Sore Spots

Low back pain (LBP) is a common condition likely to affect most of us to varying degrees during our adult life. It may appear for no apparent reason or it may be related to an accident or incident such as bending, lifting, heavy or repetitive work, or to postures such as prolonged sitting or driving for extended periods of time. In fact, back pain is the most common cause of loss of activity among adults. The good news about LBP is that, for the majority of us, it will settle down within a few days or weeks. If pain persists, [...]

Your neck has a difficult job. It is supporting and moving the head which is quite heavy as it is known to weigh 10% of your body weight. The neck is a narrow and highly mobile part of the spinal column, and the head has to be balanced on the neck while moving or positioning during daily activities or sports. Neck pain is usually the result of over-use, dis-use or mis-use, often aggravated by stress, poor postural alignment, a bad pillow or injury such as sports injury or whiplash. Whiplash is the most common cause of neck injury. It is [...]

The foot arch varies from person to person, and can change over time, becoming too flat or too high. It can be influenced by body weight, activity, stress, footwear, or trauma, and can cause foot and heel pain, bunions, toe deformities, numbness and calluses. Fallen arches or over-pronating feet tend to alter leg-to-pelvis biomechanics, positioning and the curvatures of the spine, potentially leading to knee or hip problems, bursitis, tendonitis, buttocks pain, back pain, headaches or even jaw pain. The most common foot problems seen by your physiotherapist are: heel pain and heel spurs retro-calcaneal bursitis Achilles tendonitis shin splints [...]

Knee function depends on proper alignment from the foot to the hip. Excessive or abnormal mechanical force affects the ligaments, tendons, and soft tissue support system of the knee joint. Sudden force and impact from injury, or repetitive strain from overuse or misuse, can cause various degrees of tissue damage, strain injury, wear-and-tear, and gradual deterioration of the joint structures. Abnormalities of the knee can result from: dropped or raised foot arches toe deformities hip-pelvis and leg muscle imbalance and tightness patella-femoral tracking problems meniscus tears or damage ligament injuries inflammation and arthritis Your physiotherapist has the training and expertise [...]

Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) is an umbrella term for a group of disorders affecting the muscles, tendons, and nerves. It is caused by repetitive motions, excessive or abnormally distributed biomechanical forces during function, or using extreme movements. Unlike other injuries which occur at a single point in time, RSIs develop over an extended period of time. Identifying symptoms, causative factors and manifestation of the repetitive strain, lead to the selection of the therapy protocol of choice; this can include acupuncture and life-style counselling. Symptoms of RSI include: stiff or tight muscles, tendons inflamed within their sheath tingling, numbness and/or coldness [...]

The two temporo-mandibular joints (TMJ) connect the lower jaw to the skull, and are responsible for the movements of the jaw and the opening and closing of the mouth. These are the most used joints in the entire body and they affect our ability to talk, chew, and swallow. The TMJ is a life sustaining joint with unique anatomical elements and unique biomechanical/functional features. Temporo-Mandibular Disorder or Dysfunction (TMD) frequently occurs when the lower jaw is not in its proper position relative to the upper jaw and head. This can result in displacement of the joint protective disc, causing “clicking” [...]