Hip and Groin Pain are Often Quite Complex to Diagnose

Hip and groin pain is one of the most common issues faced by athletes today. Groin pain, in particular, accounted for four to 16 percent of all injuries sustained per season among soccer and Australian Rules football. Despite the prevalence of these problems, finding proper treatment proves to be difficult, given that both hip and groin pain are quite complex to diagnose.

For starters, the two most common conditions causing groin pain, namely osteitis pubis and adductor strains, are often hard to tell apart. There are also other conditions that can cause pain in the groin, including groin disruption, stress fractures, nerve compression, avulsion fractures, snapping hip syndrome, iliopsoas bursitis and sports hernia.

The source of hip pain for athletes is also hard to pinpoint, since this kind of pain can also be linked to a wide variety of conditions. Sometimes, one of the most useful guides is the athlete’s age. Young adults and adolescent athletes are at risk for several epiphyseal and apophyseal injuries because they lack ossification of the cartilaginous growth plates. Meanwhile, older athletes are more prone to developing tendinitis because their growth plates have closed.

Symptoms Can Overlap

Diagnosing any of these problems can be quite a challenge for sports medicine professionals because it’s possible for symptoms of both hip and groin pain to overlap. In fact, in some cases, a physician would have to rule out certain hip problems when diagnosing groin pain.

As a consequence, the cause for over 30% of hip and groin pain cases remain unclear. This sometimes leads to ineffective, inadequate, or even improper treatment. With the wrong treatment, the patient never gets to fully recover from their injuries, resulting in an adverse effect in their performance.

Fortunately, physiologists have found ways to help treat and prevent hip and groin pain effectively among today’s athletes. In fact, here are some recommended by these medical professionals today.

Dual Diagnosis Needed

At the onset of the problem, it helps to seek consultation from both hip and groin specialists. In the past, there have been cases when an athlete had come in to be treated for a problem in the hip only to realize that they also have a problem in the groin only after the procedure is done. With dual diagnosis, the rate of revision would be much lower, which also means that the athlete can return to the field in a shorter amount of time.

Exercises That Prevent Injury and Enhance Athletic Performance

Exercises such as abdominal crunches, single knee to chest, double knee to chest, alternating hip flexion, seated butterfly stretch and figure four piriformis stretch can help in preventing and rehabilitating from both groin and hip pain. That’s because these exercises can help in further strengthening the abdominal muscles and hips, while also elongating the patient’s low back muscles and improving their range of motion.

Treatment Therapies

Depending on the diagnosis, a physio can recommend a number of treatment therapies including an interferential treatment that utilizes a mid-frequency electrical current in order to produce a massaging effect around the injury. This would also stimulate the secretion of endorphins, the body’s very own natural pain relievers, to promote healing.

If you happen to be a professional athlete who plans to keep playing for many years to come, consider paying your physio a visit today. Phone 379 5767 for an appointment with Graeme Hayhow at Institute of Sport Physiotherapy, a hip and groin expert, if you happen to be suffering from any kind of hip and groin pain. Ensure that you would still have a long career in sports by having your problem checked and treated now before it has a chance to get worse.

Sources:

Treating, Preventing Hip and Groin Problems in the Athlete, medscape.com

Approach to hip and groin pain in the athlete and active adult, uptodate.com

Hip and Groin Pain in the Professional Athlete, sciencedirect.com

Hip and groin injuries in the athlete, philly.com

Groin Injuries in Athletes, aafp.org

The post Hip and Groin Injuries In Athletes: Here’s How to Treat and Prevent Them According to a Physio appeared first on InstituteOfSport.co.nz.

While staying active in sports on a daily basis is recommended to help ensure your body stays toned and healthy, you have to pay closer attention to how you work those muscles. That’s because some sports moves can actually be more dangerous than others. You may not realize it but you may just be compromising certain parts of your body when you are in the middle of a game. In fact, you can even be at great risk for certain ACL injuries.

ACL Injury Damage Can Range in Severity

It is your anterior cruciate ligament or ACL that keeps your knee stable. In the event of an ACL injury, it’s usually due to a tear in your knee ligaments which joins your upper leg bone with your lower leg bone. If the injury is severe, the ligament may be torn completely. Symptoms include feeling of instability, pain and swelling. In other cases, a person may also suddenly hear or feel like something has popped in their knee.

ACL Injuries Are Often Seen in Contact Sports

These types of injuries are often seen among individuals who actively engage in sports, most especially agility sports. In fact, ACL tears are a common risk in sports where players suddenly stop and change direction. This is often seen in athletic games like basketball, football, tennis and soccer.

Today, ACL injuries are quite a concern especially since there are as many as 150,000 to 200,000 ACL injuries reported across the US every single year. There are a number of ways to prevent this. One of those that come highly recommended by physiologists is the use of orthotics. These refer to devices that can be worn in order to correct any foot or ankle problem without the use of surgery. Such devices include foot pads, shoe inserts and ankle braces.

Orthotic Devices are Proven to Prevent ACL Injuries

Sometimes known “arch support,” these devices have been found to be effective in preventing ACL injuries. In fact, a study published in the Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association found that wearing foot orthotics helped lower the rate of ACL injuries significantly among female basketball players.

If you are active in sports and believe that you are at risk of developing an ACL injury, keep this from happening and make an appointment with a physio immediately. Phone the Institute of Sport Physiotherapy on 379 5767 and ask Graeme Hayhow about using orthotics for your feet. That way, you can stay active knowing that your leg will hold up just fine.

Sources:

Orthotics for Foot Problems – Topic Overview, webmd.com

Orthotics, aofas.org

Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injuries – Topic Overview, webmd.com

3 signs you need to see a physio, wehearthliving.com

The post If You Lead an Active Life and Want to Avoid ACL Injuries, Ask Your Physio About Orthotics appeared first on InstituteOfSport.co.nz.

The problem with fibromyalgia is that it’s a difficult disease to diagnose. It doesn’t appear on blood tests, scans, and X-rays. In its early stages, the symptoms can mimic those of other conditions. Your Grafton physio understands what symptoms to look for and will help you pinpoint the condition based on your physical exam results and medical history. Your physio  will also work with your physician to arrive at a proper diagnosis.

Chronic pain

Chronic widespread pain is the definitive symptom of fibromyalgia, even in its early stages. The pain can manifest itself in different ways and in different parts of the body. It can be a dull ache in some people, and it can be sharp and stabbing in others.

Disturbed sleep

An individual with fibromyalgia will not be able to enter a state of deep, restful sleep because his body won’t have the right balance of chemicals to do so. Since sleep is disrupted, the fibromyalgia sufferer will constantly feel groggy and unrefreshed when he or she wakes up.

Fatigue

Due to disrupted sleep, the individual may experience excessive fatigue throughout his or her working hours. With prolonged fatigue, you may soon see your personal, social, or educational activities negatively impacted. Eventually, fibromyalgia will take its toll on the immune system and make the body more susceptible to disease and illness.

Sensitivity to touch

A fibromyalgia sufferer may experience hyperesthesia (increased feeling) and/or hyperalgesia (increased pain). In extreme cases, both conditions can become so severe that the patient is no longer able to perform routine activities.

Environmental sensitivity

People with fibromyalgia can experience extreme sensitivity to even the most normal environmental influences. The oversensitivity typically affects the patient’s sense of sight, sound and smell. For example, normal lights can appear overly bright to them. Moderate noises can sound extremely loud, and faint scents can smell musky.

Muscle and joint stiffness

Stiffness in the muscles and joints is another common fibromyalgia symptom. While normal people will experience these symptoms after bouts of serious physical activity, fibromyalgia sufferers can develop stiffness for no apparent reason at all. Like the pain that usually accompanies the condition, muscle and joint stiffness can be localized to one area or appear at different locations of the body.

Muscle spasms

Fibromyalgia patients tend to experience pronounced muscle spasms. In most cases, one muscle or more can spasm repeatedly following a pattern, with the worst spasms often occurring at night. In others, the spasms can be completely unpredictable possibly happening anywhere at any time.

Brain fog

A very serious and problematic fibromyalgia symptom where the patient can encounter word-finding difficulty, short term memory loss, and episodic disorientation that lasts for 30 to 60 seconds. Brain fog from fibromyalgia is often caused by a combination of factors including fatigue, lack of sleep, and affected blood circulation.

Excessive sweating

People with fibromyalgia can sweat heavily and believe they have a fever. This is because fibromyalgia can cause an autonomic dysfunction wherein the body is no longer able to regulate sweating effectively. Likewise, bowel movement and other automatic body functions can also be affected.

Many of these common fibromyalgia symptoms can be treated with general approaches. If general treatment doesn’t help, your Grafton physio at Institute Of Sport Physiotherapy can provide you with targeted recommendations that may help.

Sources
Symptoms of Fibromyalgia, WebMD.com
Fibromyalgia Symptoms & Treatment, MedicineNet.com

The post Physio Grafton: Understanding Fibromyalgia Condition and Its Symptoms appeared first on InstituteOfSport.co.nz.

Causes of CTS

CTS symptoms begin when pressure on the median nerve inside the carpal tunnel at the base of the palm becomes too high. This results in the compression of the median nerve which can lead to painful symptoms.

That said, the median nerve can be compressed elsewhere along its length. Aside from the carpal tunnel, another common area where median nerve compression can occur is the neck. Any sort of pressure on the median nerve predisposes it to develop CTS symptoms.

There is no known way to prevent CTS. Nearly half of all work-related injuries are linked to it, and many people who suffer from it have an increased risk of missing work. The condition can be treated with physical therapy or surgery.

Before surgery, try physical therapy first

Although surgery should be considered in severe cases, the downside of surgery is that recovery can take a while, and more than a third of patients are unable to return to work within eight weeks of receiving surgical treatment. If your symptoms are not severe, you may want to visit a Newmarket physio clinic and try physical therapy first. Here are CTS-targeting exercises designed to help alleviate the pain from the condition.

Finger pushups

To do finger pushups, start by putting your palms together, then press each finger firmly to their counterpart in the other hand. Start pushing on the fingers and make them do “pushups,” Make sure to spreading the fingers as far apart as you can when your palms come together.

Wrist shake

Fan of Taylor Swift? Then you’ve already seen how this is done. Shaking your hands vigorously is an effective way to increase blood flow to the hands and keep the muscles and median nerve from cramping.

Hand bends

Raise your affected arm in front of you. Keep your elbow straight, with the hand and fingers pointing to the ground. Use your other hand to apply a gentle pulling pressure on the back of your hand and make your hand and fingers point towards you as much as you can. When you reach your maximum point of flexibility, hold the position for about 10 seconds. Repeat the exercise again, this time with your hand and fingers pointing upwards. Repeat the entire exercise on the other hand if you must.

Physical therapy from a Newmarket physio facility

Due to the fact that the median nerve emanates from the neck, a Newmarket physio will often complement CTS stretching exercises with physical therapy treatment that may include manual therapy of the neck and median nerve, hand traction devices, and splints. Physical therapy for CTS is provided by Newmarket physio facilities such as The Institute Of Sport Physiotherapy.

Source
Exercises for Treating Carpal Tunnel, Healthline.com

The post Newmarket Physio: Physical Therapy as a Primary Treatment for CTS appeared first on InstituteOfSport.co.nz.

Unfortunately, this uniqueness also makes the scapula prone to specific conditions, of which one of the most common is the snapping scapula syndrome, a condition characterized by popping, grinding, grating, or ‘snapping’ of bones and tissue in the shoulder blade when the arm is lifted, moved, or rotated. The snapping can be audible, and at times be painful. If it starts to affect movement and flexibility it will need to be checked by a sports physiotherapist.

Causes of snapping scapula syndrome

Snapping scapula syndrome is caused by problems in the soft tissues or bones of the scapula and chest wall including bones malformed from birth or an injured or an inflamed soft tissue such as a muscle or bursa. Injuries or inflammation in the area can occur from the following:

• Repetitive physical activities, such as throwing a ball or reaching overhead
• Incorrect posture
• Weak shoulder bones
• Neck conditions
• Nerve damage in the shoulder area

How is snapping scapula syndrome diagnosed?

Snapping shoulder syndrome is diagnosed by seeing a sports physiotherapist such as those from Institute of Sport Physio. Your therapist will conduct a thorough evaluation that includes taking your medical history and conducting physical exams. Questions that your therapist will ask you include how and when you first noticed the condition, how has it affected your daily activities, and how much pain you are feeling. Depending on your answers, your therapist may order further tests, such as an X-ray, to confirm diagnosis or to rule out other potential causes.

How can a sports physiotherapist help with snapping scapula syndrome?

Once a snapping scapula syndrome diagnosis is confirmed, your sports physiotherapist will work with you to create customized treatment program that will help you recover. With the proper treatment, you can return to your normal activities and lifestyle. Suggested treatments for the condition are as follows.

• Resting the shoulder and avoiding excess movements that cause pain
• Applying ice pack to the area for 15 to 20 minutes every two hours
• Proper posture

Pain reduction

Your physiotherapist may collaborate with an orthopedic physician or other healthcare provider to control and reduce your pain and symptoms, including massage, electrical stimulation, taping, heat, laser, and other forms of applicable therapy.

Improving motion

Snapping scapula syndrome can affect movement not just in the shoulder, but in the neck and spine as well. Your therapist will choose specific exercises and activities to restore normal movement in these areas. Your treatment may begin with gentle motions that improve movement in your arm, neck, shoulder and scapula. As movement improves, treatment will progress to active stretches and activities that you can do yourself.

Speeding up recovery time

Certain treatments can enhance healing at each recovery stage. Your therapist will employ these treatments to steadily restore your agility and strength. As a trained and experienced healthcare provider, your sports physiotherapist is well-equipped to help you heal and return to your normal lifestyle faster and more effectively than you are likely to achieve on your own.

Preventing future injury

Once you are fully healed, your physiotherapist can recommend exercises that you can do on your own to strengthen and stretch the muscles on your shoulder and prevent snapping scapula syndrome. These may include flexibility exercises that target the muscles of the neck, scapula, and shoulder arm. Your therapist may also advise you to maintain good posture and teach you proper athletic techniques that minimize the potential for injury to your shoulders.

Visit a sports physiotherapy clinic for your condition

If you suspect you have snapping scapula syndrome, visit a sports physiotherapy clinic such as Institute of Sport Physio to receive a proper diagnosis and treatment which will make a real difference.  Phone 379-5767 for an appointment with Graeme Hayhow.

Sources:

Snapping Scapula Syndrome, HuffingtonPost.com
Management of Snapping Scapula Syndrome, Healio.com

The post Institute of Sports Physio: Understanding Snapping Scapula Syndrome appeared first on InstituteOfSport.co.nz.

Low back pain can easily be caused by an injury to the back or poor sitting posture. Either way, an experienced physiology practice, such as Institute Of Sport Physiotherapy, can help you rehabilitate your lower back and strengthen muscle groups to help you overcome your pain. Of course, what you do in-between physiotherapy sessions can also help you fight the pain efficiently. With that in mind, here are a few tips to help you supplement your low back pain treatment at home:

Use a Cold Compress

An overreliance on pain medication is bad for the body. If your back starts acting up while you’re at home, grab an ice pack and apply it to your lower back. The cold helps restrict blood flow in the area, which helps prevent swelling. Similarly, the cold also dulls pain receptors in the lower back. If you do not have an ice pack at home, a small towel and a couple of ice cubes are just as good.

Keep Moving Around

If you suffer from lower back pain, you may be thinking of avoiding moving around to give your back time to rest. Although taking a break every now and then is advised, don’t take it too far. Our spines are designed for movement. Studies show that light exercise actually helps prevent lower back pain. Naturally, you shouldn’t overdo it. Light household chores like making your bed and walking the dog are good ways to start. Your physio may also be able to recommend some light exercises for you to try.

Check Your Mattress

Your mattress is your primary tool for providing your back with enough support as you sleep. Needless to say, a mattress in poor condition may actually be contributing to your back pain rather than preventing it. If your mattress is eight years old or older, you may want to consider dropping by a mattress store and purchasing a new one. If so, you may want to look into firm mattresses to provide your back with adequate support.

Sources:

New Zealand Acute Low Back Pain Guide, ACC.co.nz
Patterns of chronic pain in the New Zealand population, NZMA.org

The post Low Back Pain: Tips to Help Supplement Treatment from Your Physio appeared first on InstituteOfSport.co.nz.

The good news, however, is that workplace injuries are covered through ACC. A no-fault comprehensive injury cover will allow you to get the proper treatment for your condition so that you can manage pain effectively. Some physio treatments in Grafton or elsewhere can help you return to normal activity faster.

Common Workplace Injuries

Overexertion is the leading cause of many workplace injuries. Caused by actions such as pulling, throwing, lifting or pushing, overexertion injuries are also often regarded as the most expensive to treat. Accidents can also occur due to slipping, tripping and falling hazards.

Perhaps the most harmful in the long run are repetitive motion injuries. For instance, simply sitting in front of a computer for hours on end can eventually lead to strained muscles, back pain, bad vision and even carpal tunnel syndrome.

How Physiotherapy Helps

A physiotherapist from an institute of sport physio can help assess the injury to determine the ideal treatment for each condition. This might include examinations and evaluations to test your functional limitations and find the areas of pain. Your physio will then come up with a personalised program designed to help your recover faster.

For example, simpler injuries such as sprains and strains can be managed early on through rest and using ice or heat for pain management. In later stages, your physiotherapist may give you stretching exercises to follow. If the pain is too severe, other modalities such as acupuncture, manual therapy or electro pressure regeneration therapy (ERPT) can be used to alleviate the pain..

Once your body has started responding to the treatment, you may need to undergo another assessment. Based on the results, your physiotherapist will create a customized return-to-work plan for you. At this stage, you may not be fully healed yet, so there might be a need to protect the injured areas using splints or braces. He may also give you some advice on how to make your workplace more ergonomic.

Sources:

Am I covered?, Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC)

Statistics, Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC)

6 Ways Physiotherapy Can Relieve Aches and Pains, Reader’s Digest

What Conditions Can Physiotherapy Treat?, Sports Medicine Information

The post Physio Treatment Offers a Way to Reduce Pain from Workplace Injuries appeared first on InstituteOfSport.co.nz.

Equipment

Traditionally, the material used for splinting has been plaster of Paris, but splinting techniques and methods have evolved through the years, and today, there are many types of splinting materials available including fibreglass, pre-padded fibreglass, aluminium, pre-formed plaster, and more.

The choice between custom and pre-formed splints usually depends on what’s convenient and what’s being required by the physician. For light injuries, a patient may be given the power to choose his splint material. For serious cases however, it is usually the physician’s judgment that must be followed.

Splinting as a first aid method

If you or a loved one experiences a musculoskeletal injury, it can help to know how to make a temporary splint using the materials that are available to you. It is often impossible to tell early on if a bone has been fractured, so it is best to assume that it is and apply first aid to prevent the injury from worsening. To apply splinting, follow these tips from your Newmarket physio.

How to apply a temporary splint

The first requirement is to find something rigid that you can use as a splint to stabilise the limb. This can be a strong stick, board, plank, plastic tube, and even a rolled-up newspaper. If the object contains sharp edges, wrap it in cloth for the injured individual’s protection.

The next thing you must find is something that you can use to attach the splint to the limb and secure it in place. Common objects that you can use include belts, shoelaces, ropes, and even a piece of clothing that has been cut to long strips.

If there is bleeding, you must first treat the wound before applying the splint. Bleeding can be stopped by first applying pressure on the wound, then wrapping it with a bandage, gauze, or piece of cloth. With the bleeding stopped, you may then place the splint on the limb and fasten it using the tying material you have on hand. Once the limb is stabilised, you may then take the patient to a Newmarket physio clinic such as the Institute of Sport Physio for proper treatment.

Source:

Splinting, Medscape.com

Splinting, Troop50.org

The post Newmarket Physio: Splinting Overview, and How to Use It as First Aid appeared first on InstituteOfSport.co.nz.

Neck manipulation targets the cervical spine region and is often recommended for patients who suffer from pain in the neck, the upper back, the shoulders and arms. Those who also experience headaches may also benefit from this technique. The overall goal, however, is to reduce pain, improve motion and restore function to the head and neck area.

People who have lost mobility in the neck area due to binding or fixation of a vertebral joint and entrapment of synovial membrane or a cartilaginous fragment may also find relief with cervical spine manipulation. Research suggests that mobilisation and manipulation can provide short-term pain relief and enhance the range of motion for patients who have this problem.

Since cervical spine manipulation requires both precision and delicacy, a physio in Grafton or elsewhere needs to have extensive training. Head and neck rotation during manual manipulation should never exceed 45 or 50 degrees. Additionally, manipulation should not be too rapid or it might cause damage to arteries and loss of elasticity.  Passive mobilization moves a joint only through its normal range of motion.

Manual rotation of the cervical spine is not a treatment that is done frequently, nor is it used to alleviate pain that did not originate from the neck area. However, there are just some specific cases that would require neck manipulation. Patients should remember that it is not a viable option for everyone. For instance, elderly individuals who have structural or vascular abnormalities or people who take medications that increase the risk of bleeding will not be good candidates for manipulation.

Here at the Institute of Sport Physio, we only perform neck manipulation when there is neck pain or a loss of range of motion. We even have safety systems in place that we refer to as yellow and red flags that include taking a spine X-ray to ensure patient safety.

The Institute of Sport Physiotherapy was formed with the purpose of providing high quality and successful recovery from all injuries in Auckland. Director Graeme Hayhow established the foundations for our company in 1980 when he became a travelling physio for national sports teams. Since then, the Institute of Sport Physio has helped numerous patients live pain-free and happy lives.

The post Institute of Sport Physio Offers Upper Cervical Spine Manipulation appeared first on InstituteOfSport.co.nz.

You will likely have pain when resisting leg extension, and possibly tenderness if you push against the kneecap itself – aggravating movements include squatting, running (especially downhill), descending stairs and prolonged sitting.

Research on PFPS focused on factors that affected the motion of the kneecap, particularly how the quadriceps control how the patella “tracks” in the femoral groove.

It has shown that people with poor quadriceps and calf flexibility, poor vertical jumping ability (which is highly dependent on your quads), and weak quadriceps are all risk factors for PFPS.

Recent research has shown that hip mechanics also contributes to runners’ knee injuries.  Although the kneecap “tracks” towards the outside of your leg during squatting and running motions, it’s actually the femur rotating underneath the kneecap.

This explains why many runners (particularly women) with patellofemoral pain syndrome have weak hip abductors and external rotators. This seems to contribute to altered biomechanics when they run.  Because of their muscular weaknesses, their knee “collapses” towards the center of their body when they run.

Research has shown very good results from hip strengthening exercises and techniques. Specifically, the literature demonstrates that a successful program should definitely incorporate hip abductor, external rotator, and quadriceps strength.

Many programs that have produced good results also include hip flexor/extensor strength, closed-chain “functional” exercises like squats, and balance training.

For most runners, a dedicated strength training program offered by physio experts in Newmarket will be what ultimately provides relief from patellofemoral pain.

An experienced physical therapist like Institute of Sport Physio can prescribe a treatment plan for you and advise you how long it will take you to return to running.  It is better to let it heal.  You may only need a few days off if you catch it early, but if you’ve been running on PFPS for a while, you may need a lot longer.

The treatment plan from Institute of Sport Physio includes:

1. Spinal assessment to correct any spinal dysfunction
2. Exercises to strengthen hip and quadriceps, esp. vastus medialis:

• Abductors—lying side leg lift or band abduction
• External rotators—lying “clam” or band external rotation
• Quadriceps—straight leg lift

A good starting place is 15 of each, once per day. As your strength improves, you can move to two or even three sets of 15 each. All exercises must be done SLOWLY!

3. Stretching exercises for the vastus lateralis
4. General lower leg strengthening and balance

• Balance, possibly on unstable surface (foam pad, bosu ball)—start with 30sec or 1min
• Mini-squats on a step, starting around 15 repeats and working to two or three sets
• Glute bridge—start with 10-12 10-second holds, build toward 2min continuous

5. Patellar taping, either with traditional athletic tape or flexible kinesiology tape
6. Electrotherapy and acupuncture for the knee pain
7. X-Ray the knee if long term.

Call Institute of Sport Physio now for an assessment if you have Runner’s Knee symptoms.

The post Institute of Sport Physio Presents the Ultimate Guide to Runner’s Knee appeared first on InstituteOfSport.co.nz.