Achilles Pain

This is pain above your heel and often comes from suddenly starting to move, slowing down or pivoting. It is more common in people who wear high heels as it puts a lot of pressure on the tendon and those with tight calf muscles.

Gentle stretching and wearing shoes with a low heel can be helpful whilst it is healing.

As with other tendon and muscle injuries it is important to strengthen the area as well to help speed up your recovery and prevent if from recurring.

If you have an Achilles tear that is either relatively new or just not healing completely try out the exercises in the video below. With rehab exercises it is important to have no pain with them.

If you have an Achilles injury that you are getting frustrated with or it isn't healing on its own and would like some help, please contact us or book in online.

Stronger is Better

I hope you enjoyed the October Long Weekend and have adjusted to the clock going forward.  I love this time of year as the days are getting longer.

People tend to get back into exercise if they let their exercise regime lapse over winter. I want to share with you a wonderful exercise to help strengthen your core stabilising muscles, it is called the Pallof Press. It is so important to have a strong core to minimise spinal injury.  Please take a look at this video on our new Riverside Chiropractic YouTube channel.   We will be uploading more videos to our channel in the near future which is very exciting.

We will be uploading more videos to our channel soon which is very exciting.

Avoiding Back Injury Whilst Training

Back pain affects 80 percent of the population. 99 percent of cases are non-life threatening, and may be the result of :
- Muscle strain
- Joint strain 
- Disc strain

Symptoms can range from a mild ache to severe pain, not only in the back but also radiating down either one or both legs. The good news is there's a lot that can be done to help with the management of symptoms and get you back to a normal, pain free lifestyle.

Here are some tips for avoiding back injury while training:

* A strong core is the key to preventing back injuries. Ensure you engage your core muscles i.e. keep them contracted during cardio and resistance training

* Keep a neutral pelvis and lumbar spine at all times

* If you are suffering back pain, stick to exercises involving little to no low back movement and low impact cardio

* Rowing - Keep back straight, bring shoulder blades in and down with every stroke

* Horizontal/seated leg press - is to be avoided as it does not encourage core stabilizers and can cause disc injury

* Keep arm weights below shoulder level - to avoid neck strain. Also, avoid poking your chin out whilst exerting yourself

Pain is not normal; it indicates that there is a problem, pushing through it may cause extra harm. If you are experiencing pain or discomfort during or after training, come and see one of the chiropractic team at Riverside Chiropractic for a full assessment, x-rays can be taking if required and treatment provided.

Avoiding Sports Injuries This Winter

Ankle injuries are very common in all sports, and more so in winter. They can be caused by uneven surfaces as well as poor footwear and ground conditions.  The ‘lateral’ or outside ligaments of the ankle are the ones most commonly injured along with the Achilles tendon. Tendons join muscles to bones, and tendon injuries are very common in the shoulders and ankles.

Knee pain would have to be one of the most common injuries after ankle pain. The knees can be injured in most winter sports, such as soccer, basketball, skiing and rugby to name a few. The most common injury we see would be a strain of the medial ligament and the medial cartilage (meniscus) along with associated muscle strains. In simpler terms, a ligament joins bone to bone and cartilage is the 'shock absorber'. Symptoms include pain in the knee and the knee cap, clicking and swelling.

Regular stretching and treatment before and after sports is a simple and effective way to reduce the likelihood of injury and shorten the healing time.