Tom Maher

In our role as the physiotherapist’s with the Skytrans Cairns Taipans, we travel with them on all their away games. We are often asked – “what is it like on road trips?”. This is usually followed by “it must be pretty exciting/glamorous”. In truth, whilst some parts of the trips are exciting, alot of the time is spent either on planes, at hotels or at the basketball stadium.

We thought we would try and give readers a bit of an insight into a typical road trip with the team.

Most trips generally involve departing the day prior to the game with the odd exception being a Townsville trip, where we may travel on game day due to the shorter flight distance. Flights can be anywhere from 50 minutes to Townsville or 4 and a half to 5 hours for trips to Perth or New Zealand. Usually flights are direct which helps. On the longer trips the players are encouraged to get up and stretch out a bit a few times particularly as most airline seats aren’t made for people over 6 and a half foot tall.

Upon arrival at the hotel, the players are taken through a stretching or pool session to recover from the flight. After that, they usually have free time until the team dinner. Our work begins after the recovery as players require treatment for any ongoing injury concerns. This can often continue till 10 or 11pm at night depending on how many require attention.

The next day, which is game day, usually starts a bit easier as the players sleep in a bit and enjoy a later breakfast. The team heads to the stadium around 11:30am/midday for a light shooting session and run through of tactics for that night’s game. After lunch, treatment of players continues as needed until we are ready to head to the game.

At home games, we usually have an array of support staff including Doctor, physio, strength and conditioning coach, massage therapist and team manager. Each has their own area they look after. On the road however, it is just the physio so these game nights are when we are busiest. Firstly there is the strapping and preparing of players for the game. Then conducting the warm up and preparing drinks/towels etc. During the game it is making sure players get drinks and towels etc as they are subbed off. Post game it is conducting recovery sessions either in ice baths or the pool. After dinner it can be assessing new injuries or managing existing ones. Often it is after midnight by the time this is all completed. The next day we return home, usually with an early morning flight.

As you can see, whilst we do get to travel to some great cities like Sydney or Perth, there usually isn’t much time to enjoy it or look around. Despite this, the trips are good fun, especially when you have a win and get to enjoy the silence of the home team fans crying that their team lost!

• Prevent re-injury of a previously injured joint (e.g. knee, ankle, shoulder)

• Support joint and allow normal functional movement

• Reduced extent or severity of joint injury

Taping isn’t 100% foolproof but can decrease how bad an injury can be and therefore limit how long you will be out of action.

Ankle Sprains

Statistics

• 20% of all injuries are ankle injuries

• 7-15% of visits to emergency rooms are ankle injuries

• Equal likelihood for males and females

• A previous ankle injury is the strongest predictor or re-injury

• 78% of all ankle sprains occur in an ankle that has previously been sprained

• Poor balance and foot control are also factors

Returning to sport

• Simple, low ankle sprain can typically return to sport in 7-14 days

• Sprains involving 2 ligaments usually 14-21 days

• Sprains involving 3 ligaments +/- syndesmosis usually 6 weeks or more

Preventing initial injury

There is currently no evidence that balance training, high top shoes, taping or bracing will significantly decrease the CHANCE of inversion (ankle sprain) injury

They can however reduce the EXTENT of the injury.

 Preventing re-injury

Evidence shows that balance training, taping or bracing will significantly reduce the CHANCE and EXTENT of re-injury.

Stay tuned to our Blog for more articles on how to tape and ankle, coming up this month.

It’s important to choose the right backpack to help protect your child’s health, the Australian Physiotherapy Association warns.
With the start of the school year just around the corner, children are risking their health by carrying too much weight in their school backpacks.
Physiotherapy research has found that the typical student lugs more than five kilograms to and from school each day in their school bag. The study of over 1,200 students clearly showed a definite connection between the loads carried and reports of spinal symptoms including low back and neck pain.

“I’m alarmed when I see groups of students walking by with these big saggy weights hanging from their shoulders – it’s just not safe!” APA President 2006, Ms Cathy Nall said.
“It’s so important to carry loads properly, especially for younger students with developing spines which are more prone to damage.
“Heavy loads cause the body to make abnormal postural adjustments to accommodate the weight of the bag.
“Over time, this poor posture leads to back, neck and shoulder pain, and can cause other problems for students later in life. And fashionable brand name bags usually don’t have the support and features to enable students to carry their loads safely.

“We all have a duty of care to ensure that our children aren’t being subject to pain now and damage later by simply getting an education.”

The Australian Physiotherapy Association has addressed this issue by working with physiotherapy researchers and a leading manufacturer to design PhysioPak – the only backpack endorsed by the APA.
PhysioPak features a unique load limiting design – to ensure students don’t carry too much weight – and is made of semi-rigid material to limit the ‘sag’ factor, which researchers found was a major cause of spinal symptoms.
The APA also offers the following tips to help students get back to school, safely:

Choosing the right bag
Make sure your backpack:

• Fits the body comfortably.
• Doesn’t extend above the shoulders when you’re seated.
• Has shoulder straps that are broad, well-padded and adjustable.
• Has straps attached to the top of the pack at separate points.
• Has a waist strap to keep the load in place when moving.
• Has separate compartments to allow heavy items to be packed close to the body.
• Is padded where it touches your back, and made of firm material to prevent the load sagging backwards.

Top tips for safe load carrying

Pack smart!
• Lighten your load – try not to carry too many heavy books on the same day.
• Plan ahead – don’t carry lots of equipment at the same time, like sports gear, musical instruments or art materials.
• Pack the heaviest items – such as your laptop – closest to the body and the lighter, softer items further out.

Carry smart!
• When packed, make sure your pack doesn’t sag or pull backwards.
• Use both shoulder straps when you wear your backpack.
• Use your pack’s waist strap to keep the load in place when walking or cycling.
• Don’t carry your pack for too long – take a break and put it down.

For expert advice on carrying loads safely, consult your local physiotherapist at Cairns Total Physiotherapy.
Or the Find a Physio link on the APA website may help you locate your local physio.
For more information, visit the APA’s web site at http://www.physiotherapy.asn.au/ or visit http://www.physiopak.com/

You may have heard about Glucosamine lately, it’s been a bit of a buzz subject.

So what is glucosamine? and what supplements are good for joints?  Why should we take them? 

Glucosamine –is a sugar naturally produced by the body and is one of the building blocks of cartilage.  Glucosamine supplements are derived from crab, lobster or shrimp shells.

Contraindications for usage to be discussed with your doctor before taking:-

• Shellfish allergies

• Diabetes

• Pregnant or breastfeeding women

Chondroitin –is also a natural substance found in the body. It is believed to help draw water and nutrients into the cartilage, keeping it spongy and healthy. Chondroitin is available as chondroitin sulphate supplements, which are made from bovine (cow) or shark cartilage.

Contraindications for usage to be discussed with your doctor before taking:-

• Bleeding –people taking blood thinning medicines such as warfarin

The research to date has shown that a combination of glucosamine and chondroitin compared with their individual usage is more effective in reducing moderate to severe knee pain in OA as well as repairing damaged cartilage or slowing cartilage breakdown.  There have even been studies which show the supplement to be just as effective as panadol in pain relief of OA in knees.

On another note Omega-3 (fish oil) is another supplement that may help your joint inflammation and lubrication. 

  Osteoarthritis (OA) is a condition that affects the joints.  In a normal joint, the bone ends are covered by a layer of cartilage.  Cartilage helps the joint move smoothly and cushions the ends of the bones.

  In OA, the cartilage breaks down and becomes thin leaving the ends of the bones unprotected, and the joint loses its ability to move smoothly.  This usually results in the person experiencing symptoms of pain and stiffness in the joints.

  OA mainly affects people over the age of 45, but it can develop in younger people. There is no known cure for OA however research has found certain treatment modalities effective in controlling the symptoms including:-

• Simple pain relief such as paracetamol

• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)

• Joint replacement surgery, if symptoms are no longer controlled with other therapies

• An exercise program designed to suit your needs

• A weight loss program, if you are overweight

• Alternative remedies such as glucosamine and chondroitin.

Also it is important to play an active role in trying to limit your risk of developing OA by:-

• Staying active –helps to keep your joints and muscles healthy and flexible and prevents other health problems.

• Having a healthy diet –helps you to reach and maintain a healthy weight.

• Avoiding aggravating activities such as sustained kneeling, climbing, squatting and heavy lifting –prevents excess loading on joints that increases rate of wear and tear of cartilage.

• Alternative remedies such as glucosamine and chondroitin and fish oils –prevents or slows down the breakdown of cartilage.

  Your physiotherapist can work with you to design a program so that you can stay active.   This may incorporate particular exercises or therapy to ease pain and then progress your activity until you may maintain an active lifestyle.  They will also give you advice on what is helpful and what is harmful to your joints for the long term.

Remember when it comes to joints and movement the best policy is

–       Move it, Or Lose it!

A person can live without food for more than a month but without water for only a few days.  Water is such a common substance that it tends to excape the high regard it most definitely deserves.  Next to oxygen, water is the most important requirement for sustaining human life.

 The functions of water:
Water helps our saliva to help us chew and process our food properly
Water aslo aids the movement of food through out digestive tract
The chemicals that help absorb the nurtients from food into the bloodstream are dissolved in water.
The blood, which is mosly water, carries the nutrients from food to the cells.
Within cells, water provides the medium in which chemical reactions essential to life can occur.
Water helps maintian and regulate the body’s temperature (eg perspiration)
And even our joints are lubricated by fluid mostly made of water to protect them from being jarred.

 The Body’s Requirements:
Water makes up about 60% of a human body mass

If you had to drink all of the water rewuired for your body’s numerous functions you would have to drink 40,000 glasses every day.  However our bodies have a fantastic ability to conserve water by efficient recycling.  To maintain health, it is necessary to replenish the supply by drinking six to eight glasses of water each day.

Dehydration:
Dehydration occurs when the body’s tissues lack sufficient water to function efficiently.  The effects of dehydration depend onthe amount and rate of water loss.  Up here in the tropical heat expect to lose alot more water every day.  Also young children, the elderly and anyone suffering acute illness such as diarrhoea or fever dehydration can occur much more rapidly.
Some of the symptoms of dehydration include thirst, weakness and tiredness, dry and inelastic skin and sunken eyes.  If you experience any of these you are already dehydrating.

Water and physical activity
Althetes and people who work outdoors strenuously should ensure a plentiful water intake.
Often athletes will drink less water than they lose through sweating during sport. 

Cramps - are a common ailment related to loss of water.  Water needs to be replaced before, during and after activity to alow proper hydration and optimal performance.

Alcohol
Also this festive season remember that Alcohol intake causes the body to lose fluit and this loss can be significant! It is important to replenish water while drinking alcoholic beverages.  Try a glass of water between drinks.  Much of the effect of hangovers is caused by dehydration.

The Wonders of Water
QLD’s tropical climate can be very hard on our bodies.  If you spend alot of time in the sun your body loses more water through the lungs and sweating in an effort to keep your body temperature under control.  Drinking plenty of water (6-8 glasses a day) allows the body to perspire freely and keep the body temperature cool.

So please remember if you’re feeling tired, thirsty or even just lack-lustre. Have a big glass of water this summer and replace what you’re losing!  And most of all, Have a safe and happy New Year!

The first week in January is the time for New Years Resolutions, New Gym Memberships and New Exercise regimes.  However if you become over eager in the first few days it can be difficult or even painful to keep it up.  (and we wonder why those resolutions don’t last!)Here are a few common mistakes (and hints to avoid breaking those resolutions)

1. Incorrect technique - your form is wrong
   For example: Lack of arm control with your form can lead to injury which can put you out of action.  If you think you need help there are many great personal trainers willing to guide you with correct technique.  If you have an injury or concern see your Physiotherapist for a guided program.
2. Not enough effort
   A no effort workout is almost as bad as no workout at all.  Make sure you can work to heart rate training zones for your purpose of exercise (ask us if you need help).  It’s a good idea to invest in a heart rate monitor to take out all the guess work.
3. Chowing down the wrong food, at the wrong time
   You may have your exercise regime down pat but undo it with your dietary habits.  Forget low carb diets! While training the best form of energy is carbohydrate – go for low GI like porridge and grain breads, and post exercise replenish with carbs, not junk.  Visit a sports dietician for more info, or we can recommend someone for you.
4. Doing the same thing every day
   It’s a technique that’s better than nothing, but your body’s smarter than that!It is really important to change movement patterns, intensity and composition on a regular basise.g. you might do an interval session that has high and low intensity but for shorter periods, chop and change to give your body a nudge and see quicker results.
5. Copying People
   Its ok to perv! But following and imitating someone doing an exercise wrong can be dangerous. Women should definitely think twice about copying the guys, you have different goals and to get different results and training experience you need to get a personalized program that suits you.
6. Avoiding Weights
   For lean defined muscles you have to venture into the weights room.  You’ll only look bulky if you increase your food intake.  You’ll gain muscle mass but won’t look lean unless you watch your diet.  Also weights have a great fat burning effect and increase metabolism.
7. Doing Gym Only
   Incidental exercise like taking the stairs, walking to work, or around a park at lunch time is every bit as important as your workout.Because our lives are so sedentary doing hard yards in the gym can be used to supplement by doing outdoor exercise we do on a daily basis.
8. Skipping warm-up or cool-down
   Warm up is essential to prepare our central venous system for the exercise you do.  While working out you are contracting your muscles.  So stretching at the end can help to achieve flexibility as well as help to process waste products created during your workout.
9. Not Focussing (on what you are trying to achieve to avoid slackening off)
   Before the gym say “today I am going to do a X-training session, I want my heart rate at 80% for 15mins on the treadmill, 15 on stair master, 20mins on the bike flat-out.” Have a plan and stick to it, then you’ll be less likely to take the easy way out.
10. Not Setting Goals
    Your gym membership is expensive so make sure your hard earned cash is well spent.  Have a purpose.  When it comes to setting fitness goals (or weight loss goals) follow SMART goals.

Specific

Measurable

Attainable

Realistic

Timely

Here’s to a happy and healthy new year!!!

Watch your back over long distances

“Our spines are not designed to maintain a sitting position for long periods of time. Driving and spending time on a plane or train can lead to pain in the back and neck,” says Australian Physiotherapy Association president, Cathy Nall. A great way to avoid back strain when you’re travelling long distances is to stop and stretch your legs every hour or as often as you can. Posture is also key. Poor sitting posture leads to excess strain on muscles, ligaments and nerves, and commonly contributes to back, neck, shoulder and leg pain.

If you find yourself on the road for long periods this summer, the Australian Physiotherapy Association offers these tips to help take care of your back:

• Lumbar support: place a small pillow or rolled towel behind your lower back to provide comfort and support. Good lower back position instantly means good upper back and neck position.
• Seat adjustment: keep your backrest relatively upright. Bring your seat as far forward as possible (if driving) and tilt it up slightly at the front.
• Cruise: using the cruise control function can allow you to change leg position.
• Vary your hand position on the steering wheel – too high for too long overuses the shoulder muscles.    
• Stop and walk around every hour, or as often as you can. (Drinking lots of water, or only half-filling the tank, will provide incentives to pull over more frequently!)
• Do leg and foot exercises to prevent deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
• Avoid lifting or carrying heavy objects just after a ride (so take a breather before unloading the car).

“Being in good shape generally may also stand you in good stead. People who don’t exercise regularly may be at greater risk for back pain, especially when they suddenly subject their bodies to activities they’re not used to,” said Ms Nall. 

Brought to you by the Australian Physiotherapy Association

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