Posted by Mark Hayhow in Uncategorized on April 11th, 2023
Tennis elbow, also known as lateral epicondylitis, is a common injury that affects the outer part of the elbow. Despite its name, tennis elbow is not just limited to tennis players, but can also occur in individuals who perform repetitive motions of the wrist and arm.
Causes of Tennis Elbow:
Tennis elbow is typically caused by overuse of the forearm muscles and tendons that attach to the lateral epicondyle (the bony bump on the outer part of the elbow). Repetitive activities that involve gripping and twisting of the wrist, such as tennis, golf, and manual labor, can put strain on these muscles and tendons, leading to microtears and inflammation.
In addition to overuse, other risk factors that may contribute to tennis elbow include age (individuals between the ages of 30 and 50 are at a higher risk), poor technique or equipment, and underlying medical conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Treatment Options for Tennis Elbow:
The most effective treatment for tennis elbow involves a combination of rest, Physiotherapy and pain management. Some common treatment options include:
Rest and Activity Modification: Resting the affected arm and avoiding activities that aggravate the symptoms can help to reduce inflammation and promote healing. A period of rest is typically followed by a gradual return to activity with modified techniques.
Physiotherapy: A Physio can help to strengthen the muscles and tendons surrounding the elbow and improve range of motion. Specific exercises and stretches can also help to reduce pain and inflammation.
Pain Management: Over-the-counter pain medications, such as ibuprofen, can help to reduce pain and inflammation. In more severe cases, a physician may recommend a corticosteroid injection to reduce inflammation.
Bracing: Wearing a brace or splint can help to support the affected arm and reduce stress on the affected tendons and muscles.
Surgery: In rare cases, surgery may be necessary to repair the damaged tendons and muscles. However, surgery is typically only considered after conservative treatment options have failed.
Posted by Mark Hayhow in Uncategorized on March 31st, 2022
Patellofemoral Pain (PFP) also referred to as runners’ knee often occurs as an insidious onset of pain felt around the patellar in the knees. With PFP having a sudden onset it can be quite an unusual yet sharp pain many individuals can experience that can cause high amounts of pain which can negatively impact that individuals’ training and even general activities of daily living.
Signs you have patellofemoral pain:
What is the cause of this pain?
Patellofemoral pain can be due to overuse injuries, biomechanical/anatomical abnormalities (e.g. patellar orientation/alignment), muscular imbalances/dysfunction (e.g. weak quadriceps) which can cause anterior (front) knee pain.
What can you do to improve pain?
References:
Willy, R. W., Hoglund., L. T., Barton, C. J., Bolgla, L. A., Scalzitti, D. A., Logerstedt, D. S., Lynch, A. D., Snyder-Mackler, L., & McDonough, C.M. (2019). Patellofemoral pain: Clinical practice guidelines linked to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health from the Academy of Orthopedic Physical Therapy of the American Physical Therapy Association. Journal of Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 49(9), 1-95. doi:10.2519/jospt.2019.0302
Posted by Mark Hayhow in Uncategorized on December 9th, 2021
Shockwave Therapy uses a series of ultrasound shockwaves to increase blood flow, stimulate muscle repair and regeneration to promote healing in damaged tissues and can be an effective treatment for:
-Achilles tendinopathy.
-Gluteal and hamstring tendinopathy and pain.
-Patella tendinopathy.
-Plantar fasciitis.
-Osteoarthritis in the knee.
-Tennis and golfers elbow.
Treatments take around 3-5 minutes.
Does not require anesthesia, injections, or surgery.
Fast effective pain relief for common tendon injuries. May help reduce pain in soft tissue injuries. In some cases more effective than 3 months of traditional rehab.
-The shockwave works by delivering impulses of energy to specific damaged tissue via a compressed air impulse exerted by the handpiece.
-The Shockwave increases blood flow within the affected area, stimulating cell regeneration and healing and decreasing pain.
-Each treatment takes approximately 3-5 minutes to be delivered.
-Usually no more than 3 sessions are needed one week apart. Some patients note an immediate improvement in their pain however the best results occur 12 weeks after initial treatment.
Book today with any one of our clinicians from the booking menu. To discuss any precautions and warnings feel free to phone in advance on 09 379 5767 or email your questions to grafton@instituteofsport.co.nz
Ask one of our clinicians if we think Shockwave could assist in your recovery.
We accept referrals from other clinicians like your GP, orthopedic surgeon, podiatrist, or rheumatologist. Ask them to make the referral and book in with us.
This treatment is not funded by ACC however if you are receiving Physio treatment covered by ACC we will not charge you additionally for Shockwave treatment. Standard Physio surcharges apply.
If you are receiving private physio treatment we will not charge you additionally for Shockwave therapy.
$55 per session
Posted by Mark Hayhow in Uncategorized on December 1st, 2021
We are all feeling stiff, sluggish, and mentally drained. 100+ days of Lockdown have been tough. Freedom Day Dec 3 signals lesser restrictions as the greater Auckland region opens up. The Institute of Sports ethos is the healing power of Movement & Activity that’s what we believe and we are here to help you get there whether it’s beach cricket, Bowls at the club, twilight Tennis, that summer body on lock at the Gym or mucking in the Garden. We are here to remove the bodily pain that 100+ days of limited movement has wrecked on us all and restore you to full function to kickstart an active lifestyle and significantly improve our mental health and well-being in time for Summer, Christmas, and the New Year so you can truly celebrate Freedom.
In that spirit to get you started please request via grafton@instituteofsport.co.nz your “ Freedom Home Exercise Programme” and Freedom Day Post Workout Stretches” that contains video demonstrations and detailed instructions on how to complete each exercise. You can view this program on desktop or in a mobile app.
*If you don’t own a set of dumbbells, kettlebells, or Swiss Ball you can email us @ grafton@instituteofsport.co.nz or phone 093795767 to advise and arrange purchase.
To take full advantage of our expertise please email us @ grafton@instituteofsport.co.nz or phone 093795767 to arrange a consultation with our Physio Aaron Scott.
Posted by Mark Hayhow in Uncategorized on March 16th, 2021
We at the Institute of Sport Physiotherapy are extremely proud to announce our sponsorship of the very talented professional squash player Elijah Thomas as he pursues his goal to represent New Zealand at the 2022 commonwealth Games.
Elijah a former Auckland Grammar student in 2019 left after year 12 to study a Bachelor of Sport and Recreation part-time at AUT before deciding to go all-in and focus full-time on a professional squash career and why not with a resume that has seen him achieve 5x NZ age group squash champion, Oceania u17 champion 2019, Australian Junior Open champion, 2019 World Squash Federation World u17 boys ranking #2 and 2x New Zealand junior team representative at World Junior Championships 2018, 2019.
Having won the squash Auckland Junior sportsman of the year two years back-to-back in 2019 and 2020 and holding the #1 u19 NZ junior ranking Elijah is truly a young and promising star on the rise and we truly delighted to assist.
To follow Elijah on his journey be sure to check in on him on both Instagram & Facebook @elijahthomassquash
Posted by Mark Hayhow in Uncategorized on January 31st, 2020
The Institute of Sport Physiotherapy’s ethos “We believe in the power of movement and activity, let’s get you there” inspired this blog series. I intend to place an individual whether it be an experienced Surfer or novice Free-Style Dancer alongside myself as participant/fly-on the-wall with you the reader front and centre of a Movement and/or Activity-Based practice. Upon completion an interview shall reveal what drives our unlikely hero in their favoured pursuit? and ultimately what power & emotion surfaces simply in the act of doing.
let’s ease then into our series with a light stroll led by Shiatsu Massage Therapist/Model Himi Horikoshi; its Wednesday 15th January 2020 we are about to meet in Cornwall Park “a lush landscape gifted by Sir John Logan Campbell to New Zealand in 1901” under blistering “Tiffany Blue” skies at precisely 1:54pm.
But before we do…
Its 12:33pm and and via facebook Messenger Himi has kindly suggested we meet at the Cornwall Park Rotunda @ 2:00pm. The message includes a thoughtful link with map & simplistic legend of the park included. I pull into the carpark adjacent to Twin Oaks Drive at 1:46pm. Phone at the ready we calibrate our positions with a series of photo’s sent back & forth a light game of cat & mouse. It is here at 1:54pm that we begin Himi the victor is the first to pounce grinning ear to ear attired in active wear, sunglasses and cap and the most infectious kind of got-ya-grin. In contrast I’m jumpy, sweltering and weighed heavy in lumpy cross train shoes perfect for tricky surfaces and the elevation to the 182-meter giddy peak of One Tree Hill. I’m overly hydrated with a sweet heady mix of liquid BCAA’s (Branch chain Ammino Acids) that will keep me well nourished under the most demanding conditions. At that we fall into an easy stroll under no harsh or demanding conditions what so ever. Himi the guide.
The weather a snug 23 degrees Himi expertly suggests a pleasing route under the shade of the Coast Redwood and Horse Chestnut trees near the Bistro carpark. A photo from her capture’s me unaware, a wise move as one’s wits should surely be at the ready, I remind myself.
The photo incident well behind us now we venture towards “the much-admired” group of Gingko Trees found between Pohutukawa Drive and the Park Café the strong aroma of freshly laid fertilizer holds us at a short distance where we expertly speculate on the benefits of the leaf’s extract’s and so on.
Satisfied our knowledge of this species is complete our sights fix upon one of the many stone walls scattered throughout the park that offer comforting distraction and recreation to lean and ruminate against. Himi eloquently pontificates to my benefit that the park though very natural is man-made, its care and overall harmony depends on the array of park custodian. Cheers to that I say well said.
Our curiosity barely quenched Himi navigates a short slight-of-hand detour that brings us under the soaring Oaks that line Twin Oaks Drive. We fall into a majestic saunter “The Farm” home to 600 sheep, 60 cows and 2 full time farmers our stage. The south east “Farm gate” lean-to the perfect vantage to catch the cows at peak feeding and judge best-in-show.
Show over and cows retiring to slumber Himi gestures to an area of the park at the most south western end and adjacent to the Auckland Archery Club that offers a splendid view across New Zealand’s second largest harbour the mighty Manukau an area that features a remarkable symmetry of pine’s in which to admire, rest or reorientate ones route. In our instance an improvised pine cone gathering amusement serves sufficient distraction.
It was here pinecone at the ready I put to Himi a number of questions in relation to “The power of movement and activity”.
Q: Himi what movement or activity-based pursuit do you most enjoy?
A: I do love Walking. Though I prefer the term Strolling as opposed to say Powerwalking. Strolling allows me to relax “smell the flowers” so to speak and take my time. I don’t feel the need to go the same way all the time so in that sense I love the freedom of Strolling.
Q: Do you walk every day?
A: Almost, even rainy days. I like to think on rainy mornings that “I’m not like sugar I and I won’t melt”. I like the variety of people attracted to the outdoors in the rain you are amongst some very passionate Walkers, Runners and a variety of people training.
Q: Do you take photo’s when you come out?
A: Yes
Q: Do you like to share the photo’s with people?
A: Yes though for close friends or family and simply creating and saving memories for myself. I do notice when revisiting the photo’s that I have taken in the exact same walking location that the passage of time and weather has a way of creating a different place In that sense I feel a part of nature.
Q: What emotions do you feel while strolling?
A: A “gentle warm soup” best describes though I feel an overall tranquillity. I can see very clearly and my senses are strong.
Q: Do you listen to music while you stroll?
A: Sometimes. If I do listen to music, I prefer Ambient music. I don’t like to wear headphones so I will play music from my phone at a small volume in my pocket while I walk. I feel its less enveloping and I still feel engaged with my surroundings.
Q: What is your favorite movie/ book or piece of popular culture that features walking?
A: Wow a movie about walking! I did read a book “Norwegian Wood” they walk a lot.
Q: Any thing else you would like to add that may help readers?
A: I do recommend Strolling locally. I feel when we drive we miss so many details that only a stroll can offer like the many picturesque views and beautiful gardens. I can only suggest to Start slowly. Both nature and people offer up such beautiful things.
Posted by Mark Hayhow in Uncategorized on November 28th, 2019
Did you know that what and when you eat can massively impact your injury prevention and recovery time?
Is the way you eat now leading you to a path of prolonged or higher risk of injury?
Have a read of this…
… You’ve done your back in…. or maybe you pulled a shoulder muscle.. or maybe you have a troublesome knee..
It can feel like a major setback right?
Are you suffering an injury that has you feeling frustrated, fed up and unmotivated?
For 3
years I suffered major muscle spasm in my lower back… I couldn’t exercise, I
was a misery.. mostly caused by a weak core.. but also exacerbated by not
eating right ( even when I thought I was eating right! ), too much acidity in
my body, dehydrated.. the pain was constant and travelled down my glutes,
hamstrings and it aged me.. boy did I wear the pain on my face, it was apparent
in my moods and my sleep was just awful.
I actually was worried I’d never run or be able to exercise like I used to ever
again?
Any of this sound familiar?
I was tired of feeling injured… so I spent a fortune on the wrong treatments.. I wanted a quick fix. But with help from my physio I got to work on the right exercises and stretches to help mobilise and strengthen the area.. it took consistent effort and commitment to see and feel an improvement..
.. and I totally overhauled my diet. I was back on my feet and running again after 4 weeks of getting the body back to a balanced nourished state. It’s been 4 years now, I’m now 41.. and I feel stronger than I did in my 20’s.. and I absolutely attribute this to nutrients.
Would you like to speed up your recovery and reduce the chance of it ever happening again?
When it comes to recovering from a sports injury, many elements come into play.
While not all of them are under your influence, one factor you can control is the nutrients you provide your body.
Consuming the anti-inflammatory foods and supplements mentioned below in is one way you can speed up your recovery.
It’s what and when you eat!
Consider your blood type, consider nutrient timing… consider eating foods and supplements you to help recover from an injury more quickly…
Like..
Protein-Rich Foods. …
Fiber-Rich Foods. …
Fruits and Vegetables Rich in Vitamin C. …
Omega-3 Fatty Acids. …
Zinc-Rich Foods. …
Vitamin D and Calcium-Rich Foods. …
Creatine. …
Glucosamine…
Not sure how to go about it?
Are you ready to get your body back?
I’m ready for you ??
* Hi my name is Pieta enquire with me now @ Sweat. Nourish. Love if you’d like to explore the best nutrition to suit your needs – happy to help!
Posted by Mark Hayhow in Uncategorized on November 26th, 2019
Simply another great opportunity to connect, move & be active in a friendly, alcohol free social setting. Just so good for your soul and just the best workout ever. Join DJ Anirvan Deva, Wilhemeena Isabella Monroe, myself and the Tribe for fitness with a deeper meaning….were going to have a lot of fun on this one.
Posted by Mark Hayhow in Uncategorized on November 26th, 2019
So it was, a seemingly random web surf that hurtled me into one the most influential people in Health & Fitness Kelly Starrett. This video sent me down the K-Star rabbit hole to his New York Times best-selling book “Becoming A Supple Leopard”, TRS website (The Ready State) and ultimately his online Movement & Mobility 101 course. Incredibly personable and a gifted teacher just had to share.
Posted by Mark Hayhow in Uncategorized on November 26th, 2019
The burning in his kneecaps was what Richard Bedard noticed first. Then came the tenderness and pain. Sitting for 10 hours a day as a financial editor in Hong Kong was agonizing. So was walking short distances or just standing in the elevator.
Neither doctors nor physical therapists could offer any lasting relief. Surgery loomed. But Bedard tried a different approach: a personal experiment to try to repair the cartilage in his knees with special exercises. It wasn’t easy and it took more than a year to accomplish, but he sidestepped a knee operation.
Now, 10 years later, Bedard, 57, runs around with his young kids, climbs stairs and bikes up to 60 miles on weekends, all without pain. “It was, all and all, a lengthy process,” said Bedard, who has written an e-book about his successful effort to fix his knees without surgery. These days, he added, “I still notice some burning in my knees when sitting,” but for the most part, “my knees feel really good.”
Studies suggest about 1 in 4 adults suffer from chronic knee pain. The number of sore, swollen and stiff knees has risen 65 percent in the past four decades and the increase can’t be explained by aging or obesity alone, according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys and the Framingham Osteoarthritis study.
Knee pain is mostly caused by osteoarthritis, a chronic condition that afflicts an estimated 30 million Americans of all ages. It is the most common form of arthritis and is caused when the cartilage, which cushions joints, becomes injured and worn, resulting in pain, swelling and stiffness.
Cartilage is the cushion that enables joints to move. But it has no pain receptors, so injuries go unnoticed until much of the cartilage has worn away and the joint is damaged. When the knee cartilage is gone and the joint pain severe — known as stage four or end-stage knee disease — the treatment options are painkillers and total knee replacement, the most commonly performed inpatient surgical procedure for people 45 and older in the United States.
About 680,000 total knee replacements were performed in 2014, according to the National Inpatient Sample, a government survey of hospital patients. Knee replacement surgery outstrips the 500,000 coronary artery bypass surgeries performed yearly. If trends continue, estimates are that nearly 1.3 million Americans will undergo knee replacement by 2030.
Surgery’s Concerns
Nonsurgical Alternatives
The first line of treatment for osteoarthritis includes the basics: strengthen leg, hip and core muscles, engage in low-impact aerobic exercise and neuromuscular education, according to evidence-based guidelines issued by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons in 2013.
Weight loss can also help, especially for those who are fairly overweight or obese. Every pound shed eliminates four to six pounds of pressure on the knees, according to the AAOS.
Medications, from nonprescription ibuprofen to powerful prescription drugs, can help counter joint pain by reducing inflammation. But long-term use of these medications also comes with potential serious side effects, including the risk of stomach bleeding.
The bottom line is that those who have early osteoarthritis, which is described as knee pain during physical activity and joint achiness, are most likely to benefit from the standard lifestyle treatment of more physical activity and weight loss.
“But it takes time and effort,” Matzkin says, “and a lot of patients are looking for a quick fix.”
This is why many other treatments are now available and are often advertised for knee relief. They include acupuncture, external braces, dietary supplements glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, needle lavage, injections of growth factor, stem cells or hyaluronic acid, arthroscopy to repair meniscus tears, use of acetaminophen, steroid injections, opioid drugs and pain patches.
Yet, in its 2013 guidelines, the AAOS either recommended against all of these treatments or found inconclusive evidence that they work.
“There wasn’t enough evidence to demonstrate that they are efficacious,” says Matzkin who served on the AAOS committee that wrote the guidelines.
Most of these widely used treatments fail to address the underlying problems of cartilage loss and joint repair, says Matzkin, noting that “once the cartilage is damaged and worn down you can treat the symptoms, but you can’t really make [osteoarthritis] go away.”
Since cartilage cells don’t have their own blood supply, it has long been thought that these cells could not regrow. But some research suggests that may be wrong.
Among the evidence showing that cartilage can heal is a 2006 study of 325 people, average age 45. In the two-year study, which simply followed the natural history of these patients, 37 percent of participants showed improvements in cartilage as measured by MRI, compared with 33 percent whose cartilage worsened.
What separated those who improved from those who didn’t? Men, younger adults, those with thicker knee cartilage and people who shed more pounds between the first knee measurement and the second two years later were more likely to show improvements in cartilage. Those who were less likely to experience natural repair of their knee cartilage were women, older adults, people who started with thinner cartilage and those who didn’t lose weight during the two years between the first MRI and the second.
In October, Duke University reported new evidence showing that cartilage in human hips, knees and ankles can regenerate on its own — in the lab, anyway.
“These new findings suggest a potential “for regeneration that might be exploited to enhance joint repair and establish a basis for human limb regeneration,” the team reports in the journal Science Advances.
Cartilage v. Time
The challenge is that cartilage repair takes a lot of time, since the only way cartilage cells are nourished is by being bathed in joint fluid.
“Cartilage has no direct blood supply, so its ability to use energy to repair itself is very, very slow,” says Austin physical therapist Doug Kelsey, who has written “The 90 Day Knee Arthritis Remedy.” “So, consequently, it takes a lot of time, a lot of [knee exercise] repetitions and persistence.”
Finding the “sweet spot” for injured knees can also be tricky and varies widely from person to person. It takes just the right amount of movement and weight-bearing pressure to bathe the cartilage cells in joint fluid, allowing them to be nourished and recover without causing more joint damage. It means gently moving joints that may be stiff, swollen and painful.
What makes recovery even more complex is that knee pain doesn’t usually surface until hours after an activity.
“It can be difficult for someone to know what activities to stop doing because knee pain doesn’t usually happen during the activity,” says Laurie Kertz Kelly, a physical therapist and board-certified orthopedic clinical specialist in Austin. “The pain happens later that day or the next day.”
As an example, Kelly points to a client who lived in a three-story townhouse. She took the stairs multiple times per day without pain, but then would suffer later. Kelly advised her to take the steps one at a time with her healthy knee to enable her arthritic knee to recover. That strategy, plus a regimen of weight-bearing exercises that Kelly designed to build up the muscles supporting the injured knee, enabled the woman to recover in about six months. “Ultimately, she was able to take the stairs the usual way,” Kelly said, and didn’t need knee replacement surgery.
Richard Sparks, 69, a retired University of North Texas music professor, also managed to sidestep knee replacement surgery after years of trying unsuccessfully a variety of other therapies. Sparks first injured his knee while riding a recumbent bike in an effort to get fit. He developed “runner’s knee,” a swelling also known as patellar femoral syndrome that makes kneecaps feel very painful. Physical therapy didn’t help. Neither did injections of hyaluronic acid, surgery to repair a frayed meniscus in his knee or more physical therapy.
In 2015, Sparks read Kelsey’s book and then consulted with Kelly, who worked with him for several months on a leg-strengthening program that slowly increased the load on his knees. It made a difference.
“It was worth it just to be pain free so that I can walk and do the things that I want to do, and of course as long as I can avoid having a knee joint replacement,” says Sparks, who has recently shed 25 pounds. He now hikes regularly without pain or discomfort. He no longer takes any prescription drugs or over-the-counter medications for knee pain.
“I have friends who have had knee replacements and there are certain things that they can’t do,” he says. “I walk the way I used to walk. . . . The longer that I can avoid knee replacement surgery, the better.”
Is this approach right for everyone?
“All patients that go on to knee-replacement therapy have failed nonoperative treatments,” says Matzkin, who adds that “I’m not sure that these people are really restoring their cartilage, but they made the symptoms better, and that can absolutely be done with diet and exercise.”
Sally Squires is a former Washington Post health and nutrition writer who now blogs at leanplateclub.com.
Why I always’s listen to my knee’s
Bad knees run in my family, but I still never thought they would sideline me. I used to sit cross-legged with ease. Kneeling was something I didn’t think about.
Then when I turned 60, my knees starting “talking” to me.
First, there was burning and discomfort during long flights sitting in cramped economy seats. Stairs began to give me pause. Even curbs were sometimes painful.
So began my knee odyssey, which has been marked by physical therapy, X-rays and MRIs, multiple doctors, a pricey brace so difficult to put on that it is unused, lots of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications, numerous ice packs, cortisone shots in both knees, various dietary supplements, topical ointments, and one foldable cane.
The low point came when one of my knees blew up like a balloon, requiring fluid to be removed with a long needle and no anesthesia. That was followed by nearly a week of sleepless nights because of a knee that felt like it was on fire.
If I could have removed my kneecap, I would have done it in a heartbeat.
During those sleepless nights, I ran across Richard Bedard’s e-book, “Saving My Knees: How I Proved My Doctors Wrong and Beat Chronic Knee Pain,” which gave me hope that invasive procedures didn’t have to be in my future. It introduced me to physical therapist Doug Kelsey and his book: “The 90 Day Knee Arthritis Remedy.” I’ve read and reread both books and shared what they recommended with my physical therapist and physician. Neither objected to my trying Kelsey’s program.
I’ve also trimmed a few pounds and plan to lose more, taken up yoga, and bought a device that keeps my legs moving under my desk.
Are my knees better? Yes, an improvement measured by my physical therapist and how the foldable cane is gathering dust. But if I slip off the program, I soon pay the price with stiffer knees, less flexibility and more pain.
My hope is that, like Bedard, I can bring my knees back to better health and sidestep future invasive procedures.
But I also know that knee improvement will happen slowly on cartilage time — not my timetable — and that it will be critical to listen closely to my knees so as not to cause any more damage to precious cartilage or joints.
— Sally Squires
