HEADACHES
There are many and numerous reasons why we suffer from the occasional headache. In fact if they are only occasional and mild then the usual pain relieving medication is sufficient to alleviate the symptoms.
Physiotherapists usually get involved when it has been decided that your headaches are mechanical in onset. That means that the headaches could be stemming from stiff joints in the upper part of your neck, or short and tight musculature creating increased joint pressures and nerve irritation.
Tips From The Physio Couch
- Check that your head is carried in a well- balanced position. Stand up against a wall, get the back of your head against the wall and slide that point of contact upwards so that it stretches the back of your neck. See if you can hold that position when you move away from the wall.
- If you are feeling ‘stressed out’ take some positive action towards reducing your stress and learn how to relax through stressful periods, if you don’t you are the only one to suffer.
- Computer users beware of poor posture, move your head, neck, shoulders and arms at least twice an hour.
- Massage at the base of the skull and over the eyebrows and temple area will also help relieve a headache.
-
If worried by
regular and severe headaches consult your doctor.
The Achilles tendon is the tendon that attaches the Gastrocnemius
(Main calf muscle), to the calcaneus (the heel bone).
Did you know that each time your heel hits the ground in a running stride, four times your body weight is exerted through your weight bearing structures?
The most common injury to the Achilles tendon is Tendonitis, which is an inflammatory reaction directly due to repetitive micro-trauma, and is a common source of pain in runners.
Typically, at an early stage, discomfort is felt after running and ankle stiffness is experienced in the morning. The tendon can also become thicker in comparison to the opposite side and also sore and inflamed to the touch.
- Ensure you have well fitting shoes that offer the right support to your particular foot posture, with no heel tabs.
- Stretching of your tendon pre and post training will ensure maintenance of tissue elasticity. Accuracy of the stretch is important, try the following: Lean against a wall with one leg stretched out behind you. Keep your knee and foot straight, push your heel down and lean in with your hip. Make sure that the front of your knee is directly over your 2nd and 3rd toe. Hold the stretch for at least 30 seconds; it also helps if your body temperature is slightly raised by a hot bath or general warm up exercises.
- Apply ice either in the form of an ice pack or use ice massage by stroking an ice cube along the side of the inflamed tendon.
- Rest from aggravating sport.
- When the tendon becomes less sore, slowly return to graded and progressive strengthening exercises, but maintains flexibility.
-
When the tendon
is less inflamed, well stretched and strong slowly return to running again being
sure not to overload the tendon too soon.
POSTURE AND A HEALTHY BACK
The key to having a healthy back is maintaining good balance in your spine. A four-legged animal’s spine supports weight like a beam, but the human spine supports weight like a pillar. Therefore every time we sit or stand our backs have to work to support a top-heavy structure.
If you add up the number of chores and activities that require you to bend forward during the day you can soon see how the accumulative effects of that posture will be unhealthy for your back and may eventually lead to you having a problem.
It is so easy to avoid, for every movement there is a counter movement, for every forward bend you should backward bend and visa versa, for every side bend to the right, counterbalance by side bending to the left…etc.
- Remember the spine needs to be balanced
- Maintenance of flexibility in all directions is important
- Use your abdominals! You can start now by pulling in your lower stomach and holding it in! (Do not hold your breath) work on increasing the time
- Change your posture often. Computer users should take extra care and move every 20-30 minutes to change the loading on their joints.
- Take up some exercise; your body was designed for movement.
- If you have a problem seek advice, early advice and treatment may well prevent a small problem from becoming a major one.
SORE FEET
Painful feet! What an absolute curse that is! Especially as it is not exactly an easy part of one’s anatomy to rest, not unless you are adept at walking around on your hands!
Metatarsalgia literally means pain in the ‘metatarsals’, which are your toes and the long bones of your forefoot. The pain occurs after periods of weight bearing, whether running, walking or even standing. The pain can be very intense and burning in nature, and occurs across the top of your foot at the base of your toes, and only really ceases when you take the weight off your feet.
- Look at your footwear. Have your shoes collapsed at the sides, thereby reducing their support? If so treat yourself to a new pair!
- Do you wear high heels for most of the day? Try wearing lower heels and also go bare-foot in the evenings to give your feet a break!
- Try to exercise your feet by drawing your toes towards your heel and therefore raising the supportive arches of your feet.
- Stretch out your calf muscle; a tight calf can radically influence the performance of your feet and also lower leg.
- Also strengthen your calf by rising up and down on your tiptoes.
- Gently massage the tender tissues of your foot.
- Apply ice to the area if hot and swollen.
- If all else fails, seek advice from a physiotherapist or a podiatrist
Epicondylitis by any other name! The ‘Epicondyles’ are the bony bits at the side of the elbow. ‘Itis’ means inflammation, and depending on which aspect of the elbow you have your pain, we can determine whether it is Medial (inner) or Lateral (outer) Epicondylitis.
Gripping, carrying and twisting the forearm as in racquet sports usually reproduce the pain, in ‘Tennis Elbow’. ‘Golfers Elbow’ is rarely reproduced by the golf action, but more by the continual curling of the fingers and wrist against resistance, for example applying the brakes on a bicycle.
Injuries of this nature can be caused by direct trauma, but more likely to occur through a repetitive strain. This can be caused by the muscle working from a position of weakness, i.e. the grip of your racquet being too small for your hand or the racquet too heavy for you. The first ‘shrub pruning’ session of the season in the garden can also create overload on your muscles and can result in on-going pain and tenderness.
- Analyse the cause.
- Are you strong enough for your chosen activity – if not begin exercising against light resistance to strengthen your muscles.
- Deep local massage on the most painful point can enhance the healing process.
- Apply local ice treatment and a good anti-inflammatory gel.
- Try using clasps.
- If all else fails seek professional advice.