<![CDATA[TERENURE AND TALLAGHT PHYSIO - Blog]]>Wed, 29 Apr 2026 08:57:27 +0100EditMySite<![CDATA[how to manage back pain]]>Fri, 27 Nov 2020 17:43:36 GMThttps://www.terenureandtallaghtphysio.com/terenure-and-tallaght-physio-blog/how-to-manage-back-painIt is amazing just how many of us have chronic pain - and how much it costs us all and the state.

A whopping 35.5% of the Irish adult population suffers from chronic pain (Source|: NUI Galway Centre for Pain Research)

Chronic lower back pain is the most common syndrome. As much as 12% of us are unable to work or have reduced work hours because of it. And 15% meet the criteria for clinical depression. So, it has significant mental health as well as physical implications.
The average cost per chronic pain patient runs to €5,665 per year and you can double that for those with depression. The total cost per annum runs to €4.76 billion every year. These are extraordinary numbers. But they are very credible based on my experience in our clinics.

Most back pain occurs in the lower back and lasts for days or weeks, but it can last months or even years. It can manifest itself as soreness, stiffness or tension in the affected areas and can lead to the same in the upper legs, front or back.

Back pain can feel like it affects everything – your mood, your work, your daily life and your sleep. However, normally it can be managed with a combination of staying active, specific exercises and over the counter painkillers, if necessary.

Here are our tips for getting through it.

1. Keep moving
It may seem counter-intuitive, but reducing your activity levels is likely to prolong your suffering. In the old days it was believed that bed rest was the best for it, but this leads to your body’s tissues becoming less flexible, your oxygen not flowing as freely, and your muscles being used less.
Gentle exercise, without exacerbating the pain, will help prevent stiffness. This may mean modifying your regime to include more low impact exercise, such as swimming and walking. Start with a short session and build it up, especially if this means you are doing something new.
 
2. Good posture
Oftentimes the back pain originates from poor posture, whether that is from being slumped over a computer, on the couch or a poor driving position in our car. Fixing that and maintaining a strong upright posture will help greatly. Use a chair with a backrest. Change your position regularly and get up and walk around every half hour. Make sure you have a good seat or backrest in the car.
 
3. Build up your strength
Exercises. Exercises. Exercises. These are to physios what location is to estate agents!
There are lots of stretches and strengthening exercises that can help you with your back pain by making you looser and stronger in the affected area. You can see a couple of back pain exercises on our Exercises page. However, if your problem is serious and ongoing, you should see a Chartered Physiotherapist to be given specific exercises geared to your specific condition. Pilates can be a very good way to build up strength in your back and prevent future injury.

4.  OTC Painkillers if necessary
These can be useful insofar as they reduce your pain level so that you can take gentle exercise. A safe way to go about this is to use regular paracetamol (so long as you have taken them before and do not know of any reasons why you shouldn’t take them). If this is ineffective then you can consider using a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, like Ibuprofen. However, these can have side effects, particularly if taken in combination with other drugs, so we would recommend discussing this with your pharmacist or GP.

5. Manual Therapy
Manual therapy is one of the treatments we use as Chartered Physiotherapists to treat back pain. This is where we use our hands to move, massage and apply careful force to the muscles, bones and joints in and around your spine. It can help to reduce back pain, but it should be done in conjunction with other measures such as exercise.

6. Stay positive
How you think about your back pain can have an effect on how you get through it and if you can stay positive about it, it will help. As noted in my introduction, back pain can often be accompanied by mental heath issues. Psychological therapies such as CBT might be worth considering.
 
I hope that these pointers help you navigate your back pain and make a full recovery as soon as possible. If you are concerned then make an appointment to see us and we will  give you informed advice based on your particular circumstances. 
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]]><![CDATA[An INtroduction to orthopaedic physiotherapy]]>Tue, 24 Nov 2020 16:29:01 GMThttps://www.terenureandtallaghtphysio.com/terenure-and-tallaght-physio-blog/an-introduction-to-orthopedic-physiotherapyOrthopaedics is that area of medicine concerned with the bones, joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments and fascia. 

Orthopedic Physiotherapists are therefore concerned with ensuring that your skeleton and all those bits and pieces around the bones are in good shape. Musculoskeletal is another term used to describe these connected systems around the bones. And Orthopaedic Physiotherapists have  advanced education and skills to assess and treat injuries and conditions that involve the skeleton (bones), muscles, tendons, ligaments and fascia. 
CONDITIONS TREATED BY AN ORTHOPAEDIC PHYSIOTHERAPIST

If you have had a sports injury, a fall, are about to have or have recently had surgery, or injury from repetitive use of a joint, you may benefit from seeing an Orthopaedic Physiotherapist.

Typical conditions that call for Orthopaedic Physiotherapy include:

KNEE
  • Torn or strained ACL 
  • Knee instability
  • Knee pain
  • Meniscus tear
  • Patella pain
  • Knee replacement

HIP
  • Hip bursitis
  • Hip pain

FOOT AND ANKLE CONDITIONS
  •  Achilles tendon injuries
  • Ankle sprain
  • Foot and ankle pain
  • Heel pain
  • Plantar fasciitis
 
ARM, WRIST AND HAND CONDITIONS
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Golfer’s elbow
  • Tennis elbow
  • Wrist pain
 
SHOULDER CONDITIONS
  • Clavicle fracture
  • Frozen shoulder
  • Rotator cuff tear
 
SPINE CONDITIONS
  •  Degenerative disc disease
  • Herniated disc
  • Lower back pain
  • Scoliosis
  • Spinal stenosis
  • Torn disc
 
OTHER CONDITIONS
  •  Arthritis
  • Cartilage damage
  • Fractures
  • Lyme disease
  • Running injuries
  • Stress fractures


TREATMENTS FOR MUSCULOKELETAL CONDITIONS

Treatment is aimed at getting you back to your best by restoring your strength, flexibility and range of motion.

There are five types of tools that may be used during your sessions.
  1. Therapeutic modalities
We get good results from a variety of therapies such as heat, ice, water, laser, electrical stimulation, dry needling, and ultrasound. These are used to improve your blood flow and flexibility, reduce swelling, increase relaxation, and most importantly, reduce your pain level.
  1. Assistive devices
Devices such as canes, walkers, crutches, slings, and braces may be either used during a session or recommended for you to use at home.
  1. Assessment and evaluation
Your Physiotherapist will start your treatment with a thorough evaluation that examines your symptoms, your movement, and how your daily life is affected. Throughout your treatment period, you will be assessed regularly for outcomes such as your level of pain, range of motion, strength, balance, and posture.
  1. Mobilisation and massage
A key part of retraining your body to work better is to get the muscles and joints moving. Your Physio may help by using soft tissue massage to relieve stiffness and promote blood flow. You also may receive hands-on manual therapy, where your joints and muscles are moved for you by the therapist.
  1. Exercise
The first four tools are things that your Physiotherapist will do for you to help your movement improve. But the most important part of therapy is your own activity. You will be involved in a variety of rehabilitation exercises that are designed to help you fully recover.
You will do exercises that are meant to improve and increase your:
  • Strength
  • Flexibility
  • Range of motion
  • Balance
  • Functional mobility
  • Endurance

Exercise is normally the hardest part of your recovery. However, it is the element that will normally make the most difference and lead to the quickest and most complete recovery. Your Chartered Physiotherapist will be able to expertly guide you through the process.


 If you are suffering with a musculoskeletal issue, please get in touch for an assessment at either our Terenure Physio clinic or our Tallaght Physio clinic.
]]><![CDATA[7 exercises for treating a frozen shoulder]]>Mon, 23 Nov 2020 16:05:40 GMThttps://www.terenureandtallaghtphysio.com/terenure-and-tallaght-physio-blog/7-exercises-for-treating-a-frozen-shoulderIf you have experienced pain and stiffness in your shoulder joint, you may be suffering from adhesive capsulitis, or ‘frozen shoulder’ as it is more commonly known. This condition comes on gradually, gets worse and then resolves over a one- to three-year period. So, it can impinge significantly on your quality of life over a lengthy spell.
Causes of Frozen Shoulder

Your shoulder joint is made up of connected bones, ligaments and tendons. These are encased in a capsule made up of connective tissue. When this capsule thickens and gets tighter around the shoulder, it restricts the movement of the shoulder.

Risk Factors for Frozen Shoulder
It is most common in people over 40 and women, in particular, but your chances of developing it are enhanced if you have certain diseases or had to immobilise your shoulder for a long period, such as after surgery, an arm fracture, a rotator cuff injury or a stroke. The following diseases make people more prone – diabetes, overactive or underactive thyroid, cardiovascular disease, TB and Parkinson's disease.

Treatment 
Exercises are the foundation of treatment for frozen shoulder. Your doctor may prescribe some anti-inflammatory and pain relief medication in some instances, but range of motion exercises are the key to making a recovery as quickly as possible. In rare instances, surgical procedures such as steroid injections, joint distension, shoulder manipulation under anaesthetic or arthroscopic surgery can offer relief.

7 Exercises for Frozen Shoulder
Always make sure to do a good warm-up before you perform these exercises.

1. Pendulum stretch
This is the first exercise to do, and you should do it every day. Stand over a table/surface where you can lean your good hand on it.  Bend over a bit, allowing the arm on the affected side to hang down. Then just swing your arm in a circle, maybe about a foot in diameter. Do this 10 times clockwise, then repeat anticlockwise. As you get better, increase the size of the circle a bit but don’t force yourself such that you feel pain. As you improve at this, you might like to introduce a small weight into your swinging hand.

2. Towel stretch
Grab a towel and hold one end of it behind your back. Then take the other end with your other hand and bring it up to a horizontal position, using your good arm to pull the weak one up to stretch it.

A variant on this is to drape the towel over your shoulder. Then hold the bottom of the towel with the affected arm and pull it toward the lower back with the unaffected arm. Repeat this 10-20 times daily.

3. Finger walk
Stand facing a wall, at a distance of three quarters of an arm. Place the fingertips of your affected arm against the wall at waist level. Keeping your elbow bent, walk your index and middle fingers up the wall until you have raised your arm as far up the wall as is comfortable. Make sure not to use your shoulder to perform the work on this, but your fingers. Lower your arm slowly, using your good arm if it makes it easier. Repeat this 10-20 times daily.

4. Cross-body reach
You can do this one sitting or standing. Just use your good arm to take your affected arm by the elbow and bring it up and across your body. As you do so, exert some gentle pressure to stretch out the shoulder and hold the stretch for about 15-20 seconds. Repeat this 10-20 times daily.

5. Armpit stretch
Find a shelf about chest-high and use your good arm to raise your affected arm onto the surface. The gently bend your knees, in so doing opening out the armpit. Bend a little further, stretching out the armpit, and then straighten up again. With each bend of the knee, see if you can go a little further without forcing yourself or feeling pain. Repeat 10-20 times daily.
 
The exercises above should lead to an improvement in your range of motion. You can then add the following exercises to strengthen the rotator cuff. Make sure to warm up well and do your exercises above before doing these last two.
 
6. Outward rotation
Take a rubber exercise band and hold it out in front of you. Keep your elbows tucked in by your sides and hold each hand out at 90 degrees. Then just keep your good arm static and stretch the band out horizontally for two or three inches with your affected arm. Hold this position for five seconds. Repeat this 10 to 15 times, once a day.
 
7. Inward rotation
​Standing next to a door, hook one end of a rubber exercise band on to the door handle. Using your affected arm, hold your elbow at 90 degrees and pull the other end of the band two or three inches across your body. Hold this position for 5 seconds at a time. Repeat this 10-15 times, once a day.
 
 
N.B. Exercise recommendations are followed at your own risk
These exercise descriptions are meant to act as an aid to completion of exercises prescribed by your chartered physiotherapist. Stop doing exercises if you feel pain. T&T physio is not responsible for any injury or loss suffered as a result of performing any of these exercises

 
 
 If you are suffering with a frozen shoulder or some other ailment, please get in touch for an assessment at either our Terenure Physio clinic or our Tallaght Physio clinic
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