Spring time is finally upon us and I think everyone is looking forward to some warmer days after a long, cold winter. A lot has happened since the last installment of the Backfocus newsletter - Wes, one of our physiotherapists, tied the knot over the summer period, while Jason, one of our myotherapists, has welcomed a baby boy, William, into the world. This year has already seen more wedding bells ringing too, with Laura, another of our physio’s, recently getting engaged. Big congratulations on these exciting events guys!

With respect to new additions to the Backfocus family, we extend a very warm welcome to our new physiotherapist Lan Ta and our new Exercise Physiologist Simon Gellie. Lan will be working at the Mill Park and Hurstbridge clinics while Simon will spread his time between Epping, Hurstbridge and Mill Park.

The spring edition of the newsletter will deal with the benefits of swimming and hydrotherapy along with some key points to consider when training in the gym.

Swimming and Exercise in the Pool.

With the winter months behind us we are now entering the time of year where more people start dusting off their bathers to dive into some water based exercise.  For very good reason too, as not only is exercise in the water a great way to increase strength and cardiovascular fitness, but it is also very effective as therapeutic exercise to improve certain conditions. One of the most common conditions to benefit is that of chronic lower back pain. The ability to exercise without weight bearing, as well as the core action that is necessary when swimming, results in a very effective strength exercise that improves the core musculature, which in turn can improve lower back pain. This does however depend on what stroke is performed – if you suffer from lower back pain, it is best to avoid strokes such as breaststroke and especially butterfly! For more information on how best to use swimming to increase your core strength and reduce back pain, please see a Physiotherapist first, as performing swimming without prior consultation may result in adverse reactions, depending on the type of back problem.

There are a couple of things to remember when swimming though, as the wrong stroke combined with pre existing conditions can result in increased pain. Things to look out for when swimming to prevent pain are:

Shoulder Pain – in most strokes, there is a lot of internal rotation of the shoulder involved, which means that those with shoulder problems may suffer from increased pain. Backstroke may be a stroke that you can perform without pain if you have shoulder trouble.

Knee Pain – In breaststroke, the kicking action can very easily create increased knee pain in those with a past history of it. The angle at which the knees are bent, and the kicking motion, are the primary causes of increased pain. If this is the case, then strokes which require straight leg actions would be more suited, such as freestyle and backstroke.

For those with pre existing conditions that don’t respond well to any form of swimming, there are still a number of options for exercising in the pool, which is generally referred to as Hydrotherapy. For further information, please see your Backfocus Physiotherapist.

So exercising in the water is a fantastic way to increase fitness and to improve overall strength. For specific instruction as to how swimming can best benefit you, please consult with a Backfocus Physiotherapist.

Author: Wes Bishop - Associate Physiotherapist

Senior Physiotherapist at Backfocus’  Epping Clinic.

Gym Training

Exercise in the gym is also a great way to help improve your strength, endurance and overall fitness.  When it comes to weight training, however, there are many questions that can arise, as well as a number of pitfalls that should be avoided.

The most common problem encountered by Physiotherapists when observing gym patrons who use weights, is that there is an emphasis on training the muscles that tend to make us look good, resulting in a relative weakening of the muscles that contribute to our overall posture. ( Men obviously are the usual culprits ).

The overtraining of pectorals can lead to serious problems. If these muscles are built up excessively, then the body tends to become more rounded (i.e. shoulders forward). This can result in serious neck problems, as well as shoulder pain and lower back pain, as the whole body’s posture is put out of alignment. It is important to remember that when training, that the body needs to keep its overall balance, and that the muscles of the upper back must be trained just as hard, to ensure injuries are avoided.

It is also important to recognize the position of the lower back when performing all weight exercises. The lower back should always be neutral, so as to prevent the chances of disc injury, which is a real possibility when very heavy weights are being used. Lifting your back off the bench, in an exercise such as bench press, usually means the weight is too heavy for you, and you are putting your back in a very vulnerable position, that should be avoided at all costs.

When performing squats, it is also important to recognize the position of the lower back. It is very easy when performing heavier and heavier squats to get stronger and stronger in the legs, as the spinal muscles can take a little longer with regards to adaptation to the stress.

To ensure that the spine is given as good a chance as possible to increase in strength, always consult with your Physiotherapist or Gym instructor to check you are using the correct method. If squats are increased too quickly, then there is also the possibility of stress fractures, as the bones in the spine take longer to increase their resilience to stress than do the muscles. Therefore, always allow longer time frames with squats before increasing weight.

A last point is to make sure that both sides of the body are balanced in strength. It is very common to find that one arm or leg is stronger than the other, for various reasons (such as being right handed). However, when weight training, it is possible to increase the difference in strength between the two.

If this occurs, it can result in pain in joints such as knees and shoulders, as well as the back, due to the increasing imbalance  between the left and right sided muscular force on the parts of the body. To ensure this doesn’t happen, always wait for the weaker side to catch up to the stronger one before increasing the weight, so as to keep the body balanced, and prevent possible postural problems and joint pain from occurring.

This article only touches on some of the aspects to be careful of when weight training.

There are numerous others, and if you have any concerns about your weight training and its effects, or any other questions about gym usage, please consult your Backfocus Physiotherapist.

Author: Wes Bishop - Associate Physiotherapist

Senior Physiotherapist at Backfocus’  Epping Clinic.

We hope this provides you with some useful tips for both exercising in the water and in the gym.  Don’t forget you can always contact one of the Backfocus physiotherapists if you think you need more information or advice before embarking on a  new exercise regime. Hope everyone is well and enjoys the transition into spring.  We will be in touch again over the summer period.