In a previous blog, we looked at many of the treatment options for knee and hip osteoarthritis. There was one that we left out and it’s the big one - exercise!

People are often told to rest with hip and knee osteoarthritis, to avoid ‘wear and tear’, however an appropriate amount of exercise can be the exact thing your joints need. Remember, ‘motion is lotion’!

Hip and knee osteoarthritis are very common conditions, affecting up to 5-15% of all people. Osteoarthritis can cause symptoms including pain, morning stiffness, loss of joint flexibility, swelling and reduced ability to undertake occupational and sporting activities.

There are a variety of treatment options available for treatment of hip and knee osteoarthritis, these are in three broad categories

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.

Shay Mcleod

A common complaint amongst female peri/post menopausal women is an onset of pain over the outside of the hip. Researchers in this area believe that this issue is most common for this demographic population due to the width of the female pelvis, hormonal changes that occur affecting the homeostasis of the tendon, weight gain which is common during this stage and overload to the tendons around the outer hip due to activity changes and poor biomechanics.

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. 

Jon Ford

To answer simply - a lot! At Advance Healthcare we pride ourselves on our evidence-based approach to our clients’ care. We are passionate advocates for evidence-based practice. We are widely involved in research projects and many of our therapists are PhD graduates and published research authors.

 In relation to your low back pain, the Advance Healthcare team, with the clinical director Dr Jon Ford as the research lead, published a landmark study called the STOPs trial in the internationally respected British Medical Journal in 2015.

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.

Advance Healthcare is proud to announce the opening of it's new clinic in Dandenong in December 2017.  The clinic is located on Frankston-Dandenong road, within 5 minutes of Dandenong city and 20 minutes of Frankston.

Matt Richards

Chronic pain, otherwise referred to as persistent pain, is a phrase often used to describe conditions that have lasted a significant period, often more than 3 months, and represents a pain related problem where a significant proportion fail to resolve... Read more

Matt Richards

Much has been written about persistent pain conditions in adults and the recommendations for clinical management. However, it is understood that such conditions also impact an adolescent population and it is important to understand these conditions and to investigate appropriate management.

Daniel Di Mauro

Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) is a complex clinical presentation caused by the irritation, compression or traction of the nerves, arteries or veins that pass through the thoracic outlet, a small anatomical space between the clavicle (collarbone), first rib and cervical spine vertebra

Physiotherapy in many cases can be effective for treatment of this condition

Daniel Di Mauro

Shin pain is common for individuals who participate in running sports and is frequently experienced by football players participating in pre-season training. This is partly due to an increased volume of running typically on hard surfaces. 

Daniel Di Mauro

Ankle sprains are a very common physical injury.  They are prevalent in running sports but can also occur in the home, community or workplace.  Many dismiss sprains as simple injuries that will recover on their own, however there is scientific evidence to show that physiotherapy and rehabilitation can improve your recovery and reduce your risk of ongoing problems. Read more...

Matt Richards

The benefits of exercise for back pain have previously been discussed, but perhaps at a more basic level, remaining active with LBP is commonly advised by health practitioners and there are high profile examples frequently observed. Read more