This blog will explore what our MSK Physios actually do & expel the myth that we only prescribe generic exercises & don’t do manual therapy any more! Physiotherapy assessments always start with a thorough subjective assessment (See previous blog post Here). Following this, we undertake a thorough physical assessment to hone in on a likely diagnosis. So then what? At Harbourside, treatment is bespoke to the individual needs of each client, based on the findings from assessment

While some may believe that intense painful pressure is necessary to relieve tension, in fact a more considered gentle approach can be...

There has been so much in the press & literature regarding this over the last few months & years, but is is actually the right thing to do? The question would be - do you normally heel strike or forefoot strike, i.e. do you normally land on your heel or ball of foot first when you run? If you already land on the ball of your foot, then maybe barefoot running is worth a try for you, because you are essentially not changing the biomechanics of your running style. If you are a r

The common perception here is that the answer is no due to the notion that less exercise is surely less risk.  How big a problem is this though?   With around 1/3 of community dwelling people over 65 falling each year, analysing interventions that might reduce falls risk is of huge importance.  A recent meta-analysis in 2019 reviewed 108 trials assessing the effects of exercise interventions for preventing falls in older people living in the community.  And what did they find

Low back pain (LBP) in the leading cause of disability globally. In 2020, approximately 1 in 13 people, equating to 619 million,...

Not all buttock pain is down to tight glutes. This blog will explore a variety of potential causes in more detail.  Buttock pain is a very common presentation to our clinic & it is very common to hear people say that they have ‘tight glutes’ . Granted, spasm in the gluteal (buttock) muscles is common & we achieve lots of pain reduction or resolution with soft tissue massage techniques to this region. However, the following question is the key:  Is the gluteal spasm the cause

With the start of the new-year, the pilgrimage to the gym & desire to want to exercise will undoubtedly begin! This is in so many ways...

We know from our ‘Myth Buster’ post on Monday that Physiotherapy rehabilitation is a vital part of your recovery post-stroke. The...

When we imagine someone weight-lifting many of us will conjure up an image of a young, fit adult standing in a gym lifting large weights....

The common perception is that you need a scan to determine if you have OA (Osteoarthritis) in the knee. We hear this all the time. ‘I don’t want to do anything until I know what the problem is’ There are 2 aspects in responding to that statement. Firstly, a thorough subjective & Physical assessment in Physiotherapy will give a very good indication of what the problem is. Secondly, what do we do with the result of the scan & is the finding relevant to your clinical presentati

“You must do stretches before you exercise, otherwise you might pull a muscle or injure yourself” We explained that stretching alone prior to exercise is generally not advocated and that a warm-up that includes dynamic stretching is normally recommended. We thought it would be useful to discuss what a warm up at the start of an exercise session should include and what type of stretching you should perform. It is important that you warm up when you exercise to ensure your body

Cartilage needs movement for improvement! Cartilage, like other tissues within our body, is bioplastic. This means it will continue to...

Most children have fleet feet when they are young and they develop an arch as they grow. Some people never develop an arch and have...

Physiotherapists are autonomous practitioners, meaning they ‘ have the authority to make decisions and the freedom to act in accordance with one's professional knowledge base’ . This means that Physios will conduct a thorough subjective & physical assessment, then use clinical reasoning to develop a diagnosis & form a treatment plan. Physiotherapists are trained to thoroughly screen patients for indicators of more serious pathology or underlying medical issues. This is comple

It is a very common perception that we can’t get stronger & gain more muscle mass as we get older, however, that this isn’t the case. There is a wealth of literature to support the fact that we can strengthen at any age, with the general training principles of overload, progression & reversibility remaining paramount. This is so essential as we start to lose muscle mass from the age of 40 onwards, accelerating after 50. The effects of sarcopaenia (age related loss of muscle m

This blog will explore what our MSK Physios actually do & expel the myth that we only prescribe generic exercises & don’t do manual therapy any more! Physiotherapy assessments always start with a thorough subjective assessment (See previous blog post Here). Following this, we undertake a thorough physical assessment to hone in on a likely diagnosis. So then what? At Harbourside, treatment is bespoke to the individual needs of each client, based on the findings from assessment

Degenerative meniscal tears typically occur in middle-to-older age adults & can occur after a specific traumatic incident or gradually over time. This is something we see very routinely in clinic, so naturally, our clients want to know if this will require surgery or whether a combination of time, rehab & exercise will enable the desired outcome. Anecdotally, we have seen hundreds of clients with a diagnosis of meniscal tear on MRI or physical testing that have made a full re

Here at Harbourside Physiotherapy, we have a 34 degree salt water chlorinated hydrotherapy pool. Whilst this is extensively used for...

Have you a Neurological diagnosis and feel that you are not making any improvements with your functional independence or feel you are...

We know from our myth buster blog on Monday that surgery is not the only way to manage your OA . In fact, it should typically be the last...