Aidan Rich

It’s been a while since our previous look at the mechanisms and benefits of blood flow restriction (or occlusion) training. Since then there has been some more research evaluating the effect of blood flow restriction for both knee pain and quadricep strength. Today we will have a look through these recent publications.

Aidan Rich

Plyometric exercises generally involve body weight jumping, hopping and bounding activity.

The aim of plyometrics is to make the muscles in the leg more efficient at storing and releasing energy (the “stretch-shortening cycle”) which is very important for efficient running.  Often with age, or with high volumes of low to moderate-intensity running, the ability of the muscles to act in this way is decreased, leading to more ‘sticking’ on the ground with every step.  Incorporating regular plyometrics in your running program can assist with slowing down, or even reversing these changes.

Charles Ruddock

Self-compassion has become a key strategy used within modern psychology treatments. Dr Kristin Neff and Dr Paul Gilbert (known for Compassion Focused Therapy – CFT) and many others have helped to develop and research the use of self-compassion and bring it into the practices of many psychologists for treating people with a range of psychological conditions. 

Luke Surkitt

 The McKenzie method - also known as Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (MDT) – is a system of assessing and treating musculoskeletal problems commonly used by practitioners around the world. It was developed by New Zealand physiotherapist Robin McKenzie who found that specific postures and movements could help patients to reduce back and neck pain, improve movement and increase function. The McKenzie method can also be used for common problems of the extremities (your arms and legs).

David Goulding

Whiplash Associated Disorders (WAD) are defined as soft tissue injuries that result from “an acceleration-deceleration mechanism of energy transfer to the neck” (Pastakia & Kumar, 2011). These types of injuries are most commonly seen as the result of rear-end or side- impact motor vehicle accidents but can also occur through other circumstances.

Shay McLeod

The Lisfranc joint is the point at which the metatarsal bones (long bones that lead up to the toes) and the tarsal bones (bones in the arch) connect. The bones are held in place by connective tissues (ligaments) that stretch both across and down the foot. This is important for maintaining proper alignment and strength of the joint.

Charles Ruddock

When a client comes into one of our pain management programs, their injury, pain and related symptoms are comprehensively assessed to ensure a tailored individualised program can be provided. One scale administered is called the Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ) (1). The scale looks at the concept of “self-efficacy.” Psychologist Albert Bandura defined self-efficacy as: "how well one can execute courses of action required to deal with prospective situations.”(2) Another way of understanding self-efficacy, might be whether someone moves toward obstacles/challenges, or whether they move away from them.