Muscle relaxants are NOT the answer to your back or neck pain!

Recently we’ve had a couple of patients query muscle relaxants to help calm a muscle spasm.  Obviously it not in our scope of practice to prescribe a muscle relaxer but this begs the bigger question of why would you ever want one?

Firstly lets explain why muscles spasm….

Using the analogy of the chicken and the egg;

Did the joint stop moving properly and cause the surrounding muscle to spasm, or did the muscle tighten up and cause the joint to lock up?

In each case, to achieve long term pain relief you want to treat both the joint and the muscular dysfunction.  Improper movement, poor posture and repetitive movements are all common scenarios that can cause dysfunction.

Surely it makes more sense to address the underlying issue than attempt to get the muscle to relax with a pill?!

Muscle relaxants don’t just relax the dysfunctional muscle – they cause ALL the muscles in your body to relax, including the ones that create stability along the spine.

Once you take away that stability,  you are now expecting those muscles to work properly and engage throughout your daily movements… which they simply can not.

One of the worst things we see is when a patient injures their back, takes a muscle relaxant and rests for hours on the sofa (usually in a poor spinal position). They then try and get up and find they just can’t.   This is usually the moment that their unstable spine gives out  and they start calling us because they cannot move.

Movement is medicine.

Movement is Elite Performance Therapy’s prescription for every ailment the body may have.  Even when your back hurts, you should be able to go for a walk or do some basic core strengthening exercises.  If you want to find out the real reason your back hurts, then please call us!

We promise not to just provide relief to the problem, but to keep it from coming back for good.

On Tour: Elite Performance Therapy supporting the Ladies European Tour at the Spanish Open !

Elite Performance Therapy are very excited to be working with Sports Physiotherapy International Co. Ltd at the Ladies European Tour in Marbella next week!

We will be working on site at Andalucía Costa del Sol Spanish Open, Aloha Golf Club from Nov. 25 – Dec. 01 providing physical therapy, sports massage and performance services to all the Ladies European tour golfers.

Working directly with practitioners from Sports Physiotherapy International Co. Ltd allows us to provide an integrated service on tour for all professional golfers regarding injury, assessment, diagnosis, treatment, screening, performance enhancement, rehabilitation, strength & conditioning and bio-mechanics.

Being Prepared

Working on the Costa del Sol, you never know who or what problem may come through the door. This daily challenge makes it fantastic preparation for working with both professional and amateur golfers; the immediate effect you can have on a player, their performance and achievements is profound.

The last 5-10 years in golf physical therapy has seen a much greater emphasis on exercise and strength & conditioning work in treating injuries and maximising performance. This new breed of stronger, fitter golfers mean that they can generate much higher swing speeds and so hit the ball further.

Injuries & Body Mechanics

Here at Elite Performance Therapy we understand that golf at any level is very demanding. It requires strength, explosive power, flexibility and athletic ability.

The effect of repeated large forces can lead to numerous injuries, particularly in the lower back, wrist, shoulder and elbow. The requirements of an uneven swing is a risk factor for injury. For instance, right handed golfers, who lead with the left side, are more likely to suffer from injuries on the left wrist.

The physical requirements to execute these most complex athletic skills are enormous. Human anatomy are poorly suited to perform the high-torque rotational movement of the golf swing, which creates and must resist many high forces. The modern swing uses a large shoulder turn but restricts the hip turn to build torque in the muscles of the lower back and shoulders.  This places larger stresses on the back and shoulder complexes, leaving them susceptible to injury.

In Summary

We know that life as a Touring Professional isn’t easy!

It’s hard work, requires self-discipline, self-motivation, determination and perseverance and you need to be able to cope with many different pressures. We are very excited to be supporting Sports Physiotherapy International Co. Ltd at the Ladies European Tour and look forward to seeing some fantastic golf and keeping players playing pain free and at their fullest potential!

Pain Detective: How headaches can mask upper back tightness and tight glutes can cause a sciatic type pain!

But the reason might be because you are focusing on fixing the wrong thing!

Often when we have an injury or pain, the real issue is above or below the sore area.

The ache we feel is referred and could be stemming from somewhere else.

Here at Elite Performance Therapy, we can play pain detective to identify the real causes of some everyday aches – and give stretching and specific exercises to prevent them from ­recurring

Knee Pain?

ROOT CAUSE: MAYBE THE FOOT

The way our feet strike the ground has an impact on how force is directed elsewhere in the body.

Foot issues that have a knock-on effect to the knees can include anything from stiff ankles to issues with arches.

A common problem is when the foot rolls in excessively, causing the knee to revolve with it. Known as pronation, this often causes knee pain.

FIX IT: Do tip-toe raises daily coupled with regularly rolling soles over a tennis ball to ease tense muscles. Be sure to choose shoes carefully to ensure good foot posture.

Shoulder Pain?

ROOT CAUSE: MAY STEM FROM BACK POSTURE

On Tour: Elite Performance Therapy join Sports Physiotherapy International Co. Ltd on the Ladies European Tour (LET)

Elite Performance Therapy are very excited to be working with Sports Physiotherapy International Co. Ltd at the Ladies European Tour in 2019!

We will be working on site at La Reserva de Sotogrande Invitational (May), Estrella Damm Mediterranean Open, Barcelona (September) and Andalucía Costa del Sol Spanish Open, Aloha Golf Club, (November) providing physical therapy, sports massage and performance services to the Ladies European tour golfers.

Working directly with practitioners from Sports Physiotherapy International Co. Ltd allows us to provide an integrated service on tour for all professional golfers regarding injury, assessment, diagnosis, treatment, screening, performance enhancement, rehabilitation, strength & conditioning and bio-mechanics.

Being Prepared

Working on the Costa del Sol, you never know who or what problem may come through the door. This really tests us daily and makes it great preparation for working with both professional and amateur golfers. The immediate, substantial effect you can have on a player, their performance and achievements is profound.

The last 5-10 years in golf physical therapy has seen a much greater emphasis on exercise and strength & conditioning work in treating injuries and maximising performance. This new breed of much stronger, fitter golfers mean that they can generate higher forces and swing speeds and hit the ball further.

Injuries & Bio-Mechanics

Here at Elite Performance Therapy we understand that golf at any level is very demanding. It requires strength, explosive power, flexibility and athletic ability to perform a movement which produces some of the fastest club head and ball speeds of any sport.

The effect of repeated large forces, often over decades, can lead to numerous injuries, particularly in the lower back, wrist, shoulder and elbow. The bio-mechanical requirements of an asymmetrical swing is a risk factor for injury. For instance, right handed golfers, who lead with the left side, are more likely to suffer from Extensor Carpi Ulnaris (ECU) injuries on the left wrist and Dorsal Rim Impaction Syndrome (DRIS) injuries on the right wrist.

The physical requirements to execute these most complex athletic skills are enormous. Human anatomy and bio-mechanics are poorly suited to perform the high-torque rotational movement of the golf swing, which creates and must resist many high forces. The modern swing uses a large shoulder turn but restricts the hip turn to build torque in the muscles of the lower back and shoulders.  This places larger stresses on the back and shoulder complexes, leaving them susceptible to injury.

In Summary

We know that life as a Touring Professional isn’t easy! It’s hard work and it requires self-discipline, self-motivation, determination and perseverance and you need to be able to cope with many different pressures. We are very excited to be supporting Sports Physiotherapy International Co. Ltd at the Ladies European Tour and look forward to seeing some fantastic golf and keeping players playing pain free and at their fullest potential!