Plain-English definitions of the words you will meet across this site and in a session with Carly. If a term on your plan is not clear, ask her to explain it again: nothing in your programme should be a word you do not understand.
Also known as: Physio, Physical therapy.
Treatment that helps restore movement and function after injury, illness or surgery, using exercise, hands-on techniques and advice. In the UK you can usually refer yourself to a private physiotherapist without seeing a GP first.
Source: www.nhs.uk
Also known as: HCPC registration.
The UK regulator for physiotherapists and other health professions. Physiotherapist is a protected title, so anyone using it must be on the HCPC register, which anyone can search by name for free.
Source: www.hcpc-uk.org
Also known as: CSP.
The professional body for physiotherapists in the UK, setting professional standards and supporting education and research across the profession.
Source: www.csp.org.uk
Also known as: Musculoskeletal Association of Chartered Physiotherapists.
Member of the Musculoskeletal Association of Chartered Physiotherapists, a professional network of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy for physiotherapists working in musculoskeletal practice. Carly lists MACP among her post-nominals.
Source: www.macpweb.org
Also known as: First-contact physiotherapy.
Booking a physiotherapist directly, without a GP letter. Physiotherapists are first-contact practitioners, so self-referral is normal for private physiotherapy, although some insurers ask for a GP referral before they will pay.
Also known as: Nerve pain down the leg, Radicular pain.
Pain, tingling or numbness that travels from the lower back down the back of the leg, caused by irritation of the sciatic nerve. Most cases settle within a few weeks with activity and exercise, but numbness around the bottom or loss of bladder control needs urgent medical help.
Source: www.nhs.uk
Also known as: Lower back pain, Lumbar pain.
Pain between the bottom of the ribs and the top of the legs. Most back pain is not caused by serious damage, and NICE guidance recommends staying active and exercise as the core of treatment rather than prolonged rest.
Source: www.nice.org.uk
Also known as: Tension headache, Neck-related headache.
The most common type of headache, often felt as a tight band across the forehead or at the back of the head and neck. It is frequently linked to neck and shoulder tension, posture and stress.
Source: www.nhs.uk
Also known as: Neck, C-spine.
The seven vertebrae of the neck, with the muscles, discs and joints around them. In motorsport it carries the weight of the head and helmet against cornering, braking and acceleration forces, which is why drivers train neck strength specifically.
Source: www.nhs.uk
Also known as: Cornering load, G-force.
The sideways force a driver feels through a corner, measured as a multiple of the force of gravity. The neck and trunk muscles have to hold the head and body steady against it, corner after corner, for the length of a stint.
Also known as: ACL injury, ACL reconstruction, Cruciate ligament.
One of the main ligaments holding the knee stable, most often injured by twisting, landing or a sudden change of direction. ACL rehabilitation, with or without surgery, is long and is best guided by measured strength and control rather than the calendar.
Source: www.nhs.uk
Also known as: Patellofemoral pain, Patellofemoral pain syndrome.
Pain around or behind the kneecap, often worse on stairs, squatting or after sitting for a long time. Its clinical name is patellofemoral pain, and it usually responds to strengthening the hip and thigh and adjusting training load.
Source: www.nhs.uk
Also known as: Rotator cuff tendinopathy, Rotator cuff tear.
The group of four muscles and their tendons that hold the shoulder joint steady and help lift and rotate the arm. Rotator cuff problems are a common cause of shoulder pain, particularly when reaching overhead or lying on that side.
Source: www.nhs.uk
Also known as: Adhesive capsulitis.
A condition where the shoulder becomes painful and then stiff, losing movement in every direction. It can take a long time to resolve, and physiotherapy helps manage pain and recover movement through each stage.
Source: www.nhs.uk
Also known as: Plantar heel pain.
Pain under the heel and along the sole of the foot, typically worst with the first steps in the morning. It is linked to the thick band of tissue under the foot and often follows a change in activity, footwear or body weight.
Source: www.nhs.uk
Also known as: Achilles tendinitis, Achilles pain.
Pain and stiffness in the tendon at the back of the ankle, usually from load building faster than the tendon can adapt. It responds best to a graded strengthening programme rather than rest alone.
Also known as: Lateral elbow tendinopathy, Lateral epicondylitis.
Pain on the outside of the elbow from overloading the forearm muscles that grip and extend the wrist. Despite the name it affects drivers, desk workers and anyone who grips repeatedly, and it usually settles with load management and strengthening.
Source: www.nhs.uk
Also known as: Forearm endurance.
The ability of the hand and forearm muscles to keep producing force over time rather than in a single squeeze. Steering and braking demand it for a whole stint, and it is trainable, though often overlooked.
Also known as: Heat acclimation, Heat preparation.
The gradual adaptation of the body to working in heat, such as a hot cockpit. Planned exposure and cardiovascular conditioning help keep heart rate, hydration and decision-making steadier deep into a stint.
Source: www.nhs.uk
Also known as: Progressive overload, Graded loading.
Increasing the demand placed on a muscle, tendon or joint step by step, so it adapts and gets stronger without being overloaded. It is the backbone of rehabilitation and of performance training, and each step is earned rather than scheduled.
Also known as: Physical screening, Objective testing.
Standardised measures of strength, range of movement, endurance and control, repeated over time. At Box Box they set the starting point for a plan, show whether it is working, and inform the decision to return to sport or racing.
Also known as: Return to play, Return to racing.
The final stage of rehabilitation, when training and competition are reintroduced. A sound return decision rests on measured strength and function compared with your own baseline, rather than on how long it has been since the injury.
Also known as: Neurological condition, Neuromuscular disorder.
A condition affecting the nerves that control muscles or the muscles themselves, such as peripheral neuropathy, which can cause weakness, altered sensation and balance problems. Physiotherapy helps people manage strength, mobility, balance and day-to-day function.
Source: www.nhs.uk
Also known as: Hintsa Performance method.
A coach certified in a method developed by Hintsa Performance, which has been used in elite sport, including Formula 1, and in business for decades. Carly is a Hintsa Certified Coach.
Source: www.hintsa.com