Category: Uncategorized

We see many runners throughout the year at Optimum Performance in Surrey, and they always have the same concerns at the peak of their running season, which is how do I not get injured!

If you follow Optimum Performance’s advice, you should be onto a winning, injury free run!

1- Have a proactive warm up routine
Often warming up is overlooked by the eagerness to want to run, but it is one of the easiest ways to prepare your body and your mind for the challenge ahead. An effective warm up routine will loosen your joints and improve the blood flow to your muscles, making your muscles less likely to tear, twist or give way

2- Have a plan
it is important to plan your training in order to monitor your mileage, pace, type of training and most importantly your progression. By keeping a track of how you are improving this can keep your motivation high and training programme regular and balanced. Often people get injured when they have a pang of guilt for missing lots of sessions and try and make up for it all in one run. If you do miss a few sessions you can always refer back to your plan and just bring it back a bit so you know your first run back won’t be too hard. Modern technology can be really helpful as GPS watches and hear rate monitors can help you track your performance, and forums and websites can provide programme guidance.

3- Get the right shoes
Professionally fitted shoes designed for running will support your feet and reduce your risk of injury. Take your old runners with you when purchasing new ones so the salesperson can identify where your shoes wear the most. There are so many professionals that can offer sound and technological advice today that can really help you to be as comfortable as possible when running.

4- Include strength and condition into your schedule
Running can be very repetitive so making sure your body is protected by having good levels of strength, balance and flexibility can help prevent injury. Potentially it may also help support your technique, allowing you to run more efficiently. If you want some support or guidance on exercises you can do to help balance your body and running technique, then Optimum Performance can offer you a biomechanical assessment to look at your movement patterns and tailor a rehabilitation programme to your needs.

At Optimum Performance we understand and consider the whole image of wanting to exercise and be fit and healthy, this includes stretching.

Stretching is so important to us because not only can it help with an injury, but it can also help to prevent injury as well as improving our mobility and performance. At Optimum Performance, we recognise that stretching is vital and we encourage all our patients to implement it into their lifestyle; we can also help them and support them in gaining confidence and understanding with how to stretch by helping them in person and also providing videos.

Although we have many pieces of equipment at Optimum Performance in Surrey, sometimes the simple answer is the most effective! That is why we never rule out the basic self-care of our bodies and try to advise this to our patients. There are many ways that you can incorporate stretching into your routine:

• Use a foam roller after exercise
• Do a yoga or Pilates class
• Create a short routine before and after your exercise
• Stretch every morning
• Watch a you tube video to guide you

What are the benefits of stretching?

• It can increase your flexibility which is good to improve your everyday health and performance
• It can increase your range of motion which can give you more freedom of movement; this is helpful for improving your everyday health and sport related performance
• Stretching increase blood flow to the muscles. This can help to reduce the risk of muscle soreness and prevent injury.
• Stretching can improve your posture; often poor posture is due to a muscle imbalance so stretching your body evenly on both sides can help to rebalance your strength on both sides.
• Stretching can help to relieve back pain and tension headaches. This is because tight muscles can lead to a decrease in your range of motion which in turn can strain certain muscles, which causes pain. Regular stretching is great to relieve these sorts of pains.
• Stretching is good for stress relief which has a lot of benefits. Usually, when you are stressed, your muscles tighten, so stretching can help to combat that. It can also calm your mind as you are focusing on your body and the moment when you are stretching.

At Optimum Performance we recommend that if you haven’t stretched before or it is not part of your normal routine, you should start with 5-10 minutes every day and build this up, with intensity, over time. It is important not to overdo it or push your body too far or you can run the risk of developing an injury.

If you would like more advice, please contact us at Optimum Performance in Surrey.

At Optimum Performance in Camberley, we have the privilege of having two MBST machines that have successfully improved hundreds of our patient’s quality of life.

MBST is a non-invasive treatment that works on a cellular level. This means that it has the power to repair groups of broken or damaged cells, such as our ligaments, bones, tendons, and cartilage. This is a momentous development in helping people to heal injuries that would otherwise need surgery to fix.

Optimum Performance is one of less than 100 physio clinics in the UK that provides such a life changing treatment. We offer the use of a mobile machine that can be used at home and an in-clinic machine that stays in the clinic. So far, we have treated over 1000 patients with a 90% success rate; unfortunately, some injuries are so far gone that by the time they reach us at Optimum Performance, surgery is the only option.

MBST can help with injuries such as:

• Slipped or bulging discs
• Arthritis
• Broken bones
• Osteoporosis
• Soft tissue injuries
• Post-surgery recovery

MBST works by using magnetic resonance therapy, which essentially creates more energy for the body to use for the damaged cells, which encourages them to repair and grow; this is something that your body would naturally not be able to do on its own, or it would take an extended period of resting for it to make a full recovery, without surgery. What is even more amazing, is that as the patient, you do not feel, see, or hear anything… you just have to have the damaged area of the body in the machine.

At Optimum Performance our recommended treatment plan for the MBST is as follows:

• Must complete 7-10 treatment sessions (the number of days is dependent on the area of the injury on the body)
• The treatment sessions are 1 hour long, and they must be completed daily for the treatment to be effective.
• You must drink plenty of water throughout the days of treatment
• You must rest between sessions and for up to 12 weeks after, by not stressing the damaged area.

The importance of drinking water and not straining the damaged area is there because it allows time for the newly energised and repairing cells to grow and strengthen. We find that when people hydrate their body and allow it to recover properly, they achieve even more outstanding results in their recovery!

If you would like to see results and testimonials, please visit the MBST section on our website, where you can also see the pre and post MRI scans from some great results!

 

At Optimum Performance in Surrey, we have a strong ethos, that is that we listen to the potential physical and mental effects of injury in a person.

Whether you are an upcoming athlete, a casual walker or someone looking to improve their health and fitness, at Optimum Performance we can empathise with how a setback such as an injury can negatively impact your mindset, motivation, and faith that you are doing the right thing.

Some steps that we try to implement when diagnosing and assessing our patients is firstly understanding the patient’s lifestyle leading up to the injury. This is because it helps the physio to understand perhaps why the injury occurred. Often, a sport injury can cause patients to blame themselves or criticise their own ability; by establishing a cause we can help our patients at Optimum Performance to remove that sense of blame.

It is important to our physios at Optimum Performance to understand why an injury has occurred, not just what the injury is, because then we can help our patients with a treatment plan moving forward. Some ways Optimum Performance can help our patients to move forward with their injury are:

• Create a strengthening programme together to help stabilise the injured area and to come back even stronger than before
• Highlight areas that could cause re injury, for example doing too much training on Astroturf/hard ground can cause impact/repetitive strain injury
• Refining your training so that you feel more independent and knowledgeable, for example understanding the importance of exercising all areas of the body and recovery of your body
• Putting our patients in touch with other professionals, for example a personal trainer, to help them with their journey to recovery.

At Optimum Performance we find great success in listening to our patient’s physical pain but also mental pain. We think this success comes from our patients feeling fully listened to, we therefore create a safe space for them to come to. This is extremely important and often overlooked; for many people, exercise and sport is their life, it may be a big form of stress relief, alone time, or their main source of income, but none the less it can be a vital mechanism for people to be able to function daily. We understand this at Optimum Performance. If our patient feels listened to on the deeper level, they will be more willing to listen to our physios advice and their chance of re-Injuring will be decreased because they feel more trusting in the advice they have been given.

One of the most common injuries that we encounter at Optimum Performance in Surrey is tendonitis; this is an injury to the tendons that has been caused through stress or more commonly overuse of the tendon.

Tendonitis is a general term to describe the inflammation of the tendon, which is a thick rope-like tissue that attaches our bone to our muscle. We often see this injury in sports people when there is a greater strain/repetition on particular movements; or older people, as a result of the tendons losing their elasticity. Diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis or diabetes, can also lead to tendonitis.

Although tendonitis can occur in any tendon, the most commonly affected areas are:

– The elbow (this injury can be referred to golfers’ elbow or tennis elbow as many golfers and tennis struggle with a repetitive strain injury from the overuse of the same movement through the elbow)
– The heel (Achilles’ tendonitis)
– The knee
– The shoulder
– The thumb
– The wrist

The main symptom on tendonitis is a localised, sharp pain at the site of the injured tendon. Pain can occur most commonly during but also at night/any time; the pain can be chronic or can cone suddenly. The tendon can also swell, become warm and tender and in some cases become red; this is because of the dilation of the capillaries that occur as part of the inflammatory process.

At Optimum Performance we have a shockwave therapy treatment which is ideal for diagnosis of tendonitis but also treatment. It works by breaking down the scar tissue that forms as a result of the tendon becoming inflamed. Shockwave treatment is the most effective form of non-invasive treatment for tendonitis and we have seen great success within our clinic in Surrey.

At Optimum Performance in Surrey one of our most popular cliental are runners, perhaps they are looking to treat a running injury, or they may want treatment to prevent a running injury. Either way, Optimum performance is there with the facilities to support runners and running injuries.

One way that our Surrey clinic can help to prevent running related injuries is by assessing the patients balance and strength. Often a running injury can occur because one muscle is overpowering another, or a muscle may not be working as well as it should. Over time, this can cause strain and stress on the overworked muscle; at Optimum Performance we can assess your current physical state and then create a plan accordingly, this may include strengthening exercises and/or treatment.

One form of treatment we could use to help our runners to feel better and more confident in their bodies is the shockwave treatment. This type of treatment works by breaking down scar tissue that may have built up. In the case of a runner, scar tissue can build up from lots of little traumas to the muscle, it is quite hard for the body to get rid of scar tissue on its own. The shockwave treatment is able to break down the scar tissue and in return there is an increase of fresh blood flow to the muscle. The importance of the shockwave treatment increasing the blood flow is that the blood will contain a fresh supply of oxygen to the muscle; this is so important for runners because without this fresh supply of blood and oxygen, lactic acid will build up around the muscles and will cause cramping and general discomfort.

Another treatment that Optimum Performance has that can help support our runners and any injuries/worries that they may have is the laser treatment. This type of treatment is similar to the shockwave treatment in the sense that it will increase the blood flow to the area that is being treated. The intense heat from the laser treatments penetrates deep into the muscle/tendon; the result of this is it will reduce pain, reduce inflammation, and increases the healing of the area 25-30% faster than the body would be able to heal on its own. It is therefore a great treatment for runners as they don’t want to miss out on training for too long.

Overall Optimum Performance is able to facilitate and help guide runners on their journey to success, whether it is a small set back or a more long-term injury.

If you have been struggling with muscular pain, a tendon injury (such as tendinitis) or any sort of muscular ache or discomfort, then the shockwave treatment at Optimum Performance may be a great treatment to relieve that pain.

Optimum Performance is a physiotherapy/ sports therapy clinic in Camberley, Surrey. We have had the shockwave therapy machine for several years now and it is a great tool for treating and diagnosing injuries. The shockwave treatment works by penetrating the injured muscle or tendon with a high frequency of pneumatic movements. These pneumatic shockwaves created during the treatment are used to break down the scar tissue or the calcified tendons and to increase the blood flow and healing. Shockwave therapy is a safe, non-invasive treatment; it is beneficial for people that are suffering with various tendon, muscle and joint disorders and may help to prevent surgery- it is a great treatment for people suffering with chronic pain who have exhausted all other forms of treatment.

At Optimum Performance, one 30-minute shockwave treatment is the equivalent to seven soft tissue sports massages. This is often why we do not offer sports massage when a patient comes in asking for a diagnosis because not only is shockwave therapy more affective, but it will be more cost effective in the long run. The reason why shockwave treatment is more effective is because the gun itself is able to penetrate deeper into the injured muscle or tendon, much deeper than any person’s hand could manually; this means that more scar tissue is broken down and blood flow is increased to the injured muscle/tendon. It is important that an injury is supplied with fresh and new blood because it contains important nutrients and oxygen for the injured muscle/tendon to repair and grow.

At Optimum Performance, shockwave treatment is able to be performed on the same injured area 1 week apart. The seven-day break gives the injured muscle or tendon a chance to get a strong supply of blood and oxygen to the damaged tissue. At first, we have often been told by patients that the injured area feels completely pain free, gradually over the course of the 7-day break, the pain may return, this just means that more scar tissue needs to be broken down. Often, with long term muscle or tendon injuries, there is a high build-up of scar tissue which is why numerous sessions of shockwave treatments could be necessary.

If you would like to know more about the shockwave treatment here at Optimum Performance, please visit our website or book in for a consultation.

Many of us start the year with healthy intentions, but motivation can quickly drop. Here are our top tips to keep you on track.

Goal setting is nothing new, but changing behaviour can still be hard. So a reminder of the key principles and activity specific examples are always useful.

Be realistic, make sure your expectations are achievable. It is very hard to change everything in your life all in one go. Instead try to make small progressive changes. For example, it is extremely hard to go from doing no activity, to going to the gym every night. Alternatively start by adding just one extra exercise class or walk in your week. After a few weeks assess how it is going, and see if you can add in another. This refelects the way our body adapts to exercise, too hard too fast is tough physically and mentally, but a gradual build up is much more agreeable.

Equally if you have already started a comprehensive exercise plan but are finding it too much, don’t give up completely just reduce your workload. You can always increase it again later if it is manageable. Often we think one slip up means that our plans are shot to pieces, but exercise isn’t all or nothing – something is better than nothing. Following treatment at Optimum Performance you will probably have some exercises to support your recovery. It is ideal to do those exercises every day, but if you miss one don’t give up completely. Remember, if you fall off the wagon- get back on.

Make it a habit. In our busy lives it may be hard to remember to do your sports rehabilitation exercises, but having a set time or a set trigger can help. For example we are well drilled in brushing our teeth morning and night, so why not follow that with your rehab exercises. Or use the two minutes the kettle takes to boil to stretch.

Be specific. People who sign up for a specific event are much more likely to train for it. So if your motivation needs a boost pick an event or competition youe want to work towards. I am not saying go and climb Everest but there are plenty of charity walks, runs, swims and even little mountains out there too. For example we will be offering support at Always Aim High’s Event in Cardiff in June  http://alwaysaimhighevents.com/. Looking for a local challenge check out Brutal 10k in Bagshot http://brutalrun.co.uk/race/bagshot/. Prefer the pool – how about the Swimathon for Marie Curie http://www.swimathon.org/page.php?page=Enter_Swimathon_2015.

Tell people and get support. Whether you put your activity out there on facebook, phone a friend or even share your aspirations with us at Optimum Performance saying it out loud makes you feel more accountable and little less likely to miss a session. If you are recovering from injury let us know what your targets for recovery are and we can try and keep you on track. For example do you want to get back running, or be able to swim with your family on holiday?