Read more about pain associated with specific areas of the body in the “Treatments for” section.
To book an appointment or if you have any questions you’d like to run by me:
26 January 2022
10 Scientific Facts About Low Back Pain
I was listening to the “Empowered by Pain” podcast this week, the topic of which was “Ten Scientific Facts About Low Back Pain” and thought I’d share it as there are so many useful messages in it for patients – whether your particular issue is low back pain or not.
The podcast is conducted by a group of physiotherapists and researchers at the forefront of research on the biopsychosocial approach to treating neuro-musculoskeletal pain. The biopsychosocial model acknowledges that pain – in the absence of serious pathology – is multifactorial and can be caused by factors such as stress, fatigue, low mood, inactivity, unaccustomed activity, and many more factors.
03 May 2019
What does Stretching do? Manual Therapy Effects Part III
There’s no question that stretching feels good – at least after we’ve done it. But why is that; what has actually changed? And will stretching have a lasting effect on how flexible we are? Short-term (immediate) increases in flexibility are... Read more14 March 2019
What does “cracking” your back (HVT) do, and how helpful is it? Manual Therapy Effects Part II
What does clicking your back do, and how helpful is it? As usual there is no simple answer to this question, and having taken a fresh look at the research relating to the effects of High Velocity Thrust (HVT) I am left... Read more13 February 2019
The Rubber Hand Illusion: Manual Therapy Effects
In the rubber hand illusion individuals have a rubber hand placed before them on a table while their real hand is placed out of sight on the other side of a screen. A researcher then strokes the fingers of the... Read more28 November 2018
Muscle Stiffness – Part II: Expectation Violation
In part I of this post I talked about how a recent research paper suggested that persistent muscle stiffness – like persistent pain - could be due to a perceptual error: the nervous system has become oversensitive – the threat of... Read more19 September 2018
Why do Muscles Feel Stiff – Part I
Muscle stiffness is a common complaint of patients presenting to my clinic. Common questions are “why do I feel so stiff?”; “why do my muscles feel so tight?”; “why do I have knots?” In the most straightforward of cases, patients... Read more14 May 2018
Sun’s Out Guns Out
Flexing in front of the mirror actually makes your biceps bigger!!! Well maybe. A study just out showed that focusing on the targeted muscle/movement during weight-training (watching oneself in the mirror might fall into that category) increased arm circumference by 12.6% (internal focus)... Read more22 March 2018
Are you sitting comfortably: the myth of good posture
That's the Guardian's (5/3/18) headline - not mine - for an article in which two well regarded physical therapists and researchers explain why it doesn't matter how we sit, or what posture we assume because there is no evidence to support... Read more18 January 2018
Make Coordination and Variability a Priority
Good coordination really amounts to the activation of the right muscles, in the right sequence, at the right time for the performance of a particular task and helps to keep us pain free and avoid injury. It also contributes to other... Read more01 December 2017
Why Biomechanics Matter
There has been a huge shift to the biopsychosocial model in manual therapy in the last decade and understanding how psychological factors influence our experience of pain has and continues to change the way physical therapists communicate with, educate, and... Read more08 November 2017
Understanding pain part 4: persistent pain
In part one of this series I used Greg Lehman's analogy between the way an alarm sounded by a ship's lookout gets passed up the chain of command to the Captain and how nociceptors ( the body's pain sensors) pass... Read more07 November 2017
Abdominal exercises sitting and using lunge sequences
Abdominal exercises performed upright and in our normal relationship to gravity have better carryover to daily activities like lifting children into car seats (one of my own personal training objectives!). I show a couple of examples here from which you... Read more07 November 2017
18 October 2017
Understanding Pain – part 3: why load is good
The majority of patients I see in clinic have non-specific pain, that is, it cannot be attributed to a specific pathology like a fracture, tear, or sprain. Nevertheless, the pain alarm has been triggered indicating that action needs to be... Read more28 September 2017
Understanding Pain – Part 2: Pain doesn’t mean damage
A few facts about damage and pain: 96% of athletes younger than 22 will show changes on an MRI that some people call “abnormal”. But since everyone has them how “abnormal” can they be? (Rajaswaran 2014) 37% of 20 year... Read more19 September 2017
Understanding Pain – Part 1: The Process of Pain
If we want to understand how best to treat and rehabilitate ourselves after an episode of pain then it helps to have an understanding of the mechanism of pain, the things that influence it, and the circumstances which might give... Read more22 February 2017
A shoulder problem that started at the foot
My sister asked me to take a look at my 12 year old niece Grace at the weekend, as she was worried about a lump on her shoulder (she also has left knee pain). The lump turned out to be her... Read more08 November 2016
5 Tips to Counter the Health Risks of Sitting
Most of us are aware that sitting for long periods has serious consequences for our health, leaving us at higher risk of diabetes, heart disease, and, of course, back, neck, and shoulder pain. Read more27 September 2016
Training to Avoid Muscle Strains
I hope you have all had a good summer, and feel fresh and raring to go as we enter the autumn months. If, like me, you are getting back to your workouts after a break in routine, then you might... Read more09 June 2016
Stretches for the hip using a doorway for stability
In this video clip I make use of a chair and doorway to help achieve some really effective stretching. The doorpost affords increased stability and therefore makes stretching in all three planes of motion easier, whilst enabling us to get... Read more17 May 2016
Hip flexor stretch
In this short video clip I give one example of why hip extension is important in maintaining a healthy low back, and demonstrate a stretch that improves hip extension while avoiding irritating the joints of the low back. Read more17 May 2016
Calf stretch
In the last post I explained how tight calf muscle, or reduced ankle dorsiflexion, can cause problems elsewhere in the body. Here I show you how you can stretch your calf in all three planes of motion, which is necessary... Read more09 March 2016
How tight calf muscle causes back pain
If you've ever wondered why we're interested in your feet and ankles when you come to us with low back pain then here's just one explanation. Read more21 January 2016
Stability and the Myth of Core Stability
If you are entering the new year with a renewed sense of commitment to improving your level of fitness then it is worth giving some consideration to just how good your balance and stability are. Balance and stability are not... Read more01 December 2015
Exercises for the mid and upper back
As promised in our last newsletter, here are some exercises for the mid and upper back (thoracic spine) that will benefit - along with almost everywhere else! - your low back. Read more01 December 2015
