What does KT tape do?
Ever wondered “what does KT tape do?” Well, you’re not alone… Backing up a bit – firstly, what is KT tape? It’s a brand of elastic tape, stretchy tapes designed to move with the joint and skin through sporting activities. Other brands and marketing names include Dynamic Tape, Rocktape and Kinesiology tape. These tapes are […]
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Over-training syndrome? More like “under-recovering”…
Over-training syndrome is a state of constant fatigue due to excessive training demands. Without adequate recovery periods in a training program, the body struggles to cope. This affects sleep patterns, hormonal regulation, muscle and nerve function… the list is long and nasty. Over-training syndrome doesn’t just affect elite athletes. It can affect anyone pushing their […]
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Types of injury pathologies and how to treat them
This is a list of common musculoskeletal injuries with a simple explanation, classic symptoms and most effective treatment options. Skip straight to a specific group of injuries here: Tendinopathy (directly below) Muscle injuries Bone injury Cartilage injuries Other pathologies Tendinopathy This is a generally classification of all tendon issues involving inflammatory and non-inflammatory processes. The […]
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The negative effects of rest for injury management
Initial response to injury It seems to be a fairly generic and universal response to most niggles, pains and injuries. You pause your running/gym/field training and have some time off to let things settle. But what’s often forgotten is the significant negative effects of rest for injury. While the occasional rest has its place in […]
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Strength training for leg injuries
Strength training is perfect for building tissue tolerance and movement patterns as it’s highly configurable for specific goals Strength training should be carefully controlled and progressed in keeping with tissue healing and injury recovery Exercises target potential underlying causes, maintenance of general leg strength and progressive loading of the injured tissue Phase 1 Gentle loading […]
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Return to running protocol
Return to running protocols are designed to safely build up your running volume when returning from injury or a prolonged rest period The aims of the protocol are to build resilience to fatigue, refine running technique and improve fitness It is important that you don’t “outrun” your current level of strength, as this leads to […]
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Imaging findings explained
Whether it’s x-ray, ultrasound or MRI, the report seems to always contain some scary looking stuff. But here’s the thing – many changes are simply age-related and very normal. Others are transient and will go away in time. So here’s the low down on the most common ones. Osteophytes Osteophytes are bone formations in response […]
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Ideal duration to apply an ice pack
It’s a question we frequently get asked by patients – how long should an ice pack be applied for, and how often? Is it 20min on, 20min off? Once every two hours? Can you overdo it? Ice packs are the most common treatment for acute injuries. We’ve all heard about the R.I.C.E acronym. But surprisingly little […]
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Guide on Return to play (RTP) testing protocol for football
Anyone who’s had to miss football for weeks or months with injury knows how nervous you feel when you make your return. “Am I ready?”…”Can I still do that?”…”Will I get injured again?” So we’ve devised a return to play (RTP) protocol to help you figure out if you’re ready, if your performance is back […]
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Heat, ice or anti-inflammatories – what’s the best option?
As Physiotherapists, we often get asked the question about heat or ice. “Should I use ice or heat on my pulled muscle?” and “Can ice or heat help muscle soreness?” And it’s not as simple as just one answer. It all depends on the type of injury and what you’re trying to achieve from the […]
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