Thursday, 8 March 2012
I am going to do a series of articles covering the pelvis and sacroiliac joint (SIJ), this will be followed by an article on the causes of injury. The final article will look at the effect that core strength and correct muscular balance has on the stability of the pelvis and the lower back. This first article will look at the pelvis as well as the sacroiliac joint.Anatomy
The pelvis is made up of two Ilium bones posteriorly and the pubic bones anteriorly, as well as a triangular bone called the sacrum. The sacrum sits at the base of the lumbar spine with the Ilium bones inserting at each side. The pubic bones are joined anteriorly at a cartilaginous joint called the Pubic Symphysis.Sacroiliac joint functions
The SIJ is designed to transfer large loads and its shape has adapted to this task. The sacrum is essentially the ‘keystone’ between the wings of the pelvis (Gibbons, 2011). There are two ways that the SIJ maintains its integrity, these are form closure and force closure.
Form ClosureThis is due to the anatomical alignment of the bones of the Ilium and the sacrum. The anterior surfaces of the joint are relatively smooth to aid the transfer of compression forces and bending movements. This can cause weakness so the SIJ uses the wedge shape of the sacrum to help stabilize along with their irregular shaped surfaces that interlock to aid stabilization.
Force Closure
This is the effect that the ligaments and muscles have on the joint. The main ligaments that stabilize the joint are the sacrotuberous ligament, (this connects the sacrum to the ischium) as well as the long dorsal sacroiliac ligament that secures the sacrum to the posterior superior iliac spine.
The role of the core
The ligaments cannot stabilize the SIJ without the support of the number of groups of muscles. The two most important groups of muscles that contribute to the stability of the lower back and the pelvis are the inner system, called ‘the core’ or the local stabilizers. These are made up of transverse abdominis, multifidus, the diaphram and the pelvic floor. The outer system is called ‘the sling’ or the global stabilizers.
All of this results in something called a force couple. This is “a situation where two forces of equal magnitude, but opposite direction are applied to an object” (Abernethy et al., 2004). Force couples cause the joint to maintain integrity, but still be able to move. It is when this force couple fails and one force is stronger than another that an injury will result.
Thursday, 5 January 2012
This month I am going to talk about hamstring stains. This injury has made the news recently when Leicester Tigers RFC of the Aviva Premiership lost two of their stars – Manu Tuilagi and Louis Deacon both with hamstring strains during their win over Worcester on December 27th.
There have been many studies looking at the frequency of hamstring strains in sport. Studies have found that as a percentage hamstring injuries peak at 33% of lower limb injuries in 16-25 year olds and they most often occur in sports where the hamstrings can be stretched eccentrically at high speed (1, 2). A study into injury rates found that out of 1614 individuals in Australia who suffered hamstring injuries it made up 54% of rugby injuries, 10% of football injuries and 14% of athletics injuries. But less than 2% of tennis, squash, ballet and gymnastics injuries (2).
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| Muscles of the posterior thigh |
What is a Hamstring Strain?
It is actually a tear in one, or multiple hamstring muscles. The hamstring in made up 3 main muscles: Semitendinosis, Semimembranosis and Biceps Femoris. The role of the hamstring is to flex the knee and extend the hip.
Symptoms of a Hamstring injury
- Sudden, sharp pain at the back of the leg, during activity.
- Pain when stretching the muscle
- Pain when contracting against resistance
- Possible swelling and bruising
- If severe, a gap maybe present in the muscle which can be felt
- Bruising after a hamstring tear
Hamstring injuries are graded in severity, based on the damage. A Grade 1 tear would consist of a minor tear within the muscle. Grade 2 is a partial tear of the muscle and a grade 3 tear is a complete rupture of the muscle.
Treatment
At the time of injury:
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| Injured hamstring 2-3 days post injury |
It is important to stop activity and apply the R.I.C.E principle of Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation.
After 24-48 hours, it is important to see an injury specialist such as Sports Therapist or Physiotherapist who can correctly diagnose the injured muscles and begin a rehabilitation program. The treatment would include the use of Ultrasound, sports massage, progressive loading and stretching of the muscle as well as promoting early mobilisation of the limb.
References:
Clark RA. Hamstring injuries: risk assessment and injury prevention. Ann Acad Med Singapore. Apr 2008;37(4):341-6
Kujala UM, Orava S, Jarvinen M. Hamstring Injuries. Current trends in treatment and prevention. Sports Med. Jun 1997; 23(6): 397-404
Wednesday, 21 December 2011
This is a case study of a patient that I have been working with for nearly a year. The patient, Tom has given his permission for me to discuss his case as well as using his full name and photos.
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| Tom being airlifted to hospital following the accident |
Tom first made contact with me when he emailed in early February regarding his rehabilitation for a hip injury. Tom’s background is as follows, he is a 56-year-old man, who is a keen cyclist and is very fit and active and he is retired from the US Military. On the 16th September 2009, whilst cycling in the French Alps Tom came off his bike whilst travelling at speed. The resulting accident left Tom with a dislocated hip and fractured acetabulum.
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| This is Tom stabilised, awaiting surgery. |
Due to his Military background Tom was able to be air lifted to a US military hospital where he underwent a number of operations to stabilize the pelvis. On the 10 March 2010 Tom was discharged from his US Air Force doctor, but was then subsequently admitted to the John Radcliffe Hospital for a MRSA infection that resulted in all his metal work having to be removed. He then under went physiotherapy through the NHS from May 2010 to August 2010.
Tom then began to see an acupuncturist as he was still in a large amount of pain and unable to walk without a limp. This is due to the complications suffered as a result of the surgeries and the healing process called heterotopic ossification around the acetabulum. This is a presence of bone in the soft tissue, where it should not normally exist. This and a huge amount of scar tissue were causing a lot of muscular tension that caused pain. This pain was so debilitating that Tom was still taking a cocktail of pain killers (tramadol and paracetamol) to help control this pain.
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| Adam from Revolution Sports Injuries Clinic treating Tom at his home. |
Adam from Revolution Sports Injuries Clinic, Wantage explains "as a Sports Therapist was to treat this muscular tension to reduce his pain, increase his range of movement and begin to get the damaged muscles firing correctly so he could start strengthening work, and get back on his bike."
Over the next 4 months Tom saw a huge reduction in his pain, which has resulted in Tom lowing his medications dramatically. The major success was to be able to get Tom back on a bike and he achieved his personal ambition of being able to cycle across the Pyrenees Mountains by June 2011!
Tom has now embarked on his next challenge, which is to cycle across America to raise money and awareness for American and British Military Charities. This event is called Sea 2 Sea.
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| Tom during his cycle trip across the Pyrenees Mountains in June 2001 |
Tom explains the event “This event will take place from 21st April to 8th July 2012. Departing the Repatriation Centre at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, England, cycling to arrive at London Heathrow Airport. Arriving in the USA in Seattle, Washington then cycling east to finish the American leg towards Washington, DC. The total journey will be over 4000 miles.”
Tom goes on to say “To raise national and international awareness for UK and US veterans by having a joint UK/US nationwide cycling event 21 April - 08 July involving thousands of UK and US citizens.
My aim is to raise $10,000,000 for US military charities (i.e., Paralyzed Veterans of America, Wounded Warriors) and £5,000,000 for UK military charities (i.e., Army Benevolent Fund, British Legion, Help for Heroes) through their websites.”
For more information on Tom’s amazing new challenge go to www.sea2sea.org please view the video of when Tom met David Cameron to discuss this amazing charity event.
If you also like more information on Sports Therapy and the Sports Therapist who is helping Tom with his on going rehabilitation go to www.revolutionsportsinjuries.co.uk
Tuesday, 22 November 2011
Every month I use the injuries that I am treating in my clinic to gain inspiration for writing this article. This month I have decided to focus on Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS).
CTS is an entrapment of the Median nerve due to compression on the carpal tunnel. This is termed a neuropathy, which is a blanket term for nerve damage.
Causes of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
There are a number of possible causes. It is important to correctly diagnose this because otherwise treatment will be less affective.
The main factors include:
- Traumatic wrist injury such as a sprain or fracture.
- Repetitive activity
- Pregnancy, this can cause increased fluid retention.
- Congenital, some people has smaller, narrower carpal tunnels
CTS is three times more common in woman compared with men. There is also a higher prevalence in people with diabetes as well as other conditions, which directly affect the nervous system.
Carpal Tunnel Symptoms
CTS usually has a gradual onset, it may affect one or both wrists. It can begin with only night pain. Other symptoms include:
- · Dull ache at wrist and forearm
- · Pain in thumb and fingers, excluding the little finger
- · Weakness in fingers and hand
- · Worse at night
- · Pain radiates into forearm, elbow and wrist.
Diagnosis of Carpal Tunnel
If you suspect that you may have CTS you should visit an injury professional such as sports therapist, physiotherapist or doctor. They will be able to give you a correct diagnosis
Treatment of Carpal Tunnel SyndromeInitially, total rest is required. This may involve immobilizing the wrist using a support. Cryotherapy and anti inflammatory’s, may also be required.
Following this phase, stretching and strengthening exercises should be used to help reduce of its reoccurrence, these should be prescribed by a sports therapist or physiotherapist.
For more information on Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, or to book an appointment at Revolution Sports Injuries Clinic, Grove Technology Park, Wantage, Oxfordshire please contact Adam on 07827324789 or go to www.revolutionsportsinjuries.co.uk
Wednesday, 2 November 2011
During November each year, Movember is responsible for the sprouting of moustaches on thousands of men’s faces in the UK and around the world. The aim of which is to raise vital funds and awareness for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer and other cancers that affect men.
On Movember 1st, guys register at Movember.com with a clean-shaven face and then for the rest of the month, these selfless and generous men, known as Mo Bros, groom, trim and wax their way into the annals of fine moustachery. Supported by the women in their lives, Mo Sistas, Movember Mo Bros raise funds by seeking out sponsorship for their Mo-growing efforts.
Mo Bros effectively become walking, talking billboards for the 30 days of November and through their actions and words raise awareness by prompting private and public conversation around the often ignored issue of men’s health.
At the end of the month, Mo Bros and Mo Sistas celebrate their gallantry and valor by either throwing their own Movember party or attending one of the infamous Gala Partés held around the world by Movember, for Movember.
Adam Dobson from Revolution Sports Injuries Clinic is supporting Movember as part of the tfd bro’s with a Mo. If you would like to join our team or make a donation go to:
The Movember Effect: Awareness & Education, Survivorship, Research
The funds raised in the UK support the number one and two male specific cancers - prostate and testicular cancer. The funds raised are directed to programmes run directly by Movember and our men’s health partners, The Prostate Cancer Charity and the Institute of Cancer Research. Together, these channels work together to ensure that Movember funds are supporting a broad range of innovative, world-class programmes in line with our strategic goals in the areas of awareness and education, survivorship and research.
Friday, 30 September 2011
This month I am going to talk about myofascial headaches, what this is, how it occurs and how a sports therapist, sports massage therapist or physiotherapist can treat it.
What is a Myofascial Headache?
Myofascial headaches are caused by myofascial pain, which is defined as a regional pain syndrome, characterized by referred pain from a trigger point located in a taut band of muscle (1). This pain can manifest itself in the form of either unilateral or bilateral headache. The pain duration can vary between hours to weeks and is usually of a moderate severity. This pain can radiate into the frontal, temporal and orbital regions (2).
What is a myofascial trigger point?
The simplest way to describe a trigger point is an area of thickening or a nodule in a muscle. This will also be an area of tenderness. Trigger points develop in muscles that are either over active or in areas of weak musculature (1). There are a number of myofascial trigger points that can cause headaches. Most of these are found in the musculature of the neck and shoulders. The muscles that are particularly susceptible are the Trapezius muscle, Levator Scapulae, Temporalis, Frontalis and Occipitalis. These cause tension on the insertion points at the Occiput this in turn radiates pain across the cranium. Treatment for Myofascial Headaches
A sports therapist or physiotherapist is able to affectively treat this sort of injury with the use of vertebral mobilizations, soft tissue massage as well as stretching and possibly some strengthening work. The use of myofascial trigger pointing and dry needling are affective ways to release the triggers. This will release the tension on the insertions of the occiput.
References
1. Skootsky S.A., Jaeger B., Oye R. K: Prevalence of myofascial pain in general interal medicine practice. West J Med, Aug. 1989, 151: 157-160
2. Hooper P. D: Treatment of head pain, Williams & Wilkins, 1994, pp 333-4
Tuesday, 30 August 2011
This month the focus is lateral Epicondylitis of the elbow or its more well known name; Tennis elbow. I am seeing quite an increased number of cases of this injury recently. Over the next two months I will also look at Golfers elbow and elbow bursitis. It is important to remember that these injuries tend not to be just sports related but can be traced back to occupational related factors.
What is Tennis Elbow?Tennis elbow or lateral epicondylitis is the onset of pain on the lateral (outside) of the elbow. The pain has a gradual onset with tenderness appearing around or below the bony prominence. The injury tends to affect the suffers ability to grip, lift or carry items with the affected arm.
How does the injury occur?
The injury is caused by tiny micro tears in the tendon and fascia, which after the initial healing will tear again leading to hemorrhaging leading to the formation of granulation tissue, as well as calcium deposits around the tissue. Collagen and proteins leak from the site of injury causing inflammation. This leads to increased pressure around the joint that can cut blood supply and also impinge on the radial nerve.
What are the symptoms?
The pain is recurring around the outside of the upper forearm. This is just below the joint line of the elbow.
The pain can be aggravated by lifting, bending or grasping even lightweights, such as a coffee mug. There can also be pain when extending the forearm; this is due to the inflammation of the muscles and tendons.
How to treat this injury
The first thing to do is stop any activity that aggravates the arm. This is ok for sports related factors, but not so easy for people who are getting aggravation from working. The use of an elbow support can help to reduce the aggravating factors.
Seeking the correct treatment is the second, but equally important part of the healing process. Your Sports Therapist or physiotherapist will use a range of treatment techniques such as ice massage, standard soft tissue massage, ultrasound, kinesio taping, advise on anti inflammatory use as well as stretching and strengthening of the muscle groups. After the initial inflammation and pain subside it is key to full recovery that strengthening work is facilitated as this will help to reduce the risk of future onset of the injury.
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