Tip of the day - Archive

This is something likely to provoke controversy, since everyone has a different experience of pain, but from those in the know, here are the contenders; 1) Flail chest: Direct trauma to the chest can cause multiple ribs to fracture in more than one place, as… Read more »

A common cause of upper back and neck pain in women is lack of breast support from poorly fitting bras. This increases the load on your spinal structures and supporting muscles, with an effect that would be very similar to wearing a loaded back pack… Read more »

Something we never really talk about with others, but a large section of the community suffer from bladder or bowel leakage when under load from sneezing/lifting/reaching (stress incontinence) or simply find it difficult to control their urge when they “really need to go, RIGHT NOW!”… Read more »

DON’T USE ANTI-INFLAMMATORIES If you’ve torn a calf or a hamstring before, you’ll know how crippling and painful it can be. What felt a bit sore and stiff after the game/run/incident can make you totally unable to walk the next day. Apart from the usual… Read more »

If you’ve recently torn your calf muscle or hamstring, be aware that the danger period for re-tearing is between two and three weeks after the tear. The reason for this is that the pain and difficulty in walking has settled to the point where, occasionally,… Read more »

Do your ankles crack when you walk? Do your knees crack when you squat? Does your neck crackle when you turn your head? Hips pop when you stand from sitting? Don’t worry, you’re totally normal. The cracking noise that comes from our joints is almost… Read more »

As the temperature plummets, take solace in the fact that beautiful fluffy white stuff is falling somewhere. As the ski season ramps up, consider whether your body is ready to do a whole day (or more) of high impact exercise in often harsh conditions. Skiing… Read more »

One of the most neglected problems in the community is Tennis Elbow. This condition is where the tendons that attach to the bony bump on the outside of the elbow start to deteriorate due to overuse in manual tasks (like tennis back hand, gardening, process… Read more »

Endurance athletes are “sitting ducks” for these due to the excessive training load required to attain sufficient fitness. Some common injuries are; Stress fractures – foot or shin. These are due to repetitive loading on the bone surface (periosteum) causing inflammation, and then deterioration of… Read more »

Typically we treat pregnant women for low back pain and groin pain. Around the start of the third trimester, your body produces a hormone called Relaxin which loosens all ligaments, most notably in the pelvis to allow increase in birth canal size. This also often… Read more »