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Apurva Mathankar Physiotherapy| PREhab| Strength and conditioning

25/09/2026

This conversation captures your core message really well: the painful joint isn’t always the source of the problem.

While speaking with Patrick Farhart, former physio of the Indian cricket team, the discussion came back to something you emphasize often in rehab — don’t stop at the medical or orthopedic diagnosis. Look at the movement.

With knee pain, the contributing factor may actually be:

* poor hip strength or endurance
* reduced pelvic control
* weakness in the opposite glute
* limited ankle mobility
* poor calf force control

So the real question isn’t only, “Where does it hurt?”
It’s also, “What movement pattern is creating that overload?”

That’s why movement diagnosis is such an important part of rehabilitation.

When you assess how the whole body is moving, you can work on the actual contributing pattern instead of treating only the painful joint.

Don’t just treat the pain. Analyse the movement.

Biomechanics Physiotherapy SportsPerformance Rehabilitation MovementSpecialist

Shoulder pain while smashing in volleyball? 🏐 The problem may not be only in your shoulder.This volleyball player came t...
24/09/2026

Shoulder pain while smashing in volleyball? 🏐 The problem may not be only in your shoulder.

This volleyball player came to us after a shoulder injury, with pain affecting his ability to smash comfortably.

So instead of only treating the painful shoulder, we analysed his volleyball smashing mechanics.

What did we find?

👉 Limited thoracic spine mobility
👉 Altered scapular positioning and control
👉 A smashing pattern that appeared to place greater demand on his shoulder
👉 Poor integration between his trunk, shoulder blade and hitting arm

For an overhead athlete, the shoulder doesn’t work alone.

Legs → Hips → Trunk → Scapula → Shoulder → Arm

So we worked on restoring:

🏐 Thoracic spine mobility
💪 Scapular control & stability
🔄 Better trunk-to-shoulder coordination
🎯 Volleyball-specific smashing mechanics
⚡ Gradual return to overhead hitting

And now?

He’s back to smashing in volleyball pain-free. 🙌🏐

This is why return-to-sport rehab shouldn’t finish when an athlete can simply lift their arm without pain.

They need to tolerate the speed, power, repetition and mechanics of their actual sport.

Injured and struggling to get back to your sport?

👇 Comment “SPORT” and we’ll send you details of our
3-Month Return to Sport Program.

Don’t just return pain-free. Return ready to perform.

VolleyballTraining ShoulderRehab ThoracicMobility ScapularStability ScapularControl OverheadAthlete ReturnToSport SportsRehabilitation SportsPhysio VolleyballPlayer

23/09/2026

Knee pain during squats? That doesn’t automatically mean you should STOP squatting forever. 🦵

One of the most common pieces of advice people with knee pain receive is:

❌ “Don’t squat.”
❌ “Avoid lunges.”
❌ “These exercises are bad for your knees.”

Sometimes temporarily modifying a painful movement is absolutely appropriate.

But temporary modification shouldn’t automatically become lifelong avoidance.

Squats and lunges are valuable functional movements that can help build:

👉 Quadriceps strength
👉 Glute & hip strength
👉 Knee control
👉 Lower-body stability
👉 Capacity for stairs, sitting, running and sport

The important part is how you rebuild them.

Start with a range and load your knee can tolerate.

Then work on:

Technique → Control → Strength → Load → Full movement

Your squat may initially need to be shallower.
Your lunge may need support.
Your load may need to decrease.

That’s okay.

The goal is to progressively build your knee’s capacity, not simply avoid the movement that hurts.

So if you have knee pain while squatting or lunging, don’t just ask:

“Which exercises should I stop?”

Ask:

“What do I need to improve so I can do them comfortably again?”

💬 Comment “KNEE” and I’ll send you my Knee Pain Root-Cause Self-Check.

KneeExercises Lunges KneeRehab SquatForm KneeStrength PatellofemoralPain LegStrength Physiotherapy SportsRehab MovementAssessment

She could smash after the scissor jump — but she was too slow to recover for the next shuttle.The problem wasn’t just “s...
22/09/2026

She could smash after the scissor jump — but she was too slow to recover for the next shuttle.

The problem wasn’t just “speed.”

When we analysed her movement, we noticed her knee was caving in during landing and push-off, which was reducing her ability to recover quickly after the jump.

So we worked on:

• Improving her landing mechanics
• Better knee control during jump and recovery
• Improving push-off so she could move out faster
• Changing her scissor jump mechanics from a partially sagittal pattern to a more complete transverse-plane rotation
• Training the recovery immediately after the smash

The result?

Her movement became cleaner, her push-off improved, and she was able to recover faster and react earlier to the next shuttle.

This is why badminton footwork is not only about moving faster.

It is about understanding how you jump, land, rotate, push off and recover between shots.

That is exactly what we work on in our 3-Month Badminton Footwork Performance Program — identifying the movement limitation that is slowing you down and training the mechanics required for better on-court movement.

🏸 Want to improve your badminton footwork?

Comment “BFP” and we’ll send you the details.

20/09/2026

Has your mom started walking with a side-to-side “penguin walk”? This walking pattern is often described as a WADDLING GAIT. 👇

And don’t automatically dismiss it as:

“She’s getting older, so this is normal.”

A change in walking pattern can have several causes. One area worth assessing is hip and lower-body strength.

Reduced hip strength, trunk control, balance and overall muscle capacity can influence how someone stabilises the pelvis and legs while walking.

And this is why simply telling your mom to “rest more” may not address the problem.

When appropriate for her health and ability, progressive strength training for older women can help build:

👉 Hip & glute strength
👉 Lower-body strength
👉 Core and trunk control
👉 Balance and stability
👉 Confidence while walking

Bone health matters too. Depending on her age, diet, medical history and risk factors, her doctor may advise checking vitamin D, calcium intake and bone health.

⚠️ Importantly, a new or worsening waddling gait should be assessed rather than assumed to be muscle weakness. Hip conditions, neurological problems and other medical issues can also change someone’s walking pattern.

So instead of asking:

“Is this just because she’s getting old?”

Ask:

“Why has her walking pattern changed?”

❤️ Help your mom stay strong, active and independent.

Comment “MOM” if you want a simple Strength & Walking Checklist for women 50+.

HipWeakness GluteStrength StrengthTrainingForWomen BalanceExercises HealthyAging WalkingExercises Physiotherapy

Sunday with my cutiepie ❤️🥰😽😻
20/09/2026

Sunday with my cutiepie ❤️🥰😽😻

19/09/2026

Your suitcase may be irritating your shoulder — and it’s not always because the bag is heavy. 🧳✈️

Look at the way the bag is being pulled.

The arm stays behind the body and the shoulder remains internally rotated while walking.

Now imagine repeating that same position for hundreds of steps through an airport.

If your shoulder is already sensitive, this repeated position can contribute to irritation and discomfort.

✅ Keep the bag closer to your body
✅ Let the shoulder stay relaxed
✅ Avoid constantly dragging the arm behind you
✅ With a 4-wheel bag, push or roll it beside you when possible

Sometimes it’s not just about treating the painful shoulder.

It’s about correcting the movement you keep repeating.

Save this before your next trip. ✈️

PainFreeMovement SportsRehab MovementSpecialist

Shoulder pain every time you pull the bow? 🏹 The shoulder may not be the only place to look.This archer came to us with ...
18/09/2026

Shoulder pain every time you pull the bow? 🏹 The shoulder may not be the only place to look.

This archer came to us with shoulder pain during shooting.

When we analysed his movement, the shoulder itself wasn’t the only finding that stood out.

The bigger issue was how efficiently his opposite hip and shoulder were working together.

His posterior oblique sling — the cross-body connection involved in transferring force between the hip, trunk and opposite shoulder — wasn’t contributing efficiently during his shooting mechanics.

So instead of only doing shoulder rehab, we worked on:

👉 Hip-to-shoulder connection
👉 Posterior oblique sling activation
👉 Trunk & shoulder stability
👉 Cross-body force transfer
👉 Integration back into his actual archery movement

And then came the most important part — building his shooting capacity again.

Today, he’s back to handling 300+ arrows in a session. 🎯

For an athlete, being pain-free in the clinic isn’t enough.

Your body needs to tolerate the volume, force and repetition your sport actually demands.

🏹 Want to return stronger to your sport?

Comment “SPORT” and we’ll send you details of our
3-Month Return to Sport Program.

Don’t just return to activity. Build your body for the demands of your sport.

ArcheryInjury ShoulderRehab KineticChain PosteriorObliqueSling SportsRehabilitation ReturnToSport SportsPerformance AthleteRehab ShoulderStability MovementAssessment

17/09/2026

If your lower back starts hurting after standing for a while, don’t ignore it.

Many people assume it’s because of age or weak muscles, or “a bad back.”

But often, your back is simply working harder than it should.

Standing may look effortless, but your body is constantly balancing. If your core isn’t sharing the load efficiently, your lower back ends up doing extra work—and over time, that can lead to pain.

In the reel, I’ve shown one simple way to activate your core and improve your standing posture. But remember, that’s just one piece of the puzzle.

💬 Comment “BACK” and I’ll send you my Lower Back Standing Guide, where I cover:
• 5 everyday habits that quietly overload your lower back
• Common standing posture mistakes
• Simple workstation and kitchen setup tips
• When back pain is a warning sign you shouldn’t ignore
• Easy movement checks to understand the real cause

Your body isn’t asking you to stop moving.
It’s asking you to move better.

📌 Save this reel for the next time your back starts aching while standing, and share it with someone who always says, “I can’t stand for too long because my back starts hurting.”

16/09/2026

His shoulder was getting stronger. His throwing mechanics were improving.
But there was still one thing holding him back — the fear of throwing again. 🎯

Return to sport is not only about rebuilding strength, mobility and mechanics.

Sometimes, the body is progressing…
but the athlete is still apprehensive about performing the movement that once caused pain or injury.

For this thrower, we worked on his throwing mechanics first — and then started integrating the mental side of return to sport.

One of the strategies our coach used was visualization.

Visualizing the throw.
Rehearsing the movement mentally.
Seeing himself execute it confidently.
Gradually reconnecting the rehab environment with the demands of his sport.

Because an athlete doesn’t truly return to sport only when the shoulder is stronger.

They need to feel confident enough to use it again.

That’s why our return-to-sport process looks beyond just:

Strength → Mobility → Exercise

and works towards:

Movement → Sport Skill → Confidence → Performance.

The goal is not simply to make an athlete pain-free.

The goal is to make them feel ready to play again. 🏆

Physical readiness matters.
Mental readiness matters too.

ThrowingAthlete AthleteRehab ReturnToPerformance SportsPhysiotherapy

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