1511415_back_on_track_physio

Vertigo

Tue, 21 Mar 2023 06:37:54 GMT

Vertigo

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is one of the most common causes of vertigo. It is described as the sudden sensation that you're spinning or that the inside of your head is spinning.

BPPV causes brief episodes of mild to intense dizziness. It is usually triggered by specific changes in your head's position. This are often reported to be everyday things, such as:

Rolling in bed
Sitting up out of bed
Looking up and down

Often there is no root cause of BPPV (annoying! But true). BPPV occurs when crystals (called otoconia), normally located in one part of your inner ear become dislodged and collect in another part of the inner ear balance system.

As your head moves, the dislodged crystals also move and incorrect messages are sent to your brain and then to your eyes.

When assessing for BPPV, our Vestibular trained Physiotherapists (in Albury and Corowa) will perform an extensive assessment to help rule out any other causes of dizziness. In assessing for BPPV, our team will try different positions to see if that can bring on your symptoms. This is important because it lets us know what could be causing the vertigo and lets us know which treatment is best for you. BPPV can be treated effectively, especially if diagnosed early. If you ever aren’t sure, we can always help guide you in the right direction.

Vestibular Rehabilitation

Tue, 21 Mar 2023 06:33:02 GMT

Vestibular Rehabilitation

There are many many causes of dizziness and falls. Often our clients report symptoms such as brain fog, room spinning, bumping into walls, migraines and/ or nausea and vomiting. These symptoms are often mentioned as a side note when they have come to see us for something else. That is because a lot of people aren’t aware that Physiotherapists can help with your dizziness and vertigo symptoms.

In order to get to the root cause, our Physiotherapists in Albury and Corowa have undergone further training in Vestibular rehabilitation so that we can assess and treat your dizziness. Vestibular problems can arise from any sensory input that assists with balance and perception. These include: your vision, proprioception and inner ear.

Rehabilitation often includes:

Hands on/ massage
Positional Maneuvers (such as the Epley’s or Brandt Daroff )
Gradual balance exercises
Gentle cardiovascular exercises

We do not want dizziness stopping anyone from living their best life. So many times we have had clients say that they didnt realize that Physio could help and get them back to doing the things that they love the most.

You don’t need to know what is causing your dizziness… we can help you figure that out and get you back to living life without limits.

Why I Work in the Country?

Tue, 21 Mar 2023 06:25:45 GMT

Why I work in the Country?

Growing up in regional NSW and then attending Charles Sturt University, paved the way, upon graduation, for me to seek jobs in the Albury-Wodonga region.

The ‘why’ of working in the country rather than the city is probably a whole tangent on its own. But why here? There is a lot of regional NSW… in fact A LOT of regional Australia.

Albury has the feel of both the city and the country in one. There is amazing food, shopping, weather and people. There is access to water (the Murray River and Lake Hume) in summer and the snowfields (Falls Creek and Hotham are literally day trips!) in winter. Further down the river, you have Corowa, Rutherglen and surrounds which have a more boutique style about them. There are wineries, distilleries and breweries. There are amazing sporting facilities and an array of different codes and clubs.

A career as an allied health professional in the country has its advantages. I am lucky to work with a huge array of conditions daily and really work with my clients (and often their families) to get the most effective result. I can highly recommend the tree change to provide health services in these beautiful towns.

Pilates

Tue, 21 Mar 2023 06:22:05 GMT

Pilates

Clinical Pilates …Mat Pilates… Reformer Pilates… Barre Pilates… we understand the word Pilates is thrown around ALOT!

What is Pilates? We view Pilates as exercising and moving your body to use the right muscles at the right time. Most people associate it with a core work out. this is very true. However.. it is so much more.

We offer daily classes with programs specially designed by our Physiotherapists in Albury, Corowa and Howlong. In our Corowa and Albury Pilates studios, exercises are performed on special equipment (reformers, trapeze tables and wunda chairs). Using this equipment is a great way for everyone to exercise. The reformers (and the watchful eyes of our physios) make sure that you are doing every exercise correctly (no cheating!) to decrease your risk of getting injured and really enhance your strength!

So what makes it Clinical Pilates and not Reformer Pilates? Simply put… our Physios have higher levels of training in Pilates to ensure you have your own specialised and individual program that is focused on your goals and working with your body!

What are you waiting for? Book your appointment with a physiotherapist in Albury or Corowa to get started on your Pilates journey.

Sciatica

Tue, 21 Mar 2023 06:11:22 GMT

Sciatica

Did you know that Sciatica is a symptom, rather than just a problem on its own? Sciatica often presents as pain that can refer from multiple locations. People often complain about pain in the back, bum, hip or thigh regions. In some cases, it can even refer down into the foot! Sciatica is a common complaint in all populations of people: from tradies, office workers to the sports and athletic population.

Sciatica can be caused by irritation to the nerve- anywhere along the nerve! It can be aggravated where the nerve starts (spinal) or anywhere along it. Often where the nerve is irritated can alter the different types and locations of pain.

To treat sciatica you have to treat the root of the problem. Our Physiotherapists in Albury, Corowa and Howlong can help identify the source of the pain with a thorough assessment, which will help enhance your outcome. Treatment can involve massage, dry needling (using acupuncture needles), stretching and core strengthening exercises to help get you Back on Track.

Physiotherapy and Long COVID

Tue, 21 Mar 2023 06:11:20 GMT

Physiotherapy and Long COVID

To some of us, it feels as though lockdowns, mask wearing and social distancing are a distant memory. Unfortunately for others, the effects of COVID continue to alter their everyday life.

Estimates of the number of people with long COVID vary widely, ranging from two to 30 per cent, potentially a significant proportion of the infected population. It is not known how or why some people are unlucky to experience this. What is known, however, is that Physiotherapy can help get you back on track after a COVID infection.

Long COVID has since been officially recognised by the World Health Organisation As sourced from the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA)- ‘ Even among long COVID patients there is a considerable difference in symptoms. The major ones include fatigue and shortness of breath, both exacerbated by exercise or exertion, and cognitive issues, commonly known as brain fog.

COVID-19 can also worsen existing conditions and comorbidities, which may complicate diagnosis.

Long COVID is not necessarily related to severity requiring hospitalisation.

So what can our Albury, Corowa, and Howlong Physiotherapists help you with? We can help with advice around returning to normal activities, helping shortness of breath, managing fatigue and fixing any muscular aches or pains. We can help you get back to work, get back to gardening, exercising or walking the dog. We can help get you Back on Track.

Ski Blog

Tue, 02 Aug 2022 07:44:00 GMT

Ski Blog

I’ve always loved Snowsports. Every four years I hang out in front of the telly, watching the Winter Olympics, to witness the best in the business show their skills on snow. This year, I was fortunate enough to attend the Australian Junior and Senior Cross Country Ski Camp at Falls Creek. I joined the first two days of the demanding five-day camp for the athletes. I was there to help assist with all things Physio, learning through Tim Retchford, a previous lecturer of mine and an immensely experienced Physio and cross-country skier himself.

Each day, the athletes would go for a 30 minute trail run / exercises before breakfast, then head up to the slopes for 2.5hrs of training, followed by lunch and Physio, then back on snow from 3-5pm for more training and skills. Unlike sports such as AFL, netball, soccer, or swimming, to observe the Athletes in action and assess technique on snow, you need to ski and train alongside them. Being a downhill skier myself, this was very challenging for my very basic cross-country skill set, but I’m sure a good laugh for the athletes.

The Physio work on this camp was different to the typical in-clinic work I’ve worked in for last seven months. We’d chat with the athletes during training and ask them how they were feeling. If they felt like they weren’t as powerful with a push and glide on the left leg as the right for example, we’d get them back in during Physio hours and assess their movement and look for strength and functional deficits that correlated to what they were feeling / experiencing on snow. We’d help put together a small exercise program or stretches to assist with their cross-country technique and improve speed, efficiency, and limit fatigue on snow.

On the first night, all athletes and coaching staff came together for an interesting discussion led by the head coach. The presentation was on training systems, training mechanisms and why they train the way they do. We discussed measures such as the athletes’ Vo2 max, lactate levels and strength tests and how these aid in designing an athletes training schedule, intensity, and duration of training. I found it very interesting to hear the research and analysis around training for a sport that is so varied in speed and intensity as well as power and endurance throughout a singular race.

Across the two days we held individual discussions with the athletes regarding their previous injury history, what they might be dealing with currently and how they feel they are performing. We took measurements related to muscle length and strength and began the creation of a logbook. This means that consistency of care for these athletes can be better provided across multiple health team members.

I’d love to continue this performance Physio role with more skiing athletes. I find it fascinating being able to problem solve alongside athletes and assist in optimising technique and training to better optimise their performance on snow. Perhaps one day I can join the athletes at the Olympics as part of their team and not just admire them from the TV screen.

Meg Cauduro

Ride2Work Day 2013 (and 2014)

Wed, 28 Aug 2019 03:25:00 GMT

Ride2Work Day 2013 (and 2014)

Special thanks to Wodonga City Council to inviting us to be part of this years Ride2Work day 2013!

It was a fantastic morning and was great to see so many people riding!

UPDATE: We participated again in 2014 – It’s such a fabulous event.

For more information about Ride2Work day click here .

Achilles Tendon Differential Diagnosis, with Peter Malliaras & Carly Johnson

Wed, 28 Aug 2019 03:03:00 GMT

Achilles Tendon Differential Diagnosis, with Peter Malliaras & Carly Johnson

Recently I have been working with Tendon expert Dr. Peter Malliaras at his clinic Complete Sports Care in Hawthorn over the last few weeks as part of my Master of Sports Physiotherapy placement through La Trobe Uni, Melbourne, Australia. It has been amazing to see so many interesting/atypical tendons Peter see’s, so we decided to blog about some of the interesting Achilles. Peter see’s about 5-10 new Achilles per week, >300 per year. He estimates 60% of these to be ‘boring old’ midportion or insertional tendon issues, but some are more interesting.

This blog highlights signs and symptoms of common differential diagnoses in Achilles, and how ultrasound imaging can help. I ultrasound image every single Achilles that comes through, and it has taught me lots about how pathology and symptoms interact. Ultrasound can never MAKE a diagnosis, but is excellent for CONFIRMING many conditions that present similarly to Achilles tendinopathy.

Often I see Achilles injuries that have failed treatment, and incorrect diagnosis explains a considerable number of these, so it’s important to get the right diagnosis.

Obviously there are lots of other diagnoses that have not made it into the blog, such as as sural nerve irritation, apophysitis, distal soleus muscle-tendon injury, fascia crura tears, somatic or radicular referral from lumbar spine, etc.

If you would like to more about diagnosis, assessment management for all lower limb tendons, check out upcoming tendinopathy courses in Sydney, Canberra and Perth.

http://www.completesportscare.com.au/courses/tendinopathy-courses/

Hope you enjoyed

All the best

Peter Malliaras & Carly Johnson

See more at: http://www.completesportscare.com.au/2014/04/achilles-tendon-differential-diagnosis-peter-malliaras-carly-johnson/#sthash.CW5LUd5P.dpuf

We Have Moved!!

Wed, 28 Aug 2019 02:51:00 GMT

We Have Moved!!

We are very excited to announce that we have moved from our original clinic in North Albury to Level 1B 429 Swift Street Albury, NSW 2640 .

Our new central Albury clinic now has a fully equipped pilates studio, with private and class sessions available.

Our client car park is accessible from Spencer street.

Our new phone number is 02 6021 2695 .

Running Seminar

Wed, 28 Aug 2019 02:46:00 GMT

Running Seminar

On Wednesday 26th November our Back on Track Team presented a Running Seminar to more that fifty enthusiastic local runners. The presentation included the fundamentals of load and its relationship in injury, how improve your running pain and the latest research in running biomechanics.

In addition to a special presentation by Cheryl Schneider from Lone Dog Boot camps who presented her personal experience in training for and competing in 100km running events.

Our team of Physiotherapists at Back on Track are experts in running analysis, as part of our comprehensive assessment you will receive;

Detailed injury diagnosis

Individual strengths and weaknesses – see how you compare to other runners!

Specific running strength and conditioning program.

Video footage of your running form with technique coaching

If you have pain with running, book a 60 minute Running Retraining appointment to ensure you get Back On Track and Stay On Track, why settle for second best?

Tumba Muddy Rumba

Wed, 28 Aug 2019 02:37:00 GMT

Tumba Muddy Rumba

On the 7th of February Back on Track Physiotherapy were proud onsite sponsors of the first ever Tumba Muddy Rumba!

The Tumba Muddy Rumba was a fantastic 12km obstacle course through the picturesque Tumba Wines Escape Vineyard. Competitors including our very own Jez jumped, climbed, crawled, swung, and ran through the vineyard, pasture paddocks, creek flats and crossings, steep banks, and slid down one GIANT EPIC slide!

It was fantastic to see so many people of all ages and fitness levels participate individually and in teams in this amazing event.

We look forward to being part of the next Tumba Muddy Rumba!

City 2 City Walk Run

Wed, 28 Aug 2019 02:18:00 GMT

City 2 City Walk Run

Back on Track Physiotherapy were proud bronze sponsors of the first City 2 City Walk Run on Sunday 22nd February.

In its first year the City 2 City walk run was an incredible success with over 3500 participants taking part in the biggest fun run on the Border.

Over $100,000 was raised for Albury-Wodonga Health’s new cardiac monitoring equipment and the event demonstrated the amazing community spirit we have here on the border.

Our Back on Track Physiotherapy team kept walkers and runners hydrated at our drink stop as they completed either the 7.5km or 10km courses. And helped replenish sugar levels and offer runners advice at our stand at the conclusion of the course.

We can’t wait to be part of next years City 2 City Walk Run event!

Get Fit to Ski!

Wed, 28 Aug 2019 02:06:00 GMT

Get Fit to Ski!

With the fast speed, undulating ground and the presence of numerous obstacles, snow fields present many risk factors for injury.

Skiing, snowboarding, even tobogganing require high levels of strength, endurance and cardiovascular fitness. Specifically, good muscle strength throughout your thighs, buttocks, calves and hamstrings as well as good trunk control are all necessary to maintain control. Balance is a key factor in injury prevention, allowing you to change direction suddenly, move with the undulating ground and stay in control whilst changing direction.

Studies done on Soccer and AFL football players have found that when the knee collapses in toward the other side, there is an increased risk of injury to the hip and knee. These injuries are often very costly financially and involve large portions of rest from sport and work. Hence, the importance of controlling the body to prevent the knee from going into these positions.

At Back on Track Physiotherapy we believe in injury prevention. A specific fit to ski program designed to increase strength, improve balance exercises and increase cardiovascular endurance can minimise these risks. It’s never too late to start some of these preventative exercises, but obviously the earlier they are incorporated the greater risk reduction you will have.

See your Back on Track Physiotherapist, for an individualised program that will best protect you this winter, whatever your winter sport!