Opening soon at the BMA Fitness Centre

phisio therapy clinicVery soon I will be opening a Physio therapy & Sports massage clinic in Clondalkin, at the BMA (Bushido Martial Arts) Fitness Centre located in the heart of Clondalkin Village, just off Watery Lane.

All members of the BMA Fitness Centre will avail a discount of 20% off the regular price.
To book an appointment you can give me a call/text on 087 608 11 88 or you can contact me through my Facebook Page

Booking-Form

Rotator Cuff Injury – Test, Diagnostic & Treatment

rotator-cuffRotator Cuff  it’s a group of 4 muscles that connects to the humerus (upper arm) & scapula  (shoulder blade), working together in stabilizing & rotating the shoulder.

These muscles are:

Teres Minor
Infraspinatus
Supraspinatus
Subscapularis

Each of these muscles have an origin point at the scapula and an insertion point on the humerus.
Limitations in different movements suggest different problems. If a doctor/physiotherapist can move your arm fully, but you can’t (because of weakness), a rotator cuff tear is possible.

Painful Arc test: Pain that is elicited when raising the arm beyond 90 degrees as the arm moves away from the body and toward the side. This can indicate any one of several different problems with the shoulder.

Physical therapy: Various exercises can improve flexibility and strength of the other muscles in the rotator cuff. This increased strength can help compensate for a rotator cuff problem.

Occupational therapy: Similar to physical therapy, occupational therapy for rotator cuff injuries focuses on daily tasks that require shoulder movements.

rotator cuff muscles injury

If you feel like you are having shoulder movement limitation and pain, get in touch with a physiotherapist and have checked out, as it could create a great deal of problems in time, including “frozen shoulder”, neck pain, front and back of upper arm nagging and disturbed sleeping patterns.

Tennis / Golfer Elbow & Physiotherapy Treatment

tennis elbowTennis Elbow or Golfer Elbow is an injury to the muscles in the forearm, muscles responsible for extending the wrist & fingers.
It affects the lateral epicondyle of the humerus where the muscles in the forearm are attached via tendons.

Symptoms

Pain when performing gripping tasks
Pain when resisting fingers/wrist extension
Some may feel pain & stiffness in the neck as a sign of nerve irritation

Tennis Elbow Treatment

Physiotherapy has been shown to be effective in the short and long-term management of tennis elbow.

Physiotherapy aims to achieve a:

Reduction of elbow pain.
Facilitation of tissue repair.
Restoration of normal joint range of motion and function.
Restoration of normal muscle length, strength and movement patterns.
Normalisation of your upper limb neurodynamics.
Normalisation of cervical joint function.

There are many ways to achieve these and, following a thorough assessment of your elbow, arm and neck, your physiotherapist will discuss the best strategy for you to use based on your symptoms and your lifestyle. Results are typically measured through patient feedback and measurement of pain-free grip strength.

Physiotherapy treatment can include gentle mobilisation of your neck and elbow joints, electrotherapy, elbow kinesio taping, muscle stretches, neural mobilisations, massage and strengthening.

Untreated Tennis Elbows can last anywhere from 6 months to 2 years. You are also prone to recurrence.

Studies have shown physiotherapy to be the most effective way of managing Tennis Elbow when compared to steroid injections or giving of advice alone. In a recent study,

When given a 6/8 week course of physiotherapy comprising of 8/10 treatment sessions, most patients show significant improvement after 3 weeks, increasing to a 60% or greater recovery after 6 weeks of treatment. This improvement is shown to continue to around a 90% improvement at 12 months, even without further treatment.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Physiotherapy

acl ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a band of dense connective tissue which courses from the femur to the tibia. The ACL is a key structure in the knee joint, as it resists anterior tibial translation and rotational loads.

Function

The ACL provides approximately 85% of total restraining force of anterior translation. It also prevents excessive tibial medial and lateral rotation, as well as varus and valgus stresses. To a lesser degree, the ACL checks extension and hyperextension. Together with the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), the ACL guides the instantaneous center of rotation of the knee, therefore controlling joint kinematics. While the anteromedial bundle is the primary restraint against anterior tibial translation, the posterolateral bundle tends to stabilize the knee near full extension, particularly against rotatory loads.

After ACL injury, regardless of whether surgery will take place or not, physiotherapy management focuses on regaining range of movement, strength, proprioception and stability.

RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation) should be used in order to reduce swelling and pain, to attempt full range of motion and to decrease joint effusion.

Exercises should encourage range of movement, strengthening of the quadriceps and hamstrings and proprioception.

You might be able to avoid surgery with the help of PhisioTherapy and a Personal Trainer / Strength & Conditioning coach by working closely with the patient to strengthen the quadriceps and hamstring muscles group & gaining mobility in the knee joint.

If you have weight bearing pain in your knee, commonly in football players or any other sports that requires sudden sprint/stop, quick turning movements, get a Physiotherapist to have a look at it and diagnose the knee joint as it could be a carrier ending situation.

Muscular Dystrophy

Muscular distrophy refers to degeneration of individual muscle cells leading to progressive atrophy. Voluntary skeletal muscles are most affected by this condition, whereas vital involuntary ones like the diaphragm are spared.
Possible causes include inherited muscle-destroying disease, genetic defects, faulty metabolism of potassium, protein deficiency, and an inability of the body to use creatine. Orthodox treatment comprises muscles-strengthening exercises, surgical measures, braces and patient activity.

Massage Application:

  • Massage is indicted to increase the systemic circulation, especially as the condition becomes more debilitating.
    Nutritional supply to the tissue, together with the elimination of toxins, is also enhanced.
  • Massage is also carried out, in addition to exercise, in an effort to maintain muscle tone. The treatment is particularly indicated if flaccid paralysis is present.

Deep Tissue Massage For Fibrosis

Fibrosis is defined as an abnormal formation of fibrous tissue and usually occurs as a reparative process following tissue damage & inflammation.
The process can also be described as a reactive mechanism , for instance, as a result of repetitive strains to the tissue.
Because skeletal muscle cells are mostly unable to multiply by mitosis, any injury or degeneration of the muscle fibre will lead to replacement by fibrosis tissue composed mainly of collagen.
Once these changes take place they are practically irreversible, and the muscle loses its full elasticity and contractibility.
Fibrosis is common in postural muscles such as those of the back. This usually results from overuse or mechanical stress associated with postural patterns.

Massage Application:

Massage is indicated to prevent the onset of fibrosis. As already noted, fibrosis can develop in cases of muscle overuse and postural imbalances.
Massage is therefore used to improve the function of the muscles and to correct imbalances in the postural muscles.
Tightness in the muscles is reduced and by-products of muscle activity removed.
Effleurage and petrissage are used to increase the circulation and to loosen up adhesion’s within muscles.
Passive stretching is also applied to muscles to secure full extensibility.

In the early stages of fibrosis, massage is indicated in an attempt to arrest the tissue changes by improving the local circulation and by stretching.

In chronic fibrosis, massage is indicated to reduce the nodules that are also likely to be present. Deep friction or thumb effleurage are applied to stretch the fibres transversely. Bodywork techniques such as the NMT are also applicable. These are followed by passive stretching.

Massage for Hypertension

Hypertension refers to a raising of the blood pressure from its normal values of 115 (+-2) mmHg systolic and 75 (+- 10) mmHg diastolic.
Blood pressure is the force exerted by the blood on the walls of the arteries.
Hypertension can cause damage to the heart. This is largely because of the great effort required to push the blood against the resistance offered by the arterial’s pressure.

Severe hypertension can cause:

  • Severe headache
  • Confusion
  • Nausea
  • Visual disturbances
  • Seizure

Massage application:

Massage is applied to reduce the stress levels that are frequently implicated in this condition. Relaxation elicits a reduction in sympathetic activity and, therefore, a lower intensity of vaso-constriction in the arterial walls. The resistance to the flow of blood is thereby reduced.

Positional Release Massage Therapy

position releasePositional release it’s one of the techniques applied in massage therapy for treating tender points relieving pain & discomfort in the affected area.

Main goal of the therapy is to improve the health & functioning of the body by treating & correcting any imbalance in the muscuskeletal system.

Tender points, not to be confused with trigger points, are tender area in the muscle tissue, creating dysfunction & discomfort in the movement of the body.

The treatment consist in finding the affected area and putting the patient into a more comfortable position in order to reduce the pain & discomfort. At the same time, some thumb pressure is applied to that point in such a manner that the blood is flush in and out, helping with repairing the affected muscle fibers.

After the treatment, the patient might feel a bit sore in that area or in other areas that are completely unrelated to the treatment itself. This soreness should not be alarming as its just a natural healing process.

After that, as soon as the soreness fades away and the body heals, the patient should feel better, the range of motion will improve and the discomfort will be less & less over time.

Positional Release helps to reduce pain in the ligaments, tendons and muscles, decreases joint pain, helps with reflux, and helps with irritable bowel syndrome. This is achieved by decreasing muscles spasms, ligament and tendon tension, pain, swelling, joint hypo mobility, and increasing strength and circulation. Positional release is most effective for individuals whose pain is the result of a direct physical injury or dysfunction, for example Fibromyalgia.

Stress Responses To Massage Therapy

Stress can be described as the body’s reaction to stressors, which can disturb the body’s physiological equilibrium (homeostasis).

The psychogenic effects of massage involve the emotions, as experienced or expressed by the individual.

Massage has a very significant effect on the emotional state of the person and, in turn, on the emotional behaviour.
The cumulative effect of relaxation, originating in the muscles and extending to the whole person, is to create a change in the patient’s emotional state.
One primary transformation is that inner feelings of tension and anxiety are replaced by calmness and tranquillity.

As a result of these positive adjustments, other inner emotions such as depression and anger may also abate.
In turn, the emotional behavioural responses will become less severe or may disappear totally.

The outcome is a decrease in heart rate, lowering of blood pressure, improved breathing, enhanced circulation, improved digestion and so forth.
Muscles will also register this change, and relaxation becomes deeper & more permanent.

Sciatica – Massage Therapy

What do you need to know about Sciatica!

Sciatica is manifesting through pain in the lower back, buttocks, going down the back of the leg, hamstrings,  and sometimes all the way down the leg to your feet and all this through the sciatic nerve coming from the lumbar section of your spine.

Sciatica it’s an underlying  medical condition caused by lumbar herniate disc, degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis or muscle tightness in the lumbar area or buttocks.

Symptoms associate with Sciatica:

  1. Constant pain on one side of the buttocks or leg
  2. Pain sometimes its worse when sitting
  3. Pain in the leg, often described as burning sensation, tingling or searing
  4. Weakness, numbness & difficulty moving the leg or foot.
  5. Sharp pain in the leg or lower back, may be difficult to stand up or walkThis symptoms usually occurs when the sciatic nerve is irritated or compressed in the lumbar section of the spine, more exactly L3 – L5, or the piriformis muscle.

piriformis sciatic nerve

Physical Therapy and Exercise for Sciatica

Physical therapy massage & exercises incorporating, a combination of strengthening, stretching, and aerobic conditioning are a central component of almost any sciatica treatment plan.

When patients get a deep tissue massage & engage in a regular program of gentle exercises, they can recover more quickly from sciatica pain and are less likely to have future episodes of pain.