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…
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…
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…
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…