Rehab Cafe Blog

Supraspinatus Tendon Rehab - will this Work??

MOST therapists actually use this Resisted External Rotation exercise for MOST shoulder problems, but I have major concerns!

Supraspinatus Tendon Isometric Iso-Integration Part II

How do you ‘rehab’ the Supraspinatus Tendon that so often gets aggravated in the gym with loaded shoulder movements? It both tends to get inhibited, and also therefore needs to be activated NOT stretched back into function.

Supraspinatus Tendon Isometric Iso-Integration Part I

Supraspinatus Isometric Iso-Integration: The key thing to remember here is that the primary job of Supraspinatus is as depressor of the ball in the socket (it mostly prevents the ball riding up). So watch my video and let’s chat about the research!

Isometric Iso-Integration Holds - Gluteus Medius

There are quite a lot of great Glut Medius exercises you could use in an Isometric Hold, but none are as functional as doing it on 1 or 2 legs in standing with the tubing, hence Isometric Iso-Integration like in todays video.

ISOMETRIC ISO-INTEGRATION HOLDS - UPPER HAMSTRING

Any runner that has experienced chronic upper Hamstring pain (right up near the Glut) knows how frustrating and stubborn this injury can be…I saw quite a few in my time as a Sports Physio at the Australian Institute of Sport 20 years ago. Marathoners and sprinters are both affected but perhaps a little more the distance runners due to the repetitive nature of it; sprinters tend to get injuries in the belly of the Hamstring.

ISOMETRIC ISO-INTEGRATION HOLDS - PATELLAR

So - Knee Pain…and specifically when you have a really sore to touch Patellar tendon (but I think many other types of knee pain also), one of the best starting points is Isometric Holds for the Quadriceps.

ISOMETRIC ISO-INTEGRATION HOLDS: ACHILLES

Thanks for your patience last week, and now let's open up the world of Isometrics for you! It’s a more recent development in the world of tendon rehab, and I’ve certainly used it to good effect with my own grumpy Biceps, Achilles and Patellar Tendons ;)

Of course, you may know by now that at Rehab Trainer we are not just about doing the simple prescribed thing that the research can help to highlight, but adding unique creative ingredients so we maximise the outcome for the client. And minimise the pain! When we simply add extra tubing tension into the basic exercise, then we get what we have always found works even better than just Isometric Holds:

Rehab Friday 169: Rehab Combos Single Leg Hip Control

Useful for ALL running sports as a warm-up, especially if you carry niggling injuries!

Rehab Friday 168: Rehab Combos Overhead Press

How does your back feel when you do overhead press? How does your pelvis react when you lock out the movement? Too much anterior tilt from tight Hip Flexors is NOT good for your Lumbar facet joints. Learn where to stretch to fix this.

Rehab Combos Overhead Impingement

In today’s video we are using our Functional Training equipment in unorthodox ways...the Kettlebell as a myofascial release tool, and the Suspension Trainer in an unusual way to enhance stretching.

REHAB COMBOS: THORACIC EXTENSION

Watch as we loosen the thoracic joints and activate the thoracic extensor muscles. Ironically the reason we are doing this is nothing to do with the thoracic spine! Rather it is for the shoulder joints ... to minimise impingement.

REHAB COMBOS SQUAT

In this Rehab Combo - all about the art and science of combining "Hands-On” loosening techniques with "Activation Drills” - we will loosen then activate various body areas in order to empower this movement to happen … do it multiple times daily as a Rehab drill, or in every warm-up and warm-down as part of Rehab Training.

Rehab Combos Deadlift

Welcome to a new series I’m calling “Rehab Combos” - all about the art and science of combining "Hands-On” loosening techniques (but of course for the Fitness Professional they are not strictly hands-on, rather using tools of some sort!) with "Activation Drills”.

This is the bread and butter work of Rehab Training. First free up the dirty movement with myofascial release or trigger pointing or PNF or whatever technique you choose (deactivate the dominant muscles),

THEN (and here’s the magic)….

The Rehab Love Series - Posterior Chain

Many mild-moderate low back problems will actually love this mobility work, as will your posterior chain itself, as long as you don’t have existing sciatica.

Rehab Love: Shoulder

If you have ever been to any of our face to face workshops on the shoulder …then you will know that we strongly advise you to prioritise LOOSENING of the external rotators of the cuff rather than strengthen them.

Rehab Love: Trunk

As an athlete, you will develop problems relating to your Sacro-iliac Joint unless you have good Thoracic rotation and extension.

Rehab Love: Hip

These mobility sessions with the Stretchband are doing my body so much good! My Right Hip especially needed the stuff we do today on Hip Love to give room for the Femoral Head to spin more freely and get less jammed in my mild Hip impingement - so common in the fitness industry and often known as FAI (Femoro Acetabular Impingement).

The Rehab Love Series - Chest

Go for some Chest Love with the Stretchband ;) - enjoy!;

The Rehab Love Series - Low Back

You have no idea how good my low back feels after using the Stretchband for just a couple of sessions…have lost some mobility after travelling a lot recently and a couple of hard hits of tennis with my sister! So welcome to a few newsletters that I couldn’t resist calling “Rehab Love”.

How to Know if Your Client Sucks at Functional Movement (Part 3)

A client is guilty of Dysfunctional Movement, until proven innocent, don’t you agree?

How to Know if Your Client Sucks at Functional Movement (Part 2)

Biomechanical Blockages are hidden icebergs that block easy movement and force us all to compensate. They are the on-going issues we battle with long after significant injuries feel like they are gone.

Tendon Compression (Rotator Cuff)

Lucky last in our Tendon Compression series is the poor Rotator Cuff. Have a look at these critical stabilisers of the Head of Humerus ("HH”).

TENDON COMPRESSION (GLUTEUS MEDIUS) BY CHRIS MALLAC

Easy one today for those who followed our series last year: Gluteus Medius.

Tendon Compression (Achilles) by Chris Mallac

Biomechanically the main issue that will affect Achilles is “eccentrically loaded end of range dorsiflexion”. If its inflamed you even have to limit stretching of the Achilles as it will compress it onto the calcaneus (heel). Ohhh you know what?

Tendon Compression (Adductor) by Chris Mallac

Adductor tendons. The compression zone for this tendon is the attachment onto the adductor tubercle of the pelvis. When the leg is adducted (as it would be with a follow through after kicking a ball) the tendon can be pushed up against the adductor tubercle and a pathology may develop. Hence why this problem is common in footballers.

Tendon Compression (Upper Hamstring)

Let’s dive around the back of the lower limb to look at what may happen (especially for athletes) at the upper hamstring.

Tendon Compression (Patella) by Chris Mallac

Patella tendon: This is the classic "jumpers knee". The spot of maximum tenderness is usually the tendon as it attaches onto the distal pole of the patella. When the knee flexes (bends) the change in angle of the tendon to the patella causes the pointy inferior pole to push into the uppermost portion on the patella tendon. Again, this compression area corresponds very closely to the site of pathology.

Gym Junkie's Elbow: Tendon Compression

We know that tendons can be subjected to compression zones and these tend to correlate very well to the site of tendon pathology. The simplest way to explain this is...

Gym Junkie's Elbow Supinator Retraining

The Supinator muscle: A little-known lateral elbow muscle that seems critical in the control of the Head of Radius, especially as the forearm is in more pronation it does the important job of eccentrically controlling it.

Gym Junkie's Elbow Bicep Retraining

Check out the video to help you retrain Bicep Curls via three progressions of loading. Low loads, slow tempo, and thoughtfulness are key. And minimal pain levels, of course ;)

Gym Junkie's MFR for Lateral Elbow

I have a treat for you today as I beat up on my friend Brad’s tight and grumpy (there’s that word again..) elbow musculature! Don’t forget MFR = “Myo-Fascial Release" which includes quite a few different techniques from firm rolling, to light rubbing, to deep pressure point release, to active movements.

Gym Junkie's Elbow Neural Risk Assessment

Get clients to gently try these movements to rule out any nerve component to their injury. If they are clear, then you are safer with that Low Risk injury! Simple.

Gym Junkie's "Tennis Elbow" Self-Assessment

These assessments I’m giving you are actually quite functional rather than clinical, and can be done by anyone safely - just take note of pain levels so as not to aggravate any injuries of course..

Kicking off 2018 Rehab Fridays

Hi again - wow didn’t that break go quick!

2018 is upon us. Chinese NYr is soon upon us too.

I was very busy doing "holiday time rehab" because in December I tore my shoulder A/C joint doing handstands (and falling over on to the point of my shoulder)….silly season it is ;)

I’m back to overhead press and chin ups again so we’re getting there.. really helps focus the mind when you have strong pain doesn’t it?

Holiday time Rehab

My gift to you is a bit of Elbow Pain reading. Enjoy it when you get a quiet or a motivated moment over the next few weeks.

Case Study #1: The Climber's Elbow

Climbing flexes the elbow repeatedly with a fully pronated forearm, overloading Brachioradialis and Pronator Teres muscles and irritating the superior radio-ulnar joint for many weekend warriors. Here's how to rehab and strengthen these..

GYM AND THE GYM JUNKIE'S ELBOW

Here is my small list of key things to look for in Gym-related Elbow Pain..

The Gym Junkie's Elbow begins

Let’s do a little series entitled “Gym Junkie’s Elbow” and see what we can all learn. I’ll also get small opinion articles from our other Educators to help us learn, and send you little videos on what you can do to help clients along towards improved function and less pain.

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