Monday 31 December 2012

Highlights of 2012 - and watch this SPACE for 2013!

WOW!
What a year 2012 was! FOUR @SpaceClinics physios were present in London in 2012 at the hugely successful Games as physio Games Makers! It was not just UK sport that was memorable: SPACE Clinics here in Edinburgh enjoyed the best ever year since opening in 2005 despite the continued economic stress!

Thank you to EVERYONE whom has supported us in any way, visiting the clinic as a patient or interested party to what we are trying to achieve.


This blog has reported much over the past 12 months too.

If we share some highlights of the year, perhaps you will see how we are evolving, and the type of information we are dishing up digitally to anyone from the various countries that regularly tune into our interests in exercise, concussion and diet: three themes of significance in 2012.

We also like reporting on advances in science. In January we reported on strain hardening in fascia and the phenomenon of 'creep' for example JANUARY New Fascia Info published.

Ross was discussing body fat reductions with a patient stimulating a piece on how Mediterranean diets could be good for the brain as well as the body in February FEBRUARY Food for Thought and dietary myths carried on in March with the renowned Tim Noakes acting as part of an evidence based review of exercise associated collapse in MARCH The Dehydration Myth.

Ross reported live from the pitchside in early April from Lille in France as part of the Kelburne hockey club backroom staff at the Eurohockey Championships APRIL Eurohockey Club Champions, whilst May saw an honest appraisal for the career of Scotland rugby legend Chris 'Mossy' Paterson MAY Chris Paterson retires from rugby which was one of our most popular pieces all year.

Scottish rugby had a great June with victories in Australia, Fiji and Samoa, often training or playing in rain which saw the squad visit flooded regions of the South Pacific JUNE Flooded Fijian Villages which gave this SPACE blog an opportunity to report back from what is seldom seen in the UK of these beautiful islands.

Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome spiked our interest in the Tour de France JULY Tour de Force 2012 glory and July also saw the four staff assist at the glorious Games JULY Kitting out the Games Maker volunteers. Dr Jacques Rogge declared the XXXth Olympiad closed AUGUST Closing of Olympics but following on hard on the heels of the Olympians came the Paralympians, which we recognised with the C4 ad AUGUST Here come the superhumans as well as the most popular blog of the year with the remarkable story of inspirational Alex Zanardi SEPTEMBER Zanardi: From F1 to Gold Medal.

September was also the month when the SPACE sponsored Scotland Touch team finished the European Touch Championships in Treviso in Italy as Champions SEPTEMBER SPACE sponsored Scotland Touch Champions!. Newcomer John Twynham showed how he was updating his emergency skills in Ireland SEPTEMBER Emergency Life Support Skills Update.

Several physio staff attended the International Federation of Athletic Coaches meeting in Glasgow in October, and heard coach Toni Minichiello speak of how Jessica Ennis coped with pressure to scoop Olympic gold in the summer OCTOBER How Ennis won the Gold

New methods of combating jetlag were hinted at in November NOVEMBER Vial and masked attempts to combat jetlag and a SPACE physio took to Vegas to speak to America on hip & groin injury NOVEMBER Sporting Groin whilst this past month festive greetings were spread around with clips from the record breaking Santa Claus Run DECEMBER Santa Claus Festive Run Video of Footstrike with a video of footstrike.

Phew! What a year-and we left out the various concussion discussions, exercise myths and debates plus various one-offs!

More to come in 2013 from this blog!

We have some exciting clinic news very early on in the year which should see a shift in the way Edinburgh and eastern Scotland is serviced for physio and medical services for the near future!

Happy Hogmanay!
All the best to you all for 2013.

Literally, watch this SPACE!

Friday 21 December 2012

Santa Claus Run 2012 and Festive Greetings to all!

At this time of year training, never mind 'events' of any distance may seem few+far between.

So it was great to be involved in a simple fundraising 5k run in Las Vegas recently. The seasonal twist was that it was started and completed dressed in festive Santa Claus garb!


The opening mile saw runners pick their way through children and parents with Strollers (very Americana) but the more agile Father Christmases were able to pick up their pace & stretch their legs around peripheral Vegas to collect a souvenir tee if finishing in top 1000. The bunfight was a scramble to finish with a World Record of between 8-10,000 participants all dressed in (thoughtfully provided) Santa costumes. 




Sadly only XL appeared on the day itself for last minute UK runners! Of which there were a few.


Clock the footfall of these Santas to see the variation in landing strategy & propulsive toe off! Can you assess the biomechanics of their running styles, and see the differences?



Compare it to the barefoot and shod styles seen in the 
glorious Runblogger slo-mo clip here:






Great to see so many kids & families out as we know there were in Edinburgh for the recent 10k event from the number of patients dropping into the clinic for remedies or assistance in preparation for the run.

That is a great message for anyone aspiring to run in 2013: get yourself checked by SPACE if you think there is a hint of a problem before it develops. And enjoy your running! Dressed as Santa or a normal person...

Tuesday 18 December 2012

A long time retired

What a year for British sport! Even the much trumpeted barely avoidable clapfest of Sports Personality of The Year (#SPOTY if you missed its social media handle) missed out on the final triumph with England's cricketing comeback in the subcontinent.

Following a remarkable year, which included the London 2012 Olympics, Bradley Wiggins success at the Tour de France, and Andy Murray's success at Flushing Meadow, a recent BBC news article by Peter Crutchley, asks the question 'why do so many athletes struggle with retirement'? The article looks at why successful sportsmen such as Ricky Hatton and Andrew Flintoff suffered from depression following retirement and their desire  to return to professional sport, with mixed results.

Ricky Hatton with a sympathetic referee
at the end of his comeback fight with Vyacheslav Senchenko

The article describes athletes going through a process of grieving and describing a sense of loss. This has some athletes struggling to come to terms with their retirement despite their body telling them it's time to stop. This struggle may be due to changes of habit, and can be exaggerated by changes in training routines that also have biological impacts, such as a reduction in the generation of serotonin. Serotonin being the chemical released by the body that helps us cope with stress, counteracting the chemicals released in the fight or flight activities replicated in sport. 

Athletes set short term, often weekly goals on the field or track, and periodised goals in the gym & over a season. Away from the institutionalised world that many athletes inhabit and with an absence of such goal-setting, how can lives be best managed?

Additionally it can be difficult for athletes to try to replace the euphoria and andrenaline/endorphin highs experienced when competing in front of thousands of supporters.

To read the full article please click here

We should spare a thought for the ex-sporting athletes as they seek to build their lives following retirement-even if sometimes families can benefit from an enhanced parenting role free from sacrifices & time demands of chosen sport. It is not always thus however, and depression can have negative consequences for families of the sportsman 'bereaved' & 'grief' for their lost youth/career/past glory. 

It may not always be easy-never mind having to deal with the effect of injury or the consequences from sport (see our blog from May: Pressures of Fame SPACE Blog May 2012).

Like any grieving process, retirement can take time to come to terms with. So whilst the footballers of today may forego their Christmas Dinner with the family for the nation's Boxing Day entertainment, the reality is that it truly is a short career, with another truism echoing in footballers' ears like those in cricketers, boxers, gymnasts etc: you are a long time retired.

Sunday 9 December 2012

Sleep & the Athlete: news from America

Has the 'American Athlete' online magazine been reading the @SpaceClinics blog on sleep, performance, technology & sex?

Clock this latest piece: American Athlete magazine article 'Sleep & Performance'.

Reflections of a piece we wrote on sleep and performance last month SPACE Blog 'Sleep & Technology' perhaps? Greg Chertok, M.Ed CC-AASP is the Director of Sport Psychology at the Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Center based in Englewood, New Jersey. His piece discusses how optimal sports' performance is dependent on good sleep.


His comments on athlete recovery should be of interest: 
Results in a study showed that young men aged 18-27 metabolized glucose least efficiently when they got only four hours of sleep at night. Levels of cortisol (a stress hormone) were also higher during sleep deprivation periods. This has been linked to memory impairment, acceleration of the ageing process, depressed immunity, age-related insulin resistance, and impaired recovery in athletes.
He completes the interview with echoes of the SPACE blog for those whom display irritation and negative moods from sleep deprivation: a regular routine with consistency in sleeping and waking times, plus deliberate reduction or elimination of stresses all would help with athletes as well as the regular lay population.

Sleep monitors may also be of assistance for checking on wake periods, the time to sleep and the timing of periods on REM/deep & light sleep. It would seem that proper sleep is essential (no big surprise) but the fact there is only just some proper research into the subject is perhaps still a little surprising. 

Wednesday 5 December 2012

Joy!

This is a blog preaching about the joy of movement!


Anyone whom has reason to have attended @SpaceClinics Inner SPACE Clinic in Dalry may have heard this term used by the staff.We are using it to describe the feelings expressed essentially by patients whom have suffered stiffness and pain which changes after a visit to our excellent physio & massage team.


We really like the term: some folk really appreciate this feeling, and how they perhaps had not recognised how far from joyous movement had become.



The Vegas Experience currently being enjoyed by one staff member had also permitted one particular pleasure: that of witnessing the extraordinary physical performances of the Cirquedusoleil company.


Beatles Box Office
Stairway to the theatre
Their live show 'Love' is beyond a re-imagining of the Beatles story or some form of story of the band. The links to their past are based largely in the 4800 items of contemporary styled costume. The experience is an unusual reworking of familiar a well as less popular tunes (think about the predictable singalong of 'Hey Jude' mixing with 'Hey Bulldog') alongside dance and the anticipated aerial and tumbling displays typical of the troupe.

The joy of movement is shared by the audience judging by the spontaneous cheers and tears witnessed around the packed theatre at the Mirage. For the spectators, there is a deep sated joy in the expression of humans in tumbling & acrobatic performance with the aerials simply breathtaking.


Joyful audience leaving (not via the shop either!)
The Circus School remains the UK's only venue for learning skills that are often are rooted in gymnastics if not base circus performance. There is a team of physios involved with the School looking at conditions such as hypermobility and overuse injuries, and the Cirquedusoleil employ a number of physical therapist & athletic trainers or therapists around the world attending all shows as well as training sessions or practice. What jobs they must have?!

There is no doubting the expression of joy in all of the performers in the extremes of movement possible for humans. However there is something about walking away from the physio bed with an unusual feeling of lightness and balance, and that unfamiliar pleasure has to be celebrated as well.

All in all, don't we need to celebrate the Joy of Movement!

Sunday 2 December 2012

Viva Las Vegas...Postcard from Nevada

Back in January this @SpaceClinics blog talked up 
the Joys of Urban Running, and it appears that the fears over the difficulties of running in the streets of Las Vegas were misplaced.


Bellagio & Caesars Palace in the sunshine
In the cool of the morning, it is possible to enjoy a view of the famous strip with few other folks on the streets (indeed the casinos are obviously busier than the streets!). Add to the conditions a mix of underfoot environments such as concrete, tarmac, artificial grass & sand plus a dozen sets of stairs to manage (running up every second one, descending with good form one step at a time) then a pretty reasonable workout can be achieved!


Cleaning of stairwell with MGM to rear
Whether it is borne out of necessity or positive discrimination, there appears to be a high proportion of working staff in the city are what could be termed 'senior citizens'. That is reflected in some of the morning running population, although irrespective of  age, there appears to be a marked reluctance to do 'stair running' at all-in fact this is the case throughout the day as the population appears totally unable or unwilling to use stairs when escalators are alongside.


Bizarro nature of Vegas exemplified at the Luxor, Southern Strip
For those asking about whether or not joggers are redirected through casinos when the cleaners are doing their job in a 24 hour city, then I would say that sidewalks/ pavements are only partially closed, and there is only one escalator or stairwell closed at a time to facilitate smooth running. So that's a NO then! May be no bad thing having said that, as there is still smoking permitted in public across the casinos - with exception to the card tables bizarrely - it is remarkably fresh to run outdoors in Nevada.
Stratosphere marking Northern end of the 'Strip'
Oh, and a top tip,for even fewer people on the pavements, try headig towards the Northern end of the strip with the Stratosphere as your marker. 


Looks like Paris? Not so much...






Bar various bearded men advertising their homeless status mixing with Veterans from various conflicts, sometimes in camo jackets, and a few folks in battered wheelchairs there were pretty much clear runs right through to the varied Chapels & Churches for rapid weddings. Quite the difference from the Luxor & MGM hotels of the Southern Strip & world famous signage welcoming you to this gambling mecca.

Ah, Fun City Chapel of the Bells. Of course it is...
Enjoy the pics: this is as close to a postcard from Nevada as you will get as otherwise its indoor learning the whole time...

Friday 30 November 2012

SPACE Physio speaks to America! Groin Injury key topic!

This week saw a first in that it was the first time that @SpaceClinics had a representative speaking at the Sports Physical Therapy Section(SPTS) of the Physical Therapy Association of America!


Presenting 'Groin Injuries in Rugby', Stephen Mutch spoke at the pre conference International Federation of Sports' Physical Therapy (IFSP) organised session of the 2012 'Team Concept' Conference.

This follows on from the well-received 'Rehabilitation of Regional Groin Pain'  in Cardiff 2011 at ACPSM Bi-enniel Conference.
For a look at the general  points from that presentation ckick here: General Points on Rehab of Regional Groin Pain

Overall, the extensive programme here will allow for us to eyeball the  American perspective to rehab in particular, and will be fed back to the SPACE physio crew to discuss whether or not we bring some of the tests and exercises into our regular patient procedures at Dalry. Don't be surprised if there are more references like 'Hiney' & 'Big House'!

Thursday 29 November 2012

Is sleep important when technology rules? 1 in 3 would give up sex rather than their smartphone!

Crazy as it sounds, technology plays such a role in life that 95% of people use some form of Web or text communication in the hour before bed, or will watch television.


The Sleep Council suggests that this is contributory to a 'sleep deprivation epidemic' but with 33% of 18-29 year olds preferring to give up sex than their Smartphones then is it a surprise that important sleep periods are being disrupted by gadgety? Indeed 97% of Brits are alleged to have a tv, mobile or computer near their beds!


Remember that sleep is a critical aspect of every day, with a phase of 'rest & repose' being the antidote to the 'fight or flight' mode we frequently encounter in concious daytime stimulated by forms of stress. This division of the autonomic branch of the peripheral nervous system is a part of the parasympathetic nervous system & has a targeted & localised response particularly to the organs. 

Synthesis of glycogen occurs with stimulation, and the system is known for craniosacral outflow which is interesting for manual therapists engaging in craniosacral types of treatments. 

It goes without saying that as promotion of this is carried out when sedentary & asleep so optimising this for digestive & organ health would seem sensible.
Late night stress from email or gaming or thrilling entertainment can therefore be seen in this light as promoting the sympathetic nervous system with the contrary fight or flight sympathetic diffuse effects affecting the entire system.


Just don't be tempted to read it on your phone or computer just before bedtime!
Sweet Dreams!

Thursday 22 November 2012

NRL bans shoulder charges: a nation debates! Are all contributors all using their heads...???

Australian Rugby League will no longer shoulder the charge of promoting unacceptable tacking: by banning shoulder charges!

Club Doctors welcomed the move by the Australian Rugby League Commision and therefore the National Rugby League (NRL). They also have some support from the New Zealand Rugby League (NZRL) whom have had a ban in place domestically for 6 years.

But the social media and club wenbsites are alive with fans and players past or present railing against the move which has been said to have taken place without any consultation with the clubs or the Rugby League Players' Association (RPLA). However there had been a request for contributions to the review four months ago which has apparently yielded all of two player responses.

Fox Sports highlighted recent 'Big Hits'
http://bit.ly/UgP0dn

Now however they are super keen to voice their concerns, frequently via social media for example: 

(see here latest poster boy Sonny Bill Williams 
You need good timing and technique to pull of a shoulder charge simply put if you can't do it don't try... This is league not tiddlywinks!! 
or Melbourne Storm hero Ryan Hoffman 
Banning the shoulder charge is going 2 result in some boring highlights packages. We run in2 people 4 a living.).

Even Club websites are running player opinions alongside the rider that their views are players' own and not necessarily the clubs: eg See Newcastle Knights Player Reactions.

RPLA boss David Garnsey made a statement: "The RPLA certainly wants its members to have long, productive and injury-free football careers and to enjoy good health once they have retired".

Fans of the game have been visceral in their support for hard hitting and shoulder charges, with respectable medical men such as John Orchard (Doctor to the Sydney Roosters) receiving appalling abuse on twitter for his support. To his credit he is retweeting such contacts to widen the debate.

At the core appear to be the difference in the perception of statistics between concerned opponents to the tackling and the rapacious supporters of physical contact whom suggest that the review's changes are based on limited injuries in a contact sport. 


There was found to be 0.05% of tackles (all 142,355 of them) in 2012 happened to be shoulder charges with less than 4% of those resulting in injury to the attacking player, and less than 1% to the defender. As 17% resulted in contact with the head of the attacking player, there was felt to be a potential risk, and the Commission was said to have felt that the shoulder charge was "not a significant part of the game" and therefore its removal would "not likely to impact on the way the game is played".

This does not seem to be the case for fans of the game, and a vocal number of players past and present-the inevitable online petition has been started. The debate has led to mass publicity of significant numbers of sites and video clips of shoulder charges and 'big hits'.


Just one point from us: the average G-force of the shoulder charge was measured from accelerometer data, and demonstrated that a shoulder charge was 76% greater than a conventional head-on tackle.

Makes you think? At least a little...

Thursday 8 November 2012

Wiggo & Shane Sutton injured in road accidents on successive days: Something must be done to protect cyclists is the cry from British Cycling

Remarkably two key members of this summer's inspirational cycling success at Team Sky & Team GB have been injured this week in separate incidents with vehicles!


Tour de France victor Bradley Wiggins and Australian coach credited with being successful in coaching within the two teams, Shane Sutton have both been hospitalised as a result of their injuries.



Bradley Wiggins was leaving the Royal Preston Hospital having broken ribs and suffering hand and wrist injuries on the day Sutton was injured. 'Wiggo' was hit by a white Vauxhall Astra Envoy as it emerged from a garage forecourt on to the main road near the village of Wrightington in Lancashire.

 Wiggins injured by vehicle

Sutton was injured  in an incident on the A6 near Levenshulme in Manchester. Despite wearing a helmet, Sutton suffered bleeding to the head and brain on assessment at Greater Manchester Hospital. British Cycling have had very few episodes of injuries with athletes or coaches, so to have two such accidents in two days is remarkable. 

A British Cycling spokesman has said that :"We call on the Government to put cycling at the heart of transport policy to ensure cycle safety".

The Automobile Association has also weighed in to remind drivers of their responsibilities for additional care in the darker nights of Winter as we plunge into November.

Vial and masked: Latest attempts to combat jetlag by the New Zealand All Blacks

It is one of long-haul's biggest challenges. It is a key factor for organisations of political as well as sporting visits. It affects everyone differently. It is jetlag.

The premier rugby team, New Zealand, unbeaten since before the Rugby World Cup in the Autumn of 2011, have ofered their players fluid concoctions & masks to combat the dehydrating & fatiguing effects from airline travel via Hong Kong to Europe.

Team Medic Deb Robinson explained that in addition to plentiful water and the First Class accommodation, the players woukd also be offered three cloured vials and a mask.  NZ rugby website explains a little...

One vial is taken on departure, one midflight and another prior to landing. This last one is caffeinated and designed to give a 'kick' prior to landing. A New Zealand company, Flyhidrate, is linked to these products and are fruit based having been developed with scientists from the University of Otago.
The masks have been used previously and have a little coil that absorbs the moisture breathed out and remoisturises the air as it is breathed back in. Read more on this attempt to combat jet lag here: How New Zealand rugby team avoid jet lag



Hopefully for the players, they were flying Air New Zealand, and had an opportunity of viewing the latest safety briefing film, having taken on starring roles in one just a year ago prior to the Rugby World Cup.

In this offering, replacing Graham Henry & Richie McCaw are characters from the Hobbit! Viewing figures of the safety briefing for this airline are supposedly increased when the light-hearted screenings take place!

Wednesday 31 October 2012

Toni Minichiello signposts how Jess Ennis got to gold

At the International Festival of Athletics Coaches in Glasgow this past weekend, top coaches shared secrets of Olympic success.

Frank Dick had organised a series of presentations & lectures that actually had that much prized conference asset: sonething for everyone.

Coaching tips at the Emirates Arena
Headlining the Conference were the coaches to the heavily favoured gold medal track prospects from GB & Australia, Jessica Ennis and Sally Pearson. 

In Glasgow the chosen few in the audience of 250 hung on every word from Toni Minichiello & Sharon Hannon who trains athletes along with her husband Peter on the Gold Coast.

Sports scientists and physios mingled with coaches hoping to glean tips on strength coaching, plyometrics and periodisation. However it was the personal relationships between athlete & coach plus how those twin imposters of success and failure were dealt with that were most intriguing.

Plyometric session with Peter Hannan

The athletes were both both very much in the loop and took an active part in designing their schedules which were detailed in the years leading to Olympic success in London this summer in heptathlon & hurdles.

However it was striking how these coaches made simplicity a key to coaching and training, a lesson for all of us involved in sport.



Friday 26 October 2012

Cricket limitations on fast bowling: does it really reduce or just delay injury?

Cricketers have limits set from early in their careers to reduce the risk of injury. But could these be detrimental instead of being preventative?

A Sydney based Physio who works with the Sydney Sixers team as well as having his own city based clinic suggests that injuries may be around the corner in any case, possibly due to a lack of tolerance to fast bowling as they develop.

Sydney Cricket Ground where New South Wales play
Currently fast bowlers are restricted like elite bowlers in a prophylactic measure designed to manage the volumes of what is an unusual physical effort. It is recommended as a means of managing low back pain and stress fractures or pars defects.

But Patrick Farhart, head physio to New South Wales from 1990 to 2009 considers that these restrictive measures may merely be delaying the onset of injuries rather than preventing them. Farhart believes young bowlers cannot build a tolerance to the stresses of fast bowling with limits in place.



This should get us thinking about adaptations made early in a young sporting career, and also begs questions as to whether restrictions on practice actually prevent potentially useful and beneficial adaptations taking place?

Thursday 25 October 2012

Manipulations are as effective as other therapies in treating low back pain

Back pain? Why not call us at SPACE?
Our treatments are consistent with a leading review of studies into back pain treatments!

The results of a Cochrane review into Chronic Low Back Pain (CLBP) suggests that spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) is as effective at treating chronic long term back pain as exercises or standard physio.

Whilst we at SPACE would be disappointed at being labelled as such, at least our approach of making small manipulative adjustments with a strong emphasis on exercise has been shown to be a successful option by physios for anyone with back ache.

Stuart Barton, Director & Physio of SPACE
performing a manipulative adjustment
Spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) is an intervention that is widely practiced by a variety of health care professionals worldwide. The effectiveness of this form of therapy for the management of chronic low-back pain has come under dispute. 

This latest Cochrane update took in over 6000 participants in the review, and demonstrated that SMT appears to be as effective as other common therapies prescribed for CLBP even though it was less clear how it compared to inert interventions or sham (placebo) treatment, largely due to the lack of studies. 

Also good news for the patient is that no serious complications were observed with SMT. 


Or drop in at SPACE if you have low back pain, and have one of our experts soothe any fears over treatment, as we can blend SMT with exercise, or other forms of physiotherapy such as kinesio tape, myofascial release, dry needling or joint mobilisation in a number of ways. 

Stuart, Emma-Jane, Stephen, Ross, Kenny and Jon are all well versed in treating this kind of pain: why should you suffer when these physio experts are on hand in Edinburgh city centre?

Tuesday 16 October 2012

10 Noises We Hate The Most - And Why

Ten noises: from screeching to screaming-we hate' em!
It's all down to the brain, and our primative adaptive mechanisms! Of course!

The sounds we find least attractive and cause negative emotions include the cartoonesque fingernails on a blackboard, a fork scraping a glass, or a scream.


The Journal of neuroscience has an article in its latest issue from Newcastle University & the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging at University College, London. Researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to scrutinise brains of participants as they heard various sounds. Sensations of displeasure or disgust at a sound affects activity between the auditory and emotional aspects of the brain.

The auditory cortex and the amygdala interact intensely, and unpleasant sounds caused the amydala to become more active provoking a negative reaction that could form emotional memory. It appears the amygdala encodes the auditory stimulus with a certain value, and that in 'a complex and rapidly-changing environment this allows for sensory information to be extracted and processed efficiently'. The amygdala also assesses the mismatch in sounds between perceived and received reward as a result of the auditory information which may be one of the adaptive processes involved.


If you want to hear the sounds for yourself, Medical News Today has a sample of some of the sounds here: MNT article 251489.

Sounds such as a knife on a bottle appear to have a heightened response in the almond-shaped amygdala compared to applause, a baby laughing or water flowing. The negative-response sounds occur within a similar frequency of between 2,000-5,000 Hz. 

The full top ten reads like this:

  1. Knife on a bottle
  2. Fork on a glass
  3. Chalk on a blackboard
  4. Ruler on a bottle
  5. Nails on a blackboard
  6. Female scream
  7. Anglegrinder
  8. Brakes on a bike squealing
  9. Baby crying
  10. Electric drill

The full text article is available here to read in the October 10 issue Journal of Neuroscience: 32(41) 14184-14192 'Features versus Feelings'.

Beyond just recognising which sounds have higher perceptions of displeasure and the effects on the brain, Professor Tim Griffiths who led the study, also suggests that this may lead to a greater understanding of emotional disorders and conditions such as tinnitis or migraine.

Tuesday 2 October 2012

Kenyan Athletics Drug Question Could Run and Run

Since the positive drug test and subsequent banning of Kenyan distance runner Mathew Kisorio in June, Kenyan officials have suggested that this was an isolated incident, and not part of any 'systemic doping procedure' or common practice carried out in the Rift Valley ("Suspended Kenyan says doping is common").

However, in this last week of September, Athletics Kenya has seen fit to officially comment after investigating claims made by an undercover German journalist posing as a sports' agent that doping is widespread in the training centres of Kapsabet and Iten. 

Athletics Kenya Chairman Isaiah Kiplagat has now stated that the body is working with police and the World Anti-Doping Agancy (WADA) to investigate this 'criminal act' (Athletics Kenya admits banned substance use: Runners World).

Hajo Seppalt at London2012
StarAfrica.com carries the story of the report Hajo Seppalt made on German television last week, where he cites doctors carrying out injections to elite Kenyan AND foreign athletes whom are training in the famed Rift Valley, and suggests that the blood doping has been occuring for years, naming top Kenyan marathon and Olympic runners on the programme 'Sportschau'. See starafrica.com banned substances described by journalist.

Web forums are alive with information and clips of interviews by Seppalt on radio and television, (German) tv interview, with even Nairobi chemists being quoted as to their athletic customer base!

It is unlikely we have heard the last of these claims, and more importantly not the last of the investigations by WADA, which should be made public by the International Association of Athletics  Federation (IAAF). This is key, as the Danish anti-doping Chairman Bengt Saltin had suggested to Seppalt that there were 'changes in blood levels' of some Kenyan athletes noted at IAAF European events between 2008-2010. Kisorio, it should be noted, was found to have tested positive for anabolic steroids at the 2012 Kenyan Athletics Championships.

Kiplagat himself has stated that Athletics Kenya has stipulated that doping equipment will become mandatory at national meets from 2013 to help curb banned performance enhancers, and restore credibility to the Kenyan endurance programme internationally.

Will that be sufficient, or is it too little, too late to end what Kisorio described as being drug use promoted by medical personnel in exchange for a share of any winnings?

Sunday 30 September 2012

Important to keep some Life Support & Pitchside Trauma skills updated

SPACE has a defibrillator in the reception area. It has never been used (mercifully). As part of the ongoing training for staff in sports however, our staff are skilled in recognising when it may be of use.
JT & Stephen Mutch have been at the magnificent surroundings of the Aviva Stadium in Dublin to further their skills & update their knowledge.

JT getting to grips with an Irish dummy
Broadly the Irish programme for SAFE-Rugby has similar aims as the Scottish Rugby Union's excellent pitchside emergency care course SCRUMCAPS which we outlined on these blog pages a year ago when last updating (Critical Care Pitchside SPACE Blog Oct 20122) & there was hugely positive feedback from around the Irish provinces from the different persons servicing the needs of Irish rugby and also general sporting communities.



Friday 21 September 2012

Scotland European Champions! SPACE Physios take the stage & help teams to best ever positions!

What a glorious week in Italy for the spaceclinics.com sponsored Scotland Touch team at the European Championships in Treviso!

With victories over England in the Mens' & Mixed Open Categories, a third place in the Womens' Open secured the overall Open title for Scotland for the first time ever.

The Mens' over 30s also managed 3rd, and Mens' over 35s finished 4th, but out of the five competing squads only one athlete was unavailable on the final day for selection which is testament to the hard work of players & medical staff.

Despite the location, one day's thunderstorms affected the pitches and the Team Accomodation Tent where the physio beds were situated to such an extent for Scotland that we had to negotiate to get a new pitch perched high on stage (cue many jokes about how it was always our calling to be on stage) away from the muddy swampland of the grassed area. Anyhow it established probably the best medical area witnessed in Touch as well as other events, as it was high and dry, and perfect for our three bedded physio setup.

Physios take the stage!

JT swamped
Stephen headed up the team, and liased with the National Team Management, JT continued his excellent clinical work from SPACE itself in the team environment, and the third physio was the experienced Touch campagner Luke Smith, whose soothing tones and hands were much appreciated by you and old(er) athlete as the matches piled up (between7 and 11 per team!). Gratitude was extended to one and all.

For anyone out there keen to touch base with the National Teams then check out the website http://www.scottishtouch.org.uk/ and we may see you out there on the fields and in the tents at a future event.

In the shorter term the Edinburgh Open Mixed Tournament is on 29th September, and the Aberdeen Tournament a week later on the 6th October.