Pathophysiology: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is a common condition, especially amongst office workers and those whose work tasks involve repetitive movements of the wrist. It is characterised by pain, numbness, and tingling (a sensation of pins and needles) in the hand but may also affect the arm. It is caused by a compression of one of the 3 nerves that pass through the wrist (most commonly the median nerve). In most cases, carpal tunnel syndrome is progressive with early diagnosis and treatment essential. If left untreated CTS can worsen, which can lead to nerve damage and a severity of symptoms...
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...
Many desk-based jobs involve significant amounts of time spent sitting. Many injuries will be provoked by prolonged activities such as sitting, long periods of typing/mousing or repetitive neck movements. For this reason, it is important that our desk space is set up correctly to help minimise risk of associated pain through ensuring good posture at work. There are three main aspects of our work space that need to be set at the correct height to promote more neutral and supportive postures throughout the body. Chair Height This is based on two main components; foot contact and the hip to knee...
Perhaps it could be a ‘cervicogenic’ headache. This is another term to describe a headache that originates from the neck due to damage or dysfunction of its components such as the bones, facet joints, soft tissue, ligaments, discs. Prolonged postures or repetitive movements of the neck can put stress on these structures over time and cause trauma. When this happens, pain can be referred to the head, causing headaches.The causes of this trauma causing cervicogenic headaches may be traumatic, for example from a car accident or heavy lifting, or develop progressively over time. There are may common causes we see...
[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text”] Text Neck – With the increasing popularity and everyday use of smartphones, laptops and tablets amongst the population, there has been a major surge in people reporting headaches, neck pain, arm and shoulder blade pain – hence the term ‘Text Neck’. This scenario may sound familiar to many of you! All you have to do is look around on the train and everyone is using some sort of mobile device! It may be time to take notice of how much time you spend on your mobile devices each day. The problem with using these...
Sitting at a desk looking at a computer is something that many of us spend a large chunk of our day doing. In fact, chances are that if you’re reading this right now, you’re doing exactly that. With research showing that prolonged sitting is linked to heart disease, cancers and even dementia, it’s clear that sedentary behaviour isn’t all that great for us. Additionally, if sitting for extended periods forms part of your daily routine, it can leave your muscles tired, tight and achy from lack of use. To alleviate this here are some simple stretches you can do at...
