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Foam rolling is increasingly being incorporated into athletes’ maintenance and stretching routines. It’s a particularly effective form of self myofascial release for tightness in muscles and other soft tissues following heavy bouts of exercise. Foam rolling is often encouraged by chartered physiotherapists to improve or maintain muscle length and can be utilised as an adjunct to an appropriate stretching programme. As chartered physiotherapists we often get asked our opinion on the effectiveness of foam rolling, and this is what I explain to my athletes.

This tag rugby season be careful with your fingers and thumbs! This time of the year coincides with a marked increase in the number of people presenting to clinics with sprained and dislocated, wrists, thumbs and fingers. Unlike muscle injuries which we can limit the likelihood of by appropriate warm-up and stretching, finger joint injuries tend to be traumatic and are more difficult to prevent.

Patients regularly inquire as to whether certain aches and pains should be treated with ice or cool packs or with a hot water bottle or heat packs. It’s difficult to give firm advice as either may have pain relieving properties but there are certainly some general rules that we can follow to ensure we get things right.

Flexibility refers to our ability to move our joints through their full range of motion and is required for optimal functioning during sporting activity and daily life. Inadequate flexibility is often a major factor in the development of sports injuries. Improving our flexibility is desirable whether for performance in sports such as ballet, gymnastics or weight lifting or for its benefits in terms of injury prevention. Stretching is the main way to achieve improvements in our flexibility.