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Category Archives: Managing Chronic Conditions
Sciatica Symptoms and Treatment
Thu,May 05, 2016 at 04:56PM by Carla Mullins
Exercises for treating sciatic nerve pain What is sciatica? Sciatica is a term that is often thrown around, but what does it really mean? True sciatica is characterised by pain, discomfort or electric shocks into the back or buttocks, and can radiate past the knee into the foot. Sciatic pain runs in a pattern along…..
Calf Pain & Tight Calf Muscles in Runners
Thu,Mar 24, 2016 at 10:39AM by Laura Kinmont
Benefits of foot and calf massage for treating calf pain Function of calf muscles and their role in running The calf is made up of the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles (which connect the back of the knee to the ankle via the achilles tendon). The role of these muscles is to point the toes and…..
Calf Muscle Exercises for Acquired Calf Shortening
Wed,Mar 16, 2016 at 03:28PM by Carla Mullins
Acquired calf shortening and the need for calf muscle exercises What is acquired calf shortening? Acquired Calf Shortening (ACF) is a condition most common in women who regularly wear heels higher than 2.5 cm. ACF is also seen in people who have congenital short soleus and achilles tendon. There are simple calf muscles exercises that…..
Hand Exercises & Wrist Exercises
Sat,Feb 27, 2016 at 02:00AM by Carla Mullins
Hand exercises for use in pilates and movement classes Hand exercises and wrist exercises are important elements of pilates and movement classes, however they are often given little attention as compared to other areas of the body. “The hand is the visible part of the brain.” Immanuel Kant, German philosopher 1724 – 1804 Over the years I…..
Ankle stiffness in runners and athletes
Sun,Feb 21, 2016 at 02:00AM by Carla Mullins
How does ankle stiffness influence the risk of injury in runners? An article I recently read explored the question of dynamic joint stiffness in high-arched and low-arched athletes during a barefoot running task(1). The researchers wondered if ankle stiffness was a potential underlying risk to injury in the two different groups. The importance of this question…..
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo
Thu,Feb 18, 2016 at 02:00AM by Douglas Wilson
What is Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo? The sudden onset of severe dizziness due to no apparent cause is something that may affect many of us throughout our lifetime. Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is a disorder of the inner ear and is the most common cause of vertigo symptoms. Causes of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo Calcium…..
De Quervain syndrome – exercises for recovery
Tue,Feb 02, 2016 at 01:27PM by Carla Mullins
What is de Quervain syndrome? De Quervain syndrome is a painful inflammation of tendons in the thumb that extend to the wrist (tenosynovitis). The swollen tendons and their coverings rub against the narrow tunnel through which they pass. The result is pain at the base of the thumb and extending into the lower arm. De…..
What is boomeritis?
Tue,Feb 02, 2016 at 12:02PM by Michael Schwarer
My mystery affliction finally had a name! A number of years ago whilst driving my car and listening to the radio, I heard an interesting interview with the then editor of Australia’s Macquarie Dictionary. She was talking about all the new words that had entered the Australian lexicon in the prior 12 months. Her favourite that year was…..
Handy techniques to prevent neck pain
Wed,Jan 20, 2016 at 04:10PM by Douglas Wilson
What can cause neck pain? Have you ever woken up with neck pain that seems to get stiffer as the day progresses? As the seasons change many of us can wake up feeling stiff and sore in the neck and upper back rather than well rested. Why is this? And what can we do? Due to Brisbane’s…..
Plantar fasciitis and foot pain
Tue,Oct 06, 2015 at 11:28AM by Douglas Wilson
Plantar fasciitis and foot pain “It feels like there is a knife under my foot”. Sounds uncomfortable, right? This is one of the symptoms those who suffer from an episode of plantar fasciitis complain of, and as it is the most common form of foot pain presenting to health professions, is likely to be experienced…..
Cancer – treatment, survival and exercise
Fri,Sep 11, 2015 at 12:45PM by Carla Mullins
Cancer in its many guises affects one in three Australian men and one in four Australian women and it affects people of all ages, genders, races and socioeconomic classes. However, survival rates differ and women are more likely to survive cancer than men. When it comes to exercise, there is no doubt that cancer patients…..
Kegel exercises and pelvic floor exercises to keep your pelvic floor healthy
Tue,Jun 02, 2015 at 03:16PM by Body Organics
Your pelvic floor and what you should know about it … When we think of core strength, what immediately comes to mind is our abdominal muscles. However, our core is much more complex. There is no standardised definition of core strength, however, the core muscles can be thought of as those that help us maintain…..
Back Pain & Physiotherapy
Tue,Mar 17, 2015 at 06:03PM by Carla Mullins
How do stress and lifestyle influence lower back pain? Our previous back pain physiotherapy posts have covered preventing and treating lower back pain and safe lifting techniques. Leah mentions how stress and lifestyle factors may influence the severity of pain or the level of disability associated with a low back injury, yet as a general population the influence that…..
Physiotherapy for back pain
Tue,Mar 17, 2015 at 05:37PM by Body Organics
Almost everyone has had some form of lower back pain at some point in their lives. It may have started after a tackle at a sporting event, after moving house or after a long day sitting at a desk. It may be just a little niggle that comes on from time to time, or the…..
Rectus diastasis – separation of the tummy muscles
Fri,Feb 06, 2015 at 03:37PM by Body Organics
What is rectus diastasis? Rectus diastasis (also known as diastasis recti) is the separation of the connective tissue (fascia) that joins the left and right sides of the abdominal muscles together. This occurs most commonly in pre or post partum women. The hormonal changes during pregnancy coupled with the increased load on the abdominal muscles…..
Vestibular physiotherapy treatment for balance, dizziness and vertigo issues
Thu,Jan 22, 2015 at 05:36PM by Douglas Wilson
Is it me, or is the room moving? Chances are, it could be you. There are many causes for dizziness and balance complaints, and one of these you may be experiencing is some form of vestibular disorder. One study reports that as many as 35% of adults over 40 years have experienced some form of…..
Physiotherapy for shoulder impingements
Wed,Jan 14, 2015 at 02:44PM by Douglas Wilson
Shoulder impingement – causes and treatments Does your shoulder often feel weak, swollen and painful, particularly when you’re performing overhead activities such as tennis, swimming, cricket or even putting things on high shelves? The cause of your discomfort could be a shoulder impingement, so it’s important that you seek an appropriate treatment such as shoulder…..