Do we look after our hands enough? Firstly, if we take a look at the wrist, it contains many small bones neatly joined together by ligaments. This area is commonly referred to as the Carpus. The other end of the carpus is where our finger and thumb bones join, our metacarpals and the ends of our fingers called phalanges. Our thumb contains a proximal and distal phalanx, and the 2nd to 5th digits contain a proximal, middle and distal phalanx. Each joint of the hand shares ligaments that help maintain the stability of the joint by connecting two bones together....
Sleep could be influencing your pain and more…. Whatever the reason, ongoing pain, crying babies, iPhone addictions, snoring partners, increasing work demands and constant worries. We have all woken up on the ‘wrong side of the bed’ more sensitive to certain things, our kids nagging us, barely able to get ready for work and function through the day. Interestingly the effects of ongoing sleep issues are much more detrimental to our health than just feeling constantly tired. Firstly, take pain, who would of thought poor sleep would influence pain we feel. We know pain can affect our sleep but it...
Every year one in three of us will get some form of back pain with most back pain affecting the lower back. In the majority of cases you will be able to manage this yourself with over-the-counter painkillers, by keeping mobile and exercising the affected area. It can last for anything from a few days or weeks, or continue for many months or in some cases even years. Back pain can influence your mood, your normal daily activities, your regular sleep patterns, and your ability to carry out your work. If you are experiencing lower back pain, you will likely...
Unfortunately, we have seen quite a few knee injuries involving the meniscus at the clinic lately. Here is a little more information about the meniscus and how it is injured. The knees take a lot of impact when doing medium- or high-impact activities such as running, jumping, hill-walking and playing field sports. The meniscus is commonly damaged during these activities, and can be a cause of significant pain and movement dysfunction if damaged. What exactly is this mysterious meniscus, and why is it so important? What is the role of the meniscus? The meniscus is a thin, fibrous cartilage lining...
This month I educated the team at Queen Street Physiotherapy on recent research surrounding impingement of the shoulder, also commonly known an impingement syndrome. Impingement of the shoulder is a very common condition in which we see and treat at our Queen Street clinic frequently. Patients often report pain at the top or front of their shoulder which is often exacerbated with overhead movements, placing the hand behind the back and lifting objects. An individual may also experience weakness at the shoulder or pain referring down the arm. Impingement syndrome may arise from direct trauma to the shoulder, such as...
While much is known in the way tibial plateau fractures and how they are managed, little is known about bony contusions or “bone bruises” and their course of healing. Tibial plateau fractures are usually the result of car vs. pedestrian accidents, or in the elderly with low bone density. Depending on the type of force (hitting from the front or the side) determines the type of tibial plateau fracture, as well as the prognosis. A skilled therapist is often able to recognise a tibial plateau fracture based on the presenting signs and symptoms of: knee pain, swelling, joint line tenderness,...
Last week I presented an in-service to the physiotherapy staff looking at the current literature surrounding cartilage surgery and the benefits and possibilities of stem cell therapy. As physiotherapists, we wanted to update our knowledge on cartilage repair and stem cells and how this can affect our treatment sessions. As adults our own stem cells can be harvested from adipose tissue (fat tissue), blood, or bone marrow. The cells can then be manipulated and grown to form a type of cartilage in a laboratory or inside the effected joint. Multiple studies report positive changes with the introduction of stem cells...
Six weeks ago, early on a bright and sunny Wednesday morning, the staff from our three clinics gathered in the Brisbane City Botanical Gardens. There were some looks of apprehension, excitement and also sleep deprivation as we awaited the beginning of our first group training session aka “Boot Camp” (also dubbed “torture morning” by some). What we were up against we weren’t sure but with a group like Committed Training at the helm we knew we were in safe hands. Committed Training is a Brisbane City based personal training company headed by Jason Clark and Brent Coglan. Collectively they have...
Try this: Close your eyes, standing feet hip width apart with a slight bend in your knees. Now turn your focus onto your breathing, in and out, leaving all other thoughts to the wayside, in and out. Sounds fairly simple just focusing on breathing, nothing else. Until that errant thought runs through your head, “What should I have for lunch today?” or “Did I send that email?” And then your mind is away thinking about anything but that most basic human function: breathing. Recently Marcello from Tattersalls gym kindly organised for all our staff to attend six weeks of Qigong...
Core stability plays a vital role in how our body performs and copes with everyday life. Poor core stability can lead to a number of injuries, particularly those involving the back, groin, hamstrings and knees. Physiotherapists regularly prescribe core stability exercises for injury rehabilitation purposes, but also as part of an injury prevention strategy, particularly in the case of athletes. Core Stability Exercises Within the repertoire of ‘core stability’ there is a large range of exercises that can be prescribed by your physiotherapist, the suitability of which will vary according to the injury and therapeutic needs of each individual patient....
