Have a foam roller or peanut ball lying around gathering dust? Why not try these exercises to get some mobility into that spine!

If you need further help then one of our team will be happy to fully assess your spine 

In clinic we use these techniques to sneak a bit more range of movement out of your joints and soft tissues.
Give them a try yourself and see how you get on!

Check out these fantastic exercises for thoracic mobility, demonstrated by our director Stuart

If these exercises dont do the trick then give us a call to try some expert manual therapy!
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​Pilates exercise is a mind–body exercise approach requiring core stability, strength, flexibility, and attention to muscle control, posture, and breathing. Pilates can either be practiced on an exercise mat (matwork Pilates) utilising gravity against body weight, either with or without small pieces of equipment such as resistance bands, or Pilates can be practiced on larger pieces of equipment such as a Pilates reformer, which is a bed-like frame with a moveable carriage and uses spring resistance.
 
The method was originally created in the 1920s by Joseph Pilates and was popular with gymnasts, dancers and boxers. Since this time the Pilates method of exercise has gained worldwide popularity, and is used by people of ranging abilities, from sports people to those that are inactive; those who have back pain or are rehabilitating from an injury; those that are very young or elderly, and it is also used pre-and post-pregnancy. Research has shown that Pilates exercises are effective in improving flexibility, dynamic balance, core posture and muscular endurance.
 
Pilates is not trademarked, therefore instructors can gain certification from a wide variety of teaching programs, and as such you may have experienced different methods and styles of teaching.  At Physioimpulse we teach Clinical Pilates, which stems from the ‘modern’ Pilates approach. Clinical Pilates is influenced by Physiotherapy, biomechanics and evidence-based principles, where exercises are tailored to an individuals’ needs and abilities, and emphasis is placed on developing body awareness. So for example, Pilates can be beneficial to those who wish to improve their sporting ability; those who suffer with aches, pains or an injury; and even those who wish to improve their ability to sit at their desk for work all day. Emphasis is placed on the quality and precision of the movements performed rather than just the number of repetitions.

​Lockdown will have affected peoples’ physical and mental well-being in differing ways. Many will have experienced feelings of anxiety, loneliness or depression. Some will have missed the gym and the swimming pools, or their usual exercise classes; some have been stuck working from home at make-shift desks, which may not be set up in the best way; or they are busy with childcare and as such have had little time for themselves. Others have been taking the opportunity to tidy their gardens and take on DIY projects, which is great for keeping active but can result in various aches and pains.
 
Exercise is a great way to help look after our physical and mental well-being, and this can take on many forms.  If you are interested in Pilates either as a form of exercise in its own right, or as a tool to help you achieve a particular goal then please get in touch to discuss your needs. Our Physiotherapists are able to offer 1:1 matwork and reformer Pilates sessions in a safe clinical 

As a cyclist you have many options when it comes to getting the right bike and making sure you are 
riding it comfortably. 

At the very start of the journey you hope to have selected the correct frame size and type of bike for your intended use. Most bike shops will be able to get this part of process right for the rider, though  some  are  better  than  others. We  are  lucky  in  Bath  to  have  a  couple  of  great  shops  with knowledgeable  staff   who  are  passionate  about  cycling  rather  than  some  of  the  larger  chains  with disinterested store assistants. 
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So  you’ve  got  the  bike  and  hopefully  all  is  well.  But  there  are  often  a  number  of  reasons  why things don’t go to plan and we may start to develop discomfort when we are riding or even start to aggravate or cause an injury. ​

Here are some of the reasons why riding that new bike may be causing you some issues:
• Changed frame geometry which can affect riding position
• Altered contact points relationship (e.g saddle to bar drop)
• New saddle
• Over-exuberance with the new bike leading to a drastic increase in ride mileage
• Different gearing from your previous or other bike
• Unsuitable crank length

If you start to develop some issues your first port of call may be to pop back to the bike shop. In 
some cases the solution to your problems may be beyond the shop’s remit and a bike fit may be 
recommended to address your problem. 

Bike  fitting  is  a  process  through  which  a  trained  professional  can  make  adjustments  to  the 
position  and  set  up  of  the  bike  to  best  match  the  rider’s  current  capacity  -  whether  that  be 
flexibility, strength, stability etc. 
Most bike fits will be offered by individuals who have undergone some training in how to deliver 
this  process  using  various  check  sheets,  average  values  for  joint  positions  and  possibly  motion 
capture systems that generate a ‘recommended’ set up. 

As  specialist  therapists,  we  have  worked  with  cyclists  for  many  years  helping  them  to 
overcome various problems and injuries. It is this specific knowledge that allows us to go beyond 
a simple check-box formula based approach to bike fit. 

At Physioimpulse we ensure  each  rider  is  individually  screened  and  if  there  are  any  injuries  picked  up  these  form  an important  part  of  the  basis  of  the  bike  fitting  decisions  made  in  the  session  to achieve  the  best possible outcome.
In the case that injury is already established then it is most likely that the bike fit will not ‘cure’ the 
problem  as  a  stand  alone  intervention.  Once  again,  as trained  specialist therapists,  we  can  offer 
guidance  on  the  importance  of  setting  up  a  comprehensive  rehabilitation  programme  to  ensure 
the problem is addressed both on and off  the bike. 

So,  if  you  are  out  riding  but  you  are  not  totally  comfortable,  or  you  have  been  picking  up  small 
injures here and there its time to consider having your bike fit re-assessed more comprehensively. 
Please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions about your bike fit or if you would like 
more information about our bike fitting service. We are always more than happy to answer questions.  

What is Sports Massage?
At Physioimpulse sports massage therapy is delivered as part of our interdisciplinary team approach and is utilised in many cases we see in clinic as a strategy for injury management and prevention. Cases of a stiff neck and upper back from professionals in a desk based occupation are one of the most common patient complaints we receive on a daily basis. Often the port of call is sports massage, where techniques such as deep tissue release combined with muscle lengthening techniques can go a long way towards restoring normal functionality. They work by releasing areas of increased tension from poor working posture or repetitive strain, and can help to break down areas of focal tone (commonly known as knots).
Specific uses of sports massage:
Maintenance:
After long bouts of exercise from activities such as resistance training or running, muscles are exposed to micro trauma in the form of small tears in the fibres they are made up of. This creates areas of swelling which can become irritable and often sore. Sports massage and rehabilitation can help to remove irritable substances such as lactate away from the site and can aid in the promotion of delivery of fresh and nutrient rich blood, providing the body with everything it needs for a speedy recovery process post exercise.
Injury Management:
Scar tissue is what the body uses to repair damaged areas in muscles. Sometimes scar tissue can be dysfunctional and form as unorganised and weak material which puts the area at risk for re-injury. Sports massage and rehab can help provide a framework to begin to remobilise this tissue, make it more pliable and less prone to re-tearing.
Healthy Body, Healthy Mind:
Stress is an emotion experienced by everyone on a daily basis. No matter what level of stress, or whether it be physical or mental stress, the implications can cause negative effects on the body. Relaxation techniques are often used by the therapists at Physioimpulse, they allow for the targeting of the body as a whole and ultimately resulting in an elevation of both mood and bodily function in many of the patients we see.
What Can You Do To Reduce Muscular Tension?
-Daily stretching routine
-Foam rolling and self-applied massage
-Work at a standing desk
-Incorporate adequate rest and sleep
-Receive regular sports massage therapy

We are receiving some great feedback on the pain relieving effects of our Ostenil Plus injections which enable people to return to their normal activities of daily living with greatly reduced reports of pain.
The study below outlines the benefits of these injections in delaying the need for major knee surgery

If you would like to know more about these injections read our Injection Therapy page or email matt.shepherd@physioimpulse.co.uk

​01225 683007

The use of intra-articular hyaluronic acid (HA) injections in patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee has shown efficacy in delaying total knee replacement (TKR) surgery in a recent retrospective, longitudinal study published in PLoS One.

The investigators sought to compare the delay from diagnosis to TKR surgery in patients with knee OAwho received intra-articular HA injections vs those who did not. All patients studied were treated in France between 2006 and 2013. A second objective of the study was to compare direct medical costs associated with ambulatory care between the 2 groups.

A total of 14,782 patients were treated for knee OA (ages ≥50 years; mean age, 68±10 years; 67% women). Annual incidence rates of knee OA were estimated to be 0.52% in women and 0.92% in men. Of the 14,782 patients, 1662 individuals (11.2%) underwent TKR surgery before the end of 2013.

At each point evaluated, restricted mean survival time without TKR surgery was higher in the HA treatment vs no injection group (from 51 days at 1 year after diagnosis to 217 days at 7.5 years, respectively; P <.001). In the year before TKR, the means for total direct medical costs were similar between the 2 treatment groups (€744 for HA vs €805 for control). Intra-articular injections accounted for <10% of the total costs.
​
This is the first retrospective longitudinal study involving patients with knee OA that used medico-administrative databases in France. The investigators concluded that “the results support the effectiveness of [HA] injections in delaying [TKR] surgery and show that patients treated with [HA] have similar direct medical costs for ambulatory care compared to patients treated with corticosteroids only.” Further cost-effective analyses are warranted to explore the ability of HA injections to delay TKR surgery for a longer period of time.


Reference

Delbarre A, Amor B, Bardoulat I, et al. Do intra-articular hyaluronic acid injections delay total knee replacement in patients with osteoarthritis – A Cox model analysis. PLoS One. 2017;12(11):e0187227.

Our top pilates trained physiotherapist Renu has put together this fantastic guide for postnatal runers.
Download and read the whole presentation below!
Having problems getting back to full strength and activity post partum? Renu specialises in getting you back to full health!

Did you know amongst other things, chiropractors frequently also treat the hips, knees and feet?
 
Amazingly in an average lifetime, our feet carry us an equivalent of five times around the Earth and in addition to this, the feet must take the strain of supporting the body’s weight even when just standing still. Given how often we use our feet, and the demands we make upon them on a day to day basis, it’s so important to look after them properly.
 
In each foot there is a total of 26 bones, and damage to any one of them, or even related muscles, ligaments or cartilage can result in problems with the foot that may need attention from a trained professional in order to prevent longer term damage.
 
Here are some simple tips for you to follow to keep your feet in good condition:

• You should inspect and feel your feet daily for cracks, corns and ulcers.
• Toenails should be cut straight across, not too close to the skin.
• Take extra care when walking barefoot.
• A well fitting shoe should not require a long and painful breaking in period.

 
Pay good attention to your feet; changes and/or pain in the feet and ankles could indicate a more serious foot ailment or circulatory problem, so if in doubt, check it out! If you think you might need support for your feet/arches then check out our biomechanics and orthotics service

​While fun and efficient, our much-loved technological devices could be the cause of bad posture and resulting back and neck pain…
 
Technology has become part of our everyday life. Everywhere you look people are surfing the net on their computers, writing a text message on their mobile phone or using a tablet to watch a video, which means a considerable amount of our time is being spent hunched over looking at a screen.
 
It goes without saying that our techno devices bring a lot of fun and efficiency into our lives, but they can also, unfortunately bring a multitude of problems for our backs and necks, which is why correct posture when you are spending a lot time in front of a screen is extremely important.

Our bodies are very robust to general postural stress but to reduce repetitive loads follow these simple Do's and Don’t's:
 
Do

• Try out new gadgets before you buy them to make sure they’re comfortable to use and spend time setting them up in a way that works well for you
• Take the time to break position on a regular basis and stretch your arms, shrug your shoulders and move your fingers around when using your mobile, smartphone, laptop or tablet, as this helps to keep the muscles more relaxed
• Ensure your chair has an adequate back support when sitting in front of a computer at a desk
• Take regular breaks to rest eyes, neck and shoulders
• Stand up and walk around at least once an hour
• Relax your wrists while typing.

 
Don’t

• Get too engrossed in what you are doing and forget how long you have been using your tech device in bed; if you are still planning to surf/text/play on your devices in bed, set an alarm to remind you to pack it away and get some much needed sleep
• Slouch, use a low table or cross your legs while sitting at a desk in front of your computer screen for long periods
• Sit in the same position while using your tech device for too long at a time
• Tense your neck, shoulders or wrist.