ARTICLES
Latest trends in Injury Management
Core Stability: Most active people these days have heard about the importance of core stability, but did you know that there is more to it than crunches and sitting on a fit ball occasionally? Genuine core stability refers to a complex system of deep muscles which control the hips, pelvis, spine and limbs. It requires co-ordination of the deep abdominals, pelvic floor, deep back muscles, gluteals, and diaphragm to name a few.
Pilates, guided by a trained physiotherapist is a great way to improve your core stability. Pilates will teach you how to find and use these mysterious muscles and then progressively strengthen them through exercise. There is also an element of general strengthening and toning which has dramatic effects on your posture and feeling of well-being.
Bounce Back classes continue to run year round at both our Westcourt and Edmonton clinics. The 8 week courses are aimed at those with previous or current back, pelvic or neck pain. These classes are very educational, providing you with a good understanding of why you have pain and how you can break out of the pain cycle. Like in pilates, we retrain the deep muscle systems while also breaking bad muscle habits that tend to develop after long periods of pain.
Iontophoresis: This is a method of delivering medication (usually corticosteroids) to soft tissue through the skin via an electric current. The science behind this device can be likened to a magnet; the electric current repels the medication and drives it through the skin into the soft tissue beneath. The procedure is painless and in some cases can provide a good alternative to cortisone injections or oral anti-inflammatories. Iontophoresis can be effective in treating superficial inflammation such as around the Achilles tendon, patella tendon, rotator cuff tendons, bursitis, plantar fasciitis and tennis elbow. You must obtain approval and a prescription from your GP before undergoing Iontophoresis and it should only be considered as part of your overall injury management.
LIPUS: Low Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound: LIPUS, not to be confused with traditional ultrasound, is an emerging treatment tool in sports medicine. Studies have shown significant reductions in healing time for fractures and stress fractures after daily 20min treatments with LIPUS. There is also growing evidence that LIPUS has the same healing effects on ligaments, tendons and cartilage. This is good news for the athlete trying to get back on the field, but also for the average Joe with a broken foot!