Blogs

Low back pain (LBP) is usually defined as pain localised below the costal margin and above the inferior gluteal folds. It is the leading cause of disability worldwide and is becoming increasingly prevalent (Harkness et al. 2005, Hoy et al. 2012, Vos et al. 2012). Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is variously defined as lasting...

Low back pain (LBP) is usually defined as pain localised below the costal margin (ribs) and above the inferior gluteal folds (buttock crease). It is the leading cause of disability worldwide and is becoming increasingly prevalent (Harkness et al. 2005, Hoy et al. 2012, Vos et al. 2012). Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is variously...

Below are the results of my MSc research in to how different physiotherapists manage chronic low back pain patients with yellow flags. I’ve spared you the details of the methodology but if a few people are interested I will share them as well. Essentially I conducted interviews with six different physiotherapists...

The literature review overviews the various different methods currently used in practice to give an overview of the background to which these decisions are being made. Why these physiotherapists practice The literature review showed the breadth of approaches...

Manipulating the diet to help reduce chronic pain symptoms remains an attractive option. However, to date there is a paucity of research on the topic. A previous article of mine addressed the key literature around low back pain and diet. However, recent research has hinted at a potential role for manipulating...

Most people have had the experience of being told to relax their shoulders and realising just how much tension they had been carrying. This can be caused as part of the fight or flight response to stress. Muscle tone will tend to increase under stress, however not all muscles respond the same. Larger global muscles...

The limbic system is a key component of an individual’s psychology. Mood, personality and risk reward behaviour are all intimately related to limbic function. The amygdala plays a particularly important role in this regard. The “thought viruses” discussed by Butler and Moseley [1] highlight how the amygdala...

Left foot and right arm support. The right leg and left arm can support or move in to a stepping forward pattern. This position is the tripod is a variation...

C-Reactive Protein (CRP) is best known as an acute phase protein and is typically assessed in most general blood work. High sensitivity CRP (hsCRP) may be a useful clinical marker of chronic inflammatory states in musculoskeletal conditions. It appears that it is raised in inflammatory chronic low back pain...

Nutrition is linked with a multitude of conditions. Given the incidence of back pain continues to rise and the quality of food consumed globally continues to decline it is possible there may be a link. Could a persons diet contribute to the onset of back pain? Furthermore could specific nutrients or changes in diet help...

There are many schools of thought in diagnosing musculoskeletal lesions. Some schools look at the specific tissue whilst others look more globally. Clinically they each have their merit but perhaps the real value is in appreciating all approaches. To discuss the integration of approaches the following...