Published articles
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is an ancient system of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The traditional view is that ‘energy’ Qi flows round the body in channels ‘meridians’. If the Qi is flowing freely then the body is in a healthy state. By inserting needles into the acupuncture points on the meridians a trained acupuncturist is able to balance the movement and levels of Qi within the body. An imbalance of Qi causes pain, disease and disability.
Splash into shape
Fiona Jacobsen, Principal Physiotherapist at Physio2go St. Albans and Alison Watson aqua aerobics instructor at Sopwell House Health Club explore the often under-estimated benefits of exercising in water. While aqua aerobic classes used to be the territory of “ the more mature “ members at many health clubs, current research leaves no doubt that making a splash at any age can vastly improve cardiovascular health and kick start a weight reduction programme. Supervised exercise in water can also help to maintain joint health and assist in rehabilitation if you have had a traumatic injury or joint surgery.
Best foot forward
Parents spend 9 months awaiting the arrival of their perfect baby but sometimes you can be faced with a baby with not so perfect feet. Chloe Howitt, specialist paediatric physiotherapist with Physio2go at York Lodge St. Albans discusses current treatment regimes for common orthopaedic conditions presenting in infants and young children.
Garden variety back pain!
Back pain is one of the most common of all injuries seen by healthcare practitioners. The most common causes are poor posture, injury and overuse. In this timely article, Ray Moore, specialist physiotherapist at physio2go St. Albans, reviews the common causes of back pain in the home gardener. Ray reviews choices in treatment, and how back injury may be prevented.
Hip Hip Hooray!
As the physically active baby boom generation “ages gracefully”, their joints are showing signs of wear and tear (osteoarthritis). Improved technology and increased availability is leading to more people opting for joint replacement surgery. Each year over 50,000 people in England and Wales receive new hips, 75% of these are performed because of osteoarthritis. Barbara Taylor, specialist physiotherapist for physio2go St. Albans, answers some frequently asked questions about hip surgery.
A stressful situation
Urinary incontinence is a subject that many women find difficult to discuss; it can be embarrassing, uncomfortable and a nuisance. If allowed to get out of control it can impact on lifestyle, restrict physical activity, travel and social relationships. Fiona Jacobsen, Principal Physiotherapist at physio2go St. Albans believes that it is important for a woman to both understand the causes of incontinence and be able to communicate effectively to the health care professional in describing its signs and symptoms. It is with this level of communication that a treatment programme can be planned and implemented.
Joint health and exercise
Mark Adshead, Managing Director of Physio2go St. Albans continues his series for Life Magazines by joining forces with James McKeown and Steve Howard, personal trainers and exercise referral specialists at OA Health & Fitness in St Albans. Both James and Steve are experienced, fully qualified exercise professionals with years of experience advising clients from all walks of life. In this month’s edition they give words of encouragement to kick-start your get fit or keep fit routine. Mark shares some advice on avoiding injury and also provides professional guidance to consider as you work towards muscle and joint health following injury or elective joint surgery.
Getting the timing right – changing perspectives on joint replacement surgery
Mark Adshead is Practice Principal of York Lodge Physiotherapy and Managing Director of Physio2go Ltd., a mobile physical therapy unit in the St. Albans, Harpenden and Radlett area. He shares his views on current issues of interest to patients considering joint replacement surgery.
Knee’d to know?
Knee replacement surgery is a treatment predominantly for painful arthritis of the knee. The most common form of arthritis is osteoarthritis. In this condition joint surfaces become increasingly worn. Initially the cartilage that covers the surfaces is affected. As the arthritis progresses the bone underneath becomes damaged.
A bum deal
Lower back and buttock pain, often accompanied by restriction of movement, is a frequent presenting symptom to GP’s and physiotherapists. It can occur in individuals with a sedentary life style, but more often presents in the “aging athlete”. Ray Moore, specialist physiotherapist at physio2go at York Lodge St. Albans discusses common causes of this injury and effective treatment strategies. Laszlo Szabo, personal trainer and qualified Pilates instructor at Sopwell House Country Club and Spa explores the role of general fitness and Pilates in the prevention of lower back injuries.
Your personal trainer – the next step towards recovery
Mark Adshead, Managing Director of Physio2go St. Albans continues his series on joint health and fi tness by exploring the increasingly important role of the personal trainer in achieving optimum recovery from injury, joint repair or replacement surgery. Gideon Josephs, personal trainer at Sopwell House Gym calls on his orthopaedic rehabilitation experience in his work with clients to develop a safe yet effective programme to achieve short and long term fi tness goals.
Fitness features in pregnancy
An uncomplicated pregnancy in a healthy active woman does not mean that her keep fit regime must stop. Fiona Jacobsen, principal physiotherapist at the St. Albans based physio2go explores the benefits of exercise and provides specialist advice for during pregnancy and following childbirth.
Top tips for running for fun!
Mark Adshead, Managing Director of Physio2go St Albans continues his series of articles on joint health and fitness. In this month’s article he is joined by Colin Wareham of Arosports in Harpenden as they look at training for the Herts 10K on Sunday October 12th 2009.
Shouldering the burden
Mark Adshead, Managing Director of Physio2go St. Albans continues his series on joint health, injury and rehabilitation. The shoulder joint has the greatest range of motion of any joint in our body ensuring that our arms and hands get where they need to be to carry out all aspects of our daily lives at home, at work and in our chosen sports and activities. When healthy, the shoulder joint demonstrates an exquisite balance of strength, flexibility and stability.
Joint health – fit for skiing
While many of us dread the cold short days of winter, an increasing number of the population from seven to seventy greet this season with excitement and anticipation. This is the time to book your flights, wax your skis or snowboard, check out the new gear and head to the mountains. Mark Adshead, Managing Director of Physio2go St. Albans continues his series on joint health and fitness with a look at some of the changes and challenges new technology has brought to those of us hitting the slopes…. at any age!
Have you sprained your ankle?
There are many ways to sprain your ankle. Injuries occur in both sporting and non sporting environments. In this article Ray Moore, specialist physiotherapist at physio2go at York Lodge St. Albans discusses common causes of this injury and effective treatment strategies. In his clinic, Ray sees injuries caused in a variety of sporting arenas, including football, hockey, tennis and rugby. However, people undertaking what are considered less dangerous activities such as walking, dancing and even getting out of bed are also susceptible to an ankle injury.
Getting a grip on tennis elbow
Repetitive stress or strain injury (RSI) is a common cause of elbow pain. Although often referred to as tennis elbow, in reality any repetitive motion which involves gripping or squeezing can cause inflammation of the tendons attached to the outside (lateral) of the elbow. Depending on the nature of the movement, the inflammation can also occur on the inside of the elbow and supports the diagnosis of golfer’s elbow!
Not all trips are planned!
The baby-boom generation is now cycling and power-walking well into their 60’s, and many of us are also participating in the care of elderly parents and relatives. For their safety as well as our own, it is important to understand the causes of frequent falls and how they can, in many instances, be prevented. Barbara Taylor, specialist physiotherapist at physio2go St. Albans explores this issue and explains why it should be high on our list of health strategies.
Run for your life
Mark Adshead, Managing Director of Physio2go St. Albans continues his series on fitness and joint health by exploring the benefits of walking/power walking and running as part of an active fitness regimen. In this months article Colin Wareham, Co-owner of Arosports in Harpenden, joins Mark to look at selecting the correct footwear for exercise.
Growing pains
Mark Adshead, Managing Director of physio2go at York Lodge St. Albans continues his series of articles on joint health with a look at the physical stresses placed on adolescent joints. Mark explores some of the common causes of joint pain in the young athlete and briefly explains some issues in assessment and management.
Getting ready for winter golf
Irrespective of the level of game that comes out of your bag, cold, wet and windy weather, coupled with hard or slippery ground conditions will challenge every golfer this winter. Mark Adshead, Managing Director of Physio2go St. Albans joins forces with Nick Burch, PGA Professional at Verulam Golf Club (Home of the Ryder Cup) to explore ways of preparing for winter golf.
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