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.
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.
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