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Blogs and resources
Tendinopathy
Tendinitis, tendinopathy, tenosynovitis, tendon pathology, what does it all mean Basil? You may have heard one or more of these terms being thrown around at the water cooler from time to time. That’s because upwards of 5% of the population experience differing levels of impairment from these conditions daily and much more (up to 45%) have experienced it at some point in their life. So what exactly is it?
Tendons are the contractile tissues that connect muscles to bone allowing transmission of forces to allow movement. Tendinopathy is a condition most often caused by repetitive loading of these tendons which causes pain, localised tenderness and impaired performance. This can arise in sporting athletes as well as the general population in the workplace.
Specifically tendons are made up of collagen which is an organisation of proteins made to withstand considerable forces, it is found in varying numbers in all connective tissues of the body such as bone, ligaments, cartilage and tendon. Tendinopathy occurs in 3 different stages, where the tendon reacts to the stimulus causing inflammation with no structural damage; disrepair where there is some damage and poor repair and degenerative which is a chronic tendinopathy. The mechanism of tendinopathy is poorly understood, however the most well known theories put forward are poorly compensated collagen synthesis, growth factor increases in the blood and other inflammatory markers which may play a role. The main implication is that blood supply is poor in tendons which is what makes tendinopathy such a pesky condition to recover from.
The good news is there is a lot of evidence which shows success in managing these conditions no matter what stage it is at. Recent research shows that strength exercise plus diligent time management between sessions can have a significantly improved outcome. Exercising once every 2-3 days has shown to counteract the degredation of collagen which occurs if you repetitively load a tendon too often. Lesson? Exercise smarter not too much!
Specific types of exercise are also much more effective than others depending on the presentation and stage of tendinopathy you are at. As always, you will need a physio to take the guess work out of this and give you a correct diagnosis before you venture of into the unknown of tendinopathy management!
Tendons are the contractile tissues that connect muscles to bone allowing transmission of forces to allow movement. Tendinopathy is a condition most often caused by repetitive loading of these tendons which causes pain, localised tenderness and impaired performance. This can arise in sporting athletes as well as the general population in the workplace.
Specifically tendons are made up of collagen which is an organisation of proteins made to withstand considerable forces, it is found in varying numbers in all connective tissues of the body such as bone, ligaments, cartilage and tendon. Tendinopathy occurs in 3 different stages, where the tendon reacts to the stimulus causing inflammation with no structural damage; disrepair where there is some damage and poor repair and degenerative which is a chronic tendinopathy. The mechanism of tendinopathy is poorly understood, however the most well known theories put forward are poorly compensated collagen synthesis, growth factor increases in the blood and other inflammatory markers which may play a role. The main implication is that blood supply is poor in tendons which is what makes tendinopathy such a pesky condition to recover from.
The good news is there is a lot of evidence which shows success in managing these conditions no matter what stage it is at. Recent research shows that strength exercise plus diligent time management between sessions can have a significantly improved outcome. Exercising once every 2-3 days has shown to counteract the degredation of collagen which occurs if you repetitively load a tendon too often. Lesson? Exercise smarter not too much!
Specific types of exercise are also much more effective than others depending on the presentation and stage of tendinopathy you are at. As always, you will need a physio to take the guess work out of this and give you a correct diagnosis before you venture of into the unknown of tendinopathy management!
Exercise and mental health
Everyone understands the health benefits associated with exercise physically, but did you know that physical activity can lift your mental health as well?
Physical activity can actually alleviate moderate symptoms of depression and anxiety. This is especially important to know considering that suicide is among the top ten causes for death in Australian men. This is a statistic that seems to be influenced by men’s need for self-reliance and reluctance to seek help. Maintaining a healthy active lifestyle can also prevent the decline in cognitive function associated with aging. Regular daily causative stress factors can seem to increase as you age, thus using exercise to combat depression and cognitive decline should be recommended to the aging population.
The exact link between exercise and mental health appears to be due to certain hormonal changes that occur during physical activity. Serotonin levels in particular, can alter similarly to the mechanism of anti-depressant drugs. There are also many other mechanisms for improved mental health due to exercise. Exercise causes your body to release endorphins which act to reduce pain perception as well as improve your mood. This may be triggered by exercise itself, listening to music whilst exercising, running with a buddy, seeing improvements in performance and appearance, or achieving goals.
5 reasons why you should still be playing team sport’s into your 40’s:
Self image: The physical benefits of exercise such as enhanced health and appearance can transfer over into more confidence and an enhanced self identity.
Long term happiness: Being part of a team can give athletes a greater sense of self belonging. This is due to the social interactions and friendships developed within the team environment.
Motivation – all pushing to one goal: Exercising can sometimes be a chore if there is no end goal in mind. If you are in a team of likeminded individuals, it is much easier to draw on them for motivation.
Less stress, more fun: Playing a team sport where everyone is having fun can often conceal the effort and hard work involved with exercise. Making it a stress free activity can maximise the mental health benefits associated with exercise.
Trying something new – new lease on life: You may be at an age where fun experiences are few and far between. Like anything in life, throwing yourself into the unknown can be a daunting but exciting experience. You may find something you really enjoy and play for years to come!
Physical activity can actually alleviate moderate symptoms of depression and anxiety. This is especially important to know considering that suicide is among the top ten causes for death in Australian men. This is a statistic that seems to be influenced by men’s need for self-reliance and reluctance to seek help. Maintaining a healthy active lifestyle can also prevent the decline in cognitive function associated with aging. Regular daily causative stress factors can seem to increase as you age, thus using exercise to combat depression and cognitive decline should be recommended to the aging population.
The exact link between exercise and mental health appears to be due to certain hormonal changes that occur during physical activity. Serotonin levels in particular, can alter similarly to the mechanism of anti-depressant drugs. There are also many other mechanisms for improved mental health due to exercise. Exercise causes your body to release endorphins which act to reduce pain perception as well as improve your mood. This may be triggered by exercise itself, listening to music whilst exercising, running with a buddy, seeing improvements in performance and appearance, or achieving goals.
5 reasons why you should still be playing team sport’s into your 40’s:
Self image: The physical benefits of exercise such as enhanced health and appearance can transfer over into more confidence and an enhanced self identity.
Long term happiness: Being part of a team can give athletes a greater sense of self belonging. This is due to the social interactions and friendships developed within the team environment.
Motivation – all pushing to one goal: Exercising can sometimes be a chore if there is no end goal in mind. If you are in a team of likeminded individuals, it is much easier to draw on them for motivation.
Less stress, more fun: Playing a team sport where everyone is having fun can often conceal the effort and hard work involved with exercise. Making it a stress free activity can maximise the mental health benefits associated with exercise.
Trying something new – new lease on life: You may be at an age where fun experiences are few and far between. Like anything in life, throwing yourself into the unknown can be a daunting but exciting experience. You may find something you really enjoy and play for years to come!
Groin strain
The groin strain is an injury to the muscle group which adduct the femur into the midline of the body. The adductor longus muscle is most commonly injured and is quite frequent in soccer. This is because it is required to produce a strong eccentric contraction of these muscles when in lengthened positions such as side stepping, changing direction quickly in response to a change in direction of the ball or simply when running at a fast pace. The strain is usually at the insertion of the muscle to the pelvis.
The adductor longus is the most commonly injured. It is thought to be contributed by the large forces which are transmitted during multidirectional activities over the pubic symphysis due to it being a fulcrum for the abdominal and adductor muscles. It can become chronic eg tendinopathy if left untreated or returning to sport too soon.
Common misconceptions of acute injuries such as the groin strain is there needs to be a period of rest to allow the muscle/tendon to heal. Research shows that early load and exercise has a more beneficial effect to gain improvements in range of movement and strength to allow the muscle to heal.
As always it is important to have any groin pain assessed by a health professional in order to understand firstly the structures that may be affected, and then determining the best course of treatment for you.