Chronic lower back pain is becoming a big problem. In the UK, USA and Australia it is fighting to be the number 1 reason people are off work. So what is the solution? Lumbar Fusion Surgery? Although there are a number of different methods all involve joining or fusing together 2 of the bony discs in the spine so that they no longer move, the theory being that it is…
Migraines are notoriously difficult to treat. They often don’t respond very well to medication or the medication itself can have unwanted side effects. And you usually know they’re coming . . . . Migraines with Aura Some people experience symptoms before an attack called an aura. flashing lights, zigzag patterns or blind spots in your vision stiffness, a tingling sensation or pins and needles in your neck or shoulders feeling…
Arthritis – such a common diagnosis for so many people and so many joints. But what is it? Arth – joint Itis – inflammation This can happen to any joint in the body –any point where 2 bones meet, and this includes each disc of the spine as well! Sometimes we are given more complicated names for specific joints or conditions: Osteoarthritis – when the cartilage within the joint has…
Aaaaah,Back to School time, depending on which side of the parenting fence you are on you are jumping for joy or sad for the end of summer. But whatever you feel about this time of year one thing never changes – kids grow! And that means new uniform and new school shoes. While the wrong size clothes might be annoying or irritating, the wrong size shoes can have a BIG…
I’m not a fan of cortical steroid injections. Repeated research has shown that while the initial pain relief can be significant, prolonged and repeated use starts to break down the tendons within the joint, like a fraying rope. Which inevitably leads to more pain and more problems. Tennis Elbow is a complicated condition, often misdiagnosed and therefore mistreated, it isn’t uncommon to hear of patients having had treatment for many…
As August draws to a close many people are preparing to drive home again and long distance driving often results in back pain. Lowered, tipped back seats make the legs too straight, placing strain on the hamstrings, pelvis and lower back. The neck then tilts forward to look “straight ahead”. A recent survey found that male drivers tend to sit with legs fully extended straining the back muscles and women…
I don’t think it will surprise anyone who’s met me or read my blog that in my opinion surgery is to be considered the last resort, the thing you do when you’ve tried everything else or things have got so bad there just isn’t another option. But if you are at that point then I think it’s important to get the BEST results possible. These points apply for all kind…
I don’t watch a lot of TV but I did happen to spot this advert for Nurofen. Now I’m pretty sure that a couple of nurofen isn’t going to make a huge difference if you have a migraine but what this advert does show is how the physical structures in the head and neck affect headaches. Tension headaches and migraines are both related to physical issues – tension in the…
I’ve written a few times now about nerve pain and how it confuses treatment. The problems with nerve pain are: Identifying it Finding the root cause And this is why you can be having the best tennis/golfers elbow treatment, the best carpal tunnel treatment, the best knee and leg pain treatment with no effect. Because it’s actually a problem with the nerve supplying that area not that area itself. The…
Most of us are familiar with sciatica, when the discs in the lower spine (specifically L3) get compressed and start to press onto the sciatic nerve. This causes pain and tingling in the leg and buttock as well as leg weakness and pain into the foot. In fact sciatica is often used as a “catch all” term to describe all kinds of nerve issues coming from the lower back and…