How can we propose a definitive treatment or cure for a chronic pain condition, such as Fibromyalgia, when we don’t fully understand what causes it? The answer is we can't be definitive but Physiotherapy can offer effective pain relief. 

With numerous medical drugs available, some of which may be just as likely to harm as they are to help, it’s no wonder sufferers are seeking non drug alternatives such as exercise, acupuncture and gentle forms of manual therapy.

Fibromyalgia sufferers experience widespread pain affecting the muscles and fibrous tissues throughout the body. Symptoms may result in disturbed sleep, general fatigue and sometimes depression. The exact cause is unknown and as yet there is no cure for the condition. We do however have an understanding of how the body’s physiology may change with Fibromyalgia in a manner which results in heightened pain sensitivity.

What could stress, chocolate addiction and exercise have in common? The answer to this came to me while reviewing our six most popular tweets. If you are not sure what a tweet is - it is a 140 character (max) message shared on the Twitter social network. I find Twitter useful for quick health information updates, perhaps over a cup of coffee between clients.

It was fascinating to discover what topics captured the greatest interest across a wide audience. Although these were all separate stories from very different sources I noticed some common connections.

Is it really possible to become addicted to chocolate?

Let’s take the tension headache for example, a common condition. There is some debate as to whether this type of headache is curable, or whether the best we can do is help sufferers manage their symptoms.

From my experience the extent to which a patient can manage stress, lifestyle factors and posture has much to do with how successful we are in in treatment as these are all known to drive tension headaches.

Firstly I want to explain here the three most common types of headaches. The cervicogenic (neck related), migraine and tension type headache.

A recent 'twinge' in my left knee while jogging over some uneven turf in the park reminded me of these simple self treatment techniques and the vulnerability of our hard working knees.  

Did you know the knee is the largest joint in the body? It also has a pretty tough job and is prone to injury unfortunately. Our knees take the impact for pretty much everything we do on our feet. Being literally two bones, femur and tibia, joined together by ligaments with only a wedge of soft cartilage (meniscus) as a cushion between them - they do an amazing job on the whole.

It's not only athletes who risk injuring their knees but most of us in our day to day can suffer one of these common conditions. If we are aware of them and be more mindful during our daily movements we should be able to reduce the risk. Let's take a look... 

I have just read an intriguing insight into the obesity dilemma by Mike Gibney, Director of the Institute of Food and Health at University College Dublin.

Mike addresses the question - why do some people get fat? Is it our differing levels of self control and self discipline? Is the more appropriate query between genetic factors and our modern environment? Mike sniffs out any nonsense verdicts with his acute ability to read between the lines.

It may sound counter-intuitive when first telling someone suffering with arthritis of the knee that they should exercise to help relieve the pain. But, research suggests that some forms of aerobic, aquatic and strength training will ease pain and improve function.

But not every study is created equally and sometimes certain published claims don't stack up with what our daily hands-on experience is telling us. Some examples...

Acupuncture is known for its safe application with less adverse side effects compared to conventional pain treatments. For this very reason we expect to see a continued growth in its use with children.

You may hear acupuncture being referred to as an 'alternative' treatment based on ancient chinese methods of regulating the body's energy pathways. A more modern and western approach refers to medical acupuncture as a complementary treatment, now used by a great many medical professionals in a wide range of clinical settings. Chartered Physiotherapists are increasingly undergoing post graduate training in medical acupuncture as an adjunct to their treatment approaches and achieving very good results.

An intriguing title that certainly caught my attention. Dr Alessandro Demaio, a fellow at the Copenhagen School of Global Health and Harvard Medical School, writes an interesting article putting these two major global challenges into the same pot - based on a view that they are caused and solved by the same determining factors.

Read on to see how our carbon-intensive and labour-conserving lifestyles bring obesity and global warming together for a mutual response.

At the end of last year we hinted towards some changes to our practice that we wanted to announce.

Here are the highlights...

When faced with the task of losing weight the standard response has been for as long as I can remember to reduce fat intake. Someone got that advice wrong because it hasn't worked.

Read this interesting article explaining what happened in the 70's when the fat in our foods got replaced with sugar. Doc's vision for the future isn't so bright, sadly.