German-born Joseph Pilates invented the classical pilates method while working to rehabilitate soldiers badly injured in war. He used resistance devices attached to beds to allow bed ridden patients to exercise their muscles. He only wrote one book on his technique before he died. Since the passing of Joseph Pilates, the techniques have been modified and enhanced. The principles have been refined to reflect current understanding of anatomy, physiology and kinesiology.
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Why practice Yoga?
Through the practice of yoga, we become aware of our postural holding patterns, our weaknesses and our imbalances. Some of these things can lead to pain and injury. With awareness, we can learn how to balance the muscular and skeletal systems of the body, create strength and flexibility and correct postural dysfunctions before they become troublesome.
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Concussion
Laura Bhreathnach May 2017
I recently attended the Safe Rugby level 2 first aid course at the Aviva stadium. This updated my knowledge on the management of concussion, spinal injuries and general sports first aid. These skills will help me deliver a high standard of care at Peak physiotherapy. Something that kept coming up on this course was the poor understanding and management of concussion across the country. Therefore I thought it would be helpful to provide some information on the management and symptoms of concussion.
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Mindfulness
Mindfulness seems to be a buzzword nowadays. Truth be told it is a concept that has been around for centuries. In our current world, we are more distracted than ever with social media and the internet taking over the majority of our lives. We lose focus on basic things like our breathing, our thoughts and feelings.
Mindfulness is based our the principle of being present when doing a specific task. This could relate to being aware of eating when you are ACTUALLY eating. Thinking about the taste, texture, smell in a relaxed and patient manner. The opposite is obviously shovelling enough food down our throats and hope that you wont be hungry by the time you get your next break or are interrupted by family or work colleagues.
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Tendinopathies are a common source of pain in athletes. However for coaches and patients it can be difficult to understand and acknowledge in training and competitions. They develop over the course of preseason where the intensity of the training is increased. Stereo-typically athletes experience an aching tendon or region at the start of a session, ease off once the tissue is warmed up and then a dull ache the next day for 24hours, slightly more than normally. If the ache in question is worse for greater than 48hours, the sporting activity is likely too much for the tissue at that time and a rehab plan should be started.
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This is one of the most common thoughts when considering trying out yoga classes and one of the most untrue. If your flexibility is lacking, then you’re exactly the person who SHOULD be doing yoga. The ability to contort yourself into wild and wonderful postures is not a pre-requisite for either participating in or enjoying a yoga class. In fact, contrary to popular belief, complicated, twisty, and extreme postures are not the majority in yoga. Yoga is for everyone, and everyone can do it.
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Plantar fasciopathy has been used as the new name for plantar fasciitis and it makes good sense why.
Plantar fasciopathy can be a runner’s nightmare. Athletes are training really hard, trying to increase their training load for the upcoming races and boom, they start to get pain in the bottom of their foot or heel.
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Calf injuries are very common in running and are arguably the most frequent injury. As well as our normal running training, we walk a lot during the day and wear heels/ unsupported footwear which cause increased load in our calves. The extra load on the calf can lead to tightness or a calf tear. A calf tear can have you out of training for anything from 2-12 weeks depending on the type of tear you have.
Follow the simple tips below to prevent yourself from this injury.
read more One of the questions I get asked the most is what are the best stretches to do.
Really you consider first the reason for doing the stretching. If its to get ready for an activity such as running or playing a sport you should warm up with dynamic stretching. If you are looking to increase your flexibility, warm down or prevent injury you can opt for static stretching.
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More and more of us nowadays are braving the Dublin roads and donning our cycling gear as a way of commuting as well as a recreational activity. In this month’s blog we want to look at some Do’s and Don’ts of cycling.
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