SILVER Winner for Expat Living Readers’ Choice Awards 2020

The results are in for the Expat Living Readers’ Choice Awards 2020 and we’re delighted to share that PhysioActive has been voted as a SILVER Winner for the Best Physiotherapist, under the Health & Medical category!

Over 7,300 respondents took part in voting for the best businesses in Singapore across 149 categories last year, and we were chosen as one of their favourites.

We'd like to take a moment to say a big THANK YOU to all who voted for us! We sincerely appreciate your confidence and trust in us and will continue to work hard to bring good health and cheer to our patients! We are humbled to receive this award.

Contact us

Call us: 6258 5602

Email us: info@physioactive.sg

PhysioActive is available in Orchard, Raffles, East Coast, Jurong & Novena!

PHYSIOtalks Ep 6: What is Dry Needling?

Dry Needling is a treatment technique whereby a sterile, single-use needle is inserted into the muscle to assist with decreasing pain and improving function through the release of trigger points.

At PhysioActive, we have physios who are well trained to utilise dry needling in conjunction with other interventions to offer a holistic approach to treating pain.

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Contact us

Call us: 6258 5602

Email us: info@physioactive.sg

PhysioActive is now available in Orchard, Raffles, East Coast, Jurong & Novena!

PHYSIOtalks Ep 5: The Best Way to Reduce Neck Pain with a Foam Roller

Your neck muscles can be strained from poor posture — whether it's from leaning over the computer or sleeping in a wrong position overnight.

Physiotherapists Padraig & Liam demonstrate one great way to alleviate some of these aches and pains by foam rolling.

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Contact us

Call us: 6258 5602

Email us: info@physioactive.sg

PhysioActive is now available in Orchard, Raffles, East Coast, Jurong & Novena!

PHYSIOtalks Ep 4: The Best Way to Foam Roll Your Quads

Physiotherapists Padraig & Liam demonstrate the best way to foam roll your quads for decreased tightness and increased performance.

Foam rolling your quads is quick, easy, and truly effective; all you need is a foam roller and a few minutes each day!

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Contact us

Call us: 6258 5602

Email us: info@physioactive.sg

PhysioActive is now available in Orchard, Raffles, East Coast, Jurong & Novena!

PHYSIOtalks Ep 3: How Does Shockwave Therapy Work?

 

Shockwave Therapy is fast, safe, non-invasive and a very effective treatment method that relieves pain.

It can bring benefits to conditions including tennis elbow, shoulder tendinopathies, foot, ankle, knee and hip traumas, spinal and neck complaints, and degenerative disorders.

We are one of the few private physiotherapy practices in Singapore who offer this advanced technology.

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Contact us

Call us: 6258 5602

Email us: info@physioactive.sg

PhysioActive is now available in Orchard, Raffles, East Coast, Jurong & Novena!

My Hip Pain – Is It Bursitis?

Outer thigh and hip pain is common in athletes and non-athletes alike. Can’t run, can’t get comfortable at night, can’t do your regular yoga class without pain. What is causing it?

Women in their forties to sixties are especially prone to this type of pain. Specifically, those with leg length inequalities, scoliosis, low back pain, knee arthritis, and those who run. Though increasing your running time or distance is a common risk factor, interestingly, it is just as common in those who don’t or who rarely exercise.

Case in Point: Jenny (Runner)

Jenny is an avid runner, attaining 7-10km four days a week. Over the last two months, she had started to feel discomfort over her right thigh, which always got worse during her runs. It had been settling down with rest, but now it seems to be always present. Her hip is tender to the touch and she can’t sleep well at night when she lies on either side.

While all potential causes of hip pain need to be ruled out, she is likely experiencing her symptoms because of a compressed tendon in her hip called the gluteus medius.

We call this greater trochanteric pain syndrome, which is named for the area of discomfort on the outside of your hip. Your strong iliotibial (IT) band, which runs from the hip down to the knee, compresses the gluteus medius tendon when you bring your leg toward midline. When you have a faulty running or walking pattern, or weakness in your hip muscles, this compression can build up over time which will result in pain.

Solving Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome

Jenny decided to see her physiotherapist at PhysioActive. During the assessment it was determined that she did indeed have greater trochanteric pain syndrome. This was because of an underlying weakness of her hip abductors - the muscles that lift and rotate her leg outward and keep her pelvis level when upright. When she ran, her right hip dropped, which caused the leg to move inward with each step.

Jenny could pinpoint her painful area near the bony prominence on the outside of her hip. If she ran a lot, pain would get worse and travel down her leg to her knee.

Historically, the pain was thought to be was coming from a bursa, which when inflamed, is called a bursitis. Recent research shows however that a bursitis is not very common in those who report this type of pain on the outside of the hip. MRI has improved our knowledge of the cause of this pain – in a study of 24 patients with these symptoms, a whopping 92% had no evidence of inflammation of the bursa!  What was obvious in the majority of those studied was a deterioration of the gluteal tendons.

Armed with a goal of running without pain, Jenny followed her therapist’s advice and stopped running for three weeks. As the tendon in her hip was overloaded and compressed, the offending activity (running) had to be avoided to prevent further damage. Instead, she used the time to improve her swimming speed.

Treatment included soft tissue mobilisation, ultrasound and a specific hip strengthening and tendon loading program, followed closely by her physiotherapist. Occasionally, dry needling or shockwave would be added to the protocol to improve healing.

The exercise program was progressed over a period of 10 weeks, at which time Jenny had built back her running to 4-5km, twice a week. A few weeks later, she was able to attain her full training. The key to her success was the strengthening and balancing of the hip musculature. This allowed proper function of her pelvis and leg as she took each step, and significantly reduced the risk of recurrence.

Get Your Hip Properly Assessed

Simply treating the problem as a bursitis would have led Jenny to a poor outcome. Tendon injuries can be improved, with the proper identification and treatment. One advantage Jenny had was that she did not leave it for too long, hoping it would recover on its own. Tendons heal significantly better if caught early, which in turn minimises the time away from sport.

If you are experiencing symptoms similar to Jenny's, contact us today and get your hip properly assessed!

This post was written by Leah Kieffer.

PHYSIOtalks Ep 2: The 5 Best Stretches You Can Do After Your Run

 

Performing stretching exercises after a run will help you cool down gradually and improve your flexibility.

Physiotherapists Padraig & Liam demonstrate a simple routine to help you avoid stiffness, as well as keep your muscles and joints limber once you’ve come to the end of your run.

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Contact us

Call us: 6258 5602

Email us: info@physioactive.sg

PhysioActive is now available in Orchard, Raffles, East Coast, Jurong & Novena!

PHYSIOtalks Ep 1: The Dos & Don'ts When Using the Leg Press Machine

 

The leg press is a great exercise machine for developing your leg, back, and gluteal muscles.

Physiotherapists Liam & Padraig show how you can avoid injury and maximise your workout with proper form.

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Contact us

Call us: 6258 5602

Email us: info@physioactive.sg

PhysioActive is now available in Orchard, Raffles, East Coast, Jurong & Novena!

Three Best Rated - Top 3 Physiotherapy in Jurong East

It was a great honour for us to be listed as the Top 3 Physiotherapy in Jurong East by Three Best Rated®.

Three Best Rated® verifies the top 3 local businesses in the region using using their 50-Point Inspection which includes everything from checking reputation, history, complaints, ratings, nearness, satisfaction, trust, cost and general excellence.

Check us out at: https://threebestrated.sg/physiotherapy-in-jurong-east

Golf: The Most Common Injuries

We asked Dr Chris Eldridge (Dr CE), at IMC Jelita and Denis Mecklenburg (DM), certified Golf Physiotherapist at PhysioActive about the most common injuries found through playing golf. You may think it’s a sedate sport but the strain on the shoulders, back, hips, knee and wrists can be very impactful. Over 30% of golfers eventually get a golfing injury.

Golf is notoriously hard-wearing on the back and shoulders. Is this where you see most golf injuries?

Dr CE: Yes, there are general forms of injury I come across. Acute injuries are usually the result of a single, traumatic episode, such as hitting the ground of a submerged tree root in a sand trap. Overuse injuries are more subtle and usually occur over time. These injuries will more often stem from the stress that the golfer puts on the back and shoulders when swinging. The three most commonly injured areas of the body are the back, shoulder, and elbow.

DM: Yes, that’s true. However, elbow, wrist, hip and knee injuries are also very common.

What factors contribute to golfing injuries? 

Dr CE: Approximately 44 percent of all reported golf injuries in patients are from overuse. The main causes of these injuries include:

Poor flexibility is a key risk factor for a golf injury.  One survey showed that more than 80 percent of golfers spent less than 10 minutes warming up before a round. Those who did warm up had less than half the incidence of injuries of those who did not warm up before playing.

The second main reason for golf injuries is the repetitive nature of this sport. The golf swing involves repetitive, high-velocity movement of the neck, shoulders, spine, elbow, wrist, hips, knees, and ankles. The percentage of injuries directly correlates with the number of rounds or the number of range/practice balls struck per week.

DM: The 5 big biggest factors include:

What is recommended by a physio for these injuries? 

DM:  Once you have an injury, the main goal here is to get rid of the inflammation and pain. This is best achieved with rest (modified activity), physiotherapy and/or medication.

During your physiotherapy session, your therapist would administer different modalities such as ultrasound, shockwave therapy, massage, taping and dry needling. Exercises such as stretching and strengthening are also crucial in the recovery stage to return to golf.

What is golfers elbow?

Dr CE: Medial Epicondylitis, also known as “golfer’s elbow,” is a painful tendonitis on the inner aspect of the elbow, where the muscles that bend the wrist and fingers. It is an overuse injury which refers to pain over the common flexor tendon origin, i.e. inside of the elbow. It is commonly called golfer’s elbow, due to the high occurrences in golfers. However people who do not play golf can also suffer from these pains, e.g. people who are partake in gripping tightly or carrying things

The symptoms are:

What types of treatment are available?

Dr CE: You are encouraged to reduce activity to decrease repetitive loading of the damaged tendon during the initial inflammatory stage. Relative rest prevents ongoing damage, reduces pain and may promote tendon healing. However, complete rest should be avoided to prevent muscular atrophy and deconditioning.  You may also be prescribed anti-inflammatory medication during the initial inflammatory stage

Could regular physiotherapy/massage actually prevent these types of injuries?   

DM: There is no 100% prevention from injuries if you do sports. However, research has proven that a regular exercise program can certainly reduce your risk of injuries. Furthermore, it can also help you to enhance your golf performance.

The key areas of improvement for a golfer are:

Regular sports massages can also be of a great help in injury prevention by optimizing the condition of your muscles after a training session.

Last thoughts on golfing injuries…

Dr CE: Golf is a popular sport, particularly in older populations. It is a great low-impact opportunity for many individuals to stay active however it is associated with a significant number of injuries.

Play smart!

Whether golf is a new interest or a lifelong passion, make the most of your time on the course by protecting yourself from golf injuries. Consider it all part of the game.

Seek the advice of a doctor/physiotherapist if any injury occurs to get an accurate diagnosis and prevent recurrent problems. You should return to the course or range only when clearance is granted by a health care professional.

DM: The most common mistake that we see in our clinic is that patients wait too long with their ailments before they see a doctor/physio because they think that their injury would go away by itself.

As the pain worsens, they finally seek the help of a healthcare professional but the injury has already turned chronic. As such, the prognosis for recovery is also far worse.

My strongest advice is to see a doctor or physiotherapist as soon as you are down with an injury!

Dr Chris Eldridge is a UK trained doctor based in IMC Jelita. Call 6465 4440 or visit www.imc-healthcare.com

 

 

 

Denis Mecklenburg is a certified Golf Physiotherapist at PhysioActive. Call 6235 2647 or visit www.physioactive.sg

 

 

A version of this article first appeared on https://www.imc-healthcare.com/golf-the-most-common-injuries-that-occur/

BWF Para-Badminton European Championships

Brigitte Lichtenberger travels again with the Swiss team as the official physiotherapist for the BWF Para-Badminton European Championships held in Rodez, France.

Also, a huge congratulations to the women's double team for emerging as champions in their event. Karin Erath-Suter also clinched a silver medal in her single event!

Planning a sporting event?

From local sporting events to international tournaments, our expertise and advanced clinical skills makes us the team of choice to manage your specific event requirements!

Contact or drop us an email today at info@physioactive.sg to find out more.

Japan Para-Badminton International 2018

Our physiotherapist, Brigitte Lichtenbergerwas the appointed physiotherapist of the Swiss team and had supported their health needs throughout the Japan Para-Badminton International 2018. She has been a fervent supporter of the Swiss team and our outreach programs.

Also, a huge congratulations to Karin Suter-Erath for clinching a silver medal in the singles event, and a bronze medal in doubles event!

Planning a sporting event?

From local sporting events to international tournaments, our expertise and advanced clinical skills makes us the team of choice to manage your specific event requirements!

Contact or drop us an email today at info@physioactive.sg to find out more.