Blog

In recent years trigger point therapy has become a generally accepted form of treatment in medicine, physical therapy and massage. While medical doctors rely on injection and physical therapists on spray and stretch with vapocoolants, massage therapists are able to work in a highly effective manner using thumbs, elbows, and braced fingers to create an ischaemic compression. A trigger point is a hyper - irritated area in muscle that, when compressed is locally tender and crea

Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (SPD) Pelvic Girdle Pain (PGP) Diastasis Symphasis Pubis (DSP) The pelvis is a structure which is circular in shape and comprises of three large bones: the sacrum and the two large ilium bones. The two ilium bones are joined together at the front via cartilage and ligaments. These structures make up the symphasis pubis joint. At the posterior the hip bones (ilium) attach to the sacrum via he sacroiliac joints. The symphasis pubis allows for small

ITB friction syndrome is common and results from inflammation of the distal ITB and the bursa which lies deep to the ITB and over the lateral femoral condyle Causes are often associated with a single long hard run, a rapid increase in training distances, running on banked surfaces or excessive hill running Other contributing factors might be: tightness of the ITB, malalignment and leg length discrepancy, excessive foot pronation and downward contralateral pelvic tilt during s

Hamstring stains most commonly occur during running or sprinting activities during the swing phase of the gait cycle just prior to foot strike. In this position there is a high degree of eccentric loading occurring through the hamstring in order to decelerate the leg as it swings forward in preparation for the foot plant. Increased muscle tensile strain also occurs when hip flexion is added as in when bending down to pick up a ball whilst running. Reduced flexibility makes a

Often referred to as Tennis Elbow and involves pain in racket sports when hitting the ball (or absorbing force) through a backhand stroke as the forearm extends. Stress is absorbed through the tendons of the extensor muscles of the wrist and forearm which with repeated actions may cause inflammation, pain and altered movement mechanics to avoid pain that may result in the development of muscle and tendon weakness. Signs: Lateral elbow pain upon activation of extensors of th

This injury is primarily caused by force being applied during repeated arm abduction movements. In swimming for example this translates to the athlete using an excessively wide arm pull that results in medial rotation of the humerus as force is applied during the pull phase of the arm-stroke. This action results in the long head of the biceps tendon rubbing against the lateral side of the bicepital groove causing frictional stress on the tendon, abrading, inflammation and pai

This occurs when there is tearing of some or all of the adductor muscle group. These muscles are responsible for stabilising the pelvis and moving the leg towards the midline of the body. These muscles are activated during running (changing direction) and kicking. This injury usually occurs in sports such as soccer, football, skiing, gymnastics, athletics (hurdlers, sprinters, and long jumpers). Predisposing factors: poor groin flexibility muscle weakness (especially of the

The Achilles tendon is the common tendon of the gastrocs and soleus muscles. The tendon twists as it descends, rotating laterally. The twisting produces a concentration of stress in the tendon above the insertion where rotating is most pronounced. The Achilles tendon is subject to various forces which may compound stress through the twisting tendon at its point of least blood flow. Common symptoms: Thickened tendon, oedema, sore to touch ,posterior heel pain on first few ste

Scoliosis is a word we use to describe the most common type of spinal curvature. When a scoliosis develops the spine bends sideways and rotates along its vertical axis. These changes have cosmetic and physiological effects with long-term consequences which may result in significant health problems with severe curves. Idiopathic scoliosis is a condition not associated with any other disorder or disease and it comes in three main types classified according to age of onset; Infa

Headaches are a common ailment which varies in intensity, pain and location. Although the majority of headaches are a temporary nuisance some can be more serious, concerning and disruptive. One common patient complaint is occipital headaches which can signify an underlying condition that can be treated with massage and bodywork techniques. Occipital headaches also known as occipital neuralgia is a non life threatening disorder that is located at the back of the head and can

Whip lash: Whiplash is a common term for sudden acceleration-deceleration forces on the neck thus stretching and placing compressive forces on the joints, muscles, ligaments and nerves predominantly in the front and back of the neck. This can cause damage on these structures as the tissues are pushed beyond their limits. Causes: Usually whiplash is the end result of a rear end or side impact motor vehicle collision, diving accidents and other mishaps. WAD Scale: WAD is a t

As our population ages, families are more likely to know someone they care about who is suffering from a condition that causes them worry and concern. ‘They very often feel powerless, but it makes a huge difference if they can see their loved ones get some relief,’ said Malcolm Calcutt from the Perth Massage & Injury Management Clinic.. It may be the pain and discomfort caused by cancer or another chronic disease, it may be the after-effects of an operation, it may be situat

Importance of screening for functional movement “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” But when it comes to the human body what defines broken? Pain? Injury? Dysfunctional movement patterns? All of these qualify. So why do we generally only act on the first two (sometimes when its too late)? Probably because we aren’t always aware whether our functional movement patterns are indeed functional. To throw another cliché out there “prevention is always better than cure”. In 2001 Gar

Last week I wrote about the importance of having good ankle mobility and how poor ankle mobility can negatively affect your performance. So, what if you have really poor ankle mobility (like me), what can you do to fix it? As I alluded to last week, ankle mobility becomes restricted because the surrounding tissue is tight and shortened. It makes sense then to release these areas of tightness and work on lengthening. Foam rollers, lacrosse balls (a golf ball and tennis ball ca

It is an inflammatory condition that causes chronic heel pain. Symptoms: The common symptom is pain on the underside of the heel which is persistent during the first few steps of getting out in the morning. Sharp stabbing pain which affects both the front and the back of the heel bone. Heel pain is worse during periods of inactivity (sleeping/resting) when getting up then subsides turning into a dull ache. Causes: Abnormal pronation of the foot causing stretching of planter