I came across some fascinating information today about a trial done with podiatrists in New Zealand, Australia and the UK looking at using Formthotics to support children’s feet. I’ve worked with Formthotics for over 20 years now, in the NHS, private practice in the UK and now here in Spain. I’ve tried many (many, MANY!) other brands and support options over the last 2+ decades but I keep coming back…
Sciatica is one of those wonderful medical terms which we now use in everyday conversation to cover a whole host of aches and pains in our back, hips and legs. But, as I’ve spoken about in detail before, there are a number of conditions that can look similar to sciatica at first glance but, and this is a key point in the getting pain free process, need a different treatment…
This week is one of my favourite topics – your back! We’re getting into all things lumbar spine and nerve pain with our focus on sciatica. Wednesday 30 October – 11.30 What is sciatica? Why does it come and go and move around? Is your disc damaged? Understanding your MRI scan ITB, Slipped Disc, Herniated Disc, Piriformis Syndrome, Disc Fusion – the confusing names you get given. Tips and tricks…
Earlier this month I had a gentleman come in complaining of long term (5+ years!!) pain in his knee. He’d had 2 rounds of surgery on the knee with no improvement. During my assessment I found that he had an even longer history of lower back pain and hip pain. So rather than focus on his knee, we focused on his back, I taught him a couple of little tricks…
Sadly this version has no princesses or catchy tunes! But with a bit of help you can “Let it go” (sorry I couldn’t help myself!). Adhesive Capsulitis This is when the “capsule” that surrounds the shoulder joint becomes stiff and tense (adhesion). So the shoulder joint becomes “frozen” and painful to move. With 3 bones, over 10 muscles groups and numerous ligaments and tendons the shoulder is a hugely complicated…
So over the last few weeks I’ve talked about lower back pain and sciatica in particular. I’ve also been talking about those conditions that can sometimes get bundled up in a general “sciatica” muddle like Iliotibial Band Syndrome. (it’s ok, you can go read them, I’ll wait!) And today we are going to look at another one of those conditions that can cause similar symptoms – Piriformis Syndrome. This may…
ACL issues are common in many athletes, professional or keen amateur – sudden twisting, over extension, falls, a bad landing or sudden stops . . . these can all cause ligament injuries. But only 1 in 3 patients return to their sport! A shocking and often unnecessary statistic. What is the ACL? The ACL is the anterior cruciate ligament and connects the thigh bone to the shin bone in the…
When we were discussing seminar topics the one suggested left and right was Sciatica! This is obviously a topic people think about in connection with physiotherapy. And I was looking back at the articles I’ve written for the EWN and my own blog over the last decade and realised, I have NEVER written about sciatica!! So here goes, my first EVER article about sciatica! Fingers crossed! What is it? Sciatica…
I’ve written an article with the same title a while ago but I thought some of it could probably do with a little update! The knee is (still!) the largest joint in the body. 4 bones more than 20 muscles each with a tendon 4 major ligaments as well as many little ones and at least 3 layers of cartilage. So here goes with my A to Z of knee…
Last month, as a trial, we started running some small FREE patient seminars at the clinic to see if there would be any interest. WOW what a response! We continue our trial into June but, due to everyone’s hectic schedules, we will stop during July and August. So get these in your diary as it’s your last chance for a while! The Shoulder The Joint, movement and the complications Wednesday…