Neck pain is the second most common complaint (after low back pain) of people presenting for physiotherapy in private practice. The World Health Organisation’s Taskforce on Neck Pain concluded that neck pain is so common that we should expect it to occur at some point in our adult lives). About 15-30% of people will have recurrent or ongoing neck pain that proves more troublesome in the longer term.
Neck pain can be caused by many factors e.g. poor posture at work, study or during hobbies like reading or guitar playing; degeneration (joint wear and tear) or trauma e.g. a road traffic accident.
Neck pain that results from trauma is known as Whiplash Associated Disorders (WAD) and can include other symptoms such as stiffness, dizziness, arm pain and tingling, heavy headedness etc. There has been a huge amount of research in the last few decades regarding WAD and this has led us to be able to predict in the early days following injury, who will have a speedy recovery and who is more likely to have long term problems. Primarily, we know that you must take an active approach to your own recovery.
Lower back pain (LBP) is very common with a lifetime prevalence rate of 60-80%, meaning that most of us will experience back pain at some point in our lives. There may not always have been an identifiable incident or injury but triggers include twisting, lifting, falling, vibration, impact, poor/ altered posture, poor work practices and muscle imbalance around the spine. The source of the pain can include the muscles, discs, joints and nerves. Sometimes lower back pain can refer pain down into the buttocks and into the legs. This pain down the back of your thigh or leg is also referred to as “sciatica.”
Musculoskeletal physiotherapists are experts at treating lower back pain and referred leg pain. Evidence based research supports the effectiveness of physiotherapy in treating both acute and chronic lower back pain. Aims of treatment include reducing pain, improving spinal mobility, improving postural control of your muscles, return to your normal activity/sport and prevention of recurrence. Manual therapy (“hands on treatment”) helps to reduce pain, which allows for earlier return to activity and improved clinical outcomes. Good exercise prescription is an integral part of this rehabilitation programme as it allows for earlier return to activity, significantly improves outcomes for chronic lower back pain and is the only effective treatment for preventing recurrence (see below).
The bigger problem you may have is that when it resolves there is a very high chance (80%) of it recurring again in the future. Exercise is the only form of treatment that can prevent recurrence of lower back pain. A specific type of exercise, for the deep muscles in your lower back that have become inhibited by pain have been shown in research to significantly reduce recurrence rates. Both Ciara and Louise undertook Masters Degrees in the University of Queensland in Australia, where there is exciting research ongoing into the role these muscles play in injury prevention and in reducing recurrence rates.
Top tips for Lower Back Pain: what you can do before seeing your physiotherapist:
Keep active
Seek advice from your G.P. or pharmacist regarding painkillers to help control your pain while allowing you to stay active
Watch your posture (see blog regarding tips on posture)
Avoid bed rest – we now know that bed rest for more than a day or two is the worst treatment and in fact delays recovery.
Stay positive – how you psychologically cope with pain can help affect your recovery
Contact us now to seek an expert assessment, a tailored treatment plan and start the road to recovery.
The knee is a complex hinge type joint that is comprises of four bones: the femur (thigh bone), the tibia (shin bone), the fibula (thin bone that runs alongside the shin bone) and the patella (knee cap).
The knee also consists of ligaments (connect bone to bone), tendons (connect muscle to bone), a medial and lateral meniscus (tough cartilage that act as shock absorbers), a capsule (leathery type structure that surrounds the knee joint) and synovial fluid (the type of fluid present in the normal knee joint). Some examples of injuries/problems that may occur at the knee are: fracture, injury to the ligaments, meniscal injury, patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS), patellar tendonitis, patellar tendinopathy and osteoarthritis.
Symptoms of injury or a problem at the knee may include: pain, swelling, stiffness, loss of movement, locking or giving way (feeling of instability).
Problems of the hip and groin affect a wide range of people; from the GAA footballer who is at risk of groin strain to the over 55’s who are at risk of osteoarthritis of the hip joint that could ultimately lead to a total hip replacement.
On occasion, pain in the hip / groin can be referred from a source in the low back or pelvic joints. It’s also possible to have simultaneous problems in both low back and hip and in fact a problem in one region makes an adjacent region more likely to become problematic, over time.
At IONA Physiotherapy, you will receive a thorough musculoskeletal examination which should allow us to determine the actual source of the symptoms in your hip and groin and ultimately tailor an evidence-based treatment plan.
The elbow is a complex made up of 3 joints that, working together, allows us to position the hand for precise functional tasks such as reaching and grasping. A variety of injuries to the elbow such as fractures around the elbow, tennis elbow, golfers elbow etc, affect our ability to use the whole upper limb effectively. At times, pain felt in the elbow can be referred (sourced) in the shoulder or neck.
At IONA Physiotherapy you will receive a thorough assessment of your elbow (and neck/shoulder) to determine the reason for your elbow pain and a specific treatment plan tailored for your individual problem.
The foot and ankle is needed to propel us for every step we take. This complex mechanism, which works in 3 D motion, must be finely tuned and working efficiently in order to do this. Ankle fractures, ankle sprains, flat feet (over pronation), high arched feet (supinated foot), metatarsalgia, bunions, plantar fasciitis, shin splints, achilles tendonitis/ tendinopathy are some examples of problems that can occur around the foot and ankle.
At IONA Physiotherapy, we will take a detailed history and conduct a thorough biomechanical assessment in order to determine the reason for your injury and formulate the most appropriate treatment plan, so that you can return to your previous level of activity/sport as soon as possible. This may include examination of your spine, hip and knee as some foot and ankle symptoms are due to referred pain. Some foot/ ankle injuries may necessitate orthotics to be prescribed in order to improve mechanical efficiency and reduce strain on your foot and ankle. If required, this will be discussed with you during your consultation.
