Many of the patients I treat are members and fighters in the gym, so naturally a lot of them know each other.
This week I was treating one of the best Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Brown Belts around, Viking Wong, when all of a sudden a note got pushed under the treatment room door…
The note read “Get out while you can Viking…”
THANKS!!
Treatments aren’t that bad really!
Thankfully Viking is a regular so knows what’s involved which is how he stays on such top form! That’s why he’s so good at BJJ! 😉
Having worked as an osteopath in Urban Kings Gym in Kings Cross since its opening in 2010 I have had the opportunity to work with a total mix of people and injuries.
Being a mixed martial arts gym, some of the most common people I get to treat are fighters with all sorts of sports related injuries, and every now and then I get to assess and treat some top fighters, although when I meet them it is usually to get an opinion on an injury rather than for a chinwag. One such occasion was fairly recently when I met Davey Grant, a Bantamweight fighting in the UFC.
Davey came to see me having injured his knee in training just days before he was due to fight in the UFC on March 8th and needed to know what he had done and what he could do to be ready to fight (Davey has given me permission to mention him in this blog).
Davey’s knee was noticeably swollen and on testing appeared to have sprained his medial colateral ligament of the knee and there was little that could be done in terms of treatment so all I could do was to strap the knee using Rock Tape to give it a little bit more support and give him advice for the hours leading up to the weigh in.
Unfortunately Davey was unable to fight due to the diagnosis of Meniscus Tear given by the fight doctors, which is probably just as well as any kick to the leg or knee could have caused some serious problems!
Hopefully Davey’s knee is now well on the mend and he will be back to fighting in the very near future!
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In the last week or two, I have has several people asking about the “painful looking” rollers we have here in the gym and what they are so I decided to explain them and see if I could help answer a few questions.
Foam rolling is thankfully something that has increased in popularity in recent times and as a result we are seeing better quality rollers such as the Triggerpoint Therapy Grid roller and the Rumble Roller.
This post is purely about the Rumble Roller since there are so many other great articles out there about the other types of roller but not the Rumble Roller.
Admittedly the Rumble roller is a pretty savage looking piece of equipment, almost like something out of medievil times, with its scary looking nodules. But before you avoid it completely let me assure you they are not as bad as they look.
The theory behind foam rollers is to break down adhesions of a film-like tissue in the body called Fascia. Fascia runs all throughout the body and can become “sticky” and “knotty” and therefore affect how your body functions. Using foam rollers is almost like rolling dough with a rolling pin- the roller squashes the tissues back into their correct alignment.
The Rumble Roller on the other hand works more like a deep tissue massage, working into the muscles, rather than squashing the muscles. The nodules can be described as similar to the thumbs of a massage therapist.
There are 2 models of the Rumble Roller; Blue and Black, which have different densities. The blue rumble roller is the less firm of the two and the nodules are firm but not solid, meaning that they are compressible. I would recommend the blue version to most people.
The black version is almost the same except that the material is even denser than the blue and thus harder to roll on.
The first time I tried a Rumble Roller I expected it to be even more painful than a standard roller but once I had been on one for the first time I would actually say I prefer it as I find my muscles get worked in to rather than just squashed.
Rumble rollers, like most other foam rollers, come in 2 sizes; 12.5cm x 30cm or 15cm x 77.5cm. I personally prefer the longer roller as you can roll all your body easily. I would recommend the smaller one for working into smaller and less accessible areas such as the rotator cuff.
Prices are much the same wherever you shop, with any variations being due to postage costs. I got mine from Amazon.co.uk for £62 with free delivery- Rumble Roller Original Blue – Full Size 15cm x 77.5cm
(Blue/ Normal) or Rumble Roller Extra Firm Black – Full Size 15cm x 77.5cm
Hopefully that has helped you out but if you have any questions, please leave them in the comments section below.
Ashley
This March (2013) we are offering two fantastic offers on our Osteopathy and Sports Massage. Check out the March Special Offers.
They are valid for MARCH ONLY so be sure to get yourself a bargain while it lasts!
Diclofenac is a drug used frequently for managing pain. It is a NSAID (Non Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug) similar to Ibuprofen and Naproxen used to treat pain and inflammation such as in Arthritis or Anykylosing spondylitis.
An article published in the Daily Mail yesterday highlights the risks of Diclofenac- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2277821/Diclofenac-GPs-ignore-heart-risk-drug-used-millions.html
Whilst it may be possible that Diclofenac may increase the risk of Heart Attacks or Strokes it is worth noting that this is most likely to happen in the elderly populations, those predisposed to heart attacks or strokes or those who have been taking the drug for a long period of time.
One thing that is worth mentioning here is that as with ALL medications you should take the time to read the information that comes in the box. There is all the information regarding Cautions, Contra-Indications, possible Side Effects and Drug Interactions. Whilst we do expect that our GP’s tell us all this information it is equally our responsibility to find out for ourselves.
For more information about Diclofenac or any other medication, please check Drugs.com
Scoliosis is a term I have heard many times in practice in Kings Cross. Many of my patients come in telling me, with concern, that they have scoliosis thinking that something is seriously wrong. There is clearly a breakdown in effective communication between the patient and the person who makes the diagnosis. Whoever gives the diagnosis has a duty to let the patient know what it means, how bad it is and whether it will get worse.
Many of the patients I have seen who claim to have a scoliosis actually have no scoliosis whatsoever on examination, suggesting to me that they have either been misdiagnosed or the scoliosis they may have had was self correcting.
Chondromalacia Patella (Patellofemoral Syndrome)
Chondromalacia patella facts
• Chondromalacia patella is one of the most common cause of chronic knee pain.
• Chondromalacia patella is also known as patellofemoral syndrome.
• The pain associated with chondromalacia patella is aggravated by activity or prolonged sitting with bent knees.
• Abnormal “tracking” allows the kneecap (patella) to grind over the lower end of the thighbone (femur), causing chronic inflammation and pain.
• Treatment involves improving the alignment of the patella during contraction of the thigh muscle.
What is chondromalacia patella?
Continue reading “Chondromalacia Patella”
I had always said I would never do a Triathlon only because you have to run. I have always hated running; it has never been easy, I found it boring but most of all it causes a lot of injuries. Back when I was at school I developed “shin splints” in both legs which became so bad that I literally could barely walk! Shin splints is when someone does too much exercise too soon and the calf muscles become tight and shortened. This causes the muscle to pull on the bone Continue reading “Is Running Bad For You?”
Unfortunately during the website changes we lost our blog posts. Don’t worry though, there will be many more coming soon!
