One of the major complaints in patients seeking the help of a physiotherapist is arthritis. There are over 100 types of arthritis, but the two most common types are rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA). Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease that leads to pain, swelling and stiffness of the affected joints, as the cartilage which protects the joints…

On the surface it would appear that swimming injuries are rare compared to that of other sports. After all, swimming is touted to be one of the best and safest forms of exercise. The fact is that injuries do occur among novices as well as competitive swimmers. The main areas that are injured while swimming are the shoulders and the knees. However…

For the average woman, losing the fifteen or so kilos gained during pregnancy is strongly on her mind after giving birth. However, it takes a lot of skilful planning and willpower to sum up the motivation and fit in the time to exercise…

The rotator cuff comprises four muscles and tendons that help to stabilise the shoulder and assist in movement. The shoulder joint is a ball-and-socket joint which can be easily injured by overuse, wear and tear or excessive force. Aging may be responsible for wear and tear, while sports or athletics

Frozen shoulder or adhesive capsulitis is a painful condition that can take months or even years to resolve. Therefore, after you are discharged from physiotherapy, you will be given a home exercise program to follow. You should be careful to do the exercises as indicated, i.e. number of repetitions, frequency etc. By doing so, you will get the utmost benefit out of the program. The following is a list of tips that will help you get the most out of your home routine.

Frozen shoulder, as the name implies, is a painful condition in which the shoulder joint becomes “frozen”, making the smallest movement almost impossible. It can result from overuse in persons over 50, but can also occur following a stroke, some accidents and other conditions. A frozen shoulder can linger from few months to as much as 3 years, and the exact cause is unknown. Physiotherapy is always ordered to treat this condition, however it has been found that posture plays a significant role in recovery…

Ultrasound is often used in conjunction with soft tissue massage, stretching and passive mobilisation techniques as the deep heat from the ultrasound effectively warms up muscles so they are more relaxed and better results can then be achieved with manual therapy. Ultrasound waves penetrate deeply into the tissue…

When you’ve just sprained your ankle or pulled a muscle, all you want is some pain relief. If painkillers are handy, you probably pop a couple of them. If not, you ask for some ice – or was that heat instead?

To sort out this confusion, let’s see what they really do…

The most common yoga injuries occur as a result of repetitive strain on the wrists, shoulders, neck, knee, spine, hamstrings and the sacroiliac joint (which links the spinal column and the pelvis). The danger with yoga is that symptoms do not come on overnight and when they do appear, it is by then a chronic injury which is more resistant to treatment. Also, beginners may try too hard and put a lot of strain on their joints. Pain, tenderness and difficulty with movements should alert you

The pain and discomfort of arthritis can turn off even the most determined person from exercise. However, if you know the benefits of exercising with arthritis, you may be more willing to give it a try. But a word of caution: Don’t overdo, and if possible, perform exercises under the supervision of a health professional such as a physiotherapist. In the long run, exercise can prove to be a natural pain management tool, with the benefits far outweighing the discomfort…