News Archives - Thuasne

Knee Osteoarthritis

spencer — Fri, 09 May 2014 08:28:12 +0000

Osteoarthritis is a disease that firstly affects articular cartilage and then spreads to the entire joint. Cartilage covers the extremities of the femur, tibia, and kneecap (the patella). This cartilage allows good joint mobility. Cartilage is a living tissue that must remain smooth and flexible to achieve its functions, as a shock absorber and facilitating sliding of the joint. Without it, bones would rub against each other. The joint is surrounded by the synovial capsule, which helps lubricate the joint and nourish the cartilage. Over time, cartilage gradually loses its ability to retain water, its elasticity, and wears thin. Extra pressure on this weakened cartilage will cause it to become damaged. This will gradually cause it to recede in some areas revealing the underlying bone. In parallel, the onset of an inflammatory phenomenon occurs at the synovial membrane, liable to generate excess synovial fluid (known as synovial effusions). Once the bone is stripped of its cartilage and under the effect of day-to-day pressures, the local inflammatory phenomenon will progressively form bony outgrowths called osteophytes. This can become very painful when moving the knee and obstruct day-to-day activities considerably, damaging quality of life.

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Ankle Injuries

spencer — Thu, 08 May 2014 08:29:42 +0000

Ankle injuries are extremely common and ankle sprains (injury to the ligaments in the ankle) are one of the most prevalent musculoskeletal injuries. Other injuries that may occur to the ankle include a fracture to the bone, tearing of the muscles and over-stressing a tendon.

The most common ankle injury, considered a minor injury, is the sprain, a partial tearing of the ligaments of the ankle. It will usually heal without a problem within about 6-8 weeks if you look after the ankle, although swelling may continue for a little longer. While it may take several months to reach full fitness, most patients find they are able to get back to work within a few weeks and return to sports activities within 12 weeks. When considering return to sporting activity your GP or physiotherapist may suggest you wear an ankle brace or splint until the ankle is strong enough to exercise without it.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU SPRAIN YOUR ANKLE?

R: REST You should try to take the weight off the injured ankle as much as you can in the first day or so.
I: ICE Apply an ice-pack (eg a packet of frozen peas) several times a day for up to 10 minutes each time. This can help to manage the swelling and pain.
C: COMPRESSION Wear a support bandage to help reduce the swelling and help maintain stability.
E: ELEVATION Raise the ankle while resting to reduce the swelling and control the pain.

After a couple of days start to exercise the injured ankle and try to take some weight on it. Painkillers can be useful eg paracetamol or ibuprofen.

SHOULD I SEE A PHYSIOTHERAPIST?

If you have a severe injury or it is taking a long time for you to recover, your GP may refer you for physiotherapy but generally this is not required for an ankle sprain. Both physiotherapy and massage may however speed recovery time and can lead to a reduction in recurrent ankle issues. Physical exercise helps to strengthen the muscles around the ankle. Some people are more prone to ankle sprains, sometimes due to weak muscles and repeated sprains can lead to ankle instability.

Exercises to aid the ankle:

Mobility and stretching
Strengthening exercises
Prioprioception exercises*
Functional exercises

^*What is the proprioception?

Proprioception is our body’s ability to detect movement within joints and the joint’s position. This ability lets us to know where our limbs are in space without having to look. It is important in all everyday movements but especially so in complicated sporting movements, where precise coordination is required.

WILL I NEED TO WEAR A SUPPORT?

Ankle sprains are typically graded in terms of severity and depending on the severity, you may be recommended to use a support.

Level of Sprain	Ligament Damage	Symptoms
Grade 1	Partial Tear of a Ligament	Mild swelling and pain, patient still able to walk with minimal pain
Grade 2	Incomplete Tear of a Ligament with some functional impairment	Moderate swelling and pain, some pain with weight-bearing and walking, some instability
Grade 3	Complete Tear and Loss of Integrity of a Ligament	Severe swelling and pain, unable to weight bear or walk, moderate to severe instability

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Sport Compression

spencer — Wed, 07 May 2014 08:30:33 +0000

Recognized specialist in medical compression, THUASNE puts its expertise at the service of athletes and offers its new range of VENOFLEX ® COMPRESSION adapted to the needs of athletes. Composed of recovery sleeves and socks , the Thuasne Sport range covers the essential phases of sports practice by taking care of the athlete during and after exercise.

Degressive compression consists in applying a homogeneous pressure on the lower limbs, stronger at the level of the ankle and gradually decreasing up to the calf. This action will increase blood pressure and stimulate venous return for better blood oxygenation.

Used on the body of an athlete, decreasing compression will limit the appearance of cramps during intense efforts and optimize muscle recovery during the rest phase.

Clinical study

Sport, fatigue and less pain… it’s possible!

Practicing your sport, even at high intensity, while limiting the effects of physiological fatigue on pain, it is possible thanks to the decreasing compression.

A clinical study *, carried out by THUASNE in partnership with the LPE Savoie, has shown completely UNPRECEDENTED results on sports compression during exercise.

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