Winter Newsletter
Welcome to the Winter edition of the Backfocus Newsletter. In this newsletter, we offer some advice regarding getting ready for skiing, as the ski season is now in full swing. Also, the treatment technique of dry needling is explained, which provides an interesting insight into how this treatment modality works.
Backfocus has also seen a number of changes in the past few months. Shortly we will be expanding our locations, with a new clinic opening in Mill Park and Flemington. These clinics will be offering the full range of Backfocus services, including Myotherapy, Exercise Physiology and for the first time Podiatry. Further, we would like to welcome on board our new Myotherapist, Erin Murphy, who will be practicing from Coburg and Mill Park clinics, as well as taking over from Mel at Sunbury while she takes maternity leave. All the best to Mel.
Lastly, we have three new Physiotherapists who have joined our team. Luca is currently providing Physiotherapy services alongside Robyn at Diamond Creek. Laura and Kane will be offering Physiotherapy appointments from July through our Sunbury, Mill Park, Flemington and City locations.
Prehabilitation for Skiing
The winter ski season is now here again, and for those of you lucky enough to be able to head up to the slopes this year, we are providing a number of tips on how to prepare your body to cope with the strain of schussing down the mountains.
The important muscles to work on before heading off to ski (especially if they are not kept in optimum condition in the off season) are the gluteals and quadriceps. The quadriceps are the muscles in the front of your thigh, and are responsible for holding you in the semi squat position necessary when skiing. The gluteals are the bottom muscles and are very important when controlling the position of the skis, especially when stopping. To strengthen these muscles, two exercises are described here. The first deals with the quadriceps.
The Wall Squat
The wall squat consists of putting your back to a wall, and then placing your feet away from the wall. This distance is largely determined by comfort, and also your own strength! The trick here is to ensure that your 2nd toe, middle of the kneecap and hip all line up in a straight line. Once you have done this, slide down the wall, so that your knees bend. You will end up feeling like you are in a sitting position, but of course with no chair, and your quadriceps should feel like they are working very hard. The position should be held for about 10-20 seconds, but this will depend on your strength. Repeat this 10 times, every day. You must also ensure that your kneecaps never go further than your toes when you are bending your knees – if you want to squat lower, take the feet further away from the wall.
Gluteals
One exercise for the gluteals is mentioned here – there are numerous others. Lie on your side, with the bottom leg bent. Rotate the top leg out, so the foot is pointing more towards the ceiling. Lift the top leg towards the ceiling, but also slightly backwards. Make sure that the pelvis does not roll back. Feel the muscle in your bottom working, and hold this position for 10 seconds. Repeat 15 times (if you can) both sides.
Working on these two muscle groups should mean that you become much stronger in two muscle groups that are crucial for skiing success. If you are having trouble with the above mentioned exercises, make sure that you consult with your Backfocus Physiotherapist to ensure the correct technique. A poorly performed exercise can sometimes create more problems than it resolves. Further, the exercises mentioned unfortunately do not guarantee an injury free trip to the slopes – they merely help to prevent. Unfortunately as Physiotherapists, we do not yet have the skills to prevent our clients from face planting in the snow!
DRY NEEDLING
While most people have heard of acupuncture as a treatment technique, a lot of people may not have heard of dry needling.
Dry needling is a treatment technique that is becoming increasingly common among physiotherapists and myotherapists. While it is very similar to acupuncture, there are some key differences that separate the two treatment modalities.
Acupuncture derived from a Traditional Chinese Medicine approach utilises many different acupuncture points throughout the body. These are said to open up the body’s flow of energy. Dry needling on the other hand, works by placing the needle into a myofascial trigger point (MTP) to assist in reducing the pain associated with the trigger point.
An MTP is an area of muscle that has taut bands and increased tension. Along with this increased muscle tension, there is a build up of inflammatory biochemicals within the trigger point area which contributes to the increased sensitivity of the muscle tissue. MTP’s can occur for a number of reasons. There may have been direct trauma to the muscle tissue, a muscle imbalance or overuse of muscles through repeated activities or sustained postures. Problems with joints, nerves and intervertebral discs can also lead to MTP’s.
There are several reported ways that dry needling is thought to have a beneficial effect on the treatment of MTP’s. It may change the shape of the muscle tissue, thereby reducing the muscle tension. It can reduce the amount of inflammatory biochemicals in the muscle tissue, reducing the sensitivity of the area. It may also have an effect on the area of the central nervous system that can lead to a reduction in pain.
Along with treating MTP’s, dry needling can have a beneficial effect in the treatment of nerve related pain such as Sciatica, due to the reasons outlined above. Dry Needling can be used for the treatment of both acute and chronic conditions, whether they are sports injuries, work related injuries, headaches or nerve related pain. Many of the physiotherapists and myotherapists at Backfocus Physiotherapy are highly skilled in providing dry needling as part of their treatment plan. There are some precautions and contraindications when undertaking dry needling but following a thorough assessment, your physiotherapist will be able to advise whether or not this is a suitable treatment for your particular condition.
Thank you for your continued support of Backfocus Physiotherapy, where we continue to strive to provide excellence in Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy. We look forward to seeing you in our Spring edition of Infocus.