Many people work at computers and many people work long hours. Long hours sat at a desk can cause a whole range of problems from back ache, neck ache, headaches and tennis elbow. Many of these issues can have a relatively simple solution. First and foremost, the...
Pain can be a normal reaction to an injury or illness. When your body heals, your pain usually stops. For some people, pain continues after its cause is gone. When is lasts for 3-6 months or more, it is called chronic pain. Chronic pain affects more individuals...
Knee replacements are relatively common operations to alleviate the symptoms of severe osteoarthritis of the knee joint. During the surgery the articular surfaces of the knee joint are replaced with artificial surfaces, normally made from a metal alloy and plastic. After surgery, you will normally be in...
Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain condition that is currently quite poorly understood. Fibromyalgia can present with a wide range of symptoms including: Widespread pain affecting many body sites. Depression Cognitive dysfunction/ memory issues (known as fibro-fog) Hypersensitivity or perceiving a non-painful stimulus as painful (allodynia). As...
Shoulder impingement is a very common condition that is frequently seen by physiotherapists. The shoulder joint is complex, with many different structures providing a very large range of movement while maintaining stability throughout range. Shoulder impingement refers to when some of these structures become pinched in the...
Every ski season physiotherapists see a lot of skiing related injuries. Mostly knees and shoulders but also the occasional back, neck and thumbs. Ligament injuries to the knee are quite common, with the anterior cruciate ligament at particularly high risk due to the nature of skiing. Shoulder...
Most of us know it is a good idea to warm up before exercising. This is especially important when the temperature drops in the winter months. When we are cold, our soft tissues such as ligaments, muscles and tendons are less elastic, making them more prone...
As physiotherapists, we are often asked about the difference between acute and chronic pain. Below are how we would normally describe these terms. Acute Pain Acute pain covers a wide range of pains that can last from seconds to months. Acute pain normally lasts less than six...
Earlier this year a patient attended an appointment with a history of shoulder pain that had been present for several years following an injury at the gym. He had tried physiotherapy before and had extensive work on his rotator cuff and scapular biomechanics and had also...
As a physiotherapist, we are highly trained to look out for “red flag” symptoms which could indicate a very serious condition. These are few and far between, with many physiotherapists never coming across them in their careers. One Saturday I was seeing my last patient and...
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