injury

Shock Wave therapy

Shock Wave therapy
Shock Wave therapy 750 502 Ace Health Centre

Shock Wave therapy

Shock wave therapy (otherwise known as Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy – ESWT) is a modality of treatment whereas a machine passes sound waves through the tissues in the body to promote healing. Similar to ultrasound but at a lower frequency which causes the “shocks to be felt”. This process is a non-invasive technique that is suggested to promote the formation of new blood vessels at the tendon-bone junction, stimulate tendon cells (tenocytes), increase white blood cell count and amplify growth factor and protein synthesis to promote collagen synthesis and tissue remodelling. 

How does Shock Wave feel?

This can be a tender process due to targeting sore areas of the body but the intensity of shock waves can be adjusted by the operator, to the tolerance of the individual. This allows the process to be more enjoyable without much effect to the treatment. 

What is it used for?

Shock wave therapy is primarily used in the treatment of common orthopaedic musculoskeletal conditions. These include;

  • Muscle tendinopathies of the upper or lower limb
  • Plantar fasciitis 
  • Adhesive capsulitis 
  • Non-union of long bone fractures
  • Avascular necrosis of femoral head
  • Shin splints (Medial tibial stress syndrome)
  • Osteoarthritis of the knee 

Most of the time Shock wave is best used in combination with other treatment modalities such as exercise to promote the strengthening of the tissues during the remodelling phase after new blood vessel growth and collagen synthesis. Hands-on physio massage can also help release the tight aggravated muscles to help relieve even more pain. 

So if you have had that niggly or ongoing injury that just won’t go away, then Shock wave might be the treatment for you! Best to book in with our physio or podiatrist today and start the assessment process to determine the best fit for your condition. 

Rotator Cuff Injury

Rotator cuff injury
Rotator cuff injury 1500 750 Ace Health Centre

Rotator cuff injury

Have you ever experienced continuing shoulder pain in the upper arm/shoulder blade? It’s more than likely related to rotator cuff injury/weakness

But what is a rotator cuff injury?

The Rotator cuff is a group of 3 muscles that help stabilise and move the shoulder. The rotator cuff is a commonly injured area resulting in tear, Tendinopathy or bursitis.

#Tear is an acute episode of overstretching the tissues until they are damaged. These injuries typically cause intense and immediate pain. Usually occurs with some sort of traumatic mechanism car accident, fall onto the shoulder, lifting heavy items etc.

#Tendinopathy is an injury caused by chronic overuse. Repetitive strain is placed on the muscles with not enough recovery time in-between. This causes the muscle to become inflamed and poor in integrity.

#Bursitis is the inflammation of a bursa that helps protect structures in the shoulder (like a cushion). This can be acute or chronic. This is caused by the shoulder being too unstable, usually from rotator cuff injury/weakness.

Although the rotator cuff has individual actions its main role is shoulder stability.

The shoulder joint itself is a ball and socket joint, but with one large ball (arm) and one small socket (shoulder blade). This allows for a great range of motion but poor stability of the joint (can pop out easily). The group of muscles called the rotator cuff comes off the socket, grab the ball and pull the ball back toward the socket to increase the stability of the joint. Thus they are working most of the time in all different positions to hold the two together.

Common symptoms

Rotator cuff injury can be but is not restricted to the following;

  • weakness through shoulder
  • Loss of shoulder full range of motion 
  • Pain when lying on the effect side
  • Clicking or grinding noises 
  • Pain with overhead or lifting activities
  • Trouble reaching behind your back

Individuals at risk

  • older age groups (>40yrs)
  • Sedentary lifestyle
  • Jobs with a repetitive shoulder strain
  • Sports with repetitive shoulder strain (throwing/gym)
  • Previous shoulder injuries

This conditioning is diagnosed either by imaging (US or MRI) or assessment by a skilled practitioner such as a physiotherapist or sports Dr. 

This article was written by our physio Christian. Call us today to book in with him if you have a shoulder injury.

ACL  knee ligament injuries

ACL  knee ligament injuries
ACL  knee ligament injuries 765 402 Ace Health Centre

ACL  knee ligament injuries

A common injury athletes fear is ACL  knee ligament injuries. Why is this though? You may hear announcers talk about an athlete’s rehab journey after they have returned. You may even hear them talk about how bad it will be if it was the ACL that was injured on the play. So why is it that this particular injury is feared more than others?

Purpose of the ACL knee ligament

Like all ligaments, the ACL’s job is to maintain efficient movement within the knee. The ACL helps stabilize the knee and prevents the shin from sliding forward. It does this by attaching from the posterior aspect of the thigh bone (femur) to the anterior portion of the shin bone (tibia). The ACL does not work alone though. There are several other ligaments that surround the knee to help stabilize it. These include the MCL, PCL, and LCL. Along with the combination of ligaments, the muscles surrounding the knee also help the knee move and stabilize.

Mechanism of Injury

For the most part, we will see ACL injuries from athletes involved in contact sports, or sports with a quick change in directions. Depending on the severity, the injury can be classified under grade 1, 2, or 3. Grade 1 injuries can be described as mild, painful with minimal stretching/tearing of ligament fibers. The next is Grade 2 injuries can be described as moderate. It can be painful with up to 50% of ligament fibers torn. And finally, Grade 3 injuries can be described as severe. It may or may not be painful, and complete rupture of the ligament fibers.

Although grade 1 and 2 injuries are not as severe, we can still see recovery times lasting up to 12 weeks. But how do you tell the difference between the grade of injury? While a proper assessment by a health professional can determine this. Athletes will have an idea of when a grade 3 injury has occurred as there will be a popping sound.

Recovery

Now to discuss the injury we all fear as athletes. Grade 3 ACL injury. Grade 3 injuries differ to the grade 1 and 2 injury for recovery as the ligament has been ruptured. This means that most athletes will opt for surgery. ACL reconstruction is a surgery performed to replace the ruptured ligament with a hamstring tendon or patella tendon. So we have a replacement ligament, but why does it take so long for athletes to return to sport? The tendon is not built the same way a ligament is but can adapt to do the job. This takes time for the adaption to take place. The recovery for this can last around 9 months for a full return to sport (sometimes longer).

Following surgery the new ligament will be limited in the movement it is allowed to prevent re-rupture. During this time we may lose muscle mass, and strength in the operated leg. Along with the surgeon’s protocol for exercises, it is important to work with a physiotherapist. A physiotherapist can safely manage exercises, and progress exercises to provide optimal recovery. As we start to feel better, less pain, and stronger we may think we are ready for a return to sport. However, returning too early can increase our risk of re-rupture.

From this understanding, it is important to work with surgeons, doctors, coaches, and physiotherapists to help design a return to sport plan.

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