Latest post on physioquestions.com | Back Pain: Part II (Strengthening Exercises)

Continuing from Back Pain: Part I (Stretching/Mobility Exercises), this article will look at some strengthening exercises for the back. 

Much of the latest research on back pain have focused on the importance of two muscles: transverse abdominus and multifidus, and their roles in back pain. This is because both of these muscles lie deep in the spine, forming the functional core of the body. The multifidus muscle stabilises the joints at each segmental level of the spine. Hence you may have heard physiotherapists emphasising the importance of retraining your 'core' stability. 

Research has shown that in people with back pain, these two muscles are weakened, their recruitment patterns are altered and their ability to stabilise the spine is impaired. If these problems are not addressed, evidence suggests that the chances for recurrence of back pain would be increased. 

Strengthening these deep core muscles and retraining their activation patterns during functional activities are two essential components of all back rehabilitation. 

READ MORE on www.physioquestions.com

Latest post on physioquestions.com | Back Pain: Part I (Stretching/Mobility Exercises)

Back pain can be a frustrating condition to fight off as it seems to keep coming back without any warning. You may have been careful with posture, didn't do any heavy lifting or strenuous activity, however you wake up with a bit of a niggle that worsens on specific movements or particular activities.

What causes back pain?

There are many causes of back pain. The spine consists of nerves, discs, joints, muscles, tendons and ligaments which can all produce pain. Without going into too much detail on the topic and theories of pain, back pain can be thought to be a result of a chemical or mechanical cause. Chemical pain could be a result of inflammation which irritates nerve endings and causes pain. Mechanical pain could be due to joints that are stiff or hypermobile, muscles that are strained or overactive (spasm), bulging disc with possible nerve impingement (which can also cause radiating pain down extremities), overused tendons/ligaments, etc. 

 

READ MORE on www.physioquestions.com

Latest post on physioquestions.com | Research findings on the reliability and accuracy of clinical tests to diagnose ACL tear

Q: With regards to the tests for ACL tear, which is most reliable and/or accurate?

A: The 3 main clinical tests that are usually performed by therapists to diagnose an ACL tear include the Anterior Drawer test, Lachman test and Pivot Shift test. However the reliability and accuracy of these tests have been questioned. Here are the findings from three studies (Ostrowski 2006; Benjaminse et al 2006; Peeler et al 2010) regarding the reliability and accuracy of these tests.

READ MORE on www.physioquestions.com

Do musicians have different brains?

Does musical training reorganise the brain? What are the implications? 

An article published in Psychology Today, June 11, 2010

In the last twenty years, brain imaging studies have revealed that musical training has dramatic effects on the brain. Increases in gray matter (size and number of nerve cells) are seen, for example, in the auditory, motor, and visual spatial areas of the cerebral cortex of musicians.

Latest post on physioquestions.com | Do you get wrist pain from typing or writing?

QUESTION:

"I get pain in my right hand near my wrist after long periods of typing and sometimes the area around my wrist (palm side) gets a bit swollen too. What can I do to help the problem?"

ANSWER:

This sounds like a case of "Occupational Overuse Syndrome" (OOS), or more commonly known as "Repetitive Strain Injury" (RSI). There is usually no discrete pathological cause for RSI - it is rather related to the overuse (and/or improper use) of particular areas of the body resulting in pain and/or other symptom.

Topics covered in this article:

• Common causes of RSI (eg. repetitive movements, sustained/awkward postures, and more)
• Typical symptoms
• Treatment (including advice on exercises, ergonomics, computer & writing equipment, posture care, pain relief)

READ MORE on www.physioquestions.com

Latest post on physioquestions.com | Shoulder Complex (Part III) - Anterior/Posterior/Multidirectional Dislocations & Exercise Rehabilitation

Topics covered:

• Anterior Dislocation
• Posterior Dislocation
• Multidirectional Instability
• Exercise Rehabilitation

READ MORE on www.physioquestions.com

Latest post on physioquestions.com | Shoulder Complex (Part II) - The Unstable Shoulder

SHOULDER INSTABILITY

Glenohumeral instability is the inability to maintain the humeral head in the glenoid fossa.

• Dislocation = Complete loss of humeral articulation from the glenoid fossa
• Subluxation = Partial loss of humeral articulation within the glenoid
• Laxity = Generalised hypermobility of the glenohumeral joint and other joints; asymptomatic

Topics covered:

• Classification of dislocations (degree, frequency, etiology, direction)
• TUBS vs AMBRI
• Examination of the unstable shoulder

READ MORE on www.physioquestions.com