Back pain is something most of us have experienced. It can occur during exercise, from repetitive lifting, or sudden awkward movements. The most common cause of lower back pain is a strain or sprain of the ligaments in the spine. The lower back is especially vulnerable to injury as it carries the weight of the upper body and is involved in twisting, bending movements.
There are two common types of lower back injury.
One of them is a lumbar sprain. The lumbar spine is the name of the 5 vertebrae of the lower back leading down into the top of the pelvis. A lumbar sprain occurs when the tough tissues know as ligaments surrounding and joining the bones get overstretched or even torn.
The other common injury is a muscle strain. This is usually known as a pulled muscle and refers to when the muscles are overstretched or overused and start to tear.
Both types of injury have very similar symptoms and require very similar treatment. When the ligaments of muscles are stretched or torn in any injury, it can cause inflammation. The inflammation is a natural response to injury. It is when blood rushes to the injured area to help repair and restore the injured tissue. Other symptoms can include stiffness, pain that worsens with movements, soreness to touch the area, or difficulty standing or moving.
If you find yourself with a lower back injury…
Get yourself an ice pack. Put ice on the lower back for up to 20 minutes every 6-8 hours. It may feel good to lay flat on the floor to help the muscles in your back surrounding the injury to relax.
Book into see a physiotherapist to help you release any tight back muscles and get you moving again. Click for Christchurch, Rangiora or Hamilton.
Sleeping with pillows under your knees a good way to release the muscles while you rest overnight.
Once you can move, it is good to stay mobile. This will help improve your injury, making sure you keep your spine in a neutral position while doing any bending movements.
Once you are feeling more mobile and your pain is improving it is a good idea to start stretching.
Two stretches to try;
Knees to chest. Lying on your back, bring your knees up towards your chest and give them a hug with your arms. Gently pull your knees close to your body, ensuring that when you stretch you aren’t increasing your pain. This can be done with one leg at a time of you are particularly stiff.
Cat Stretch. On all fours, bring your knees under your hips and your hands under your shoulders. Tuck your belly button up towards your spine. Tuck your chin and arch your spine. Imagine you are trying to create space in between each vertebra and lengthen the muscles in your back.
When your back pain is manageable you should work on strengthening your core and back muscles. Any movement is great for blood flow which will help reduce any muscle stiffness. Talk to your physio to help create a core strengthening program to reduce the risk of re-injury and keep you active for life!
No one ever seems surprised when you say you sprained your ankle at Netball!!
A 2021 study(1) reported that at least 4 out of 5 netballers will go on to sustain an ankle sprain or injury. Over half of players report going on to have recurrent ankle sprain. Furthermore 90% of players report ongoing feelings of ankle instability.
What is concerning is that it is common for people to consider an ankle sprain as a simple injury and often do not seek treatment. It is most common for players to return to playing the following week without any specific care. Without appropriate rehab after an ankle sprain its no wonder people go on to have further ankle sprains and suffer from ongoing limitations. But there are proven ways to help reduce your ankle injury and re-injury risk.
Your physio can help straight away – there is no need to wait. In the early stages remember “PRICED” Protect – Rest – Ice – Compress – Elevate and Diagnosis!
Your Physio will work out what is going on in your ankle and then work with you to get you back to Netball safely. They will teach you how to jump and land well. They will also provide simple but very effective rehab exercises to help reduce your risk of having a repeat ankle sprain.
Be Netball Smart!
Injury prevention programs such as ACC & Netball New Zealand’s Netball Smart programme reduce ankle sprains (and all other injuries). These have other great benefits such as improving your performance and fundamental netball skills. For the best results, do these netball specific exercises 3-4 times per week.
Netball shoes are designed for netball! They are durable, constructed for the rigours of the game. The shoes have excellent grip and have a more rounded edge on the sole of the shoe which helps you react better to sideways movements. If you can only afford one sports shoe your netball shoe can be used for running and other activities.
Tape or Brace your ankles
This is especially important if you have had an ankle injury in the past. Those ankle ligaments after injury are stretched and are less effective at restricting your ankle movement. This can make your ankle more vulnerable to injury. Taping or bracing your ankle will help limit the extremes of movement to reduce your risk of re-injury.
Tape vs Brace
This comes down to personal preference – there is currently no research to suggest one is better than the other. If you’re not sure, talk to your physiotherapist. Your physio can teach you how to tape your ankles effectively or help you decide if an ankle brace might be right for you.
If you haven’t sprained your ankles before there is no need to tape or brace – just keep working on your standing balance, practicing your landings and do the Netball Smart warm up regularly.
Ankles are the most common injury in Netball – but they don’t have to be for you! Make sure you seek the advice of your physio, practice your movement skill with the Netball Smart dynamic warm up, learn to tape or invest in a brace and get yourself some netball shoes!
Written by Amanda Foster MHPrac, BHSc (Physio) Director/Physiotherapist Active Health Waikato Previous NZA, WBOP Magic, NZ Secondary Schools, WBOP NNL and Netball NZ Pathway Physiotherapist.
Did you know that Active Health has physiotherapists trained in Cancer Rehabilitation?
We have 4 physiotherapists trained specifically in cancer rehabilitation, and ready to help you to feel your best. Our Physiotherapists can offer treatment in both the St Albans and Rangiora Clinics.
Do you know someone that has been affected by cancer?
Cancer treatment is full on and commonly causes unwanted side effects that negatively impact quality of life. Treatment is also known to affect physical health, body weight and cardiovascular health. This can lead to a withdrawal in daily activities like physical activity and working. A great way to combat this is to see our highly skilled physiotherapists to help get you back on track and feeling better.
Cancer rehabilitation can help reduce the side effects of cancer and cancer treatments. Our trained physiotherapists can help support people in all the stages of their treatment and after treatment has finished, to help them maximize their recovery and improve their quality of life.
Please spread the word that there are trained physiotherapists that can help support people who are recovering from cancer, as so many people are missing out on this valuable support and as a result they are living with unnecessary side effects of cancer.
Cancer rehabilitation can help:
Ease pain and muscular tension
Regain strength and mobility
Increase energy levels and improve breathing
Help with managing fatigue
Reclaim body confidence and control
Reduce treatment related side effects
Return to those activities that you love but have been unable to do lately
An added bonus
There are a few options for funding for this type of rehabiblation to help ease the finacial strain of treatment.
For those affected by Breast cancer, you can apply for funding here through the Breast Cancer Foundation.
For any other types of cancer, you can apply for funding here through the PINC and STEEL Trust.
Active Health and the North Canterbury Basketball Association have Partnered.
For 15 years Active Health has been providing professional, friendly, and excellent driven Physiotherapy and Podiatry services in Rangiora. Our clinical rooms within MainPower Stadium are uniquely and conveniently located to support the growing basketball community in the North Canterbury region. With the collective goal of developing and nurturing local sporting talent, we have partnered with the North Canterbury Basketball Association to assist players, coaches, and staff in being the best they can be, at North Canterbury’s home of Basketball.
North Canterbury Basketball player is 20% off our musculoskeletal Physiotherapy and Podiatry services
What this means for you as a 2022 registered North Canterbury Basketball player is 20% off our musculoskeletal Physiotherapy and Podiatry services, private or ACC, every consultation. Just present your registration card at the time of your appointment.
We also work closely with the trainers at the North Canterbury Sports and Recreation Trust. So, if you’re a gym member with a niggle be rest assured, that we can communicate and work with them to keep your goals in sight.
Should MainPower Stadium not be convenient, we also have locations within the Rangiora Fitness Centre, 345 Flaxton Road and within Durham Health GP practice, 15 Durham Street.
Severs is an acute condition that affects the back of the heel bone around the area where the Achilles tendon inserts. This condition occurs during growth spurts and is most common in children aged between 8 and 14 years old. It crops up mostly in children who play sports like football and soccer. Symptoms include a painful pressure in the heel that is particularly uncomfortable when running and jumping.
How is severs caused?
Overuse injury – overactive children, participating in multiple sports at a time, sudden increase in activity, lead up to school cross country or athletics day
Stress response – repeated impact and stretching of muscles causes tightness meaning calf muscles pull on calcaneal bone resulting in inflammation and increased sensitivity to growth plate.
External factors – soft flexible footwear, training on hard surfaces like wooden floors or concrete, hard ground i.e. preseason winter sport
Also seen in children with high arched or low arched feet, obesity and sometimes coincides with recent or current growth spurts.
How can I manage Severs?
There are a few ways to manage and treat the symptoms of severs disease. The aim is reducing the tension in the back of the heel where the growth plate. A podiatrist can help by assessing any biomechanical issues and check alignment to reduce any tension on the heels. Podiatrists can also assess footwear to make sure the feet are properly supported, especially through the heel cupping. They can also help prescribe stretches the release the tension down the back of the legs and exercises to help strengthen weak muscles and to stabilise the foot.
What now?
Seeing a podiatrist is the best way to help combat and treat this painful condition, they can create a personalised treatment plan to best suit your needs and aid your recovery.
Pilates was developed almost 100 years ago by Joseph Pilates. It is a total body exercise, it was designed to rehabilitate injured WW1 soldiers and then later used for the strength and conditioning of dancers. Pilates aims to restore balance and flexibility, while improving posture and core strength. Read on to learn about 3 reasons why you should try Pilates today.
Anyone can do it!
Pilates can be adapted to cater to everyone. If you are brand new to exercise, been training for years or even pregnant Pilates can be adjusted to suit you. Pilates is also great for injury rehabilitation and correcting muscle imbalances.
It promotes relaxation.
Pilates is combination of slow movement and deep breathing. It can help reduce stress and improve circulation, while releasing those feel-good endorphins.
It’s a great way to reduce injury.
In order to help reduce injury, it is important to know where you body is in space. Pilates teaches your body awareness by moving through various challenging positions. It is known to strengthen your core and back muscles, which are important in reducing musculoskeletal injuries.
Now that that you know some great reasons why you should be doing Pilates, let’s get you started. Book a class or one-on-one session today with our Pilates expert Kate Horton at our St Albans, Christchurch Clinic.
Recent Comments