Latest news with #physiotherapy
CTV News
21 hours ago
- General
- CTV News
Exercise boosts survival rates in colon cancer patients, study shows
Terri Swain-Collins uses a treadmill in the care of physiotherapist Alison MacDonald on May 20, 2025, at Kingston Injury Management, a clinic in Kingston, Ontario, in Canada. (Lisa Callahan via AP)
The Sun
3 days ago
- General
- The Sun
The 5 things you can do to loosen up ‘creaky knees' – and when it's a sign of something more serious
WHETHER it's stiffness when sitting up from a chair or painful twinges when tackling the stairs, knee problems are a common health issue, affecting people of all ages. One knee -related problem, estimated to affect up to 41 per cent of the population in the UK, is something known as knee crepitus, or 'creaky knees'. 3 Knee crepitus is the sensation of a popping, clicking, or crackling sound or movement within the knee joint. While the sound can be concerning, it's usually not a sign of serious damage and is often harmless. But what can you do to help and when should it be a cause for concern? Anj Periyasamy, a clinical specialist physiotherapist working with Healthspan, knows all too well the restrictions that pain, injury and disorders can have on her patients. She said creaking is usually indicative of changes in the knee joint that often, but not always, relate to age related changes. Age related changes in the knees are something most of us will have to contend with, but she adds genes can play a role too. Anj added: "Some are unfortunate to have a predisposition towards more problems than others simply due to our genes. "However, as knees are the joint that carries the most weight of our bodies, a lot of our problems will be down to how we use them." So what can you do to stop creaky knees happening? From knee strengthening exercises to taking supplements, Anj recommends five things to help make your knees feel well-oiled. Unexpected everyday habits that could be causing your back pain 1. Strengthening exercises 3 The right form of exercise can help keep knees working at their optimum. Anj adds: "Reduced strength of muscles surrounding the knees put more direct pressure on ligaments, tendons and muscles." See Anj's recommended exercises below. 2. Work on your knee flexibility As we become more sedentary and adopt regular sitting postures, we are reducing the amount of time we have moving our joints. Anj advised: "This has a direct knock-on effect on the joint health. "The synovial fluid within joints lubricate themselves with movement and so without movement, less synovium and therefore more stiffness. "Motion is lotion as we say!" To improve knee flexibility, focus on regular stretching, particularly for hamstrings, quadriceps, and calves. Engage in low-impact activities like walking or cycling, and consider resistance training to strengthen supporting muscles in the hips and thighs. 3. Reduce excess body weight 3 Every kilogram of excess body weight over your BMI adds extra pressure on your knees, warns Anj. The initial steps to losing weight involve focusing on a balanced diet, incorporating physical activity, and setting realistic goals. These steps can help establish healthy habits and promote sustainable weight loss. 4. Good nutrition is key You are what you eat so making sure you have the right nutrition for joints its also pertinent. But Anj added: "Unfortunately, there is no quick fix if you have been told you have osteoarthritis as these are changes to the cartilage lining of the joints. "Glucosamine and Chondroitin (try Healthspan's Glucosamine & Chondroitin tablets) has some effect in joint health, but the evidence isn't strong enough for everyone to take in the prevention of knee osteoarthritis. " Vitamin D and calcium are key in supporting good bone health. Healthspan have a range of supplements that support good bone and joint health, but always consult with a medical practitioner to help you understand what is best for you and your body." 5. AposHealth device The AposHealth device is a non-invasive medical device, worn on the feet, designed to help improve walking patterns and reduce pain in individuals with knee osteoarthritis. It's particularly recommended for patients who may be considering knee replacement surgery, have not responded well to other treatments, and prefer a non-surgical option. Anj said: "It has a growing body of evidence in its support and use, now under the NICE guidelines approval for management of pain and function in those with arthritis of the knee." Exercises that are helpful to do Calf raises and dips off a step x 15 reps. Squats x 15 reps. This is an important functional movement such as getting off a chair/toilet. If this is too easy, then one leg squats are a great progression. This may not seem functional, but is important to help you get up and down the stairs. Knee bending flexibility for those with stiff knees (ensuring you can stretch your knee fully straight and bent), as this will have a direct knock on effect on your walking and standing ability Balance work on a balance cushion/pad. Try standing with both feet next to each other whilst standing on a balance cushion for 1 minute. If this is too easy then try balancing on one leg for one minute. Lunges x15 each side. Another great overall exercise that works hip, knee and ankle muscles and super important functional movement. If you struggle with this then start with shallow lunges before building up. Anj recommends: "If you struggle with creaky joints the above are easy and simple to do everyday, and really two to three times a day, but you may only be able to do five reps of the exercises. "Spend a few minutes each day on these exercises and you will see a difference within a few weeks." When should you get help? If joints are painful with the click or grind, or if there is a progression in your symptoms such as the joint feeling like it is giving way or locking, then it may be time to speak to your GP, or preferably, see a physiotherapist or osteopath for an assessment, said Anj. She added: "They have vast knowledge in how to assess and treat musculoskeletal disorders and use a variety of treatment tools such as exercise and manual therapy to help reduce your pain and symptoms. "They will also show you how to overcome the creaking." Creaking can occur with inflammatory arthritic disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis, warned Anj, which often need to be treated differently as they can present with red, hot or swollen joints. As well as joint damage or inflammation, it could be a sign of a vitamin D deficiency. If vitamin D deficiency is left untreated it can lead to rickets in children - a condition where bones become soft and bend. In adults, it can cause osteomalacia, a softening of the bones, and increase the risk of osteoporosis and fractures.
News.com.au
4 days ago
- Health
- News.com.au
‘A break I didn't know I wanted but really needed': Dylan Gibbons' silver lining from shoulder reconstruction
This was the break Dylan Gibbons had to have. He just didn't know it at the time. The star young jockey needed a shoulder reconstruction that was to keep him out of the saddle for five months. There is never a good time to be injured but when Gibbons was told he needed surgery last November, he had just completed his apprenticeship four months earlier and was trying to establish himself as a senior rider in the competitive Sydney jockey ranks. Rather than become disconsolate at the career setback, Gibbons found a silver lining. 'It was quite funny because during the first month or two I was out, I didn't realise how much I needed a break,'' Gibbons said. 'I had basically completed my whole apprenticeship without any time off. Even when I was suspended I still turned up for work. 'So, it slowly built up and it was only when I was out injured that I understood how tired I had become. 'This was a break I didn't know I wanted but really needed in the end.'' After Gibbons had his shoulder surgery, his comeback started when he began intensive physiotherapy – and he reckons he got lucky when he got to work with Cameron Dyer. 'Cameron was a sports physio for Manly and also a trainer for the Waratahs,'' Gibbons said. 'The surgery I had for a shoulder reconstruction, he was very experienced as that injury is common with footy players. It was a normal day's work for him treating my shoulder. 'With his knowledge all he had to understand was that jockeys work a bit differently to footy players. He was a massive help with my recovery.'' It was during his convalescence, Gibbons, also rediscovered his passion for race riding. 'Maybe I had become a little complacent with my riding but when I was out injured, I got that 'hunger' back,'' he said. 'I look back on it now and I honestly believe the break I had has been a blessing in disguise.'' Gibbons, 23, only returned to race riding about two months ago but his career is gaining momentum as he showed at Royal Randwick last Saturday with a brace of wins for the Bjorn Baker stable on Hollywood Hero and Miss Kim Kar that took the jockey over the 400-win milestone for his career. Miss Kim Kar storms home on the outside and wins the last at Randwick! ðŸ'¥ @djgibbons22 & @BBakerRacing get their double to close out the day! ✌ï¸� — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 24, 2025 At Rosehill Gardens on Saturday, Gibbons has rides in eight races for five different stables including four mounts for Team Hawkes with Catahoula, Furious, Brave One and Liberty State. The range of trainers that are using Gibbons is an indirect result of a decision the jockey made when out injured. Gibbons, the son of leading Newcastle -based jockey Andrew Gibbons, was apprenticed to Kris Lees at Broadmeadow and despite his success during his apprenticeship, he had resisted the temptation to relocate to Sydney to further his riding career. 'I probably should have made the move to Sydney 12 months earlier,'' Gibbons admitted. 'But sometimes you don't fix what's not broken. 'But when I was off injured and knew roughly my comeback date, I decided to put my place in Newcastle up for rent and find a place in Sydney. 'When I told Kris I was making the move, he said I needed to do it. He has been a great supporter and still calls me to ride in trials for him from time to time.'' Gibbons' weekly trackwork schedule includes Randwick on Tuesday for Anthony and Sam Freedman, and also Michael Freedman, then on Wednesdays he goes to Warwick Farm to ride work for the Baker stable. On Thursdays, Gibbons rides either at Randwick again for Peter Snowden or he will travel to Bong Bong to ride work for Ciaron Maher, then on Fridays he's at Rosehill for Team Hawkes. 'I've been going in and doing the work for them and they have been kind enough to reward me,'' Gibbons said. 'It's been good and I'm starting to build those connections with stables again. Hopefully I can keep getting the results on track and it snowballs from there.'' Gibbons, who rode two Group 1 winners during his apprenticeship on Explosive Jack in the 2023 Sydney Cup and on Kalapour in the 2024 Tancred Stakes, also used his period on the sidelines to gain some media experience which he believes has helped with his 'reading' of races and tactics. Popular Channel 7 race day presenter Lizzie Jelfs suggested Gibbons join her on the Saturday panel as an expert commentator and he jumped at the opportunity. Looking forward to having Dylan Gibbons join us on the desk again today 🙌 — 7HorseRacing ðŸ�Ž (@7horseracing) December 28, 2024 'Lizzie was kind enough to speak with her boss, then one thing led to another and I did my first shift,'' he said. 'It was pretty cool, I enjoyed it and they asked me back a few times. I found I was watching races from a very different perspective. 'Normally, when I'm watching a race I'm looking at horses I rode or wanted to ride, or trying to find track patterns, so often you are not actually watching the whole race. 'This was another thing that helped me when I was off as it gave me a different perspective on how to look at races. 'It has helped me understand more where trainers, owners and punters are coming from when they are unhappy and how things can look sometimes, and it got me doing form a different way, too.'' • Schiller to be sidelined for six weeks with fracture Due to his lengthy injury-enforced absence, Gibbons has only ridden five city winners so far this season – a far cry from the heady days of his apprenticeship during the 2022-23 season in which he had 72 city winners to be third on the jockey premiership, and second in the apprentices title to good mate Zac Lloyd, with 76 wins. As Lloyd's star continues to rise in 2024-25 with 60 winners to be second in the premiership to James McDonald on 79 winners with two months of the season remaining, Gibbons has had to reset his priorities and ambitions after the injury setback. But Gibbons isn't wondering about what might have been, instead he's using Lloyd's success to fuel his comeback. 'When Zac and I were battling it out for the apprentices premiership, we both found it difficult at times to be happy for each other,'' he said. 'There was that awkward tension when I rode a winner or when Zac rode a winner. 'But towards the end of the season we both learned to worry about our own riding and we found that happy medium about being mates and good competitors. 'I think that experience taught us a lot more than we probably thought. • Tavi Time ready to peak in Lord Mayor's Cup … but which one? Gibbons is obviously in a good place, his injury issues are behind him and he's back doing what he does best, riding winners again. 'My shoulder isn't a problem now, and physically and mentally it is the best I have ever felt since I've been riding,'' he said. 'I'm just trying to work hard and capitalise on that now. 'You don't realise how full on this game is until you have a break like I did. 'You can get offended and think people forget about you but racing is on basically 364 days a year and things move quickly – that is why they say you are only as good as your last ride.'' â– â– â– â– â– Gibbons, Team Hawkes join forces at Rosehill Star jockey Dylan Gibbons is joining forces with the in-form Team Hawkes stable with four rides including fancied duo Brave One and Furious at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday. Promising three-year-old Brave One, part-owned by Rupert Legh of Chautauqua fame, goes second-up into the Asahi Super Dry Handicap (1200m). Gibbons will also wear Legh's famous colours of navy, yellow lightning bolt, armbands and cap aboard Furious in the Ranvet Handicap (1500m). This will be the first occasion Gibbons rides either horse but he was an interested observer of Brave One's first-up effort when second to Cruel Summer on a heavy track at Canterbury late last month. 'Brave One's first-up run was very good and I like the fact he's had about four weeks between runs,'' Gibbons said. 'When they have a first-up run on a heavy track an extra week or two won't hurt them so I figure that's a good set-up for him.'' ☀ï¸� Cruel Summer loves the conditions today, and wins at Canterbury! @RachelK11 | @perry_racing1 | @aus_turf_club — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 30, 2025 • Gibbons is also keen on the chances of lightly-raced five-year-old gelding Furious who should be peaking after two runs from a spell including his last-start second at the Kensington midweeks. ' Nash (Rawiller) rode Furious last start and he went towards the outside fence and Pippie Beach was able to 'snipe' up underneath him,'' Gibbons said. 'But he's racing well and should be hard to beat.'' Furious ($15) is too good for Trosettee at Caulfield ðŸ'° @JChilds47 gets a double ✌ï¸� @HawkesRacing — (@Racing) May 11, 2024 • The Hawkes stable's Furious shares his name with the former champion filly who won the Victoria Derby, Rosehill Guineas, ATC Sires Produce Stakes and Champagne Stakes in 1921. Furious from last century was such an outstanding racehorse that a three-year-old fillies feature race is named in her honour and run annually during the Sydney spring carnival. Interestingly, the Registrar of Racehorses is responsible for considering and determining name applications and they adhere to a specific set of rules including the permanent protection of the names of champion racehorses like Phar Lap and Winx. The names of Melbourne Cup and Cox Plate winners are also permanently protected while the names of other Group 1 winners cannot be used again for a minimum of 50 years. Some of the elite Group 1 races have longer protection periods with the winners' names of the Golden Slipper, Caulfield Cup, ATC Australian Derby and Victoria Derby off limits for 99 years. The naming application for Furious, the five-year-old gelding, was lodged in 2020 – which was exactly 99 years after the filly of the same name won the Victoria Derby.
The Independent
6 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Meet Natalie Zimmermann, the German challenger to Terri Harper's WBO lightweight title
in Doncaster. This will be a homecoming for Harper who has not fought in Doncaster since 2018 when her career was in its infancy. She will face combat sports veteran Natalie Zimmermann, who will be hoping to claim her first recognised world title. Zimmermann has had a long multi-disciplinary career and will be looking to add a professional boxing title to her list of accolades. Who is Natalie Zimmermann? DAZN news has what you need to know… Record Total fights: 13 Wins: 13 (3 KOs) Losses: 0 Rounds: 67 Height: 5' 6' Age: 42 Background Boxing was not the first choice of Zimmermann, who spent the first ten years of her combat sports career in taekwondo before moving to kickboxing. It was in the latter that she would have her first taste of success. She credits watching the film 'G.I Jane', starring Demi Moore for inspiring her to take up marital arts whilst training to become a physiotherapist. As a kickboxer, she won three consecutive German national championships from 2017-2019 and registered over 100 wins. Then at 38-years-old, Zimmermann made the move into professional boxing, debuting in 2020. Since then, she has put together an impressive thirteen fight unbeaten run to land a shot at Harper's WBO title. She has also held the unrecognised WIBF title, claiming it in 2023 by beating Edina Kiss via unanimous decision in Germany. Fighting, however, is not Zimmermann's only passion, as alongside her professional boxing career she also runs a physiotherapy practice in Hamburg where she trains under Andre Walther and former world champion Artur Grigorian. This fight with the Doncaster native will be Zimmermann's first outside of continental Europe. She has fought primarily out of Germany and her two most recent fights against Orsolya Moldovan and Katerina Dvorakova were in Spain. Now 42-years-old, the German will face her first opponent with a winning record, but as someone who has taken a path against the grain to get to boxing, she will be hoping to upset the odds one more time and dethrone Harper in her hometown. Zimmermann said to Boxen1: "My thanks go to GBM Sports, for giving me this world championship chance. It has always been my dream to prove myself against fighters like Terri and showcase my skills. My coach and I will be developing strategies for the fight. There will certainly be some surprises for my opponent.' Watch the very best boxing with a DAZN subscription DAZN is the home of combat sports, broadcasting over 185 fights a year from the world's best promoters, including Matchroom, Queensberry, Golden Boy, Misfits, PFL, BKFC, GLORY and more. An Annual Saver subscription is a one-off cost of £119.99 / $224.99 (for 12 months access), that's just 64p / $1.21 per fight. There is also a Monthly Flex Pass option (cancel any time) at £24.99 / $29.99 per month. A subscription includes weekly magazine shows, comprehensive fight library, exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes documentaries, and podcasts and vodcasts.
Globe and Mail
20-05-2025
- Health
- Globe and Mail
Heading out for an early morning run is my favourite way to explore a new city
First Person is a daily personal piece submitted by readers. Have a story to tell? See our guidelines at I set my alarm for 6:15 a.m. so I can put on my running clothes in the dark, eat a granola bar and head out the door 30 minutes later for my longest run of the week. I want to run 22 kilometres but unless Ghent, Belgium, makes me unexpectedly speedy, I'll be lucky if I fit in 15 km. I need to get back to the hotel to shower so we can catch a 10:30 train to Rotterdam, Netherlands. I'm on vacation and I am running. I take my first few steps in complete darkness. Lights are on at a pub across the city square. I hear people partying in the distance like it's still the middle of the night. I turn right toward the canal. I know that the sun will rise at 6:54 a.m., so soon I will see Ghent's medieval architecture in the new morning light. It starts to rain softly, making the cobblestone under my feet slippery. I move at a slower pace. I'm your typical elder millennial who took up running to enjoy some alone time. I started off by doing intervals. Run four minutes. Walk one minute. After two kids and two miscarriages, my body didn't seem to work all that well anymore. Lingering foot pain made it hard for me to run. Strained metatarsal something or other. It feels a bit like plantar fasciitis. The easiest explanation I have is that the babies left me lopsided. I found a good physiotherapist. I take ibuprofen regularly and know to have plenty of anti-inflammatory cream on hand so I can rub it on my feet at night. I kept at running, though, building my distance. Before I knew it, my passion for running became part of my personality. Now I run far in far-off places, too. I feel like a goddess jogging through Ghent dressed in white Hoka shoes and a peach Ciele hat. My body feels strong. I look up and I'm at Gravensteen – the castle of the counts – built in 1180. What an incredible way to see the sites. In London, I run along the Thames toward Tower Bridge. I see St. Paul's Cathedral. In the distance is the London Eye. I turn back toward the Shard. I move through narrow alleyways and steep staircases. I follow another runner to see if I can find my way back up over the bridge. I cross the Thames and come across Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. There are no crowds to contend with this early in the day. The soft light is better than any Instagram filter. I feel powerful and grateful, and feel like running has given me a free ticket to see the world. In Paris, I follow the Seine with the Eiffel Tower on the horizon. Sharply dressed folks whizz by me on their bikes as they make their way to work. A man slowly walks his dog and I have to pivot to make my way around them. A woman in a tan trench coat sits at a bistro table, sipping coffee, watching me curiously as I run by. Pigeons peck at their breakfast. I take a left and run by Notre Dame Cathedral. I run along the Opal Coast while we stay in Calais in northern France. Greenish-blue water washes up against golden sand that the wind whips into dunes. Ferries float by. Seagulls serenade me. I'm tempted to run in the sand to feel it squish beneath my feet but I stick to the paved promenade to avoid twisting an ankle. Back in Rotterdam, I run toward a windmill and have to pinch myself, is this really my life? With each heavy breath, I feel so lucky that my body can do this. The world feels big and there's so much beauty and wonder to run toward. Especially on vacation! Leisha Grebinski lives in Calais, France, until she returns to Saskatoon.
