Here in Andalucia we’ve just had Semana Blanca where traditionally everyone goes to the Sierra Nevadas (and from what I’ve heard the snow was good!). But sadly this means a little flurry of phone calls to me! Knee Particularly the ligaments. When we fall and twist, when our skis or board go one way and we go the other – it’s the knees that take the damage and sometime the…
Some estimate it as high as 10% of school age children that get migraines. But the tricky thing with kids is that they don’t get migraines the way adults do. Tummy ache or migraine? One of the key differences between adult migraines and kids’ is that kids can get migraines in their stomachs. Often kids will complain of pain in their stomach or vomiting and this can be a migraine.…
It is that time of year when it seems almost everyone is heading for the slopes, either Sierra Nevada or further afield. As I’m sure you can imagine, this can make for a very busy time for me so let’s hope I don’t see you in my clinic! To help avoid a visit and to help stop achy muscles ruining your fun, strengthen the correct muscles now so that you…
I’ve spoken before about how to get the right fit for children’s school shoes (where you can download my handy guide!) but what about us adults? Aren’t our feet important too? While I’m an avid believer in orthotics and the impact they have, it helps to put them in a well-fitting pair of shoes! Do your shoes fit? The average shoe size is up about two sizes since the 1970’s,…
Sciatica, one of those wonderful medical terms which we now use in everyday conversation to cover a whole host of aches and pains. Real, true sciatica is only from problems in the disc L3 in your lower back and symptoms include: Pain in the buttocks or leg, often worse when sitting. Burning, tingling or “pins and needles” down the leg. Weakness, numbness, or difficulty moving the leg or foot. A…
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 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…