Injury Management
Fast, Effective Injury Management
Extra time to ensure complete recovery and prevent recurrence- Because your body deserves the best of care.
What a lousy winter!- Us Physios have been quieter this season as so many of the winter sports games were cancelled due to the fields turning to mud pools- but spring is in the air and that means a lot of you will be gearing up in your running activities- whether that be competitive or otherwise.
So some advice on those calves and achilles problems…
Tendonitis– literally means inflammation of the tendon BUT there are NO INFLAMMATORY cells in so called achilles tendonitis- so if you’ve been treated for your achilles problems with anti-inflammatory medication and topical anti-inflammatory approaches its no wonder you may still have a problem. [ You can still have inflammatory changes in the peritendon but this is less common].
So what is it?- it’s a tendonopathy! That means the cells that make up your collagen tendon change:
- they increase or decrease in number.
- the collagen strands separate and unravel so the structure collapses a bit
- the substance around the collagen strands increases (so there’s comparatively less support structure there)
- vascularization increases (more blood vessels, more nerves and more pain!)
Why did I get it? Can be overload of the tendon (i.e. overtraining) can just happen (a number of predisposing factors and unfortunately age and body fat are two of them)
So how do I get better?
The evidence points to exercise!
But isn’t that how I got it in the first place!!
Yes BUT now you need specific “eccentric” exercises (that means that as the muscle is working it’s lengthening- that’s much harder than concentric exercise which works the muscle as it shortens).
Example of eccentric calf exercise off a step
The amount of exercise will depend on your own individual presentation.
You may receive a strength- based programme or a pain based programme.
The type of exercise will also vary a little.
Is that all?
No- we’ll look at any other contributing factors-
▪ positional habits (high heels or sitting with your feet pointed all the time- leading to shortened calves)
▪ muscle imbalances ▪ joint movement restrictions
▪ running style ▪ training schedule
▪ biomechanical issues ▪ shoes
But it’s not just your achilles that can be a tendonopathy-
▪ Tennis elbow
“It just won’t go away!!”
▪Rotator cuff shoulder problems
(especially supraspinatus)
▪ and those niggly adductor sprains
jumpers knee
(the patella/quads tendon)
So….
- If you have soreness in your achilles or any of the other areas mentioned either caused by injury or an ongoing chronic problem you will need help with adjusting your activity level and getting back to peak performance.
For all appointments call 04 499 3504.