Today’s topic answers “what type of massage do I need?”. This is for those who are new and curious about the purpose and effects of massage therapy. To celebrate my third year anniversary with Strength Pilates & Physiotherapy, I’m kicking off a series of posts that will break down the frequently asked questions over my time as a massage therapist. For some background, I graduated from The Australasian College of Natural Therapies (ACNT) in 2010 with a Diploma of Remedial Mass

Hamstring injuries are among the most common injuries for kicking based sports (soccer, AFL, NRL etc.) This is due to the concentric force of the kick created from the hip flexors and quads exceeding the load capacity of the hamstrings to decelerate the leg. Although the hamstrings action is to flex the knee, it's functional role in running is to decelerate the leg and shin in a controlled manner so that it can then begin to assist the glutes in performing hip extension once

Squats - Free weight vs body weight What is ideal? It all depends on what purpose you are training for. As long as there is a level of overload and increased resistance you will be able to elicit a training effect. If you're looking to build pure strength and size you should go down the path of free weight. However if you're looking to develop endurance and are not focused on size, plyometric and body weight exercises will be more than enough. But be prepared to but in the

A good place to start when doing a shoulder examination is observation through range. Before going into hands on assessments it's important that we review the motor pattern and control exhibited by the shoulder. Are there any significant scars, bruising, deformities, difference in muscle mass or asymmetry? Without looking and observing, how can you paint the full picture and diagnose properly? Use your eyes before your hands. For more information book online @ www.strengthand

Pike long stretch combo Push up knee tuck combo Pike to single leg pike combo Squats and skaters on the reformer Reverse lunges #pilates #exercise #library

Have you sprained your ankle? Fractured a bone? Recovering from Achilles tendinopathy? Try the assisted calf raise! When recovering from any injury involving the ankle, at some point you will be required to strengthen up the surrounding muscles of the ankle particularly the calves (plantarflexors). The calf is an integral muscle used in everyday motion as well as performance and exercise. Without adequate strength and power provided from the calf during gait, compensatory s

When training and exercising there are a plethora of different training protocols and paradigms that can be followed but which one is suitable for you? The same movement (e.g. row) can be completely different based on the intensity, speed, technique and resistance and quality of the exercise control. By reducing the speed of the repetition and perfecting the movement, you will reduce the overall volume of training. Does this mean reducing the overall volume will mean you have

Ankle Fracture rehab part 5 - Functional Ankle Strength Strength training is the most evidenced based and common staple of a rehabilitation program. Depending on the stage of the rehabilitation, different exercise variations such as opened chained, closed chain, isometrics, eccentrics and many more will be used to get your body moving as it should. Similar to ankle sprains, a severe ankle fracture can cause disruption and damage of the lateral ankle ligaments. An active stabi

When to introduce range of motion? Now that we have been given the all clear to weight bear on our leg, one of the most common and important questions is when can we start moving the ankle joint. A closed reduction within a cast is designed to immobilise the joint to allow for adequate bone healing, however the secondary effects include muscle atrophy, increase joint & muscle stiffness as well as loss of control and coordination at the ankle. The time frame of immobilisation

When can we return to exercise after a fracture? As previously mentioned in Part 1 of our Ankle Fracture series, it is important that we determine what type of ankle fracture has occurred so we can program our rehab appropriately. Our ankle fracture will vastly vary in its management due to the location and type of fracture. For a stable fracture in which you have been given permission to weight bear inside a CAM boot, you can and should immediately begin to apply load and we