Tag Archives: injury

Can ACL tears be prevented?

The answer is yes.  I had the opportunity to listen to Carolyn Emory PT, PhD of University of Calgary speak at the Canadian Physiotherapy Congress in Whistler.  Her area of expertise is paediatric sport injuries, particularly, injury prevention.  Since ACL injuries are so common in soccer (an average of 25% of 15 year old female soccer players per season), it is an area that has been extensively studied. Researchers have identified key risk factors and, have been able to demonstrate success in preventing injuries, by giving exercises to address them. … Read the rest of this post »

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Healthy running

This running tip was specifically written for Vancouver Frontrunners and comes from Suzanne Foster, a Physiotherapist with West 4th Physiotherapy(www.west4thphysio.com) whose practice is heavily focused on runners. Thanks Suzanne! Start off on the right foot! Did you know that 50% of runners are injured every year? Even now with all the advanced technology out there dedicated with perfecting the running shoe and the time and money spent on different kinds of treatment, the incidence is still increasing!  We all know that whether you are an athlete, runner, or jogger, at … Read the rest of this post »

Posted in Avoiding Injury, Knee, Running and the SunRun, Sports | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Preventing falls

This is the time of year when seniors are most at risk of falls. Icy steps and sidewalks, slippery wet leaves, cold weather slowing reaction time and often poor light hiding treacherous outdoor conditions. So far we’ve been lucky in 2011, at least in the lower mainland, with relatively warm, albeit wet, weather and not to much of the dreaded ice about. But seniors 65 and older are the fastest growing segment of the Canadian population and the estimate is that around 1 in 3 will have at least 1 … Read the rest of this post »

Posted in Avoiding Injury, Men's Health, Osteoporosis, Senior's Health | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Osteoporosis guidelines

Late in 2010 I came across an interesting article in the Canadian Medical Journal (CMA) in which new guidelines were outlined to help physicians deal with managing and preventing osteoporosis. According to the study’s lead author, Professor Alexandra Papaioannu, the goal is early identification of those most likely to develop full blown osteoporosis later in life. The approach recommended in the guidelines is quite different to that currently taken. Instead of relying on bone mineral density (BMD) testing  -read more about BMD and testing here- http://www.west4thphysio.com/archives/530 , and then using … Read the rest of this post »

Posted in Avoiding Injury, Low back, Osteoporosis, Senior's Health, Women's Health | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Osteoporosis in men

The  statistics are in and they aren’t pretty. The CMA (Canadian Medical Association) has updated it’s guidelines for helping physicians deal with osteoporosis and I’ll outline some of the changes of focus in both this and the next post. Today; the prevalence of osteoporosis in men. The stats say one in eight men over the age of 50 has the disease. Physicians and other health professionals know the numbers but apparently the general public doesn’t. There is still, it seems, a prevalent train of thought that osteoporosis is a bone … Read the rest of this post »

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Thoughts on static stretching…

In the 1970’s the running boom came and all over North America people got out  and started a pursuit that has paid terrific health dividends for them over the ensuing years. Back then, popular thought had it that it was necessary to stretch all the major sporting muscle groups before your activity. Being more flexible would offer greater efficiency of motion and prevent injury. If you failed to stretch, injury was pretty much guaranteed, or so the thinking went. There was only one way to stretch and that was what … Read the rest of this post »

Posted in Avoiding Injury, Knee, Running and the SunRun, Senior's Health | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Does joint pain actually damage?

Often I am consulted in the clinic for assessment and treatment of joint pain that has come on without any major trauma. The commonest cause for wear and tear type joint pain is osteoarthrosis (also called osteoarthritis) or degenerative joint disease. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and results in the slow destruction of joint cartilage, the springy joint tissue which caps the bone ends and acts as both a shock absorber and bumper. As the cartilage thins,wears and breaks away the joint surfaces roughen, resulting in a … Read the rest of this post »

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Improving your golf game

It’s already tee time on the west coast and elsewhere in Canada regular golf is getting underway. So what can be done to improve your game this season? There has been some interesting work done by exercise physiologists and coaches in answering the question of what it takes to be a successful golfer. In an article which appeared in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research in Feb 2009, researchers took some detailed physical measures of  24 national team golfers. Specifically they looked at flexibility, strength and aerobic fitness. Some … Read the rest of this post »

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Running shoes – when to replace?

As you work into your running program you will need to keep an eye on how much wear has occurred with your shoes. Running in shoes that have passed their prime is a sure fire way to develop running injuries such as plantar fascitis, achilles tendonitis and knee pain. Knowing that you can expect to get around 1000km from your shoes (+/- 200km ), tracking your shoe mileage will help you anticipate shoe failure and avoid injury. Here are a few commonly used tips and things to look for regarding … Read the rest of this post »

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The Sun Run 2010

So how are those New Year resolutions going? By the end of February lots of us have been derailed. If that’s you, you might be tempted to use the Sun Run as your path back to righteousness. The Sun Run is now a wonderful annual fixture in Vancouver, attracting over 50,000 every year, many of whom are new to running as a form of exercise. I thought some posts dedicated to keeping participants healthy, happy and especially injury free would be appropriate as this is the time of year we start to have people coming in … Read the rest of this post »

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Whiplash update

Neck Muscles and Whiplash   Whiplash injuries are common worldwide. In BC we have more than 60,000 motor vehicle related whiplash injuries per year.  Some people recover quickly, while 40-60 percent of people are still having neck pain 6 months or more after their injuries. Why is this?  In an effort to improve understanding of persistent neck muscle complaints post whiplash, I recently completed my Master of Science in Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology at Simon Fraser University and chose to study upper trapezius activation before, during and after a repetitive upper … Read the rest of this post »

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Knee update… The ACL and it’s link to osteoarthrosis

I recently had the opportunity to join my collegues Dean and Matt at the “Recent Advances in Clinical Sports Medicine” Conference. This year the knee and hip were the focus. Of particular interest to me was the latest information in regards to the ACL deficient knee, as I see quite a few ACL injuries in the clinic. Typically the ACL is injured when the knee is forced into excessive rotation (for example in soccer when the foot is planted and the leg gets twisted, especially in a bent position). Unfortunately in these situations … Read the rest of this post »

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