Why do pain symptoms increase with menopause? Between 40-60% of perimenopausal and menopausal women have musculoskeletal pain and inflammation. Oestrogen has an anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive effect. It also helps to inhibit pain pathways in the spinal cord, which reduces your perception of pain. So when the levels of oestrogen fall during menopause, pain, inflammation and [...]
What types of Yoga Breathing are there and what are they good for? The most gentle yoga breathing is Savasana (Corpse Pose). This is usually used at the end of a yoga class to create a relaxed state. Pulse mediated relaxation breathing was devised more recently by Dr Vijay Pabbathi, from whom I have learned [...]
In the last few of years, guidelines have been released by the Royal College of Surgeons, British Medical Association, British Orthodontic Society, and NICE Guidelines regarding the best treatment options for issues with the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD. The more recent guidelines place a larger emphasis on using physiotherapy, manual therapy [...]
Cancer immunotherapy, commonly using immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), has revolutionized the treatment of previously hard to treat metastatic (stage four) cancer. The main difference to other treatments such as chemotherapy is that it boosts the immune system rather than impairs it. Chemotherapy tries to kill cancer cells by using medications that are toxic to cancer [...]
Stress can cause muscle tension and conditions related to muscle tension such as temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD), tension headaches and migraines, low back pain, neck and shoulder pain and dizziness. Stress creates muscle tension by activating your sympathetic nervous system and releasing adrenaline making you ready for a fight or flight response. In most cases, [...]
Some national guidelines do recommend acupuncture/dry needling for some conditions including low back pain, while others do not. However, when you review the evidence, there is a lot of evidence that acupuncture and dry needling is helpful in a large range of musculoskeletal conditions including low back pain, neck pain and post whiplash injuries and [...]
It is important to remember when choosing a pillow for your neck pain that there is a lot of variability in neck thickness, shoulder width and neck length. This means that there is no one pillow that will suit everyone. The type of pillow that may be beneficial for you is partly determined by the [...]
Axial spondyloarthritis is a classification that includes Ankylosing Spondylitis but also includes a similar condition that does not have the charachteristic bamboo spine presentation on X-Ray imaging. The bamboo like image is from one vertera forming bony bridges (fusing) with its adjacent vertebra along the ligaments between vertebrae, especially the outer fibres of the disc [...]
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing the way we approach health and wellbeing. Here’s how you can use AI to better understand and manage your health—especially for issues like muscle, joint, or movement problems. AI can help you understand your symptoms. Recent studies show that AI can be as accurate as a health professional for certain [...]
Weight lifting is recommended for most people, especially as you get older as it helps to reduce muscle atrophy, improve bone density (osteoporosis) and improve balance. Athletes and recreational sports persons also benefit from improved sports specific performance if their strengthening routine is tailored to their sports requirements. If you have never lifted weights or [...]
