What is costochondritis? Costochondritis occurs when there is pain, and some of the time inflammation, in the front of the chest where the rib cartilage attaches to the sternum (costosternal joints) and/or where the rib attaches to the costal cartilage (costochondral joints). Usually in the second to fifth ribs. It is increasingly thought that the [...]
When do you need to use crutches? After surgery on the lower limb if the surgeon's protocols require non weight bearing (NWB) or partial weight bearing (PWB). If you have an undisplaced fracture in the fibula or foot that doesn't require surgery to place screws or plates, called open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF). You [...]
What is carpal tunnel syndrome? Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when the median nerve, which is in the centre of the palmar side of your wrist, is compressed as it passes through the carpal tunnel. The carpal tunnel is the area between the two rows of small bones in the wrist, called carpal bones, and the [...]
Why do pain symptoms increase with menopause? Between 40-60% of perimenopausal and menopausal women have musculoskeletal pain and inflammation. Oestrogen has an anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive effect. It also helps to inhibit pain pathways in the spinal cord, which reduces your perception of pain. So when the levels of oestrogen fall during menopause, pain, inflammation and [...]
What types of Yoga Breathing are there and what are they good for? The most gentle yoga breathing is Savasana (Corpse Pose). This is usually used at the end of a yoga class to create a relaxed state. Pulse mediated relaxation breathing was devised more recently by Dr Vijay Pabbathi, from whom I have learned [...]
Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) are the second most common reason for orofacial pain. Pain in the muscles of the jaw is the most common diagnosis. To improve the treatment outcomes of TMD, in the last few of years, guidelines have been released by the Royal College of Surgeons, British Medical Association, British Orthodontic Society, and NICE [...]
Cancer immunotherapy, commonly using immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), has revolutionized the treatment of previously hard to treat metastatic (stage four) cancer. The main difference to other treatments such as chemotherapy is that it boosts the immune system rather than impairs it. Chemotherapy tries to kill cancer cells by using medications that are toxic to cancer [...]
Stress can cause muscle tension and conditions related to muscle tension such as temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD), tension headaches and migraines, low back pain, neck and shoulder pain and dizziness. Stress creates muscle tension by activating your sympathetic nervous system and releasing adrenaline making you ready for a fight or flight response. In most cases, [...]
Some national guidelines do recommend acupuncture/dry needling for some conditions including low back pain, while others do not. However, when you review the evidence, there is a lot of evidence that acupuncture and dry needling is helpful in a large range of musculoskeletal conditions including low back pain, neck pain and post whiplash injuries and [...]
It is important to remember when choosing a pillow for your neck pain that there is a lot of variability in neck thickness, shoulder width and neck length. This means that there is no one pillow that will suit everyone. The type of pillow that may be beneficial for you is partly determined by the [...]
