The current economic climate has been challenging for most of us and consumer trends indicate that a higher proportion of us are being attracted to discounted goods and services as we are becoming far more aware of price.

Of course this is understandable given falling incomes, higher costs in some cases and lower disposable incomes. This approach makes a lot of sense in a retail environment for example where getting a trolley full of groceries, or having your car serviced at a lower price means savings without necessarily having to compromise on quality to any great extent.

But what about healthcare?

I feel we need to consider primary healthcare and related costs from a different perspective.

One of the most common types of headaches is the cervicogenic headache which is the name given to a headache originating from the neck. When a part of our neck such as the joints, muscles, nerves or ligaments are damaged or put under strain we can experience referred pain to our head area. This is due to the fact that the nerves which supply the neck area also serve the skin surrounding the head, eyes and ears.

Damage or strain to the neck does not necessarily need to be severe in order to cause a referring pain headache. It is quite often the case that such headaches begin after a build up of muscle tightness and imbalance caused by poor posture while sitting at a desk for prolonged periods of time, for example.

Neck pain left untreated will often cause a headache of varying intensity, sometimes made worse by specific movements.

In the clinic we find medical acupuncture, when given at the correct dose, to be very effective in helping certain Fibromyalgia patients manage their pain better as well as help them move and exercise more comfortably. Unfortunately, treating Fibromyalgia is not a quick fix and requires a course of treatment of at least 6-8 weekly sessions, possibly followed by maintenance or top up sessions if it has been helpful.

There is no known cure for Fibromyalgia, but it is a condition that can be managed and medical research evidence has shown that medical acupuncture has a role to play (Berman et al, 1999, Martin et al, 2006, Harris, 2005).

Also referred to as dry needling, acupuncture is a technique of inserting very fine, solid, metallic needles into the body through the skin. The needles stimulate the nerves of the skin and muscle and increases the body's release of endorphin and serotonin (natural painkillers) in the pain pathways of the spinal cord and the brain.

Exercise will in most cases form an essential part of your Physiotherapy treatment programme. The reason we prescribe you exercise is not to take up more of your valuable time, but to use these exercises to assist us in bringing about pain relief as well as restoring movement, strength and function to the injured part of the body.

There is a vast amount of research supporting the benefit of exercise, and as Physiotherapists we would not be doing our job properly if we did not use this wealth of knowledge to your benefit.

As Chartered Physiotherapists, we have been trained in the use of exercise as a medical treatment and are able to compile a programme of very specific, tailored exercises to suit you as an individual with an injury that is specific to you.

When asking yourself "Why do I have Shoulder Pain?" I suggest you don't waste much time agonising about how it happened but rather focus on how you are going to relieve your pain and achieve a speedy recovery. Do not leave it too long before receiving treatment. It is normal to rest an inflamed or irritated muscle but timing and type of treatment along with doing specific shoulder pain exercises will be necessary for a quick recovery.  

I recently received my first pair of custom made orthotics. I have to admit I felt as though this purchase decision was a bit of a leap of faith on my part. Other than my structured-cushioning running shoes designed for over-pronators I have previously taken no further consideration for my tendency to walk and run with flat feet which liked to roll inwards.

I share a few photo's of my new orthotics below as well as a comparison photo of my inward ankle roll with and without the orthotic in place. 

Why I opted for a pair of custom orthotics

There were a few reasons - the first; an ache and frequent twinge in both of my knees that was hanging around long enough to cause some concern. In the absence of any recent trauma I considered what might be causing the discomfort. I had recently switched to a new brand of trail running shoe which could have been a contributing factor.

I also have never forgotten the video-recorded running gait assessment I completed at the Asics store in London last year which revealed my relatively severe ankle misalignment on foot strike. Hence my choice to wear structured-cushion running shoes.

Okay I get it… currently it's non stop news about the risks of inactivity and why and how we should be moving more for optimal health.

I love a catchy infographic although this one is a topic that bugs me at the moment - sitting. Why it bugs me - well I, like a great many people, do most of my work at a desk and sitting down. It's not the kind of work I can simply adapt to standing or doing while on the trot! Of course I buy into the risks of inactivity and I commit to an exercise activity at least twice a day - but even that is not good enough according to some 'authorities'.

If you are like me and sit most of the day - break it up with regular stand up stretches and find a reasonable excuse to move about more often.

A Physiotherapist could have read all the books, know the research inside out and believe they are practicing evidence based medicine. But, they may not be very good at actually resolving their client’s complicated condition. Here's why;

Manual therapy is a term used to describe most techniques Chartered Physiotherapist do with their hands. There are techniques which are taught to us 'Physio’s' at University which take a lot of practice to perform correctly and effectively.

These include:

I have recently found myself in a number of conversations about the consequences the lack of a national medical regulatory body in Ireland has on public awareness.