5 Top Tips to Stay Pain Free    With more people increasing their exercise levels – the power of how we look in a pair of swimmers is always a strong incentive.   To help keep you all pain free, here are 5 simple ways to reduce your injury risk this year: 1.    Start Slowly – many people rush back into their exercise programs at exactly the same level of intensity that they where atread more

Core Stability Exercises For The Lower Back – Part 2 of 3   Low back pain is a universal human experience — almost everyone has it at some point. The lower back, which starts below the ribcage, is called the lumbar region. Pain here can be intense and is one of the top causes of missed work. Fortunately, low back pain often gets better on its own. When it doesn’t, there are effective treatments.  read more

Core Stability Exercises For The Lower Back – Part 1 of 3   Core stability exercises are typically prescribed to patients of mine that suffer from a variety of injuries, more particularly those involving the back, groin, hamstrings and knees. There is a vast range of different types of core stability exercises, the suitability of which will vary according to the injury and therapeutic needs of the patient. There are three main types of coreread more

Do You Suffer From Anterior Shin Pain?   Shin pain is a common complaint among athletes, particular in distance runners. The term ‘shin splints’ is a commonly used by runners as a non-descript reference regarding their leg pain. There are anumber of causes of anterior shin pathology which stresses the importance of a more accurate diagnosis so treatment is more specific. The patient complains of ‘shin splints’ usually around the inside of the lower legread more

Ankle Sprains – Are You at Risk?   One of the most common injures we see at Active Physio Health is the common ankle sprain – however – it is amazing how often this ankle injury ends up as a recurring injury leading to much pain and discomfort.   I often say that “one of the best predictors of future injury is past injury“ – as a previously damaged  muscle, ligament or joint is oftenread more

Symptoms of Sciatica While sciatica is most commonly a result of a lumbar disc herniation directly pressing on the sciatic nerve, any cause of irritation or inflammation of the sciatic nerve can reproduce the symptoms of sciatica. Aside from a pinched nerve from a disc, other causes of sciatica include piriformis syndrome, spinal stenosis, irritation of the nerve from adjacent bone, tumors, muscle, internal bleeding, infections and injury to the nerve. What are the symptoms?read more

What are Heel Spurs?   A heel spur is a calcium deposit causing a bony protrusion on the underside of the heel bone. On an X-ray, a heel spur can extend forward by as much as a half-inch. Without visible X-ray evidence, the condition is sometimes known as “heel spur syndrome.”   Heel spurs are small hook shaped, bony growths that originate underneath the heel bone “Calcaneus”.  It is not known why these spurs occur in this arearead more

Hamstring Tendonitis: Devastating But Treatable   Hamstring tendonitis is a tricky injury and demands caution when treating it. Most people throughout some stage of their sporting life have probably felt a twinge or slight pull in the back of the leg, which may be hamstring tendonitis (the better option than a tear).   Goals of treatment and rehabilitation Control inflammation early, and protect the injured muscle to promote healing. When able, start light strength, flexibility,read more

Most Common Golf Injuries Golf is an enjoyable sport. It doesn’t seem to be too rigorous on the body, but injuries continue to happen. According to the The Physician and Sports Medicine Journal, on average golfers sustain two injuries per year, and lose five weeks of playing time. Common causes of injuries among professionals are overuse, but among the amateurs (I am most certainly in this category) problems are more commonly due to poor technique,read more

Core Stability Exercises for the lower back – Part 3 of 3   Last week, the exercises shown were on floor, or static exercises to improve core strength. This week, the exercises are progressed to dynamic. Floor / dynamic exercises To develop a good level of strength endurance in the major trunk muscles. Overall the level of these exercises is intermediate to advanced Active straight-leg raise Overview Requires a strong static contraction of the abdominalsread more