What is cadence and how do I increase it when running?
Cadence (or stride rate) is simply “How many steps you take in 1 minute”. When running, knowing your cadence can be a useful tool to help improve technique. Think about cycling up a hill in a high gear. It requires a lot of effort to turn the pedals and is quite inefficient. If you change to a low gear you can turn the pedals much easier and requires less effort to climb the hill.
I have a headache, can Physiotherapy help?
Headaches are a common complaint that affect approximately two thirds of the population. At Oxford Circus Physio we treat people with headaches on a daily basis. We pride ourselves on arming our patients with the tools to effectively treat and prevent their recurrence. The two most common types of headaches we treat are tension headaches and cervical headaches.
Skiing Injury Prevention and Fitness
We’ve switched the heating on and started to wear woolly jumpers so it must be time to get prepared for that ski holiday. There are a few key tips to work on before you hit the slopes.
Iliotibial Band Friction Syndrome
Your ITB is the band that attaches your tensor facia latae (TFL) muscle to the knee. As the ITB is not actually a muscle, it is not possible for it to become tight.
The TFL is attached to the pelvis and the knee (via the ITB). It is possible to place increased tension through the ITB by moving one end of it away from the other- like pulling on one end of an elastic band if held between 2 fingers.
‘Shin Splints’ – What is it and how do I treat it?
Shin splints is an umbrella term for a number of different injuries that can occur in the shin/lower leg area. Although these can present quite differently, the causative factors are often the same and may include; abnormal biomechanics such as excessive supination or pronation (rolling in and out) of the foot, tight or weak lower leg muscles, leg length discrepancy, ankle instability and overuse (increased running and sports) or training errors.
The role of your gluteal muscles in running: Why does gluteal strength matter so much?
Inner range gluteal strength is the strength when your pelvis is in neutral and your hips are extended. The majority people spend much of the day in a hip flexed position- sitting, where the gluteals are working in their outer range, making it common for weakness to be seen in their inner range.
Sore shoulder after sleeping – Help!
I have been experiencing a dull pain in my left shoulder which feels like it’s behind the front delt. I first noticed it three days ago when I woke up after falling asleep on my left arm in an awkward position. Unfortunately I didn’t think too much of it and went training that evening where I did a leg weight training session which included front squats. I think the movement aggravated my shoulder so I have rested since.
Any remedial advice would be much appreciated.
What standing posture do I have?
The way we hold ourselves in standing affects the way we load our bodies, and therefore has an impact on whether we manage to stay injury free. If we are overloading certain structures such as joints, nerves, ligaments, muscles and tendons over time, this can end up leading to pain and injury.
PRICE – The protocol for immediate treatment of injury
Winter usually brings with it an increase risk of injury for runners due to icy surfaces and fallen leaves making conditions treacherous underfoot. Should you be one of the unlucky ones to sprain an ankle in the pursuit of health and fitness whilst many are thinking about filling up on mince pies and mulled wine do not despair!
Is Massage beneficial for runners with knee pain?
Running is one of the most popular sports in the UK. and every year more and more people are joining running clubs, signing up for marathons or just running out their front door round the local park. It is a great way to keep yourself fit and healthy but it can lead to various injuries.
Why is my back pain worse in the morning?
The spine is made up of bones called vertebrae and in between each vertebrae is a structure called the intervertebral disc or IVD. The disc is like a sponge and absorbs shock between the bones consisting of a high percentage of fluid.
Back and Pelvic Pain during Pregnancy
During pregnancy your body undergoes many changes which can affect your musculoskeletal system and make you more prone to experiencing pain in your back and pelvis. Relaxin is a hormone produced that peaks at week 12 of pregnancy and continues to be produced throughout pregnancy. It has the role of increasing the laxity in your ligaments allowing your baby to grow and allowing the birthing process itself to occur.
Is your iPad hurting you?
We are all fairly aware of the dangers of poor workstation set up and overuse injuries in the workplace. The 80s and 90s saw a huge rise in technology in the work place and office-life as we know it dramatically changed. We became more sedentary in nature and began relying more and more on our computers and eventually email systems. Due to this inactivity and repetition of tasks there was a growth in the number of work place overuse injuries. Slowly we have developed ways of combating these injuries and most office workers are never far from an “Ergonomic workstation assessment”.
My ACL Rehabilitation
This Blog is brought to you by one of our athletes recovering from a ruptured Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL). He had a Hamstring tendon graft and also required metal work removal from a previous fracture in the leg. He has been through the wars so is sharing his personal experience here…
What is the best way to recover post London Marathon?
We often get asked this question. “Liz” asked our experts what we would recommend to help her recover from the London Marathon next weekend. Firstly if there are any swollen bits or areas of particular concern we would advise you to ice – a common area to be swollen is around the outer part of your knees. Gentle stretching is also beneficial – even better try and get to a pool the day after the marathon to do some gentle walking and do your stretches in the pool. Nutrition is also important you should try and replace fluids in the form of glycogen stores and also protein.