Tag Archives: rehabilitation

Muscle Imbalance and Injury Risk – Tips for Physiotherapists and Personal Trainers

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Many people looking to get fit end up with injuries, and it is a sad fact that many of these injuries can be prevented by looking more closely at how the exercise programs are structured and how they effectively balance all the muscles of the body.

Muscle balance can be defined as the “relationship between both the strength and the length of muscles and groups of muscles as they cross over joints “. This definition leads us to the conclusion that it is possible for muscles to have any or a combination of the following : Continue reading →

Shoulder Joint and AC Joint Pain – Exercise Tips for Personal Trainers

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Pain originating from the AC joint (the joint at the end of the collarbone – on top of the shoulder) is usually well localized and the client will often place one finger directly over the AC joint when asked to indicate the most painful area.

There is usually discomfort with humerus and scapula movement, particularly movements where the arm is brought across the body into a horizontally flexed position. Uncomfortable exercises in the gym may include bench press ( particularly wide grip bench as you have found already), dips and push-ups. The person often has difficulty sleeping on the effected side. Continue reading →

Ankle Sprain – Proprioception is Essential

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I often say that “one of the best predictors if future injury is past injury“ – as a previously damaged  muscle, ligament or joint is often weaker and the patient may have returned to full activity when there is still residual post injury weakness, swelling or instability.

In the ankle – it has been suggested that between 40% and 70% of all first time ankle sprain patients will sustain a re-sprain of the same joint some time in the 12 months after the initial injury – this is why “Proprioception and Balance” is such an important part of the rehabilitation protocol. Continue reading →