(To view the video version, head over to our instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPKsJcBEv93/?igsh=NHF4Zng3N210dHN4 So when we stretch we are able to move a joint further so that must mean we're making the muscle longer. With all the research that has been conducted in relation to mechanism of flexibility increase post stretching, the only mechanism that has been rigorously supported is increased tolerance to stretch. So essentially the brain and nervous system is

For the video version, check out our instagram page https://www.instagram.com/reel/DMRE3tFz6NC/?igsh=MWVlaWFlZ3Iwa2RkbA== When most people think about improving their flexibility, stretching is usually the first thing that comes to mind. It seems obvious: if you want to get more flexible, you should stretch more. But research suggests this isn’t the whole story. In fact, strength training through a full range of motion — especially exercises that focus on the eccentric phase

Hamstring injuries are one of the movement common issues we see in running and change of direction sports. We have previously discussed the importance of maintaining sprinting volume to decrease the likelihood of injury. Improving local strength and capacity in the muscles can also help with injury prevention. In this post we go through some basic exercises to help build hamstring muscle capacity. Check out our instagram page for details: https://www.instagram.com/p/DMJodOjz_

School’s out for the summer!!! For international school students in Tokyo, the summer is long and for student athletes the break between seasons is even longer. School sport often wraps up weeks before the end of the academic year and doesn't get started for several weeks after classes recommence. This means that players will often have up to 3 months at a time without structured practice or games. Whilst this does provide a chance to rest and recover both physically and ment

Being injured and going through rehab isn't fun. For starters, you're in pain, which by definition is an unpleasant experience, your often taken away from doing the things you enjoy, and it can also be time and money consuming. However, as physios we do commonly see some hidden benefits that people don't often consider when starting. In some cases we've seen people that weren't particularly active, or hadn't resistance trained in the past  really start to enjoy strength train

Ever gone to see a medical practitioner and frustratingly had your symptoms go away when you get there? Feel like you’re making it up? Find out why this happens!!! #physiotherapy #medicine #doctor #physio #healthpractitioner #pain #disease #pathology #examination #therapeuticaliance #tokyo #roppongi #gym #clinic #practice #osteopathy #chiropractic #backpain #neckpain #kneepain #shoulderpain #anklepain #wristpain #sciatica

Most individuals, be they athletes or general population patients, understand that exercise is the most important factor in the rehabilitation of most musculoskeletal disorders. However, different types of exercises serve different purposes in the rehabilitation process, and we as health care providers (myself included) often fail to fully explain these purposes. Within our model, we talk about different types of load that can contribute to an injury and that need to be addre

Introduction Headaches are a common ailment that can arise from various sources, and one lesser-known headache type is the cervicogenic headache. Unlike other headaches, cervicogenic headaches originate from issues in the cervical spine (neck). In this blog post, we will delve into what cervicogenic headaches are, explore their causes, symptoms, and discuss effective ways to manage and prevent this often misunderstood form of head pain. What is a Cervicogenic Headache? A cerv

The LIFTMOR for men trial The incidence of osteoporosis (defined as bone mineral density T score greater than -2.5) is thought to be over 200 million people globally. This condition, as well as osteopenia (defined as bone mineral density between -1 and -2.5) are thought to be a much greater problem in females than males. And while rates of these conditions are higher in women, morbidity and mortality rates associated with fractures that often occur conditions are actually hig

#fysiofriday #physiotherapy #rehabilitation #kneepain #illiotibialband #ITB #ITBS #ITBFS #physio #physicaltherapy #backpain #neckpain #sciatica #headaches #shoulderpain #frozenshoulder

How much do you know about pain? Research shows that when we have a better understanding of pain we can optimise our rehabilitation outcomes. Try taking this quick quiz to test your pain knowledge. If you are interested in learning more check out our free 7-day pain education course. Follow the link below to sign up. https://forms.gle/qRb6nCjHWvAQyQqq7 #physiotherapy #osteopathy #chiropractic #backpain #neckpain #shoulderpain #kneepain #anklepain #armpain #chronicpain #rehabi

MANUAL THERAPY: WHAT IS IT ACTUALLY DOING? This post explores some of the mechanism behind the affects of manual therapy #fysiofriday #physiotherapy #rehabilitation #kneepain #illiotibialband #ITB #ITBS #ITBFS #physio #physicaltherapy #backpain #neckpain #sciatica #headaches #manualtherapy

The essence of musculoskeletal rehabilitation is taking a patient from where they currently are (often a state of pain, functional impairment, an inability to do the things that are important to them, a lack of confidence in their ability to perform their regular activities or a lack of understanding around the cause of their issues) to where they need to be. As famous Canadian biomechanist says “test the capacity, identify the goal, train the gap”. Therefore, in order for a

Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (TOS) is an umbrella term to describe a few different conditions whereby the brachial plexus (a network of nerves formed from the lower levels of the neck) becomes compressed at specific sites between the neck and the armpit. Common sites of compression are between the scalene muscles of the neck and under the pectoralis minor muscle Thoracic outlet syndromes are often misdiagnosed as neck or shoulder problems, and they frequently cause pain in this a

The ITB (illiotibial band) is a long, thick band of connective tissue that runs from muscles in the hip and pelvis and attaches to a number of bony landmarks around the outside of the knee The ITB has an important stabilising role at the pelvis and hip, and contributes to maintaining side-to-side control when standing on one leg Both ends of the ITB can become overloaded and start to cause pain, however this is more common at the knee end of the structure. Common causes of pa

The final injury we will discuss in this series is concussion. A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury (TBI) that causes a temporary disturbance in the function of the brain, and leads to symptoms such as dizziness/balance issues, headache, nausea, confusion, memory loss, grogginess and even psychological symptoms such as depression, anger, frustration, etc. Those in contact with a concussed individual may note delayed response time, memory loss in inconsistency, a d

Less commonly seen in winter sports are injuries to the neck. Similar to lower back injuries, acute onset of pain in the neck may follow a long day of unaccustomed activity, an odd or unexpected movement, or even a night’s sleep on a different sleeping surface. As with lower back injuries, provided there are no neural signs such as weakness or numbness in the hands or arms, then these problems can be managed conservatively and should settle in a number of weeks.  High-velocit

As with any sports, there is the risk of acute muscle strains with skiing and snowboarding.  Some of the common sights of muscle injury are:  The hamstring: often when a ski becomes stuck and the body is flung forwards, placing excessive stress on the back of the thigh. The quadriceps: often caused by a fall when the knees are bent under and the body bent back, placing the front of the thigh under excessive stretch. The adductors: the two skis move away from each other causin

Our last post discussed rotator cuff injuries. Due to the violent nature of skiing and snowboarding related falls, it is also not uncommon for us to see dislocations of the shoulder. A shoulder dislocation is where the head of the humerus (top of the arm bone), moves out of the normal confines of the shoulder joint socket (glenoid). The most common direction of dislocation is anterior (to the front), and the typical mechanism of injury is a combination of outwards rotation wi

We have previously discussed clavicle fractures and injuries to the AC joint. We also commonly see injuries to the rotator occur with skiing and snowboarding.  The rotator cuff is a group of 4 muscles, the tendons of which intertwine with the capsule of the shoulder and help provide stability to the joint. Because they lie close to the joint they are effective as stabilizing muscles, but are quite small in comparison to other muscles in the region, and as such are vulnerable