Motion Therapy & Rehabilitation

10/12/2021

Warming up the core and shoulders with slide board work.

Shoulder movements with the slide boards force the trunk and pelvis to stabilise as well making it a high value warm up.

I start to "sag" a bit through the low back and you can see my shoulder blades protrude. Suffice to say I haven't been doing much prehab work lately.

01/12/2021

Gamification for trunk stability.

Using the resistance band as feedback to improve loading through the thoracolumbar spine.

14/11/2021

13/11/2021

Working the core, sparing the spine.

Facilitating mid-back (thoracolumbar) stability with a dead bug exercise variation.

We're using a resistance band under tension to cue the body into maintaining trunk stability.

29/10/2021

27/10/2021

Single leg squat - A convenient, low tech and challenging exercise that can be easily performed at home.

If you don't have access to weights for your regular back squat, this can be a good alternative.

All you need is a chair (or two).

It's an excellent tool to screen for leg strength differences and movement quality.

(My form needs a bit of work, my low back tends to round as I lower my body, interestingly it doesn't seem to occur when using my left leg).

18/10/2021

13/10/2021

A qoute from Ido which stuck with me.

10/10/2021

A throwback to childhood days.

Monkey bars are not only fun but a great physical activity.

- Grip strength ✔
- Shoulder mobility ✔
- Fun ✔

03/09/2021

Training intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) in a supine position.

Sufficient IAP is key to maintaining spinal stability. It's also a prerequisite for the efficient transfer of force to the arms and legs during any physical activity.

The goal during the exercise is to achieve 360 degrees of pressure around the abdomen. I'm using my fingers as a cue to create it in the video.

Whether you're a professional athlete or a leisurely walker, everyone needs spinal stability for longevity, injury prevention and performance.

03/05/2021

Patients with a history of ankle sprains (on the affected side) often have a reduced range of motion (dorsiflexion) during the knee to wall test compared to their less problematic ankle

A good benchmark to aim for is around a 12cm distance between the big toe and the wall

To test:

✔ Start with a distance of 5cm between the foot and wall and increase from there

✔ Without having your heel lift off the ground, attempt to touch the wall with your knee

✔ Increase the distance with your foot with each attempt until you can't reach the wall with your knee or your heel lifts from the ground. This will be your measurement.

Poor dorsiflexion can affect your ability to squat, lunge and run effectively.

Patients often report a burning sensation in their shins during the deep squat as they can't effectively sit on their ankles or difficulty with performing a squat in general.

Dorsiflexion is something that can be quite easily improved with a few simple exercises

19/04/2021

Patient findings:

- Poor balance on affected leg
- History of multiple ankle sprains
- Persistent stiffness and "trigger points" through ankle muscle stabilisers referring pain into their foot

Dry needles were inserted into trigger points to shut off their referred pain.

Resulted in complete resolution of symptoms

Ankle and foot proprioception and strength work to follow.

Kill the pain first to create a better environment for rehabilitative exercise