Louise O'Rourke Physiotherapy Blog

  Tips to help with Hip Pain To help reduce your hip pain, you need to address all the muscles & soft tissue structures that may be contributing to your pain. Release muscle tension with foam rolling, stretching, massage ball and heat therapy. Alternatively with physiotherapy treatments such as Dry Needling, Radial Shockwave Therapy, Soft Tissue Massage, Sports Massage & PNF stretches. Exercises to help strengthen the key stabilising muscles in your hips, such as glutes, piriformis, pelvic floor muscles & transverse abdominals. It is important to perform strengthening exercise 3 times per week in combination with daily aerobic exercise such as walking, swimming, or cycling activities. Think mind muscle connection when exercising.  Weight loss management to help reduce the pressure on your hip joints. Improve your postural habits. Avoid crossing your legs. Place a pillow in between your hips & slightly bent your knees when sleeping. Avoid lying on your painful h...

  Tips to help with Neck pain If you are struggling with neck pain, you are not alone, neck pain is surprisingly common. There are many factors associated with an increased risk of neck pain: poor ergonomics, increased sedentary behaviors, genetics & previous injury. Heat therapy helps reduce muscular tension. Cold packs help reduce inflammation. 10 minutes x 2-3 times daily.  Do some neck mobility exercises, slow controlled movements. Try this exercise to help relax your tight neck & upper back muscles. Bring your shoulder blades back & down gently.  Stretches for our pecs, traps, sub occipital muscles help relief headaches & upper neck tension. Hold for 5-10 minutes, repeat 3-4 times daily.  Strengthening exercises are key to support your neck muscles & help reduce pain. Deep neck flexors muscles get long & weak with poor or prolonged posture. It is crucial to strength these muscles to help support your neck again.  Suitable pillow that...

R OLFING  W HAT IS IT ? Is a system of soft tissue manipulation,  with the objective of realigning the body  structurally and harmonizing its  fundamental movement patterns in relation  t o gravity .     R OLFING ¢  Gravity? Most human beings are  significantly out of alignment because  of the effects of gravity. Gravity shapes  body alignment. From birth until death  gravity is always working on our  musculo-skeletal system. Our bodies  get pulled into unnatural positions,  which result in chronic patterns of  tension, stress and pain these affect   both mind and body not only worsening  rigidity and inflexibility but also  affecting our state of mind (eg.  irritability) . We function better when  our bodies are aligned with the  gravitational field of the earth.  What happens and what’s involved? Over a series of sessions, both client  and Rolfer work together...

⏩ PELVIC GIRDLE PAIN (PGP) ▶️Pain around the hips, or low back or over the pubic bone. This pain can spread done the front or back of the legs. ⛔Affects around 1 in 5 pregnant women. ▶️CAUSES? ✔Hormones related to pregnancy make the ligaments supporting the back and hip joints more stretchy. ✔Changes in the activity of muscles. ✔Changes to your posture. ✔Previous back, hip injuries. ▶️MANAGEMENT ✅Pain relieving methods, heat, tens machine. ✅Support belt. ✅Mobility, core stability, pelvic floor exercises. ✅Advice on posture. ✅Soft tissue massage. ▶️EXERCISES ON A GYM BALL ✔Sitting & exercising on a gym ball can help to improve your posture & activate your core stability. ✔The ball should be large enough to sit on with your legs bent at 90deg angle. ✅While sitting on the ball, get used to doing Pelvic floor exercises. ✅Pelvic tilting forward & backwards. ✅Pelvic circles. ⚠️Back pain & PGP can vary from mild, irritating pain to severe, disabling pain. Everyone is different...

  Ergonomics working from home Poor ergonomics contributes to muscle strain, fatigue and muscle imbalances. Majority of muscle strains result from performing repetitive movements and holding sustained posture for prolonged periods of time. Healthy posture work habits prevent common neck, shoulder, back and wrist problems, while also increasing work productivity and mood. Tips for sitting in front of the computer: Keep your screen at eye level and  place your keyboard  close to your body. Sit in your chair with your back supported to avoid slumping. Make sure your feet are positioned on the ground. Use a foot stool if your feet don't reach the ground. If possible use a desk that can be converted to a standing desk to lessen the strain on your spine. Take standing or walking breaks every 30-45 minutes.  Rest your eyes by looking away from the computer and focusing on a distant object. Tips for talking on the phone: Avoid tilting your head and holding your pho...

  ADVICE FOR GOLFERS RETURNING TO ACTIVITY One week and counting until the return of golf. After such a long absence from sport, we predict to see an increase in aches and pains associated with doing too much too quickly.   Have you been hitting off hard mats? Or suddenly going from doing nothing for months to planning on hitting 300 balls a day for a week? Players need to develop a stable foundation and develop tissue resilience that can tolerate the forces being placed upon them. The golf swing requires a large mix of explosive power, strength, stability, flexibility and athletic ability.  Here is some education on three key areas to develop and maintain your mobility. This will help reduce injury potential and benefit your game! Thoracic spine (mid back) Golf requires a lot of rotation which is generated from the thoracic spine. If your thoracic spine is stiff, rotational forces will end up going elsewhere. Usually this is to the lumbar spine (low back) which is n...

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Pilates Online forms All necessary forms are sent out with confirmation emails & reminders 👉 PILATES HEALTH SCREENING FORM 👉 COVID SCREENING FORM - PILATES CLASSES   **covid screening form - to be filled out before each class 👉 PILATES IN PREGNANCY SCREENING FORM

             SHOCKWAVE THERAPY                                                            We are delighted to be offering Shockwave Therapy here in the clinic. This is suitable for those nasty tendons that don't seem to go away on their own or with exercise. This works on pain that you have had a long time.  Shockwave Therapy treatment uses an acoustic wave which is pulsated at a high energy frequency directly to your affected area. You may feel slight discomfort during treatment but the intensity can be adjusted throughout the session.  Typically, 3-6 sessions is recommended. Minimal side effects can sometimes occur, redness on skin, possible bruising and some discomfort. It is recommended that you don't engage in physical activity for 48 hours after treatment. This is due to the anesthetic ef...