Summer 2017 - Body, Brain & Business

Athletic low back pain: practical strategies to enhance movement quality and control

Pain-free sporting function depends on the effective integration and co-ordination of spinal movements within the kinetic chain. Efficient movements not only minimise the metabolic cost of a given activity, but also provide stress shielding of spinal structures. This article outlines the role of the spine in effective sporting function and highlights common dysfunctions associated with low back pain presentations.

Philip Glasgow

Groin pain in athletes

The instep kick in football is a complex skill for which high speed and precision are essential. Groin pain may affect a footballer's performance level and is often induced or provoked by kicking. This article explores the various factors of football biomechanics, and the role of the total body, and the relationship between range of motion and groin injury.

Igor Tak & Rob Langhout

Exercise rehabilitation: from initial injury to sport-specific training

Physiotherapists spend a large amount of time dealing with the management of injured tissues. Each presenting musculoskeletal injury is unique and this necessitates the development of a bespoke treatment regime for each consultation. The formation of "recipes" for management of common injuries is flawed and often doomed to failure.

Ian Horsley

Men's health: an emerging and important role for physiotherapy

Men's health is an area of global importance. More than 40% of men report incontinence issues, and sexual dysfunction and pelvic pain are prevalent. Rehabilitation has generally been extrapolated from women to men without consideration that the mechanisms and most optimal treatments may be different. For Physiotherapy to establish its role in this domain, it is critical for knowledge to expand regarding the underlying mechanisms and efficacy of interventions.

Paul Hodges

A contrast of systems - but a common agenda

There is a definite contrast between physical therapy services both in the UK and the USA. With Physio First members looking towards the formation of Co-operatives, this article highlights some of the aspects of both the differences and the commonalities between the two countries.

Rich Katz