By lunchtime, your jaw might already feel like it’s done a full day’s work. It could be an ache sitting beside your ear. Or you notice yourself chewing more carefully because your jaw feels tired. Sometimes you only realise you’re clenching when you deliberately stop and think about it. These are all reasons people start … Continued
Heel pain has a way of announcing itself before you’ve properly started the day. You swing your legs out of bed, stand up, and there it is, that sharp jab under the heel. For some people, it feels as though they have landed directly on a pebble. For others, the area feels deeply bruised, as … Continued
Sciatic Nerve Irritation: Sciatic nerve irritation, often called sciatica, is what we call the symptoms that happen when the large nerve running from your lower back, through your buttock and into your leg becomes irritated. And it can feel very different from what most people think of as “back pain”. You might get a sharp … Continued
A sharp ache on the thumb side of your wrist. A sting when you twist a jar, wring out a towel, grip a dumbbell, or pick up your child. Maybe it settles when you stop, only to fire up again the moment your hand gets busy. If that sounds familiar, irritation of the abductor pollicis … Continued
Shoulder pain doesn’t need a dramatic moment to announce itself. Sometimes it’s reaching for the seatbelt, hanging out the washing, or rolling onto one side in bed and immediately rolling back. One common reason is irritation of the subacromial bursa, often called shoulder bursitis. Here’s what’s actually happening, why seemingly ordinary movements can suddenly hurt, … Continued
Fusion of SI joints Your sacroiliac joints, or SI joints, sit where the base of your spine meets your pelvis. They transfer force between your upper body and legs as you walk. Fusion means bone has formed across part or all of an SI joint. The medical term is ankylosis. This is not the same … Continued
Psoas Syndrome The iliopsoas is a group of muscles that connects your lower back and pelvis to the top of your thigh. Pain or irritation in this area can sometimes be referred to as psoas syndrome. You use these psoas muscles when you lift your knee, or bring your leg forwards, or steady your body. … Continued
Trapezius muscle pain The trapezius is a large, kite-shaped muscle that runs from the base of your skull, across your shoulders and down towards the middle of your back. It helps support and move your neck and shoulder blades. It is active during many everyday tasks, including turning your head, reaching overhead, driving, working at … Continued
Lumbar facet joint arthropathy Run your fingers down either side of your lumbar spine (lower back) and you’ll feel bony bumps. Beneath each sits a facet joint. One of paired joints linking each vertebra to the one below. They guide bending and straightening while limiting rotation (twisting) movement in your lumbar spine. Like knee cartilage, … Continued
You know movement would probably help. The hard part is knowing what movement your body needs. When you are coming back from injury or struggling with recurring pain, a generic Pilates class can feel like too much, while repetitive gentle rehab drills can feel like a long way from the normalcy you are trying to … Continued