Expert sports injury advice from Dr J.

Sports physican Dr John Orchard works with the Sydney Roosters, the AFL and Cricket Australia. If you've got a question for the doc, don't hesitate to send it through here.

 

 

Q: What would be a good stretching routine for first thing in the morning? I'm in my mid-thirties and don't want to lose flexibility.

- AJ


A: Almost all of the studies conducted to date suggest that stretching doesn't contribute to injury prevention, but in certain sports or activities it can help performance.

For example, if you're a golfer, by stretching the shoulders and thoracic spine regularly, you might add a few more metres to your drives. This aim aside, for general health you'd be better off watching your weight, doing aerobic exercise and even brushing your teeth every morning, rather than stretching.

 

---

Q: I have advanced lumbar spondylosis at L3 and L4. My surgeon's given me the all clear to return to the gym. What exercises do you think it's safe to perform?

- TM



A:Unfortunately the Olympic-type weights, like squats and cleans, need to be cut out of your program for good. You can do upper body (bench press) and lower body (leg press) separately, with exercises which don't load the back. For abdominal and lumbar muscles, try Pilates-type exercises like bridging, which load the spine a lot less than, say, sit-ups.

 

---

 

Q: I dislocated my shoulder six weeks ago. It has healed, but with the cricket season starting, I'm worried about re-injury. What can I do to strengthen it?

- DM

A:The best exercises are inner-range (close to your body) strengthening ones, which will help the small muscles of your shoulder keep the ball in the socket.

With cricket you'll probably find throwing (especially from the outfield) the toughest activity, even more so than bowling. If you are young and especially if you also play a contact sport, the chances of re-dislocation are high and therefore surgical stabilisation is sometimes needed.

 

Need some sports injury advice? Click below to send your niggling queries through to Dr J.



EMAIL DR J NOW