Is loading the dishwasher causing you back pain?

Published on June 16, 2011 in Low Back Pain, Uncategorized and Why do injuries happen?. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

Avoid lower back pain by following our advice sheet on Dos and Don'ts for your back

Is loading the dishwasher causing you back pain?

Is dusting the floor stressing your discs?

Sitting at the computer giving you sciatica?

These simple day to day activities that we take for granted could be stressing or even injuring your lower back!  Want to know how to avoid unecessary pressure on your discs, muscles and ligaments in your back during common daily activities and chores?  Steven Berkmanof BOOST PHYSIO Hendon, has created an online tutorial and advice sheet covering DOs and DON’Ts your lower back.You can view the full advice sheet by following this link.  There are even short video clips demonstrating the correct techniques for you to watch.

If you wish to discuss your injury in detail or book an appointment why not call us at BOOST PHYSIO, Hendon, North West London?  Our telephone number is 020 82017788.

By The BOOST BLOGGER- Steven Berkman, Chartered Physiotherapist

Back Facts

Published on March 24, 2011 in Low Back Pain and Uncategorized. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .
  • About 80% of the population will experience significant low back pain
  • There are 5 vertebrae in your lower back (lumbar spine), 12 verterbrae in your mid-back (thoracic spine) and 7 vertebrae in your neck (cervical spine)
  • Each verterbra in the spine is separated by an intervertebral disc
  • Discs are cartilagenous with a jelly-like nucleus pulposus in the centre
  • Discs have a high water content- during the day the water gets squeezed out of the discs from the pressure of being upright- that is why you are shorter in height at the end of the day compared to when waking up!
  • Discs don’t slip- they do often bulge and tear though
  • About 30% of healthy pain free people are shown to have bulging discs on MRI scan!
  • Lumbar discs are the thickest discs in the spine because they carry much more load from the spine
  • X-rays for back pain are not very informative- MRI scans are much more detailed showing up discs, nerves and muscles
  • But even an MRI scan cannot detect if back pain is coming from muscles and ligaments
  • The centre of gravity of the human body is at the L4-L5 area of the spine (ie between Lumbar verterbrae 4 and 5)
  • The most common discs to be injured are the L4/L5 and the L5/S1 discs
  • The sciatic nerve is the thickness of your little finger!
  • When irritatedthe sciatic nerve causes pain radiating down the leg- called sciatica

Why all the hype about Pilates?

Published on January 31, 2011 in Low Back Pain and Uncategorized. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

Laura Harman- Senior Physio and Pilates Instructor

By Laura Harman, Senior Physiotherapist, BOOST PHYSIO

What is Pilates?

Pilates is described as a form of body reconditioning designed to strengthen and stabilise the body from its central core. It’s a great way to keep fit and healthy, whilst looking after your back at the same time.

The idea of Pilates was developed by Joseph Pilates in the early 20th century. During the years of his life he devised a series of over 500 stretching and strengthening exercises until his death in 1967. Over the years, Pilates has progressed and continues to grow, benefitting many people around the world.

Which muscles are we targeting?

The very deepest layer of your abdominal muscles is called your transversus abdominis. It acts as your internal corset and should activate milli-seconds before other muscles in your body. In doing this it ‘braces’ the low back and serves to protect it during movement. Research has shown that this function is lost after someone experiences back pain; even after the pain has gone, the muscle weakness will still be there. Pilates exercises target this muscle to re-train and strengthen it, thus decreasing the chance of back pain recurring.

It is also the key to gaining a washboard stomach – just doing sit ups will not have the same effect! So even if you have never experienced back pain, learning to contract this muscle properly is still vital if you are to reap all the benefits Pilates has to offer.

Many other muscles will be worked during your classes, including the shoulder, buttock and thigh muscles, as well as the more superficial abdominal muscles (e.g. the ‘6-pack’) but as you are beginning to learn this exercise technique it is important that we begin by training your muscles starting with the deepest to ensure you have good control and stability before progressing onto the more challenging strength exercises. 

Pilates courses at Boost

Boost are running small group Pilates classes starting …. call us for more details on 020 82017788.

www.boostphysio.com

It is advised that you book in for a 30 min 1:1 Pilates induction session before starting the course in order to learn the Pilates basic principles.

 

References

Siler, B, 2000. The Pilates Body. Broadway Books, New York, NY.

Muscolino, J, E and Cipriani, S. Pilates and the ‘‘powerhouse’’ Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies (2004) 8, 15–24

Hodges, P, W. Is there a role for transverses abdominis in lumbo-pelvic stability? Manual Therapy (1999) 4 (2), 74-86

Gaitscan Gait Analysis- a picture tells a thousand words!

Published on January 31, 2011 in Ankle and Knee, Foot Pain and Gaitscan. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

The average person takes over 8000 steps every day and the feet are a complex system of 52 bones, 66 joints, 214

Gaitscan computerised pressure plate and gait analysis system

ligaments and 38 muscles! The foot is in contact with the ground for about 0.8 of a second when walking and 0.25 of a second while running! That’s alot going on with each and every step! 

When examining and assessing patients with foot, ankle and even knee pain looking at the mechanics of the feet is essential.  BOOST PHYSIO has invested in a GAITSCAN system to better enable us to examine our patients’ gait and walking.

The GAITSCAN system is a sophisiticated pressure plate with over 4000 sensors that is connected to a computer system.  When we perform a GAITSCAN gait analysis our patient walks over the pressure plate which takes over 300 readings every second and feeds this to our computer system generating a very detailed report.  The report shows us and our patient where most pressure is occuring under their feet, if the foot alignment is correct, we can even look  the pressure under each of the toes!

If you are having persistent foot, ankle or even knee pain GAITSCAN analysis will help your physiotherapist to identify the role of faulty mechanics in your feet and ankles.  This can be addressed in a number of ways- often corrective remedial exercises will be prescribed for you.  Call us to book a GAITSCAN appointment now on 020 82017788.  GAITSCAN assessment is discounted to £48 when you pay immediately on the day, otherwise it is charged at our standard rate of £55.  As this is a physiotherapy assessment it is fully covered by most health insurance policies.

In certain cases it may be advisable to invest in a pair of prescription customised orthotics (innersoles) to improve the foot mechanics and to relieve the pain.  Your GAITSCAN data is sent to the GAITSCAN Lab in Canada where the scan data and prescription is used to produce your customised prescription orthotic to help correct and improve your foot function.

Can these shoes really make you fitter?

Published on January 30, 2011 in Ankle and Knee and Foot Pain. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

Shoes such as MBT’s, fitflops and Skecher Shape-ups all claim to help tone up your body, burn more calories and get you fitter.  Is this really true or is it simply clever marketting and advertising?

We love the easy way out- why walk when you can take the car, why cook supper when you can get take-aways, why do sit-ups when you can use electrical pads on your stomach muscles and now: why exercise when you can wear shoes that exercise for you!

Whoever invents the way to exercise without exercising will be a rich person- it sounds like a dream come true! All the benefits of exercising- firmer muscles, leaner body, healthier lifestyle- without any of the effort required- sweating on the treadmill, bouncing around at Zumba, pedalling away at a spinning class.  

What amazes me is that many highly inteligent people do not see through the marketting hype and are taken in by the alluring promises of firmer glutes and calves and leaner bodies simply by wearing different shoes. 

I guess you can hear that I am skeptical about these claims, certainly many of these shoes can indeed be very comfortable.  Some do benefit certain foot problems and assist in activating better posture.  But if it is a firmer bottom, a leaner waist, or a better bounce in your stride that you are after- it is what you do with your feet and shoes that is much more important than which shoes you are wearing. 

So wear comfortable, well supported lace up trainers and go walking at a brisk pace so that you begin breathing harder

The BOOST Blogger- Steven Berkman, Head Physiotherapist at BOOST PHYSIO, Hendon NW4

and you feel your body getting warmer.  Build up gradually to a 30minute brisk walk at least 3 times a week and progress to doing so 5 times a week.  Not only will this tone your glutes, quads, calves but it will also burn more calories, help keep blood pressure under control and assist with diabetes prevention.  Invest in shoe for sports- definitely, invest in costly shoes that claim to get you fitter quicker- use your common sense!

www.boostphysio.com

Pilates for Skiers

Published on January 24, 2011 in Pilates, Uncategorized and sports injuries. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

Pilates for Skiers

Have you ever wondered why your knees hurt when you ski? Why your thighs burn at the end of the day? Or why you find it easier to turn to the right?

If the answer is yes…then maybe Pilates for skiers can help!

Skiing is a very popular sport enjoyed by people all over the world. It ranges from recreational to professional with a variety of types including moguls, downhill, off-piste, freestyle in addition to snowboarding.

Regardless of your level of skiing, if the body isn’t conditioned correctly it can be very demanding, putting excess stress on your joints, muscles, ligaments and tendons, leading to pain and injury.

You may well have heard of Pilates before with regards to back strength and stability. Pilates for skiers is a particular type of Pilates that targets the specific muscles that you use when you ski.

Pilates for skiers is designed to assess the body and prepare it for the demands that skiing places on it. It will focus on:

-         Posture awareness and education (skiing and non-skiing posture)

-         Assessment of muscle imbalance

-         Core stability

-         Balance and coordination

-         Ski specific muscle strength/endurance and flexibility

The programme aims to prevent injury and increase strength and endurance. By doing so, it will improve skiing efficiency, ultimately making your skiing holiday more enjoyable!

The benefits of Pilates for skiers can be enjoyed by anyone, regardless of your age or skiing level. Whether you simply want to get fit for an approaching ski holiday or address a specific skiing issue – Pilates for Skiers can help!

Book a Pilates for Skiers session with Laura Harman, Senior Physiotherapist at BOOST PHYSIO Hendon, today and begin your skiing training now! Your body will thank you if you do!

Call us on 020 82017788 to book your session!  See our website for more information www.boostphysio.com

Sports Massage for Runners

Published on January 12, 2011 in sports injuries. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

Helena Lundvik- Senior Massage Therapist at BOOST PHYSIO in Hendon, NW London, writes here about sports massage work that she does with runners of all levels- from fun runners to marathon runners.

Helena- BOOST PHYSIO Massage Therapist

I massage many athletes and runners at Boost Physio and I use a variety of techniques like Deep Tissue Massage and Soft Tissue Release (STR). STR is a specialised stretch where specific areas within a larger muscle are targeted. It is used to effectively release tension in areas of muscles that normal massage or general stretches aren’t able to reach, to break up adhesions and increase the flexibililty in the muscle tissue. This can in turn increase the range of movement and improve the quality of movement in joints.

I have used a combination of Deep Tissue and Swedish massage and STR with runners and athelets with excellent results. The treatment helps to prepare the patient for peak performance, to drain away fatigue, to reduce muscle tension and prevent injuries.

Massage is especially important for runners who run more than 35 miles per week. The more miles you run, the more strain your muscles are under and the more beneficial massage is. If you incorporate massage into your training schedule it will help you to train optimally.

By having a massage treatment immediatly before or after an event will also help reduce the muscle spasms that occurs with vigorous exercise.

Helena our Massage Therapist at BOOST PHYSIO, Hendon, NW4

BOOST PHYSIO are running a Massage Special offer- have 2 one hour massage sessions with Helen between 13/1/11 and 28/2/11 for only £85 (normal price would be £100 for 2x 1hr massage). Simply call us on 020 8201 7788 to book the 2 massages and pay £85! 

Hypermobility Syndrome- does it affect you?

Published on January 11, 2011 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

Hypermobility is when all or some of your joints move more than the usual normal range of motion. Usually this doesn’t cause any problems, but if you do have pain in your hypermobile joints- then you may suffer from Hypermobility Syndrome.

Did you know that hypermobility diminishes with age, is 3 times more likely to affect women than men and has higher prevalence in Asian and African ethnicities compared to that of Caucasian ethnicity.

How do you know if you are hypermobile or have hypermobilty syndrome?

  • Do your joints click a lot?
  • Do you constantly seem to injure yourself easily (like spraining your ankle or repetitive strain injuries)?
  • Do you find your body is more flexible than others (or used to be when you were a child)?
  • Can you place your hands flat on the floor without bending your knees or do the splits (or could you when you were younger)?
  • Do you consider yourself double jointed?
  • Is your skin stretchy/ take a long time to heal?
  • Do you have joint pain?
  • Are you resistant to anaesthetics (like when you go to the dentist)?

If you answered yes to 3/5 of these and you are suffering with longstanding pain, come and discuss this with us. 

Jolene Sher- Snr Physiotherapist with an interest in Hypermobility Syndrome

Senior BOOST Physiotherapist Jolene Sher has an interest in dealing with cases of Hypermobility.

Being hypermobile is not a problem. Only if it affects your quality of life or brings you excessive pain that intervention may be necessary.

 What do you do if you are hypermobile or have hypermobility syndrome?

The best treatment is through appropriate LIFESTYLE CHANGES  and strengthening exercises to improve the muscles that support your joints.

This can be best achieved with appropriate assessment and treatment with your physiotherapist.

Examples of what you and your physiotherapist can work on is:

  • Posture and correct positioning (e.g. at work)
  • Incorporating gentle suitable exercise into your daily life
  • Core stability and balance training
  • Appropriate management of acute painful flare ups (with the doctor’s or physiotherapist’s help)
  • Referral to a doctor for medication (if necessary).
  • Self help: knowing your limitations (‘do’s and don’ts’). Learning to listen to your body.

 

REFERENCES:

  1. Joint Hypermobilty. Hakim A, Grahame R; Best Practice and Research Clinical Rheumatology Vol 17, No 6 pp 989-1004, 2003

 Hypermobility and the hypermobility syndrome. Simmonds JV, Keer RJ; Manual Therapy 12 pp 298–309, 2007

Scoliosis- curvature of the spine

Published on January 5, 2011 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

Did you know that in Japan, by law, every school child must be screened for scoliosis?  This article describes what scoliosis is, how it is detected and what physiotherapy can do for scoliosis.

Scoliosis is defined as a sideways bend of the spine of greater than 10 degrees accompanied by a rotation of the vertebra.  Luckily of the estimated 2-4% of the population who have scoliosis only a small number require anything more invasive than physiotherapy.  The most common type of scoliosis is idiopathic (which means of unknown cause) and accounts for 80% of cases of scoliosis.  The remaining 20% are either congenital or neuromuscular in origin.   

What exactly is the problem with having a curvature of the spine? In certain cases back pain, limb pain or abdominal pain can develop as a result of the scoliosis.  In more severe cases lung capacity can be affected by the twisting of the rib cage.  But for many patients the main problem from scoliosis is cosmetic.

Physiotherapists have a key role in screening for scoliosis- in fact we regularly identify people with scoliosis- often this isn’t even the reason why the patient is coming for physiotherapy!  When conducting our examination we always thoroughly examine our patient’s posture looking for tell tale signs of scoliosis.  It is worth periodically checking children from age 8-14 for any tell tale signs of scoliosis.  If you have any concerns about a child’s posture they should be screened by a physiotherapist or doctor.

What to look for:

  • One shoulder higher than the other
  • One hip higher than the other
  • A hump on one side of the ribs when bending forwards
  • Particularly prominent shoulder blade/s

Physiotherapy treatment for mild cases of scoliosis involves postural education and intensive stretching and strengthening exercises. 

Specialising in physiotherapy for Scoliosis

Senior Physiotherapist Laura Harman at BOOST PHYSIO

Senior BOOST PHYSIO Laura Harman has spent time working at a specialist treatment centre for scoliosis and is a member of SOSORT- Society on Scoliosis Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Treatment.

Consultant Q&A with Mr Fares Haddad- leading knee and hip surgeon

Published on September 2, 2010 in Ankle and Knee, Arthritis, Orthopaedic Surgery, Uncategorized and knee pain. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

Mr Fares Haddad- leading knee and hip surgeon

Considering having hip or knee surgery?  Make sure you read my interview with top London knee and hip surgeon Mr Fares Haddad.  During Consultant Q&A I ask Fares questions that are on my patients’ minds about his field of hip and knee surgery. If you want to know about latest advances, “lubricating” injections for the knee and more, then please read on.

At BOOST PHYSIO we’ve enjoyed rehabilitating many of Fares’ patients over the years following hip and knee operations and I’ve also had the benefit of watching Fares perform various knee operations-hence we highly recommend him to our patients. If you want to read Fares’ impressive biography and CV follow this link to his website, but in brief Fares Haddad is a Hip and Knee Reconstructive Surgeon at University College Hospitals, The Princess Grace Hospital and the Wellington Hospital.  He is Divisional Clinical Director of Surgical Specialties at UCH, and Director of the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health at University College London.  Clearly an expert in his field!

Q: Fares, you are well known for being one of a few surgeons to perform key hole surgery for hip problems. Which patients do you find benefit the most from this procedure?
A:  Hip arthroscopy is a procedure that has expanded dramatically over the last ten years. The indications have become much clearer. The most successful interventions are in cases where there are isolated labral tears or when patients present in the early phases of femorocetabular impingement (FAI) before the joint is irrevocably damaged. FAI is a condition where the bones of the hip joint develop in such a way that the patient can function relatively normally, and often very athletically, but where abnormal contact between the femur and pelvis damages the hip. These are typically in sporting individuals who either suffer an acute injury, the labral tear, or get the insidious onset of symptoms through activity such as running, cycling or football. Plain x-ray imaging and MRI scan gives us most of the information we need although CT scanning is occasionally necessary to look at the bony anatomy. By dealing with the primary bony impingement as well as the problems within joint we decrease symptoms and hopefully also prevent recurrence and further progression of the problem in future. 

Q:  What does the future hold for technological developments in treatments for arthritic hip and knee joints?
A:  The management of early arthritis of the hip and knee is progressing at an impressive rate. Technical developments will focus in the first instance on prevention thus by replacing the damaged menisci and the damaged joint surface and injured ligaments. The new work on partial resurfacing of joints with novel materials such as Oxinium is very exciting. New work also on customising joint replacement will change the face of the management of arthritis giving us joint replacements that are much more functional and geared to high end activity such as sports. 
 
Q:  Which sports do you believe are suitable for patients following total hip replacement surgery?
A:  Following a hip replacement operation, we encourage our patients to get back to normal day to day activity within 6 weeks. All non impact sports such as long distance walking, gym exercises, swimming, doubles tennis and golf are encouraged. It is perfectly feasible for patients to play singles tennis or indeed in certain circumstances squash and many of our patients do get back to running but it is important for the patients to realise that there is a tension between the amount of impact activity that they do and the wear that they will cause to their new joint. 

Q:  How effective do you find “lubricating” injections are for arthritic knees?

A:  Our experience of the Hyaluronic acid lubricating injections for knee and hip arthritis has been mixed. There are some patients who have an extremely good response that lasts up to six months. There are others who do not respond at all. It is very difficult to predict. My personal experience is that those patients have dry knees without effusions tend to respond better to Hyaluronic acid therapy whereas those with effusions can respond to aspiration and injection but do so for a shorter period of time.  These are nevertheless interesting therapies which we must continue to pursue both in our athletic population when we often use them after surgery and also in the arthritic population.

I hope that you have found this Consultant Q&A interesting, if you wish to discuss any issues regarding your hip or knee condition with myself or one of my physios, please do not hesitate to contact us, you can call the clinic in Hendon, NW London on 020 82017788 or email us at info@boostphysio.com 

The BOOST Blogger- Steven Berkman

Regards… The Boost Blogger, Steven Berkman