health professional peers from the podiatry and exercise physiology fields to discuss some of the current concerns faced by our ever-growing running population. Also present at the...
