Bursitis. Learn more about it with #Physio4Fight

Picture from the Bone & Joint website.

Bursitis is inflammation of a bursa, a closed, fluid-filled sac that works as a cushion and gliding surface to reduce friction between tissues of the body (normally bone corners in close contact with the skin and other soft tissues). The most common causes of bursitis are injury (direct trauma), overuse, biomechanical unbalances that lead to overuse, but it can also be caused by infection.

There are many bursas in the human body, from the feet joints to the shoulders, hips and hands. Pain, swelling, and tenderness near a joint are the most common signs of bursitis. Bursitis can be treated with rest and medicines to help with the inflammation. Antibiotics are used if infection is found.

To help bring down swelling and pain you can:

• rest – try not to move the joint too much and avoid activities that put pressure on it
• use ice – gently hold an ice pack (or a bag of frozen peas) wrapped in a tea towel on the area for around 10 minutes at a time and repeat every few hours during the day
• take painkillers, to ease any pain
• Physiotherapy- helps to improve unbalances

It may also help to put extra cushions around the affected joint while you sleep, to help protect and support it. See your doctor if you have a high temperature, or you feel hot and shivery

Mobility training: Why it is so important? Learning with #Physio4Fight

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Physiotherapy is not only soft tissue release, manipulations and a couch.

In fact, a better understanding about pain (short term and long term) and the importance of exercises and training are playing a massive role in modern physiotherapy evidence based.

The importance of strength training is a popular subject nowadays. We wrote about the importance of strength training here.

However, another important form of training is often forgotten. We are talking about mobility training.

There is a reason why two of the most greatest fighters in the world, the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu master Rickson Gracie and the Swiss karateca Andy Hug (in memorian) trained mobility a lot.

Mobility is essential because it prepares our bodies and mind for the stress of demanding training. It is a vital contributor to reducing the risk of injuries as well as improving technique and range of movement. Mobility is also important because it allows you to function normally through your general daily activities.

Mobility training helps you develop a full range of motion in your arms, spine, trunk and legs. Exercises that enhance mobility also improve your joint health mainly with secondary positive effects in the muscles as well. Well-developed mobility gives you an advantage in martial arts, running, yoga and other physical activities as well as in day-to-day activities.

If you have stiff joints or is an advanced age athlete, mobility training can improve the range of motion of your joints and muscles. It can assist in improving posture in some cases. Mobility training can also alleviate daily aches and pains as well as improve our body awareness.

Mobility also plays a role in exercises that are purely strength driven like heavy squatting. Mobility is key for strength training and advancing to lifting more weight. Focus on improving your mobility and mobility-specific exercises to see improvements in your weightlifting or any other particular activity.

Exercises must be specific so it is important to note that strength training alone is not good enough to improve mobility.

Always remember: Your training must be specific, planned and structured to achieve your goals.

Mobility training should be take with caution when there is a history of joint instability, chronic dislocations and some medical conditions that affect joint health.

Knee injuries in martial arts.

The knee joint joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two articulations: one between the femur and tibia, and one between the femur and patella. The knee is a mobile trocho-ginglymus (a pivotal hinge joint) which permits flexion and extension as well as a slight internal and external rotation. It is the largest joint in the human body.

The knee is one of the most important joints of our body. It plays an essential role in movement related to carrying the body weight in horizontal (running and walking) and vertical (jumps) directions.

Muscles, joint capsule, bursae and ligaments complete the knee joint.

The knee permits flexion and extension about a virtual transverse axis, as well as a slight medial and lateral rotation about the axis of the lower leg in the flexed position. The knee joint is called “mobile” because the femur and lateral meniscus move over the tibia during rotation, while the femur rolls and glides over both menisci during extension-flexion.

The knee injuries that most martial artists come across are not necessarily unique to martial arts. They range from the same types of tendinitis’, ‘pulled groins’ and ‘tweaking knees” that physios often hear about from  people playing a game of tennis, football or rugby.

However, with BJJ, Judo, Sambo, MMA and wrestling the things are different. The joint of knee often works under at end of ROM and stressed by multidirectional forces. These factors can increase the risk of knee injuries.

Physical activity is also related integrally to the development of knee problems. The same activity such as climbing stairs may cause pain from patellofemoral compression for someone who is physically unfit, but not for someone else (or even for that person at a different time).

What is about martial arts? The repetition of kicks, punchs, throws and sweeps from different positions follow the same rule above and are also related to the development of knee problems.

Obesity is another major contributor to knee pain. For instance, a 30-year-old woman who weighed 120 lb at age 18 years, before her three pregnancies, and now weighs 285 lb, had added 660 lb of force across her patellofemoral joint with each step.

How can I keep my knees healthy?

Good nutrition, avoiding obesity and doing regular exercise. Done right, exercise is great for your knees because it helps manage weight (decreasing the pressure put on your knees), improves flexibility and helps strengthen the knee and its surrounding muscles.

If you already have pain, swelling and inflammation, physiotherapy can help manage those symptoms and contribute to a new, healthier base.