As a Physiotherapist we are taught that everything must be research based. However there are patterns in runners that will always be there because we are also humans. There are some of the common risks and mistakes i’ve noticed over the years.

Your life time running mileage counts

Running can be an addictive sport. You’ve focused the last 3 months building to run a distance you didn’t think possible. Then you want to beat your time. Next it’s a marathon. All within a year or two.

You’ve suddenly felt a pull in the back of the leg. You have a few weeks to your goal event and this isn’t the best timing. Getting the first 48 hours right sets you up for success. So rather than down a bottle of wine to drown your sorrows try this instead because you can still get there to that goal. 

PS the acronym isn’t rice anymore it’s the Police (Protect Optimal Loading Ice Compression Elevation).

So rest is removed and replaced by the following 

Protection and Optimal Loading. 

Rest is most definitely helpful for the first 48 hours. The reason being you haven’t generally laid down new tissue yet so walking around on it isn’t a great idea. Work from home or take a day off. Using the protectin of crutches, boots, taping or bracing can help protect the area as it heals in the first couple of days. 

However continued rest after the first 48 hours is a really bad idea. It actually slows your recovery down with roo much rest. New tissdue needs load to heal and be of good quality. There are numerous studies to show those that started their rehab later took longer to get back to their goal. 

The other bonus is starting to move and get your calf muscles working stimulates your lymphatic system to get rid of swelling faster. Less swelling equals less pain and better function. 

For some reason, people don't always take ankle sprains as seriously as they should. A lot of the time people return to sport too early. 

If you've had a recent or not so recent ankle sprain, and you want to return to sport or training we recommend you try the below. 

There is an urban myth alive and well in western society... It seems to be that if you have Osteoarthritis in your knee or hip, well that's it - you hands down need a joint replacement. Or it’s only matter of time before you will need one. This prolific line of thinking probably isn’t helped by some surgeons reinforcing the theory at the end of assessments - “i’ll see you in two years for a knee replacement.” 

When I worked in the hospital system I was amazed at how much people’s health deteriorated after a fall and subsequent decent fracture. It really motivated me to stay strong, keep my balance and more importantly - keep my bones as healthy as possible.

After attending a recent nutrition seminar for Physiotherapists, I thought I'd share my top tips for bone health. 

This blog talks about ways to improve your flexibility. What the latest research tells us is the fastest way to feel more flexibile

The main currency we deal with in Physio is pain. What level is it out of 10? Does it hurt at night? 

But let's be honest. As we get older is it realistic to aim for pain free? I’m going to say no unless you're on a concoction of Mexican supplements.

10 years ago I would have made every Physio exercise 100% pain free, and would not progress until everything was pain free. The reality is I was wrong and could have rehabbed things faster. 

The balance lies between living your best life - doing whatever flips your switch, training hard or just daily exercise AND preventing long term damage stopping you from doing the above.

So… what does the research tell us

It’s a new year and a great time to introduce a new habit for your mental health. Something that I highly recommend and takes less than 5 mins per day, is journaling.

I recently listened to a podcast by an amazing GP Dr Rangan Chattergee who is a very holistic doctor. He is also a massive fan of journaling and calls it a “keystone” habit where if you do this one thing routinely, it has a massive flow on effect to the rest of your life.

Physio exercises work for the majority of injuries. In fact research shows they are probably the most important part.

But …. There are two problems 

1.They can be a little boring 

2.Once you aren’t in pain it’s easy to go back to not doing them.

However, to fix an injury you generally need to grow muscles, give them some strength, endurance, some power and get them moving in different planes of movement. It generally takes eight weeks to three months. So how do you stay on target, to genuinely change the way you feel in your body - for the better, once you’re out of pain? The best selling book Atomic habits by James Clear has some great insights into helping you get them done.

My biggest fear was getting acute low back pain. I thought I'd dodged it. I’d never ever felt more than a twinge in four plus decades. 

I felt like I could get away with never having it, given my track record to date. Until two weeks ago on the tennis court, when I picked up a tennis ball and had to be helped up the stairs. 85% of the population will experience back pain at some point. It is the most prevalent condition seen in a Physio Clinic.I’ve treated it, seen patterns and given loads of advice.

I was walking in the bush the other day wearing a pair of thongs when I reflected on the barefoot running movement. Vibrams and other minimalist shoes, the law suits, the injuries and everything in between. I reflected on some of the other fads and inventions I've seen come and go. Us humans can have a tendency to just take things a little too far. So I've indulged myself and revisited a few trends/ inventions that have come and gone, taking a look at some of the injuries they’ve caused.

With the evolution of science we now understand that both injury and pain are more complex than originally considered, and so treatment to heal requires a more holistic approach. Particularly if the discomfort from injury has hung around for more than a few weeks. 

When someone has had pain for more than 3 months it is deemed chronic and we often ask questions such as:

Being a physio for 10 years I’ve treated my fair share of people taking on a marathon and have

always been ready to give as much advice as I could but have neve had the experience to fully

understand the full demands of a training cycle and then the battle of the event it self.

That all changed this year when I decided to take on the challenge myself and see if I could

practice what I preach. So these are my top take aways from the experience

I remember when I first graduated from Physio school and someone actually gave me a job and I could practice on real life patients. My mind was in constant panic mode, thinking about what i’m doing next, what did I just do? Can I even feel what’s wrong? Are they going to be worse?  It was a constant state of fight or flight, or in my case FREEZE. 

You're running at full pace then all of a sudden it feels like you've been shot in the leg. You look around and no one is there. Suddenly you can barely walk. Straining a muscle can be extremely debilitating when it first happens. It's a pretty scary thing, particularly the first couple of days, because you literally can't walk.

Your management in the first week makes a huge difference to how quickly you're back on the field or training. Most people are back running within 4-9 days post muscle tear with the right management. 

I remember being a teenager and wanting to have a six pack. At that age, you’re learning about life, you’re learning about your body, you’re comparing yourself to everyone else. That was without social media, its ‘Influencers’ and myriad of filters. I honestly can’t imagine what it’s like these days to be a teenager, or young adult. 

What I am seeing in teens and young adults, however, are the results of failed attempts to achieve unrealistic physiques, presumably following social media trends, across all of our clinics - in both NZ and Australia.