Musculoskeletal 2

• Most common musculoskeletal conditions in Australia


  • Arthritis
  • Osteoporosis
  • Back Pain
• Osteoporosis


  A condition characterized by the thinning and weakening of the bone, making it very fragile
• Osteoporosis is 'bones with holes'
• Bones lose minerals such as calcium at a faster rate than they can be absorbed in osteoporosis
• The loss of minerals impairs the density of the bone and increases the risk of fractures in osteoporosis
• The risk of future fractures increases with each new fracture in osteoporosis
• Osteoporosis affects more women than men and has a higher incidence in people over the age of 55
• Osteoporosis symptoms


  • Little to no symptoms
  • Until bone fractures
• Osteoporosis risk factors


  • Sedentary behaviors and lack of exercise
  • Nutritional concerns, poor calcium intake and a Vitamin D deficiency
  • Age
• Osteoporosis prevention


  • Regular weight and strength bearing activities
  • Adequate intake of dietary calcium
  • Ensure sufficient vitamin D absorption
  • Avoid Smoking
• Arthritis


  A condition characterized by inflammation of the joints in the body, causing pain and stiffness
• Arthritis affects 15.5% of Australians
• Osteoarthritis


  Degenerative joint disease often caused by their overuse to or wear and tear of one or more specific joints
• Osteoarthritis mostly affects the weight bearing joints of the hip, knee or ankle but can also affect the hands and spine
• In osteoarthritis, healthy cartilage on the ends of the bones starts to fuse together, causing pain, swelling and restriction of ROM in the joint
• Factors that contribute to osteoarthritis


  • Increasing age
  • Excess weight
  • Repetitive Joint loading tasks
  • Sedentary lifestyle
• Rheumatoid Arthritis


  Chronic disease causing inflammation of the joints, an autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks the synovial membrane causing swelling, pain and joint damage
• Back Pain


  Back pain and back problems can affect the bones, joints, tissues and nerves of the back
• Causes of back pain


  • Soft Tissue Injuries
  • Displacement of invertebral discs
  • Postural stress
  • Structural problems
  • Overuse injury, weakness
• Back pain risk factors


  • Sedentary behavior or physical activity
  • Overweight or Obese
  • Type of occupation
  • Poor Posture
  • Other musculoskeletal systems
• Pre-participation screening


  • Needs to be completed prior to commencing or increasing physical activity
  • Either questionnaires or physical examinations
• Back pain treatment


  • Exercises to strengthen the back, and core muscles
  • Maintain a healthy weight
  • Staying active
• Questionnaires


  • PARQ: Physical activity readiness questionnaires
  • APSS: Adult pre-exercise screening system
• Aim of questionnaires


  • medical history
  • allergies
  • family histories
  • previous injuries
  • underlying health concerns
  • risk of something going wrong during exercise
• Physical preparation of athletes


  • Coaches and athletes must correctly apply the principles of training during both pre-season and in-season training to prevent overtraining
  • Overtraining: condition characterized in its most severe form by decreased athletic performance, increased fatigue, persistent muscle soreness, mood disturbances, and a feeling of being 'burnt out'
• Warm ups


  1. General Phase - low impact, aerobic activity

  2. Sport Specific Phase - activities related specifically to muscles and joints used in the activity. These activities should be dynamic
• Warm up


  Should produce mild sweating without fatigue
• Cool downs


  Low intensity, followed by static and PNF stretching, of the major muscles used in the activity
• Aims of cool downs


  • prevent venous pooling
  • removal of waste products
  • reduce potential for muscle soreness
  • allow body to return to its resting physiological state
• Physiological aids for prevention of sports injuries


  • Adequate warmup
  • Completion of a cool down
  • Developing correct technique
  • Developing appropriate levels of fitness for activity
• Physical aids for prevention of sports injuries


  • Correct footwear
  • Taping/strapping
  • Braces
  • Protective equipment (helmet, gloves, box)