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:
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
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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. Central Bath Chiropractic and Physio01225 683007Our bodies are very robust to general postural stress but to reduce repetitive loads follow these simple Do's and Don’t's:
Do
Don’t
Many people cringe at the sound of knuckles, elbows and other joints cracking. For years, experts have debated whether or not this common cracking could cause joint problems. It has recently been confirmed that this ‘popping’ is due to a small bubble forming between your joints. The bubble forms when your joints move apart, forming a kind of vacuum in the synovial fluid, a slippery substance that lubricates your joints. People who can deliberately make joints like knuckles pop usually do so by pushing or pulling the joint in such a way as to make an air bubble appear with a sudden pop. This is called joint cavitation. Once the bubble is there the joint will not pop again until all the air has been reabsorbed. However, there are other cracking noises and sensations that may of concern. Snapping and cracking noises can be caused by osteoarthritis as a consequence of the natural ageing process, or following a trauma or disease in the joint. In this case the cartilage, which eases friction in the joint breaks down, so that movement causes painful friction and crunching noises. Snapping noises and sensations, on the other hand, are likely to be caused by muscle or tendon moving across a bone. This happens when a tendon is slightly loose, and occurs most often in the hip, knee, ankle, wrist and shoulder. This could eventually lead to bursitis, or inflammation of the fluid-filled sac that allows muscle to move smoothly over bone.
Frozen ShoulderAdhesive Capsulitis (AC), or Frozen Shoulder, is a common condition causing stiffness and pain in the shoulder. AC affects 2-5% of the population and up to 20% of people with diabetes. It may also be associated with high cholesterol, heart disease and rheumatic conditions. AC is a condition in which the shoulder is completely or partially unmovable (stiff). Along with often intense shoulder pain, AC presents with progressive limitations in both active range of motion (joint movement you can achieve alone) and passive range of motion (movement achieved when someone else moves the joint). The cause of this debilitating condition is not fully understood. It is believed that the shoulder (glenohumeral) joint capsule, a band of connective tissue surrounding to head of the humerus, along with shoulder ligaments, become red, swollen and inflamed, leading to shortening and stiffness (contracture) and a loss of the capsules normal elastic quality. AC generally affects people aged 40 – 65 years, it can occur spontaneously, with mild injury, or secondary to another condition. Night pain is a common feature. X-ray investigation is often normal. Symptoms of AC can mimic other conditions such as osteoarthritis, for example, which can make diagnosis difficult, but physiotherapists are well placed to diagnose AC using a thorough history and physical assessment. For some time it was believed by many that AC followed a natural history theory. If initially ‘frozen’ it would suggest it could thaw. The theory was that the condition moved from painful (freezing), stiff (frozen), through to (thawing) recovery / complete resolution. Furthermore, it was believed that the condition would improve over time (usually 2 – 3.5 years) without any intervention. We can now confidently say that these theories have largely been disproven. No longitudinal evidence supports the natural history theory and there is moderate evidence stating that most improvement occurs early, not late; therefore, the key in AC is early diagnosis and early treatment. A delay in treatment may in fact lead to worse outcomes. Physiotherapy The team here at PhysioImpulse can help identify many causes of shoulder pain and stiffness and support in the management of these debilitating conditions. Treatment of AC is focused on restoring normal range of movement and returning the joint back to its previous function. Shoulder joint injections are commonly used for AC and these injections aim to reduce inflammation and also act as pain relief. You can read about our injection service here. However, there is no ‘gold standard’ treatment regime; your physiotherapist will work with you to create a plan tailored to you. Early mobilisation with physiotherapy is generally recommended as first-line treatment; a variety of techniques may be used. One of these is ‘hands-on’ physiotherapy using joint mobilisation techniques. These aim to gently stretch the joint capsule by performing passive mobilisations at varying points throughout the shoulder range. Your physiotherapist will support this with appropriate exercise therapy and activity management advice. For Further information on Adhesive capsulitis or any other condition just call the number below or email therapists@physioimpulse.co.uk 01225 683007
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AuthorPhysioimpulse Chartered Physiotherapists Archives
April 2024
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