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Showing posts from January, 2021

HELP! DOCTOR SAID THAT I HAVE SPONDYLOSIS!

 You may have heard the Doctor announce to you or someone that you know that he or she has spondylosis, either cervical, thoracic or lumbar. This is a very common condition in the 21st century because of our various day to day activities. But what is Spondylosis? Spondylosis is simply the wear and tear or degeneration of the spine or- either the arthritis of the facet joints of the spine or the degeneration of the intervertebral discs.  This has no precise cause but has many risk factors which include: - Poor lying, sitting or standing postures -having a sedentary lifestyle with a lack of exercise - having injured the spine or undergone spinal surgery - smoking - having a job that requires repetitive or weight-bearing movements that involve the spine - having a genetic tendency - having obesity or being overweight - Aging The common symptoms are: - Back pain (upper, mid or lower back pain, depending on the part of the spine affected) - Pain moving down the back of the thigh and leg - n

What you don't know about Painkillers!

 Patient: I'm having severe pain on my back. I've been having it for 4 years now. It comes and goes. Physiotherapist: What have you been doing about your pain? Patient: I've been taking pain killers. Sometimes, I also receive injections and the pain subsides.  Physiotherapist: You mean you've been taking painkillers for these years? Patient: And currently, the pain doesn't even subside any more, even with the drugs. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Above is the usual conversation I have with most of my new clients. It's always the same story. Just a few times have I seen someone who just came for Physiotherapy without ingesting loads of painkillers. Well, I want to talk about the painkillers that we consume on a daily basis- whether it's paracetamol (acetaminophen), Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) (like ibuprofen, diclofenac), opioids (like codeine, morphine), or a combination of paracetamol and opioids (like Cocodamol). These paink

Exercise can be causing you more pain!

  I've had a good number of people tell me that they don't think I can help them as a Physiotherapist because they had been exercising, yet their pain refused to go. This is because of an assumption that exercise is the same as Physiotherapy. Which is a costly assumption! While exercise is a great part of Physical therapy, but that's not all that Physiotherapy involves. Secondly, Physiotherapists utilize what we call Therapeutic exercises to treat and manage their patients. What this means is that, we don't just tell you to start engaging in any exercise at all you can, rather, we recommend, or better put, prescribe the right exercises for your condition for you. There are some exercises you engage in and it worsens your condition. Yes, you heard me right!  Some exercises cause more harm than good to your pain and injury. For example, a new client of mine told me that she has a treadmill but stopped using it because her knees hurt each time she exercises on it. Now, wha