In my last post I discussed the transition to in-season training. Most squash BC players are now six weeks into their season. Don’t wait until the new year to reflect, do it now. How is your training going? What can you improve? Are you focusing on the right things? With these questions in mind lets run through ideas for training from a fitness and squash lens. Are you training enough to meet the demands of [...]
I went through an intense bout of hip pain in late July, early August 2018. I had been off the squash court for a 6 weeks and was spending more time in the gym, running hills and doing solo hitting. The pain came on after a particularly hard match where I extended into the back corner. I have had groin strains in the past but this was unique. I did an assessment on myself and [...]
Education on injury and pain can vary from clinician to clinician, but it shouldn’t. Healthcare clinicians have a duty to be up to date with the latest research, educational tools, and clinical guidelines. In the same breath we also need to adapt as new information comes to light. I think one of the most important components of my treatment is offering quality evidence based education. In Canada we tend to think of treatment as massage, [...]
My viewpoint of Cognitive Functional Therapy. Cognitive Functional Therapy (CFT) is the combination of bio-pyschosocial care (not bio-medical), cognitive behavioural therapy, motivational interviewing and exercise. It is a comprehensive and sound therapy model:) The model has been proposed and developed by Peter O’Sullivan. He created the model primarily for chronic low back pain but I see commonalities in the CFT approach with those of Jeremy Lewis, Adam Meakins, Greg Lehman, Bahram Jam, Sandy Hilton, and [...]
If you play competitive sports you have felt the inevitable pains that can come with too much activity. Often these pains are felt in your tendons. In this blog I will discuss how the latest researching is guiding our treatment of lateral elbow pain, while weaving in my own experience with this injury. Tendons transmit forces between muscle and bones. We don’t yet fully understand tendon pathology (the injury process), but research is providing greater [...]
Back pain inflicts western society more than any other disability. It is a huge burden on our system and sadly it is a largely manageable and preventable injury. Why has it become so out of control? There are appear to be numerous factors contributing to the ballooning costs (not in any order of importance). We assume a simple cause and effect but multiple factors are often at play. A bio-pyschosocial approach is more comprehensive and [...]
I see far too many people spend hard earned time in the gym on exercises that don't provide enough benefit. As long as you are healthy and have experience lifting weights consider sticking to these six patterns to give you the most out of your workout. Of course the best picked exercise don't matter if we don't adhere to plan, so make sure you create a plan that is realistic, enjoyable and flexible. If it doesn't [...]
If you play competitive sports you have felt the inevitable pains that can come with too much activity. Often these pains are felt in our tendons. Tendons transmit forces between muscle and bones. We don’t yet fully understand tendon pathology (the injury process), but research is providing greater clarity. I believe the following three points are a good place to start: A tendon injury appears to be caused by a combination of high load and [...]
I practice physiotherapy in Vancouver. When I started my career it felt like I couldn’t be a good therapist unless I did dry needling. Chan Gunn, of Gunn IMS, lives and works in Vancouver and has a strong hold on the PT community. I got my dry needling certification and used it for a few years - it seemed to work - but five years on I am glad to have thrown my needles away [...]
Hamstring injuries - both muscle strains and tendon overload can benefit from load management, strengthening, and movement skill. In this video and post I discuss the benefits and implementation of a strengthening routine. In high speed sports like squash, soccer, and rugby, hamstring injuries are common place. The high velocity of sprinting, kicking, and lunging puts the hamstring unit under tremendous stress. If an athlete manages stress well the unit can become more resilient but [...]
