Did you know that your shoe wear can be a powerful indicator of your biomechanics and even your risk of injury? That’s right! The shoes you wear can provide valuable insights into how your body moves and functions during various activities. Let’s dive deeper!
Wear Patterns: Take a close look at the soles of your shoes. Are the wear patterns even or concentrated in specific areas? Irregular patterns could signify imbalances in your foot mechanics, such as overpronation or supination. Identifying these patterns can help us understand how your body compensates and guide us towards the right solutions.
Load Distribution: The distribution of wear on the sole can reveal where your body weight is concentrated during movement. Uneven wear may suggest that certain areas of your feet are under excessive stress or that you’re not distributing weight efficiently. By addressing these imbalances, we can help prevent injuries and improve your overall performance.
Injury Prevention: Your shoes are an essential piece of the puzzle when it comes to injury prevention. Ill-fitting or worn-out footwear can contribute to various issues, including shin splints, plantar fasciitis, and even knee or hip problems. By analysing your shoe wear and considering your biomechanics, we can recommend proper footwear and orthotic solutions tailored to your needs, reducing the risk of injury.
Let’s put your shoe wear under the microscope and pave the way to optimal movement and injury-free activities!
Contact the clinic today on 0578678904 or book now.
Nutrition and vitamins are essential for maintaining good health and wellbeing. However, with so many conflicting opinions on what to eat and what to avoid, it can be challenging to know where to start. In this blog post, we will discuss some tips for getting better nutrition and vitamins in your diet.
Eat a balanced diet
A balanced diet is one that includes a variety of foods from different food groups. These food groups include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fats. By eating a balanced diet, you ensure that your body gets all the essential nutrients it needs.
Choose whole foods
Whole foods are foods that are minimally processed and retain all their natural nutrients. Examples of whole foods include fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and lean proteins. By choosing whole foods over processed foods, you can maximize the nutritional content of your diet.
Incorporate more fruits and vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Try to incorporate more of these into your diet by adding them to your meals or snacking on them throughout the day. A good rule of thumb is to aim for at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day.
Choose lean proteins
Protein is essential for building and repairing tissues in the body. However, not all proteins are created equal. Choose lean proteins such as chicken, fish, beans, and legumes, as they are lower in saturated fat and higher in nutrients.
Limit processed and sugary foods
Processed and sugary foods are often high in calories, unhealthy fats, and added sugars. They also lack essential nutrients. Limit your intake of these foods and opt for healthier alternatives such as whole foods and fruits and vegetables.
Consider Supplements
Supplements can help fill any nutritional gaps in your diet. However, they should not be relied upon as a substitute for a healthy diet. Speak with your doctor or a registered dietitian before taking any supplements to ensure they are safe and effective for you.
In conclusion, getting better nutrition and vitamins in your diet requires making healthy food choices and incorporating a variety of foods from different food groups. By following these tips, you can ensure that your body is getting all the essential nutrients it needs to maintain good health and wellbeing.
Contact the clinic today on 0578678904 or book now.
Shoulder pain is a common issue for gym-goers, especially those who engage in activities such as weightlifting, running, and other high-impact exercises. This pain can be caused by a variety of factors, including muscle strains, overuse injuries, and even poor posture. Fortunately, there are a variety of treatment options available to help alleviate hip pain, including dry needling and rehabilitation exercises.
Dry needling is a technique that involves inserting thin needles into trigger points in the muscles, which can help relieve pain and improve mobility. We use this technique along with other therapies, such as chiropractic adjustments and Active Release Techniques, to provide comprehensive care for shoulder pain. During a dry needling session, we insert the needles into specific points in the shoulder muscles and rotator cuff, stimulating them to release tension and improve blood flow.
Alongside dry needling, rehabilitation exercises can help to strengthen and stretch the muscles around the shoulder joint and shoulder blade, which can help alleviate pain and prevent future injuries.
If you are experiencing shoulder pain as a result of your gym activities, it is important to seek treatment as soon as possible. Ignoring the pain or continuing to push through it can lead to further injury and prolong your recovery time. In the clinic, we offer a range of treatment options, including dry needling and rehabilitation exercises, to help alleviate shoulder pain and get you back to the gym as quickly and safely as possible. Contact the clinic today on 0578678904 or book now.
After a long offseason, it’s important to take the necessary steps to avoid injury when returning to your sport. Whether you’re a professional athlete or simply someone who enjoys playing sports recreationally, here are five ways to help prevent injuries:
Start Slowly: Your body needs time to adjust to the increased physical demands of your sport. It’s important to start slowly, gradually increasing the intensity and duration of your workouts as your body gets stronger and more accustomed to the movements. This will help you avoid overuse injuries and reduce your risk of injury overall.
Warm-up Properly: Before any physical activity, it’s essential to warm up your muscles to get them ready for the demands of your sport. This can include activities such as stretching, light jogging or cycling, or dynamic movements that mimic the motions of your sport. A good warm-up should last at least 10-15 minutes and gradually increase in intensity.
Use Proper Technique: Proper technique is critical to prevent injury in any sport. This means taking the time to learn and practice the correct form for your movements. If you’re unsure about your technique, consider working with a coach or trainer to help you improve.
Cross-train: Cross-training can help prevent injury by strengthening muscles that may not be used as much in your primary sport. For example, basketball players may benefit from running or weight training to improve their strength and endurance. Cross-training can also help prevent burnout by adding variety to your workouts.
Listen to Your Body: Finally, it’s essential to listen to your body and take rest days as needed. If you experience pain or discomfort during or after a workout, take a break and give your body time to recover. Overtraining can lead to injury and may even force you to take more extended breaks in the future.
Returning to sports after an offseason can be challenging so if you need help with your pains or just want some advice feel free to contact the clinic today on 0578678904 or book now.
Hip pain is a common issue that can affect people of all ages and activity levels. Whether it’s caused by injury, overuse, or underlying conditions such as arthritis, hip pain can significantly impact a person’s quality of life. Fortunately, there are several non-invasive treatment options that can help get rid of your hip pain, including chiropractic care, active release techniques, and dry needling.
Chiropractic care uses hands-on techniques to manipulate the spine and other joints in the body to improve mobility and reduce pain. In the case of hip pain, we may perform adjustments to the pelvis, lower back, or other areas to help relieve pressure on the hip joint.
Dry needling is a technique that involves the insertion of thin needles into trigger points or knots in the muscles. This technique can help to release tension and improve blood flow to the affected area, leading to pain relief and improved function. Dry needling can be particularly effective for hip pain caused by overuse or muscle imbalances.
Active Release Techniques (ART) is a manual therapy that is used to treat soft tissue injuries and conditions. This technique involves the application of pressure to specific areas of the body while the patient performs specific movements. ART can help to break up scar tissue, release tension, and improve mobility in the affected area. For hip pain, ART can be used to address issues such as tight hip flexors, gluteal muscles, or the iliotibial band, which can all contribute to hip pain.
Chiropractic care, ART, and dry needling are all non-invasive treatment options that can help to alleviate hip pain.
If you need help with your pains or just want some advice feel free to contact the clinic today on 0578678904 or book now.
Achilles pain is an incredibly common complaint for runners, but with the right treatment and rehabilitation strategies, you can get back on the track in no time.
The Achilles tendon is the largest and strongest tendon in the body and can be prone to injury due to overuse, tightness, and inflammation. When the Achilles tendon becomes overly strained, it can lead to pain in the heel and calf area, which can make running and exercising difficult.
Fortunately, there are a number of treatments that can help reduce the pain and discomfort associated with Achilles pain. Active Release Techniques (ART) and chiropractic care are two of the most effective methods for treating Achilles tendonitis and other related conditions.
Active Release Techniques involve using a series of targeted soft tissue manipulations to reduce tension, improve range of motion, and help restore the body’s natural balance. During treatment, a practitioner applies a specific pressure and movement to the affected area to break down scar tissue and encourage blood flow. This helps to reduce inflammation and reduce pain.
Chiropractic care is another effective treatment for Achilles tendonitis and other running-related issues. Chiropractors use manual adjustments and other treatments to improve joint mobility and reduce muscle tension. This can help reduce pain and discomfort and improve range of motion.
If you’re experiencing Achilles pain, it’s important to seek professional treatment right away. Active Release Techniques and chiropractic care can be effective treatments for reducing pain and inflammation. Additionally, a personalised exercise program can help you to reduce the risk of injury and get back on the track faster.
If you need help with your pains or just want some advice feel free to contact the clinic today on 0578678904 or book now.
Laser therapy is a medical treatment that uses focused light to trigger a series of events in the body that leads to an increase in cellular metabolism. This can decrease pain and inflammation so the healing process can take place faster.
Laser therapy is used to treat short and long term conditions as well as post-activity recovery.
Acute Injuries
For injuries that have just occurred it is particularly effective if it is administered as quickly as possible.
Chronic Conditions
With long term conditions, laser therapy is most commonly used to help persistent pain and inflammation.
After Activity
To aid in post-activity recovery the laser is used by 250 pro, college, and Olympic sports teams across the United States and many parts of Europe.
What Does It Feel Like?
Laser therapy treatments is administered directly to skin, as clothing or topical dressings interfere with delivering light to tissues beneath the skin.
Patients will feel a soothing warmth feeling as the therapy is administered.
Patients receiving treatments with higher-power lasers also frequently report a rapid decrease in pain. For someone suffering from chronic pain, this effect can be particularly pronounced.How long do treatments last?
With LightForce lasers, treatments usually 4-7 minutes long, depending on the size of the area being treated.
How Many Treatments Will I Need?
Patients generally see results after 3 to 5 treatments.
If you need help with your tightness, pains or just want some advice feel free to contact the clinic today on 0578678904 or book now.
The foam roller is something most people have in their gym bag but is commonly used ineffectively.
Soft tissue work, including foam rolling, trigger point work, and even hands-on self myofascial release needs to be a focused process on an area. If you find that you are rolling the same muscles and areas every day or before workouts it most likely is not causing any long term benefits.
Also when using it if you are rolling on it without any feeling of mild discomfort then you won’t be performing it correctly.
If you put yourself into some serious pain for the hope of breaking down tissue to loosen your muscles out, it is not the way to create long lasting and effective results.
Do This Instead
There are a few key things you can do to manage your muscles and improve your health and performance. Prioritise your foam rolling on just a few targeted areas on the days you are training or recovery days until you feel some relief. Big muscles for example the quads and lats can be worked very well with the roller, so don’t get rid of your roller quite yet.
Overall the foam roller may not enhance your overall performance but research shows that working through your muscles yourself can temporarily reduce muscle shortness and increase your flexibility. Also if done correctly and specifically to your tight areas you can have long term reductions in tightness. So you improve your recovery.
Although if you are dealing with specific soft tissue restriction that are not being relieved long term then a hands on approach is much better as the fingertips provide a much smaller surface area that are similar to the size of the small muscles and tendons.
If you need help with your tightness, pains or just want some advice feel free to contact the clinic today on 0578678904 or book now.
Squatting is one of the most common exercises to perform in the gym but often is done incorrectly. A good place to start is if we look at it as a movement rather than an exercise.
If we can fix the problems in a bodyweight squat you can create a greater capability to carry the load with the barbell.
The importance of the squat:
Squatting is a functional movement. This is because if you look at most sports for example a tennis player waiting for the serve or a goalkeeper at a penalty. The starting stance of the squatting movement is a universal position that carries over into many other movement patterns.
Toe angle:
Different people have different mobility limitations and anatomical differences will impact the width of your stance. The goal is to place your feet in a position that will allow for a full depth squat while still feeling comfortable. Although overall placing your feet at shoulder width apart is a good starting position for most people.
When it comes to the feet for a bodyweight squat it is best to have a near straight foot position with a very slight 5 degree outwards rotation for your feet to be pointing. If you have difficulty performing the movement to full range with this foot position, it may indicate you have certain issues in mobility that need addressing.
In the clinic we can assess you to see where you are not getting the correct movement from and then treat the affected area. This will gain range of motion and mobility so you can perform better when squatting.
A solid foot tripod:
When we create a good arch in our foot, you form what we call a tripod foot. The three points of the tripod is the heel, the base of the 1st toe and the base of the 5th toe. Th goal when squatting should be to maintain the arch of our feet and have our weight distributed evenly.
Creating hip external rotation:
The last thing to think about before starting the descent for the bodyweight squat is to create external rotational with your hips. Creating this movement creates a tightness in our hips that will ensure our knees track with ideal alignment during the entire squat. This will help produce power and speed to your squat.
To create this power at the hips think about squeezing your glutes and driving your knees out. When you do this you will feel the outside muscles of your hips engage.
Point your feet as straightforward as possible. 5 degree toe-out angle.
Maintain three points of contact with your feet in relation to the floor establishing the tripod foot.
Create external rotational forces at the hips by squeezing your glutes while maintaining the tripod foot.
Always remember that the squat is a movement first and an exercise second.
I hope this helps, but if you do suffer from tightness when squatting and would like us to have a look at your problem and run through advice to get you out of pain contact the clinic today on 0578678904 or book now.
Osteoarthritis is a common condition that people develop and can cause issues preventing people from doing the activities they want especially at a good intensity. Often people jump to surgery or have a surgery planned for a few years down the line. But there are things you can do to help manage the condition and if you do have surgery for example your knee then you will be in a better position to recover from it. So below is a list of easy things to try to help manage your pain.
Exercise is an easy option to improve symptoms and function in people with osteoarthritis. A great place to start is 5-10 minutes on a bike as this will strengthen your quadricep muscles which has been shown to greatly help with pre operation or post knee operation knee health. Also in a 20 minute cycle you will do around 1000 knee mobilisations! This means the knee will be loose and mobile to help you do the activities you want.
You can also do repeated knee extensions and repeated knee flexions called knee CARs which you can see in the video below.
As with the bike, sometimes warming up the knee and getting it moving can help a lot.
A common problem people have is squatting so practising squatting with a reduced range of motion and then to slowly increase it is a great way of getting more confident with the movement.
A box squat to an elevated surface for example a chair with a cushion on it and then once you are comfortable with this you remove the cushion and then again lower the chair as you get more and more comfortable squatting.
A key tip is when you do the exercise do the muscle lengthening phase of the exercise slowly (count to at least 3 seconds for example doing a squat, the descent into the squat should be around 3-5 seconds and then when you are standing back up take about a second. This will help with muscle development and increase day to day function.
If you suffer from arthritis or achy joints and want to get some treatment for them feel free to contact the clinic today on 0578678904 or book now.
