Blog | Capital Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy and Post Transport Accidents (TAC)

Posted on February 12, 2019January 30, 2023 Education

As physiotherapists, we play an important role in helping our clients recover from their transport accident injuries.

We see a range of injuries from TAC:

Fractures
Head injuries
Whiplash
Spinal injuries
Post-surgery complications

We understand that it can be traumatic period for our clients and in Capital Physiotherapy, our therapists take a holistic approach to not just treat our client’s body parts but treating them as a human being, understanding their traumatic experience and how it may impact their daily activities and living.

We strive to achieve optimal recovery at the shortest time possible.

All our physiotherapist are well trained with post traumatic injuries. We provide a whole range of in-room services including dry needling, massage, and manipulation and also out of the room rehabilitation, for strength, flexibility, gait re-education and many more. We provide a range of individualise rehabilitation program and equipment, to help our clients get back their wellness and start enjoying their lives again!

We believe in early intervention to maximise return to work and health outcomes.

We are a fully bulk bill clinic for ALL TAC clients which means there will be NO OUT OF POCKET FEE for any of the TAC clients with both the physiotherapy sessions and equipment needed to for their rehab.

If you are under TAC and require physiotherapy attention, please do not hesitate to contact us at 0401 865 333 or email us at info@capitalphysiotherapy.com.au.

Physios Guide To Begin A Gym Program For The New Year

Posted on February 5, 2019January 30, 2023 Education

It’s a brand new year, and you’ve vowed to sign up at a the local gym or join your friend who has been nagging you about starting F45 (and actually attend regularly).

But if you’ve never been a member of the gym or F45 (or any training group) it can be a confusing and intimidating place and therefore you bow out before even setting foot in the door for the first time. Lets get you started!!!

Now before you do undertake any fitness program especially as a newbie I highly recommend consulting a health professional such as a physiotherapist (physio).

Physios can help you get started by designing exercise programs which suit your personal capabilities/limitations.

An assessment by one of our skilled physio’s here at Capital Physiotherapy will provide you with a safe and effective program. This assessment will make sure you don’t injure yourself at the gym by going too hard or improper technique.

Our physiotherapists can also help with DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). Without a doubt you will experience this. Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is the pain and stiffness felt in muscles several hours to days after unaccustomed exercise. The soreness is felt most strongly 24 to 72 hours after the exercise. There is evidence that massage post exercise reduces DOMS.

Gym Do’s and Don’ts

Don’t be a hero and try and lift too much – you will either injure yourself or be so sore from DOMS you will never want to return. Leave your ego at the door.
Do go in with a plan (a proper program and diet)
Don’t have unrealistic expectations (you will not be an ADONIS in 2 weeks) good things take time.
Do return your weights once you have finished
Don’t drop your weights
Do wear deoderant (no one likes a smelly person working out next to them)
And finally enjoy yourself you are embarking on a life changing journey.

If you would like a consult with one of our physiotherapists give us a call or use the online booking service.

Pole Dancing and Physiotherapy

Posted on January 29, 2019June 8, 2022 Physiotherapy

We have talked about how dancing imposes completely different demands on the body compared to many other sports. Pole dancing, in particular, requires very specific set of skills that can create injuries to beginners and can be common cause of overuse injuries if the body is not conditioned well for it.

These specific skills include:

Supporting body weight dynamically (e.g. when your body is moving) on your hands and wrist over minimal support on the pole
Significant core control to allow flow of arm and legs movement while holding body in the air (very often upside down as well)
Remarkable flexibility and the ability to control it at the end range of motion
Good mobility in mid back and lower back for great form in all those rolls and arches.
Coordination and balance over little contact on the pole
Great body awareness to understand body form presentation in the mid-air
Endurance in grips to allow you to flow from one trick to another and to the next and more
Good grippy skin for mounts and stability (you know what I mean if you do pole dance)

Physiotherapists at Capital Physiotherapy have sporting and dancing background themselves and therefore have a thorough understanding on dance related injuries. Our therapists also strongly believe in strength and conditioning not only to prevent injuries but also improve the overall efficiency of how the dancers move during pole dancing.

At Capital Physiotherapy, we provide a number of services that can complement your pole dance journey:

Rehabilitation program specific to pole dancing to assist your return to dance journey
Flexibility program to improve your splits, body arches and flow
Clinical Pilates program customized to you, targeting the areas that require a tune up in control and strengthening
Strength and conditioning to ensure your transition between tricks look effortlessly smooth

It is our pride that you are performing at your optimal potential in this dance and sport. We can help you with improving your inverts, splits, climbs, body rolls, mounts, handstands and many more.

If you do experience any aches and discomfort or if you simply wants to improve your dancing skills please do not hesitate to contact us on 0401 865 333 or email us at info@capitalphysiotherapy.com.au.

We look forward to working with you in improving your dancing and fitness!

Can I Still Dance? Common Dancer Foot Injuries and How Physiotherapy Can Help

Posted on January 15, 2019January 30, 2023 Physiotherapy

Pain at the back of the ankle is one of the most common complaints we see in dancers. Most Physiotherapists will misdiagnose it as Achilles tendinopathy. However, that is not true for most dancers.

At Capital Physiotherapy, our therapists are all trained to efficiently and accurately diagnose posterior ankle pain injuries for dancers.

The “Pointe Position” that is an essential movement for many different types of dance, especially ballet, this position gives a nice elongation and alignment to the dancer’s legs. However, this position requires an extreme range of motion at the ankle and it also creates a high compressive force to the back of the dancer’s ankle. This position is not a “normal” position for our ankle to be in.

If done repetitively and incorrectly over time, it creates inflammation and swelling at the back of the dancer’s ankle. The back of the ankle is a pathway for many tendons, ligaments, nerve and blood supply to pass through to our foot. If the tendons that run through the back of the ankle get swollen/ inflamed, they take up more room than usual, which in turn compresses the back of the ankle even more leading to a syndrome which is known as the posterior ankle impingement.

Sign and symptoms that most dancer’s complaints are as followed:

Pain felt in the back of the ankle usually with full plantar flexion (pointing) of the ankle
Pain with demi pointe and pointe work
Left untreated the pain can start even with normal walking
Swelling at the back of the ankle
Referred pain can be felt in the calf or foot

This particular injury is normally caused by overused or poor technique during dancing. Most dancers who suffer from this injury will complain of the ankle pain happening over a gradual period of timeframe and the pain get worse when left untreated. There are no specific trauma or injuries that they could recall of which leads to this issues.

Our physiotherapists will assess the ankle and take a holistic approach to find out what might be the underlying causes for the injuries. We look at all possible contributing factors that could lead to the development of dancer’s injuries. This not only allows our dancers to recover from their injuries but also perform at their optimal potential at the shortest time possible. We firmly believe the power of educating our dancers, allowing them to understand the underlying causes of the injuries to help them improve and also prevent future injuries.

At Capital Physiotherapy, we are the dance physio specialist and we can help you get to your goal. We work closely with your coaches to help you achieved your highest level of skills and performance because your wellness is our pride!

Pregnancy and Physiotherapy

Posted on December 19, 2018June 8, 2022 Education, Physiotherapy

Women go through a lot of changes in their bodies during and after pregnancy. The hormonal and biomechanical changes can increase load on the pelvic floor muscles, abdominal muscles as well as lower back structures. Such increase load, when not managed, can result in pain and aches that can persist as post-natal issue. Here are the common conditions pregnant ladies encountered and how physiotherapists can assist with preventing and managing its occurrence.

1. Lower back pain/ sacroiliac joint pain

Hormonal changes in the body relaxes ligaments to allow joints to loosen up in preparation for childbirth. The stability of joints, particularly in the lower back and pelvis, is compromised. As the baby grow, the weight of your tummy increases, shifting the centre of gravity and changes your posture. These lead to instability as well as back and pelvic pain.

2. Incontinence

The weight of a growing baby will continually press on the pelvic floor. Pelvic floor muscles need to be strong enough to support the baby weight otherwise it will not be able to withstand the pressure and will result in urine leakage, particularly when extra stress is added such as when coughing, sneezing and laughing.

3. Diastasis Recti (abdominal muscle separation)

To make room for the growing size of a baby, your abdominal muscles are stretched and sometimes separation can occur where a gap can be felt. It is called diastasis recti and is commonly an issue later in pregnancy in the third trimester. Diastasis recti can reduce core strength postnatally which tends to rehab to assist recovery and regain strength.

4. Carpal tunnel syndrome

Fluid retention is another common problem during pregnancy. When fluid is retained on the peripherals of the arms, it can compress on nerve in the carpal tunnel, causing hand pain, tingling and numbness.

Our physiotherapists at Capital Physiotherapy are trained to assess and treat pregnancy related pain and issues. We can assist in managing your pregnancy by:

– Providing education regarding posture

– Assess and prescribe exercises according to your fitness level, with consideration of

your pain if there’s any, to strengthen your abdominal muscles and pelvic floor muscles. – Tape or advise on equipments (e.g. pregnancy belts) to support your lower back – Treatment to alleviate pain results from pregnancy related changes. – Advise on modifications to your activities to keep you active during pregnancy

Call us or make a booking online if you are experience pain or would like to condition for having a baby. At Capital Physiotherapy, our friendly physios are trained in clinical pilates to look after pregnant lady during and post-pregnancy.

Exercises for Back Pain Relief

Posted on December 11, 2018June 8, 2022 Exercise, Lower Back Pain

One in 6 Australians experiences lower back pain at some stage in life. Symptoms of lower back pain can be debilitating – pain can remain localised in the lower back and in some cases can refer down the legs. It also restricts movements which then affect work and simple activities of daily living such as putting shoes on, sitting and pulling pants up etc.

Despite pain with movement, exercises are recommended over rest. Avoid prolonged sitting or standing as remaining in stationery positions tends to disengage muscles that are essential to provide stability to your back. Keep it moving help relieve pain and assists in the recovery. Here are some gentle exercises that can provide some relief to your back pain:

Hip flexor stretch

Hip flexors are commonly tight for those who sits a lot as it remains in a shortened position when sitting. Tight hip flexor can contribute to back pain as it attaches to the spine.
By performing this stretch as in the picture, you’ll feel tension at the front of the back leg. Push your hips forward to deepen the stretch.
Hold for at least 30secs. Do 3-5 times on each side daily.

Glutes stretch

This stretch targets the gluteal muscles and can easily be done when in the office or commuting on the train
Sit with one leg crossed, lean forward and gently press the knee of the crossed leg down. You’ll feel a stretch on the side of the hip.

Cat and camel

This exercise aims to gently get your back moving
Start on your hands and knees. Make sure your hands are under your shoulders and your knees are directly under your hips.
Slowly drop your stomach down and then gently arch your back up.
Do 10 times every morning and night

Bridging

This exercise strengthens hip muscles that tends to be switched off when sitting for long.
Start by lying down with knees bent. Making sure hips, knees and ankles are in line.
Lift hips up and lower down with control
Do 15-20 per set and 2-3 sets daily.

Pelvic tilt

This exercise targets your core muscles which assists in providing stability for your back
Prepare by setting up the same as the last exercise.
Tuck your tailbone in to flatten the curve on your back, hold for 5-10 secs then relax. You should feel your tummy muscles contracting.
Do 5-10 secs hold for 10 times every day

Walking

Although simple, walking is one of the dynamic exercises that is effective in engaging many different muscles. It is also a low impact exercise that can replace running or other high intensity when you have back pain.

If you are suffering from back pain, physios at capital physiotherapy can assess, diagnose and provide you with the right exercises to relieve pain and get your back moving. Capital physiotherapy is also passionate at injury prevention, so give us a call if you would like more exercises and strategies to prevent recurring lower back pain.

Images from http://www.legacyneuro.com/fitness-friday-maintain-healthy-back/

https://www.bidmc.org/about-bidmc/blogs/wellness-insight-landing/sports-medicine-and-fitness/hip-flexor-stretch

https://www.besthealthmag.ca/best-you/stretching/seated-glute-stretch/

https://goodexerciseguide.com/the-exercises/bridging-exercise/

https://www.gaiam.com/blogs/discover/how-to-be-more-mindful-just-by-breathing-and-walking

Does Physiotherapy Help Osteoarthritis?

Posted on December 4, 2018June 8, 2022 Education

Osteoarthritis is a chronic condition caused by the breakdown of cartilage on the contact surface of a bone in the joint. Cartilage is important to provide a smooth surface for movement. Therefore as the cartilage breakdown deteriorates, inflammation kicks in resulting in swelling and pain. The rough cartilage surface affects the fluidity of movement. The chronic joint pain, joint swelling, joint stiffness hence affects mobility and quality of living.

Risk factors

There are many risk factors that are unmodifiable1 :

Age
Genetics
Family history
Female sex
Race

There are also a range of risk factors that are modifiable. Our physios are trained to identify the modifiable factors and work with you to improve symptoms as well as prevent further decline in functions. These modifiable factors1 include:

Previous injury

Physios at capital physiotherapy are trained to assess, diagnose and rehabilitate your injuries to ensure you achieve the best outcome. In doing so, we are taking a proactive approach to prevent osteoarthritis.

Obesity

Sports physios carefully assess your current level of functions and mobility, then prescribe you with exercises of suitable level to assist with weight control. Capital physiotherapy particularly emphasis on strength and conditioning to encourage you to live a active lifestyle.

Occupational overuse

Physio has the knowledge to optimise your occupational health. We can advise on modifying your work environment or desk setup. This allows your body to efficiently perform tasks at work and hence putting less stress on your body joints.

So make an appointment with our physios at Capital Physiotherapy today to discuss any osteoarthritis related symptoms your have and start to feel stronger and better!

Reference:

1 March, L. M., & Bagga, H. (2004). Epidemiology of osteoarthritis in Australia. Medical journal of Australia, 180(5), S6.

Sports Physiotherapy: Pros and Cons of Bracing and Taping

Posted on November 20, 2018January 30, 2023 Physiotherapy

Professional athletes and everyday recreational sportsmen are often out of action when injuries happen. Bracing and taping are great tools to assist recovery of the damaged structures, or to support movement in certain positions so we can continue to exercise. Some also use them as an injury prevention measure. There is an extensive variety of braces and many different taping techniques sports physios use. Let’s have a look at the pros and cons you know when to use either of these tools.

Bracing

Bracing is an external device applied to a joint by restricting movement and hence stabilising the joint. It comes in different sizes. A well-fitted brace can reduce pain by keeping the injured structures out of the painful range of motion. There are also different materials of braces available depending on the stability required: the fabric ones are softer, permitting more movement while the other ones are more rigid.

Pros

Easy application and removal
Re-usable and cost effective
Provides significant support for return to play/ assist recovery/ pain relief

Cons

Requires regular cleaning especially when being worn for long hours
Bulky when compared to taping, especially for larger joints
Long term application can result in muscle weakness when injured structures rely on braces for stability

Taping

There are broadly two types of tape that are widely used by sports physio: rigid and kinesio tape. Rigid tape, as the name suggests, enhances rigidity of joints. It stabilises joints by being applied to weakened injured structures such as a sprained ligament. Kinesiotape is stretchy and it facilitates muscle movement to rehabilitate for injuries.

Pros

Not as bulky as braces and is easier to move around/ play sports with
Cheaper than braces
No sizing required and gives very customised fit to provide optimal support when applied appropriately
Kinesiotape tape can facilitate muscle activation

Cons

Material and glue may irritate skin
Needs frequent re-application if long term support is required
Non-reusable therefore if required for long term can be costly
Requires someone else (e.g. a sports physio) to apply for you (unless you have practised a dozen times although will still be awkward)
Can be painful to remove and may leave glue marks (and hairless patches for the hairy ones)

If you suffer from any acute or old injuries and would like to explore the options of taping or bracing to get yourself active and moving, feel free to contact our friendly team at Capital Physiotherapy.

At the Hawthorn physio clinic, Capital Physiotherapy offer bulk billing for their patients. Get in contact with Melanie today and book an appointment for a one on one session with her!She has completed advance training to specialise in a range of physical therapy treatments such as sport, dance, pre and postnatal, and dry needling. With a keen interest in treating and educating her clients (and YouTube audience), she aims to create custom pain treatment management plans for the Hawthorn community, and Melbourne at large.

We also provide Telehealth Consultation for your safety and convenience during this pandemic.

Keeping in mind these tips/advice are of general nature and do not take your injuries/history into considerations. If you are experiencing any pain or would like an individualised tailored program to help improve your dancing, I highly recommend you speak to any one of your physiotherapists to guide you through your rehab journey.

Here at Capital Physiotherapy, our women’s health physiotherapists are the experts in helping you to fix your issues as well as all the discomfort that comes with it!

We can help you lead a healthier and pain free lifestyle.

Our physiotherapist will be able to give a full assessment on you and come out with individualised advice/ treatment plan that is tailored for your particular needs.

At Capital Physiotherapy, your initial appointment is 40-60minutes long. This allows our physios to be thorough in their assessment, as well as giving them enough time to give you treatment on the same consultation!

For any physiotherapy related concerns drop us an email info@capitalphysiotherapy.com.au

Our Physiotherapy Clinics in Melbourne

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When To Ice And Heat

Posted on November 13, 2018June 8, 2022 Education

When to use Ice vs Heat

Are you suffering from an injury and wonder if ice or heat can help? When used properly, ice and heat can be therapeutic modalities that are easily accessible by all of us. A general rule is that ICE is for any injuries that are fresh, red, swollen and hot whilst HEAT is for anything chronic, stiff and achy.

Ice

Acute injuries such as a contusion (or more commonly known as a corky), a rolled ankle or a fracture generally elicits a cascade of inflammatory response. Inflammation is our body’s natural mechanism to protect and repair, by bringing extra blood flow (hence the swelling) and sensitising the pain to stop you from using that injured structure. Excessive inflammation, however, increases pain and reduces mobility. Ice calms down the inflammatory response by controlling the swelling and numbing the pain. Sports physios also use ice for muscle soreness post-exercises/ post-sports for pain relief.

Heat

As you may be able to picture, if heat is applied to a freshly rolled ankle, it will only bring more blood flow and make a balloon out of an already swollen ankle. The therapeutic properties of heat to encourage circulation and relax muscles make it useful for chronic pain. Athletes with tight muscles, or any structures with tension in it find it improves elasticity of soft tissue. It also has good pain-relieving effect on arthritic joints which is beneficial in the more senior population.

In short, use ice on anything that looks fresh and angry but heat for more long term painful structure,

If you need to see a sports physio for any advice regarding your injury or sports performance. Feel free to contact Capital Physiotherapy, our friendly physios are more than happy to help!

Sports Physio – When do I Stretch, Before or After Exercising?

Posted on November 6, 2018January 30, 2023 Exercise

Stretches improves flexibility, which is an essential component of movement and exercises. But should we stretch before or after a workout? The short answer is to do stretch before AND after activities. Meanwhile, we shall think a little more about WHAT stretches to do and WHY.

Our bodies require flexibility for movement to occur efficiently. Imagine wearing super tight jeans when you have to chase after a bus. The jeans are limiting your range of motion and hence no matter how hard you try to take big strides you won’t go too far too fast. Having flexibility means that your muscles can work more efficiently during sports or exercises.

Amongst the many different ways to stretch, static and dynamic ones are the most commonly used. Take our hamstring muscles as an example. To perform a dynamic stretch, we swing the leg back and forth across the entire available range of motion.

Dynamic stretch has been shown to improve muscle power, sprints and jumps when performed prior to exercises. It is therefore a good idea to include dynamic stretches in your warm up to prime for sports performance.

On the other hand, a static stretch is to hold the muscle in a lengthened position for 30seconds.

Static stretch is great as part of the cool down post sports or workout in order to maintain or increase flexibility.

For more ideas of stretching, have a look at this sports physio video (https://youtu.be/HNeTehBImAs) on Capital Physiotherapy YouTube channel. Or if you have any questions, feel free to ask our team at Capital physiotherapy, South Yarra.