We recently had Alex in for a Total Care Embodied assessment, as she decided she wanted to run her local 10km, but didn’t really know where to start… but we did! From the ground up! We assessed her: Feet (TICK) Calves – left calf was tight, preventing full ankle range (stretches prescribed) Knees – (R) knee had a mild valgus drift (glute strengthening) Hips – (R) glute mildly delayed firing pattern, hip lacking terminal extension (glute strengthening, hip flexor stretches) Back – TICK Neck – TICK Alex had rolled her (L) ankle 12 months prior and never really rehabilitated it,

The psoas is a key player in almost everything! A muscle that crosses three zones (lumbar spine, pelvis, hip) it is therefore crucial to stability. The primary role of the psoas is lumbar spine stabilisation and hip flexion, but very often it can become tight and weak… why? SITTING. When sitting, the psoas is in a chronically shortened position, and then when we stand, the shortened psoas alters the alignment of the spine and hips. The quadratus lumborum (QL) works overtime to try and balance the equation by trying to achieve a neutral spine. The result.. Loss of range of

Jordan came to see us a few weeks ago complaining of a searing pain on the inside of his shin, worse when he was in casual shoes, but fine in his work boots. After clearing his spine and hips we investigated his feet. During gait assessment we noticed excessive pronation during mid-stance, and on palpation the tibialis posterior tendon was extremely tender. We tested and re-tested his gait with different supports until we came to the ideal combination. Using a medial heel wedge, and taping to correct the distal tibiofibular joint, we were able to improve the alignment and movement

When your nerves are sensitive to normal movement it is referred to as ‘neural sensitivity’. Nerves usually like movement, however when they are sensitised due to injury, they don’t, and this can cause muscles to tighten and stop you from stretching them. Nerve tension can be accompanied by sensations such as pins and needles, burning and numbness. It is important to treat the muscles and joints around the nerve to promote neural mobility. In addition, nerve mobilisation techniques can gradually desensitise the nerve and get them moving again. Happy nerves don’t cause pain! At Wellness Embodied, we stress the importance

A 2017 study (Machado et al) looked into the effectiveness of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on back pain. The study found that only 1 in 6 achieved any significant reduction in pain, however those taking NSAIDs were 2.5 times more likely to suffer from gastrointestinal problems. Alternatively, lifestyle changes such as weight loss, exercise and stress reduction had positive outcomes on back pain without the nasty side effects. Oral painkillers shouldn’t be your go-to option when your back hurts, come and see one of our physiotherapists for a detailed assessment and treatment and we can get you started on a