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…
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…
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…
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…
School starts again here and packing that backpack with all the stuff they “just can’t live without” plus what their teachers’ need them to have . . . . it can suddenly be heavy bag. Style is everything A back pack is always the best style as they distribute the load across the strong back and shoulder muscles. If you can convince them to use a hip strap as well,…
It’s always interesting what prompts people to take action. What one movement that hurt which made them make an appointment. Interestingly many people are unbothered that their knees hurt when walking long distances but, when they start to have pain going up and down stairs – this is a big problem. So why are stairs a problem? When we are walking on a flat surface our knees don’t have to…
When my daughter was little there was a ritual at this time of year – the annual trip to Clarks Shoe Shop to buy sensible shoes for school. As she grew older this inevitably turned into something of a battle but, unsurprisingly given my feelings about feet, I won for a long time! The time the assistants spent, making sure that the fit was right for the shoe, the arch…