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…
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…
While we’re all well aware of the need for rehabilitation and physiotherapy after surgery we don’t think about the preparations we need to make BEFORE surgery. Ask questions – Make sure you understand: what will happen at the hospital, the type of procedure you are having, how long you will be in hospital and who you will be seeing afterwards. the procedure is when you leave hospital and how you…
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…
For keen athletes, in an ideal world, every time you train you would do as the professionals do and see a physiotherapist to untangle any kinks. However in the real world we rarely have the time and resources to follow every ideal. So here are my 4 top tips and tricks for keeping you going even when you haven’t got a physio at home. 1. A tennis ball – A…
Frozen shoulder, rotator cuff, bursitis, impingement . . . shoulder pain can come with a lot of different names and root causes. But there are some common themes – difficulty raising your arm overhead, difficulty working or doing your sport, problems sleeping and, of course, pain! But what happens when you’re not making progress? When the pain and difficulty moving continues? Pain Perception I’ve spoken before about chronic pain and…
Few things are more frustrating for a runner than shin splints. They’re painful, restrict your movement and training and seem difficult to treat. What are Shin Splints? This is a useful “catch all” term for pain in the leg below the knee. But true shin splints are painful on the inner part of the shin. Although the pain starts intermittently, running and walking may quickly become extremely painful. If you…
This one day course will give you the skills to confidently assess your patient’s foot and lower limb function and pathology quickly and accurately and clearly explain this and its impact to your patient. Detailed information on foot anatomy, mechanics and function and lower limb biomechanics. The 6 Key Tests for patient assessment – a practical, hands on workshop with key consultation techniques to find out the most appropriate route…
The 3 S’s of a “happy” knee: No Swelling Straight Strong If you have knee pain focusing on these 3 points will make an enormous difference. Before Surgery Most of us are aware of the need for rehab after surgery. But there is increasing research to suggest that to get the best results from surgery you need to do some work before surgery too. Dr Donald K Shelbourne is an…
What are hamstrings? Hamstrings are the tendons connecting the group of large muscles at the back of the thigh to the bone. But the word is often used to refer to the entire group of muscles connecting the knee to the hip at the back of the thigh. The Hamstring muscles bend the knee and straighten the hip and while not very important for walking and standing they are very…