That feeling when you take those first few steps in the morning. You feel a burning, stabbing pain at the bottom of your foot. Does this sound familiar to you? You are probably asking yourself, “What can I do to make this pain go away”? The answer is not that simple unfortunately. The plantar fascia is a thick band of connective tissue on the bottom of your foot that connects your heel bone to your toes. Its job is to support the arch of your foot while you walk. The plantar fascia also supports and absorbs weight, especially when running and therefore is prone to injury. Plantar Fasciitis is a common condition seen in people who complain of heel pain ...

At some point over your lifetime, you may experience low back pain. Over the last week I have spoken with several clients about their backs. A frequent question after I recommend exercise is “should I just rest and take some pain relief?” The simple answer is no. Exercise and movement is good for your back and it is safe. Low back pain may be due to an acute injury or from a long-standing issue that won’t budge. In most cases, exercises to help increase movement and reduce pain are recommended by Physiotherapists. But what should you do if your exercise program exacerbates your lower back pain? Should you just work through the pain? Muscle soreness vs back pain related to ...

If we spend approximately one third of our lives sleeping, how important is it to have a good quality sleep? This question has been on my mind recently, so I thought it would be a good idea to talk about sleep. Typically, a good quality sleep would translate to around 7 to 9 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Often this is not the case as many of us wake feeling tired or suffering from aches and pains. Studies have shown that insufficient and poor quality sleep affects our mood, stress and general daily function. This may be due to poor neck support, posture or position. These sustained postures create increased biomechanical stress, muscle tension or even headaches. Therefore the our posture ...

How often have you gone for a run only to stop short because your knees have started hurting? Do you experience pain when you bend or straighten your knee, especially when walking down a flight of stairs? Do your knees often buckle, lock or swell? Painful, isn’t it? If you have any of these symptoms, you need to see a physiotherapist ASAP. We’ve first got to understand how complex our knees are. The knee is the largest joint in the human body. It is a modified hinge joint (imagine a hinge that allows a door to swing open and shut). This allows flexion and extension as well as some rotation. It joins the thigh with the leg and comprises of two ...