Increasingly athletes are being seen with bright coloured tape on their bodies, this is kinesiology tape. It is a light elastic tape that can be used for helping with musculoskeletal problems which can arise from overuse injuries, muscle strains or spasms, and swelling. Properties that make the tape appealing to athletes is its elasticity in that it moves with the body, so athletes feel very comfortable with it on.

Kinesiology tape is not a new concept and therapists have been using it for several years however its benefits to sports people are only now being fully appreciated. A big step has been the ability for athletes to buy the tape and apply it themselves; this is where kinesiology tape comes into its own. Unless you are fortunate enough to be a professional athlete it’s unlikely you have access to a sports physio 24/7, so the tape allows you to take control and manage the problem yourself.

The elastic nature of the tape allows it to be applied over and around muscles, ligaments and tendons in order to provide lightweight and comfortable support in order to prevent injury and speed recovery or healing.  It can provide mechanical support for joints such as the knee or the ankle and alleviate stress on connective tissue, it can also provide feedback to the nervous system to facilitate or inhibit muscle function.

As a therapist I have seen the benefits of using the tape for several years however I am now delighted to see the tape more widely available as its true power lies in its ability to empower the athlete to take control of their problem and continue to perform.

KT Tape have launched a new Synthetic Kinesiology tape that we have been using for the last few weeks. The feedback from our physios and clients has been over overwhelmingly positive. This quote from one of our clients says it all:

“This tape is a billion times better. Still got the same tape on that you applied. Shower with it, sleep with it and any type of clothing rubbing on it, lifting or any of it coming loose!! Its amazing!! 

Both Physios and clients alike have found that the tape is easy to apply it sticks really well and it supports the body better. While it is a little more expensive than ordinary KT Tape the early results show its worth it.

If you want to buy the tape but are unsure of how to apply it call us on 020 7627 2308 and ask to speak to Scott who will be happy to apply the tape for you and show you how to use it.

Winston Gordon the current GB Judo number one in the middleweight division and one of Balance’s Olympic Ambassadors has just been featured in the Telegraph!

The Balance team have now worked with Winston for over ten years and have helped him return from several potentially career ending injuries. We are still working very closely with Winston to reach 2012.

As Winston says himself:

“Balance is a great asset and an excellent team to work with. I would recommend them to anyone who has sustained a sports injury. I thank them all for all their help and support in enabling me to pursue my Olympic dream”

To read the whole article:

Winston Gordon-judo-telegraph-190412

CrossCore® and Mad Dogg Athletics announce strategic alliance to bring Rotational Bodyweight Training to the UK fitness Industry. CrossCore® Europe has just launched the new CrossCore® Rotational Bodyweight Training (RBT) and European Education Programme. The RBT programme is a 1-Day, 6-hour course worth 6 Continued Education Credits through ISSA and has been designed for personal trainers, gym instructors, sports or strength and conditioning coaches, physiotherapists and other healthcare and fitness professionals.

Sports rehabilitation and physiotherapy specialists Balance Performance in London are the main UK distributors of the CrossCore® Rotational Bodyweight Training Systems™. They are working in conjunction with Crosscore® Europe’s Head Trainers Rannoch Donald and Andy McKenzie to deliver the Training and Education Programme (TEP) to teach rotational bodyweight training across the UK, Ireland and to develop it further across Europe, Middle East and North Africa.

WHEN: Launch event for the media on Wednesday 25th April at 12.00-1.30pm and 1.45-3.30pm

WHERE: Lomax Chelsea, Lomax Bespoke Health Ltd., 293 Fulham Road, London, SW10 9PZ

MORE INFORMATION: http://www.lomaxpt.com

TO ATTEND THE EVENT: Contact Scott Morris 07760414944, scott@balancephysio.com
MEDIA ENQUIRIES: Contact Henman Communications on 07810 448782 / rph@henmancom.com

For the full press release please click on the link below.

CrossCore UK Education Press Release

Balance Performance Physiotherapy is seeking to recruit two dynamic sports physiotherapists on a part time basis. The ideal candidates will have extensive experience of working in sport, have achieved or be working towards an MSc and experience of the private sector. Acupuncture, manipulation skills and a high degree of competency in taping and rehabilitation would also be an advantage. Candidates would be expected to work some weekends and evenings.

Balance offers its staff a dynamic working environment that allows its therapists all the tools required to fully rehabilitate their clients, a comprehensive CPD program and ultimately the opportunity to be part of one of the most experienced multi-disciplinary teams in the UK.

If you would like to apply please send your CV and a brief covering letter to Scott Morris, Performance Director, Balance Performance Physiotherapy, London, SW4 6LE email  scott@balancephysio.com.  If you have any questions about the role please call Scott on 07760414944. The vacancy will close once sufficient applications have been received so please apply as soon as you can.

Winston Gordon Team GB Judo and current UK number one middleweight was interviewed in the dojo at Ernest Bevan School in Tooting by ITV news this week about his preparation for London 2012 and how the team at Balance Performance Physiotherapy have not only helped him overcome several potentially career ending injuries but also improve his performance through strength, conditioning and movement drills.

Jason Progl from Balance training Winston and the boys at Ernest Bevan

It was a fantastic afternoon where Winston was filmed putting some of the pupils through their paces in the dojo, they thought that was hard until Jason Progl from Balance took over and tested their ability to really move.

Graham Anderson our Clinical Director has now worked closely with Winston for over ten years as Graham used to be the physio for Team GB Judo. With Graham’s and the team at Balance expertise and Winston’s hard work massive obstacles have been overcome in terms of injury. To be the current UK number 1 and hopefully soon to qualify for the Olympics is a massive achievement for Winston and everyone who has worked with him as Winston says himself

“ Balance is a great asset and an excellent team to work with. I would recommend them to anyone who has sustained a sports injury. I thank them all for all their help and support in enabling me to pursue my Olympic dream“

Dr Lucy Goldby has written a fantastic article on the Alter G treadmill (G-Trainer) that has appeared on Run Britain’s website. Run Britain is the largest online group for road running in the UK.

Balance has now had their Alter-G for over three years and firmly believe that a tool is only as good as the knowledge of those who use it. In the three years that Balance has had the Alter-G our team of therapists have accumulated hours of time using the G-trainer with clients from a huge range of disciplines, levels and with differing problems. From clients with hip replacements, club runners wanting to run faster to premiership footballers getting over a knock the Balance team have seen it all.

If you want to use the Alter-G at Balance and haven’t used it before you will automatically have a session with one of our expert therapists on how to use it to maximise your rehab and or performance to achieve your goals.

To read Lucy’s fantastic article please follow the link: http://runbritain.com/little-runbritain/157/

For more information on using the G-Trainer (commonly referred to as “Alter-G”) or to book a free session at Balance call 0207 627 2308

Sports injury and orthopaedic rehab at Balance Performance Physiotherapy

If you’re unfortunate enough to suffer an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) rupture as Lucas Leiva did last week – the Brazil international will miss the rest of the season having injured his left knee during Tuesday’s Carling Cup quarter-final victory at Chelsea – as a professional footballer reconstructive surgery is essential to return to the game.

If you’re not a pro but the injury results in your knee continuing to irregularly give way, an operation to reconstruct the ACL is really your only option, especially if you aspire to have an active lifestyle. At Balance of course we actively encourage you to ask for more and expect more from yourself. However whether pro athlete or not the operation is only effective if followed with quality rehabilitation executed with discipline and patience. Ensure your rehab guides you far enough down the road for you to achieve a complete recovery, give you absolute confidence to return to your sport and has provided you with resilience to future injury (either to the same knee or another structure that becomes vulnerable due to inadequate rehab). Of course there is no such thing as invulnerability in a human but to reiterate – you should be asking more of yourself and more of your physio or sports therapist. Do not pull up short!

Hamstring grafts are the grafts of choice these days but patella tendon grafts can also be used and do well.

Here’s the kind of schedule you’d expect going into rehab post operatively, which is initially quite straightforward:

Weeks 1-4 focussed on range of movement.

Return to sport at 5-6 months and contact sport soon afterwards.

This timeline is dependant on the quality of rehab, the individuals discipline and motivation, their unique circumstances and complications.

Most surgeons would like to see their work relatively protected for 9 months post op.

Balance got world class judo player Winnie Gordon competing in European champs at 5.5 months but that is rare. He went in to surgery on with a good level of preinjury knee strength which gave him a useful functional reserve.

Like every injury ones success is dependent on quality of training, movement, control and motivation.

At Balance we use tools that provide results, consequently we have a vast array of “toys” to work on specific weaknesses identified in our clients. There are some tools that we use over and over again, equipment that makes rehab more effective for a variety of reasons. one such reason is the ability to introduce something as early within the rehab process as possible to familiarise a client with the tool and also because we use equipment that is scalable – it can be used with more or less intensity depending on the stage of development a client has achieved.

For example Trigger Point Performance Therapy (TPT) and Alter-G partial weight bearing treadmill are used at very early stages in ACL rehab, CrossCore180 and kettlebells arent far behind. We make use of all of our available space: in Clapham and Fulham we have 1,000s of square feet of space to utilise and matted areas for essential ground work.

When an individual has focussed on prevention (prehab) prior to their current injury (remember there is no such thing as invulnerable) their subsequent recovery is much faster. Such prehab involves a mindful approach to movement skills, joint mobility, intelligent recovery following practice/training/competition: sports massage, self massage (Trigger Point Performance Therapy), hydration and nutrition, good quality sleep, stress management (mental and emotional).

As for Lucas, he and Liverpool are now considering when last season’s player of the year should undergo surgery.

The team at Balance are exceptionally experienced at treating ski and winter sports injuries. Not only do several members of the team ski but all are experienced in treating Orthopaedic injuries. So if you have hurt your knee and ruptured your ACL or torn your mensicus then we can help. Or you may simply want to know what exercises you do to strengthen you legs before go, book a session with one of our experienced personal trainers.

Ski boot or board shoes not fitting well? Come and see our Sports and Orthopaedic Podiatrist Mick Habgood to get your ski boots perfectly fitted.

The Balance team are very proud to have been working with Claire for a while now and have helped her come back from several problems. But don’t let us tell you about it, hear it straight from Claire. Follow the link to read the whole article on Famously Fit’s website.

<a href="http://www.famouslyfit.com/celebrity-fitness/claire-bennett-no-2-great-britain-fencer-injury-rehab-and-balance-performance"

Graham and Jonathan are both working all week at the ATP Tennis Finals at the O2 this week. Both Graham and Jonathan have been working in professional tennis for over a decade now. Yet their passion and commitment to working with high level athletes continues.

While Graham works all year on the ATP travelling the world, he continues to maintain a part time clinical list at Balance where he is able to share his knowledge with the team as Clinical Director and clients can benefit from his expertise when they see him in his capacity as a Consultant Physiotherapist. We wish Jonathan and Graham and all the players the best for the last tournament of the season.