130 Devonshire Rd
Chorley, PR7 2BY
Give us a Call
01257 260520
Send us a Message
[email protected]
Mon - Fri: 7.30am - 6.00pm
Sat: 7.30am - 12.00 noon

Category: Therapy

My OsteopathNews & ArticlesTherapy
Matt Holland, Sports Therapist
By thisworksadmin Physio, Sporting, Therapy

Matt Holland, sports therapist, joins our team

We would like to welcome to Matt Holland Sports Therapy to the team at Devonshire Road

After an enforced break Matt has returned to business with a slight rebranding. We hope you like it!

About Matt Holland Sports Therapy.

With over 12 years’ experience in the Health and Fitness industry Matt is very passionate about what he does and ensures that his number 1 priority is the client.

Matt mainly uses manual therapy, dry cupping and various other techniques to help his clients. A big emphasis is placed on teaching you about your condition and how to help yourself.

His patient list includes elite athletes, health and medical professionals, professionals who work in sedentary jobs and chronic pain sufferers.

To book an appointment please call or text Matt on 07912 754088

By thisworksadmin Exercises, News, Sporting, Therapy

5 tips for returning to the gym after lockdown

It’s easy to rush back to the gym after lockdown but diving in at the deep end could set you back weeks or months. Here are a few reminders to make it a healthy workout.

1.Take it easy! 

It’s been a while, those muscles have been a little redundant since Christmas, so respect them, build up slowly again. If you get a niggle that’s your body flashing a warning light at you. Don’t work through it. If a niggle is settling down after exercise, get it looked at.

 

  1. Warm-up

Take 5-10 minutes to get the body warmed up, the blood flowing to the tissues, which will increase their elasticity. This could be done by walking, running or cycling

 

  1. Stay Hydrated

Evidence suggests that being dehydrated after exercise can amplify the post-exercise muscle ache.

 

  1. Post Exercise Stretch

The really important bit, this is done to prevent strains, the next time you come to use those muscles

 

  1. Sleep Well

The best way for your body to recover after exercise, especially if you have not exercised for a while

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)
By thisworksadmin Exercises, News, Physio, Studies, Therapy

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)

What is BPPV?

BPPV is the most common inner ear problem and cause of vertigo. BPPV is a specific diagnosis, and each word describes the condition:

Benign: this means it is not life-threatening, even though the symptoms can be very intense and upsetting.

Paroxysmal: it comes in sudden, short spells

Positional: certain head positions or movements can trigger a spell.

Vertigo: feeling like you’re spinning, or the world around you is spinning

What causes BPPV?

There are crystals of calcium carbonate that are a normal part of our inner ear and help us with our balance and body motion. These tiny rock-like crystals are settled in the centre “pouch” of the inner ear. BPPV is caused by the crystals becoming ‘unglued’ from their normal place. They begin to float around and get stuck on sensors in the wrong canal of the inner ear. The dizziness you feel will continue until the crystals settle after you move. As the crystals move and settle, your brain is getting powerful, false messages telling you that you are violently spinning, when all you may have done is moved slightly.

What are the common symptoms of BPPV?

Everyone experiences BPPV differently, but there are common symptoms. The most common symptom is distinct spells of vertigo. You may experience nausea (vomiting) or a severe sense of feeling unstable or like you are losing your balance. These symptoms will be intense for seconds to minutes. You can have lasting feelings of dizziness and instability, but at a lesser level, once the episode has passed.

Can BPPV be treated?

Yes! Medicines can be used to relieve symptoms, such as nausea.

Most BPPV cases can be improved with repositioning exercises that usually take only a few minutes to complete. They have high success rates (eight out of every 10 people will respond immediately) although sometimes the treatment needs to be repeated a few times. These manoeuvres are designed to guide the crystals back to their original location in your inner ear. These exercises can be done by some physiotherapists. You can also be taught by the physiotherapist to do the exercises yourself. Our physiotherapist Jeff Oakes, has many years’ experience in treating patients with BPPV.

Find out more about Jeff here

Back pain
By thisworksadmin News, Therapy

Top tips to prevent back pain whilst wrapping Christmas presents!

  1. Avoid sitting on the floor

Use a counter top or the Ironing board at waist level or the dining room table with a good supportive chair. This ensures you are using your arms rather than your back.

  1. Create a gift wrapping station

Clear off the table and keep, scissors, ribbon, tags, pens and wrapping paper at arm’s length.

Wear comfortable shoes, whilst standing. Do not wrap in bare feet.

Place the roll of paper to back of the counter, so you can pull it towards you as you wrap.

  1. Wrap as you buy

Consider wrapping a few at a time, then you’re not left wrapping all 25 presents at once.

  1. Use Gift bags

Skip the hassle and the back ache. Buy decorative tissue paper and ribbon for a classy wrapped present.

  1. Don’t forget to stretch.

Yes, Stretch. Even with gift wrapping it is important to stretch those muscles and joints. This may help with that pain after wrapping.

knee-buckling
By thisworksadmin News, Physio, Therapy, Work Injury

Why does my knee keep giving way?

I regularly treat people with knee injuries in my practice.

One of the common ailments people present with when complaining of their knee is that “my knee keeps giving way for no reason!” It often occurs unexpectedly and can result in a fall which can lead to injures such as fractured ribs or hips. One patient recently reported that his knee gave way whilst carrying two cups of tea upstairs. He fell backwards down the stairs. Thankfully, he didn’t break anything.

 

Causes for Knee buckling.

Ligament injury: Ligaments are bands of tough elastic tissue, which bind joints together and offer support to joints. An injury to a ligament of the knee, through a sport injury or fall and lead to instability within the joint and make your knee buckle

Cartilage tear: A cartilage tear can occur if you land heavily on your knee and twist as often seen in football players. Cartilage tears can also develop as we get older. This is probably due to the elasticity of the cartilage reducing with age.

Osteoarthritis: Oosteoarthritis is the natural aging process. In your knee the cartilage can become so thin that it no longer covers the ends of your bones. They start to rub against each other and eventually wear away. This can alter the shape of your joint, forcing your bones out of their normal position. In addition, the muscles that move your knee gradually weaken and become thin or wasted. This can make your knee unstable so that it gives way when you put weight on it.

Back problems: If you have a back problem, particularly with nerve pain down the leg, this can alter the nerve transmission to the muscles. If the muscles that move the knee don’t receive the signal clearly, there can be some misfiring resulting in your leg giving way or buckling.

By thisworksadmin Physio, Sporting, Therapy

What is the knee pain I get when I run?

It’s called Ilio-Tibial-Band Friction Syndrome (ITBFS) and it is quite common.

The knee is the most commonly injured body part in runners, making up 25% of all running injuries. That is quite a lot, considering around 50% of all runners can expect to sustain a running injury over a 12-month period.

Various structures around the knee can be affected; quite frequently, runners develop pain on the outside of the knee which can be caused by an irritation of the Ilio-Tibial-Band (ITB), a band of connective tissue that runs from the pelvis to the outside of the knee.  The injury is called Ilio-Tibial-Band Friction Syndrome (ITBFS).

So what exactly is ITBFS?

ITBFS is an overuse injury that generally builds up gradually, so it is not an acute strain or tear.  Repetitive friction of the tissue of the ITB rubbing over a bony prominence along the outer thigh can result in pain and localised inflammation at the friction site.

Initially, the pain may only occur during a run but it can quickly progress with each run, to the point where the pain may linger after a run and even basic activities such as bending and straightening of the knee or lying on the affected side at night can be sore.

What are the causes?

A range of factors can contribute to the development of ITBFS, for example:

  • Training errors, such as a sudden increase in training intensity
  • Hip muscle deficiencies, e.g. weak gluteal muscles and reduced core strength
  • Poor ankle and foot mechanics
  • Running inefficiencies, such as a reduced cadence (running too slow), which often results in overstriding. This can put an increased load on the knee, causing ITBFS over time, especially when running long distances.
  • Poor footwear
By thisworksadmin Physio, Studies, Therapy , ,

Effective Therapy for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a medical condition due to compression of the median nerve as it travels through the wrist at the carpal tunnel. The main symptoms are pain, numbness, and tingling, in the thumb, index finger, middle finger, and the thumb side of the ring fingers.

In severe cases, this can lead to pain travelling up to the neck and shoulder, often misleading health care professionals into thinking the radiating arm pain is actually coming from the neck rather than the wrist.

Your osteopath should be able to diagnose if you have this and recommend that you consult with your doctor for an appropriate onward referral if the symptoms are severe.