Concussion - Do You Know How To Recognise It?

Concussion is a serious injury which can result from direct or indirect impact to the head. The ramifications of concussion can be serious and therefore must be managed appropriately by trained medical professionals. How though do you determine whether someone is concussed and when to seek medical attention? Earlier this year, a group of world leading concussion experts met and developed a Pocket Concussion Recognition Tool. If you, your partner, your children or anyone that you know participates in activity whereby concussion may occur, I urge you to download a copy of the Pocket Concussion Recognition Tool and have it accessible to you.

Physio Fast Facts #4

1. Did you know that you have "core muscles" in your neck? "Core muscles" are regularly referred to in relation to your back, however they exist in your neck to help with your posture and to support the weight of your head.
2. Not everyone has the same number of bones! You can have little extra bones in many areas of the body although most commonly in the feet.
3. Try standing balancing with one foot directly in front of the other. Now try with the other foot in front. More than likely you were more balanced with one foot in front than the other!
4. Have you ever been referred to as being "double-jointed"? You won't actually have any additional joints. Your joints more than likely just allow you to have more movement than most people and this is referred to as being hypermobile.
5. After you injure yourself, your body doesn't necessarily move as it did before! Physiotherapists can help you to move "normally" again after you have an injury.

Detailed Guide to Ankle Strapping

Ankle strapping is commonly used as a preventative measure against sustaining ankle injuries and in the rehabilitation and return to activity following ankle injuries.

This detailed guide provides a step-by-step account (including photos) as to how to strap an ankle for the most common ankle injuries.

Happy taping!

Please note that the taping described is a generic ankle taping and that you are advised to consult with your health care professional to see if this form of strapping is appropriate for your individual circumstances.

Please also be aware that a small percentage of the population can have an allergic reaction to tape. If you are aware that you may have a reaction, you should not apply tape to yourself as per these guidelines. If you do experience an allergic reaction, you are advised to seek medical attention immediately.

Fast Physio Facts #3

1. The difference between running and walking is that running involves a period of time whereby neither foot is in contact with the ground. This period of time is know as the flight phase.
2. The cause of pain isn't always in the area where you feel the pain.
3. Breaks and fractures are actually the same thing when referring to bones.
4. When a joint is sprained, it never completely returns to its pre-injury state.
5. Some people can have an extra rib coming of their neck vertebrae!

Horses for Courses!

Did you know that particular injuries are more likely to occur when participating in certain sports?

You should be aware of the injuries that are most likely to occur in your chosen sport(s)!

Below is a non-inclusive list of some of the common injuries in certain sports:

Running: Patellofemoral (knee) pain, calf/hamstring strains, iliotibial band syndrome, tibial stress conditions (shin splints), heel/foot overuse injuries, low back injuries.

Swimming: Shoulder impingement injuries, back injuries, neck injuries, knee ligament/tendon injuries (particularly breaststroke).

Cycling: Patellofemoral (knee) pain, low back injuries, hip joint injuries, wrist and elbow nerve injuries (road bikes).

Netball: Ankle sprains, knee ligament injuries, finger sprains/dislocations, shoulder injuries.

Rowing: Rib stress fractures, wrist tendon/muscle/joint injuries, back injuries.

Cricket: Shoulder joint injuries, back injuries (including fractures), hamstring strains, muscular trunk injuries.

Soccer: Hamstring strains, adductor (groin) strains, pelvic bone injuries, ankle and knee ligament sprains.

AFL: Hamstring strains, shoulder dislocations, finger injuries, ankle and knee ligament sprains, low back injuries.

Rugby Union / Rugby League: Contact related injuries, AC (shoulder) joint injuries, back injuries, thumb injuries.

Hockey: Low back injuries, hamstring injuries, ankle sprains, ball contact injuries.

Basketball: Knee and ankle tendon injuries,ankle sprains, calf strains, finger injuries.

Golf: Back injuries, shoulder overuse type injuries, elbow overuse/technique related injuries, wrist injuries.

Tennis: Shoulder injuries, elbow tendon/joint injuries, upper and lower back injuries, knee ligament/tendon injuries, ankle ligament/tendon injuries. 

Dancing: Foot/ankle tendon injuries, foot stress fractures, back injuries.

If you would like to know more about injuries in your sport, contact your health professional, send us an email or comment below.

FIFA 11+ Injury Prevention Program

Have you heard of the FIFA 11+ Injury Prevention Program? If you play football (or soccer as it is predominantly known in Australia) you should make yourself familiar with it! 

Some of the best sports medicine practitioners in the world have collaborated to develop a simple set of exercises, which have been shown to decrease the likelihood of injury in footballers.

The best part of these exercises is that they are based on best practise evidence; such that you can be confident that what your warm-up is first class and exactly what the professionals should be doing too!

In a country like Australia, where we have multiple football codes, these same exercises are also appropriate for use in AFL, rugby union and rugby league.

So what are they?

There are 15 exercises in total which are expected to take a total of 20 minutes. The 15 exercises consist of 9 running exercises and 6 exercises which work on strength, balance and plyometrics. Each of the 6 strength, balance and plyometric exercises have 3 levels of difficulty and it is expected that you only complete one of each during each warm-up. Check out the exercises in more detail.

When should I do them?

The exercises should be completed at the beginning of all training sessions and prior to all games.

Are the exercises appropriate for children?

Absolutely! I would suggest that for the strength, balance and plyometric exercises, that children use the basic exercises with a focus on technique rather than attempting the more challenging exercises.

Get yourself a copy of the exercises either as a poster or as a manual. For more information on the FIFA 11+ Injury Prevention Program visit the website.

Don't forget to show your coach too!

Enjoy the new exercises and let us know how you find them!

Fast Physio Facts #2

1. There are 206 bones in the adult body.
2. Children have even more bones than this. These bones fuse to become mature adult bones in time.
3. A third of those who sprain their ankle will re-sprain their ankle within 3 years.
4. Touching a painful area can reduce the amount of pain experienced. This is why you see people grab an injured area when they hurt themselves. Try it next time you hurt yourself!
5. Excessive abdominal muscle strength training can lead to sexual dysfunction in males!