A few months ago I was chatting to a woman I’d met a few times at various networking meetings and she mentioned she had a condition called achalasia which is quite unusual. The lower oesophageal (bottom of the oesophagus ) muscles and sphincter start to degenerate and, critically, the nerves which control these muscles. Patients commonly have problems swallowing, chest pain and regurgitate food and drink. She explained how she’d…
I am privileged to work with an amazing audiologist, Peter Ormrod, who specialises in treating tinnitus. Interestingly one of the first things we spoke about when he came to work with us was tinnitus treatment. What is tinnitus? Tinnitus is when you can hear a sound that doesn’t have an outside source. The perception of this sound varies, some describe a high pitched whistle, others a buzzing, or even the…
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…
Technology is a wonderful thing, but more and more I am seeing pain and problems due to people spending so much time hunched over their smartphones and computers. With a desktop PC, the separate components could be adjusted for better posture. But using a laptop, tablet or smartphone, people often work away from a desk, hunched over on a sofa. The average human head weighs between 10 and 12lbs or…
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…
I do quite a few radio interviews myself here on the coast, so I was fascinated to hear a fellow physiotherapist give a radio interview. David Peirce from Pondera Physiotherapy talked on Brisbane radio about neck pain and makes some interesting points. You can listen to his interview and I’ve highlighted some of the key points he makes below. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/220466998″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /] The first point he…
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…