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Category: Exercises

Kineticrehabtt.comBlogExercises
By Admin Exercises, Sporting, Work Injury ,

Avoiding Low Back Injuries With Squatting

Let’s talk about 3 tips to get rid of lower back pain from squats. In most cases, pain from squatting comes to technical errors; whether the pain is in the lower back or in the knees. Sometimes, the lower back pain can actually originate from the hips

Squatting. One of those exercises we love to hate but which has so many benefits. If you’ve ever experienced back pain during or after squatting then this is the blog post for you. Capital Physio’s expert physiotherapist Julia is here to explain the benefits of squats in more detail and share her tips for preventing back pain.

Why Squat? 

Around the world athletes squat regularly. But why? Research has shown that squatting has a direct impact on your body’s power – your ability to overcome a resistance with speed. So, excellent squatting strength results in greater power and an increase in sprint speed. Even if you’re not a pro athlete, including squats in your training plan is really valuable. Benefits include:

  • Increased flexibility. Performing big movements under load improves your strength, range of movement at your joints and muscle length.
  • Greater core strength. A well-executed squat requires all the major muscles in the body to work together. Your deep stabilising muscles keep your body steady and balanced through the exercise and, over time, your core strength will improve.
  • Protection from injury. A squat works all the leg muscles together, providing great synchronisation for the body. A well-coordinated body equals a more stable body; one that is less likely to become injured when running, jumping and performing daily tasks like picking up children or lifting boxes.

Squatting and Injury

When performed properly, squatting is unlikely to result in injury. However, the spine is the most vulnerable of the joints during squatting and you may experience pain here. There are several reasons why this may happen:

  • Previous injury to the lower back
  • Poor technique
  • Weakness of the core or other surrounding muscles
  • Tight muscles and limited range of movement in joints, particularly the ankles.
  • Incorrect or ill-fitting footwear, providing inadequate arch support
  • Progressing weight/load too quickly when squatting

How To Prevent Back Pain When You Squat

Squat Variations

Firstly, choose a squat variation that’s right for you. Start with more beginner-friendly variations such as goblet or front squats. Barbell back squats are the most common for causing back pain as the weight is loaded across the back. This more advanced version of a squat requires a lot of mobility in the mid-back and shoulder areas, which we often lack.

Starting Position

Before you begin to squat, make sure you are in the correct starting position. Your feet should be facing forward. If your feet are turned out at an angle, your hips and knees are at a higher risk of injury. Your knees become less stable due to foot arches collapsing inwards, which will affect your form and can lead to back pain.

Spinal Alignment

Proper spinal alignment is facilitated by maintaining a straight ahead or upward gaze. This reduces the urge to lean too far forward, which places more stress on the spine. Make sure that you only squat as far as you feel in control and maintain good form. Concentrate more on form and control and less on depth; for some people squatting too deep can be detrimental.

Joint Mobility

A high degree of ankle mobility is required to facilitate balance and control in all parts of the squat. If ankle joint flexibility is compromised, you may find that your heels rise off the floor when your knees are most flexed. As a result, you may compensate at your ankles, knees, hips and spine, potentially leading to injury when squatting with increased weight. Again, only squat as far as you can do skilfully. Outside of squatting, work on ankle flexibility to help improve your squat technique.

I Am Getting Back Pain From Squatting; What Should I Do?

If you are still getting back pain despite following our tips above, it’s time to ask yourself these questions:

  • Are you doing an effective warm up? Priming all the body’s main muscles individually is important before a squat. Start with some glute work, core activation in a plank, stretching and range of movement exercises.
  • Consult a personal trainer. They can teach you effective warm-ups and perfect your squatting technique.
  • Visit a physiotherapist. They will conduct an assessment to identify the source of your back pain, addressing your squatting technique and bio mechanics. Following this a wide variety of treatment techniques will be used, alongside exercises to work on any issues identified in the assessment.

As you can see, there are many factors which cause lower back pain during squats. Many of these are avoidable. At Capital Physio our team are highly knowledgeable and will be happy to help you alleviate any discomfort following exercise. By identifying the root of the problem, we can help to prevent any re occurrence of the pain in future and get you back to training to your full potential.

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By Admin Exercises, Studies

Read These Three Tips For Long Car Rides

Remaining in a seated position for extended periods of time can restrict blood flow to your lower extremities, causing flexion, which is a compressive force in the spine. Stopping to stand and stretch is critical for your spine, as it releases the compression, allows for blood to flow to the nerves, and helps maintain flexibility

Long car trips can literally be a pain. But you can remain physically comfortable on long drives with these tips.

Stay alert. Drowsy driving can be fatal. Don’t push yourself to drive late into the night, when you are usually asleep. Switch drivers if you start to fade. If you’re the only driver, get a hotel room.

Pull over every 2 to 3 hours. “Sitting too long is hard on the lower back due to that constant flexed position,” says Lynn Millar, Ph.D., chair of the department of physical therapy at Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina. It may compress the discs between your vertebrae, potentially leading to pain, numbness, or tingling in the legs. Your neck and hips could get tight, too. Getting out of the car and walking around a bit can help keep you comfortable on long drives.

Stretch your back. On your driving breaks, stand tall and circle your shoulders back five times. Then reach arms overhead and arch back slightly. Hold for 5 seconds, then lower arms and repeat once or twice.

Uncramp your legs. Try this calf and hip-flexor stretch: Stand with feet staggered in a lunge, left knee bent in front and right leg straight behind so that your heel touches the ground. With hands on hips (or holding on to something for balance), clench the right side of your gluteal muscles. Hold for 30 seconds, then switch legs and repeat.

Relax your shoulders. Keeping your chin parallel to the ground, slowly draw your head back as far as you can. You might feel a stretch along your upper spine and shoulders. Repeat six times.

Flex your feet. Trips longer than 4 hours increase your risk of deep vein thrombosis, a clot that forms, usually in the lower leg or thigh, says Mary Cushman, M.D., a spokesperson for the American Heart Association. Stopping to walk around helps. Passengers in the car should do ankle rolls and alternate flexing and pointing their feet one at a time every half hour or so.

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By Admin Exercises, Physio ,

How Physical Therapy Can Prevent Injuries

Customized physical therapy may be a useful way to ease low back pain, which affects an estimated 31 million Americans a new study says. Researchers from La Trobe University observed that ‘many patients with low-back disorders persisting beyond 6 weeks do not recover.

Yearly PT check-ups?

While most people don’t have “physical therapy” on their list of check-ups each year (such as the doctor, dentist, etc.), many physical therapists see patients regularly – even when they’re not injured. Physical therapist Karen Joubert, DPT stated that, “People come see us [after] surgery or sprained ankles or prehab before surgery, but the more interesting thing is that I have patients who are getting into their 30s and 40s and are realizing, ‘Wow, I want to live longer, maybe have a family. And I don’t want to have to be hunched over or have back surgery. How can I prevent that?'”

The idea of using physical therapy as a regular, preventive measure against aches, pains, and serious injuries down the road is something our team has always advocated, as well. Many of our patients are regular visitors who prefer physical therapy to other forms of pain management like massage, prescription drugs, chiropractic visits, or injections.

The article goes on to explain that “Physical therapists often work with people who are healing from an injury to help them restore proper movement patterns in the body and avoid future injury. They do this by teaching them how to do exercises that will strengthen important muscles, and work on improving mobility and alignment required for optimal physical function.”

For those that hit the gym hard

“Seeing a physical therapist when you feel perfectly fine can be beneficial for some people—especially those who hit the gym hard,” says Marturana. “Most preventive patients are looking for ways to keep their bodies functioning properly and avoid injury.” If you’re at the gym with the intention of changing the way your body looks, it’s common that you’ll encounter minor injuries along the way. Most people won’t even consider them injuries – just little tweaks or strains. Many push right past these warning signs not considering the more permanent damage that can come down the road.

The counterarguments

The article also speaks to the counterarguments about physical therapy as a preventive measure. The two major points brought up are: a) if you’re already cured; and b) if it’s too costly. If you visited a physical therapist in the past for pain in your arm and that pain was completely resolved, the article suggests that there is no need to go back to “tune up” your arm. In many instances, this is right – if an issue is completely resolved, physical therapy for that exact same issue may not help all that much. However, in our experience we find that patients rarely are 100% healthy in every part of their body. Just because your arm pain has been resolved, the point of a regular check-up is to make sure everything else is functioning correctly and address other issues before they lead to another major incident.

As for the cost argument, the article says, “Seeing a physical therapist before training for an Ironman or joining a recreational adult soccer league is a smart idea to avoid injury and learn what your body needs (in terms of alignment and mobility and stability) during training. When it comes to just seeing a physical therapist on the regular to check in, it’s definitely not going to hurt, but it also might not be worth your money. It’s a pretty personal decision, though—if it seems beneficial to you and your health and fitness goals, then it probably is worth it.” It goes on to state that while seeing a physical therapist once a week or month may not be cheap, neither is getting injured. Ultimately, it comes down to how much you value your wellbeing (and how good your insurance is).

What you may not know

What many people don’t know is that nearly every state allows you to visit a physical therapist without a referral from your doctor or approval from your insurance company. To be sure, all you have to do is call a physical therapy clinic and ask them to verify your insurance before you come in. The front desk team will let you know what your co-pay will be (if any) and how many visits you can come in for without any kind of referral or prescription.

We’ll leave you with one last nugget of wisdom from this article: “If something hurts, stop doing it. If you think you injured yourself, see your doctor or a physical therapist to address it before it gets worse. You only get one body, so it’s always worth giving it the TLC it deserves.”

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