I recall a time when a consultant told me that chronic pain does not exist in private medicine. I was somewhat dumbfounded that an intelligent person could have such a thought. As a far as I was (and am) concerned, pain is classless. This was some years ago, however I am reminded of this when […]
A quick note on… skiing — pain and injury
January 8, 2014 By
It is that time of year when many set off for the slopes for the joy of being on a mountain, the freedom of sliding, or bumping, down the piste and finishing the day with a favoured tipple, preferably in the sun. Sadly this is not always the case as there will be aches and […]
A few thoughts on Andy Murray and his ‘minor back surgery’.
September 23, 2013 By
The news that Andy Murray is to have a minor back operation hit the back pages last week. It is understood that he will undergo a microdiscectomy, a technique that minimises the tissue trauma in order to access the injured disc and the nerve that is being impacted upon by this structure. Microdiscectomy - what is […]
Suffering surfer
August 8, 2013 By
Spending time in the West Country you cannot help but be drawn into the culture of surfing. Whether it be watching the action from the beach, taking a lesson, going shopping in one of the vast array of surf outlets or sitting in a cafe watching footage of surf champs (the most intriguing are those […]
Two excellent talks for athletes
July 16, 2013 By
Both talks are inspiring and demonstrate courage, perseverance and motivation in the face of the enormous challenges that were presented. In performance and rehabilitation, mindset is a key determinant and in many cases several skills must be developed, including resilience and coping strategies. In the first video, Janine Shepherd talks about her experience of recovery […]
London Marathon 2013 | Dealing with the aches and pains
April 17, 2013 By
Most runners will have put in the hard yards by now and are set to go. Undoubtedly there have been quite a few aches and pains along the road so far. Sadly this will prevent some people from participating, say in the case of a stress fracture – click here. It is entirely normal to […]
‘Get betterers’ and ‘persisters’
April 16, 2013 By
Why is it that some people recover from an injury and others take longer than expected or continue to have problems beyond a normal healing time? It’s the latter group that I spend a great deal of time with, helping them to develop understanding of their pain and devising a plan of what they must […]
Tendinopathy & Tendon Pain | Guest Blog by Dr Peter Malliaras
April 13, 2013 By
Thanks to my friend and colleague Dr Peter Malliaras for this blog on tendinopathy – here is his bio Painful tendon injury or tendinopathy is common and often difficult to manage. Previously this type of injury was known as tendinits, and the suffix ‘it is’ suggesting an inflammatory pathology. For over three decades now researchers […]
Chronic pain in sport | painphysio article in SportEX journal
March 28, 2013 By
In the April edition of the SportEX journal you can read my article on chronic pain in sport – click here Chronic pain and recurring injuries in sport are a huge problem. The modern approach uses the latest neuroscience to tackle the pain and restore normal function required for the particular sport. Call us for details on […]
All stressed out – stress fractures in marathon runners | Guest blog
March 17, 2013 By
Dr Cath Spencer-Smith writes… Marathon season is upon us, and thousands of runners throughout the land are in the final stages of training for their big day. For some, this is also the time when they find themselves experiencing new aches and pains. Whilst we may all expect to feel discomfort and stiffness from time […]