A PRO-ACTIVE 2007 FOR YOUR CLUB

The Sports Injury Clinic gives you tips and offers services that can help your club be pro-active in preparation on the training track and ultimately lead to improved performance on the field.

Ground conditions affected by the drought are just one of the challenges we face during 2007 in getting your players up to peak condition.

However, with The Sports Injury Clinic’s AFL approved programs and player management systems, we can implement effective strategies for your club in a structured and pro-active way, 7 days a week.

Some of the concerns coaches consistently raise with us include injury reoccurrence, non structured training nights and rehabilitation programs.

The Sports Injury Clinic can address all these issues positively, working within your current club infrastructure.

What can we do for your club?

Assistance 24 hours a day

Your club will have access to an on-call physiotherapist who will give immediate assistance for players coaches and trainers 24 hours a day. Just call 1800 351 421 for on-the-spot advice.

Exercise Physiology

The Sports Injury Clinic’s qualified Exercise Physiologists can come to your club and conduct specialist training sessions. They can also assist with structuring your training year based on prior knowledge of football injury and best outcomes. Exercise physiology sessions are also available on-line for your club during training and specialist injury sessions. (i.e. Hamstrings, groins, quads, knee/ankle injury.)

Monday Night Injury Clinic

The Sports Injury Clinic holds a regular Monday night injury clinic between 6pm and 8pm, no appointment is required. Our Physiotherapist will assess, treat and direct a rehabilitation program for your players immediately as well as an active management plant to avoid spending more time than is necessary the sidelines. On the day of assessment our physiotherapist will contact and report to the injured players coach or manager by phone or email to report findings and outcomes. You will also have immediate access to Sports Medicine Doctors for assessment and investigations if required. A monday night injury clinic session is fully covered by your private health fund with no gap to you, or in the event you don't have private health insurance the cost is $20.

Injury Updates

You will receive 20 Injury Updates per year which will give you facts and information regarding certain injuries for use by coaches and players.

THE SPORTS INJURY CLINIC ANNOUNCES ITS 2007 RESEARCH INITIATIVE
The utilisation of Real Time Ultrasound (RTUS)

In collaboration with Monash University Physiotherapy Department, The Sports Injury Clinic will be researching treatment options in the treating knee pain using RTUS. We have utilised data collected over a 2 ½ year period and will be assisted by Professor Jenny Keating (Head of Monash Physiotherapy Department) and selected physiotherapy honour students. We look forward to reporting our finding to you.

MANAGEMENT OF ANTERIOR KNEE PAIN

INJURY UPDATE 2. MARCH 2007

What is Patellofemoral Syndrome (PFS)?

Patellofemoral Syndrome (PFS) is the medical name for a condition that causes pain in and around the front of the knee. The patella (kneecap) is designed to move smoothly within a ready made groove on the femur (thigh bone). When the patella is not moving or "tracking" properly within its’ groove, anterior knee pain can develop. This knee problem can occur in all age groups and can often be mistaken as ’arthritic’ pain.

The patella is a moveable bone in front of the knee located inside a large tendon that connects the quadriceps (thigh) muscles to the tibia (lower leg bone). This is called the patellofemoral joint. In a healthy knee, the patella moves smoothly in a groove,in an upwards and downwards direction. If the patella is moving incorrectly through this groove, pain can occur. Noises are often associated with PFS, and in some cases, can be disregarded. Some people will just have loud knees when they squat, lunge or go up steps!.

Muscles, ligaments and other soft tissue help to control the position of the triangular-shaped patella. Imbalances between the muscles and tissues can cause the patella to sit incorrectly in its designed groove, subsequently causing pain in and around the knee cap The patella is protected under its surface with a smooth covering called articular cartilage, and this can sometimes become roughened which can also cause pain or noisy knees!

Causes of Patellofemoral Syndrome?

Muscle imbalances in the quadriceps,especially the inner quadricep (the VMO) can be due to many contributing factors. This imbalance can place stress on the patella , causing it to sit or move incorrectly within its groove and placing stress on the surrounding knee tissue resulting in pain. More pressure may then be placed on the cartilage underneath the patella. In time, the pressure may cause damage to the articular cartilage.

Issues contributing to imbalances of the quadriceps can be:

• Your walking mechanics including foot alignment
• Weakness around the hip/knee/calf
• Poor single leg balance/core stability
• Your leg alignment and bony shape that you inherit
• Walking on a bent knee due to pain, or stiffness following surgery

Occasionally, some people have a greater than normal angle and appear knock-kneed (genu valgum). This creates a greater than normal knee angle. When the person straightens the knee,the patella will be forced to the outside of the knee. Over time, this motion can lead to pain from the surrounding knee tissue and damage of the underlying cartilage.

Signs and Symptoms:

• Pain with steps, squatting, getting up and down from a chair.
• Pain with driving or prolonged sitting
• Knee occasionally feeling like it could give way secondary to pain.
• Pain with hills, bike riding, step machine, gym classes

What treatment is available?

You WILL be required to do some very basic exercises and sometimes a short course of taping (fig 3.) to assist in reducing pain around the knee. Reducing your pain will again encourage a quicker recovery process in which YOU are in control of!

Having been identified as suffering PFS you have options available in assisting to correct the reason for your knee pain. You may be recommended to trial a brief course of physiotherapy over a 6 week period to achieve favorable results. You may also be recommended to try injection therapy to assist in reducing the pain and inflammation in the tissue surrounding the knee cap.

If your alignment is an issue, you may be asked to see a Podiatrist or Orthotist to issue devices (orthotics) that can help in correcting both foot and knee alignment together.

Is surgery an option?

Surgery is proven to be beneficial when conservative measures have not been successful. Surgery may involve removing damaged soft tissue around the knee, lengthening tight tissue that has ‘pulled’ the knee cap into an unfavorable position, or realigning the knee cap. Your surgeon will explain the reasons for these procedures if necessary and the desired outcome.

EMAIL YOUR INJURY QUERIES

This is your club’s newsletter - if you have any specific topics you would like to see included email us at info@tsic.com.au