One of the things I think is extremely important for any medical professional is constantly updating their skill set. My training in the RAF gave me a much wider and varied range of experience than many physios but that was, “ahem” a little while ago now and things have moved on a teeny bit! Medical Fashion Much of the way I was initially trained has come back into medical fashion…
A friend of mine recently reached a significant birthday and this song was composed by a fabulously creative couple in her honour. It made me laugh so much that I asked for permission to share it here with you! A’s for Arthritis B’s the bad back C’s the chest pains, perhaps cardiac? D is for dental decay and decline E is for eyesight, can’t read that top line! F is…
Back pain is estimated to affect most adults at some point in their life. It is also one of the leading causes of time off work. So here are a few tips to help if it strikes: ICE – a pack of frozen peas will do. Always wrap it in a damp tea towel to protect your skin. Use it for 10 minutes every half hour. TOILETS – If you…
We are incredibly lucky to live in a time where we can see more, know more and fix more within the human body than ever before. But with all this medical power must surely come medical responsibility? Dark Ages I completed my physiotherapy training over 30 years ago and back then, in the dark ages, an MRI scan was not an easy thing to get. Before ordering one we had…
The link between chronic pain and depression is one that is fairly obvious, in fact people with chronic lower back pain are 3 – 4 times more likely to suffer from major depression (Sullivan et al. 1992). If your pain means you can’t take part in your normal daily activities, golf, tennis or even moving about your house or the supermarket comfortably, then this brings you down even further (Williamson…
Living in the south of Spain a day typically starts with a café con leche and tostada. But for many migraine sufferers that can feel like a big no no. But to avoid a migraine do you really need to avoid coffee? Only 2 proven triggers Let’s separate myth from scientific fact. Professor of Neuroscience, Peter Goadsby from the NIHR-Wellcome Trust King’s Clinic Research Facility, London says that only these…
If you want to get active just run right? We all know how to do it don’t we? But is it that simple? Do we need lessons on how to run? Currently there is a big debate about running technique – the 2 main camps being heel vs toe (or barefoot) What’s the difference? A normal step: Heel contact Outer foot, using the arch Roll onto the toes push off…
A hip replacement is a fairly common procedure if you have arthritis in your hips. But what if it’s not that simple? The incorrect procedure can lead to long term issues and pain. Taking the time to get the right diagnosis is a critical part of choosing the correct procedure for you. Hip dysplasia is the most common cause of hip arthritis in young women but it is easy to…
Gout – first diagnosed in Ancient Egypt in 2600 BC, isn’t new. But more and more patients are receiving this diagnosis. What is Gout? Gout is a metabolic disorder which causes arthritis (arth = joint and itis = inflammation), usually of the big toe but other joints can be affected. The body stops processing uric acid properly causing it to build up in the body. These sharp uric acid crystal…
So you have had a conversation with your family doctor or other medical specialist and they have suggested surgery as a solution. But how do you go about actually choosing the right surgeon for your procedure, especially in a new country? Here are my top 10 tips for choosing the right surgeon for you: Recommendations – from your friends and family who had a good result as well as other…