I recently came across an excellent article by physiotherapist David Mott.¹ David has an exciting and varied experience and educational background as a trainer and physiotherapist, having worked in professional football and Formula 1.  

Adhesive capsulitis aka 'Frozen Shoulder' is a medical condition caused by the capsule surrounding the shoulder joint becoming inflamed, thickened, contracted and painful (Hsu et al., 2011). Frozen shoulder can make everyday activities that require the use of the shoulder painfully limited and cause disturbances in sleep and overall well-being. 

About 2-5% of the population will develop a frozen shoulder, with the condition being more common in those around the age of 50 (Ben-Aire et al., 2020) and those with diabetes (Zreik et al.,2016). Here at the clinic, we treat many clients with frozen shoulder each year. 

I know I have written a lot about exercise recently. Given the renewed emphasis on personal health in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, I am being asked more questions than ever by clients about the best ways to exercise.

Whilst exercise benefits our physical health, the benefits of exercise extend far beyond the physical. Due to our evolutionary history as hunters and gatherers, human brains are biologically programmed to experience happiness, meaning, and a sense of belonging from physical activity – primarily if that physical activity occurs to music, in nature, or alongside other people.¹ In fact, moving in coordinated synchrony with other people, for example, when dancing, doing Pilates or Yoga, creates a greater sense of connection and wellbeing.

I recently took some time to reflect on my career as a physiotherapist to date, particularly how I have developed as an expert clinician over my many years of practice.

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to complete a Masters Degree in Manipulative Physiotherapy at the prestigious University of Queensland, Australia. The UQ physiotherapy department is widely regarded as one of the finest centres for education and research in musculoskeletal physiotherapy in the world. During this time of study, I had the good fortune to be taught and inspired by Professor Gwen Jull, Professor Bill Vicenzino and other exceptional educators, researchers, and most of all, physiotherapists whose clinical expertise has helped so many.

Completing my postgraduate degree set me on a path that included working as the lead physiotherapist for Riverdance and the opportunity to work with Leinster rugby as early career highlights before settling into private practice and lecturing at University College Dublin.

From the point of view of our ancestors and our evolutionary history, exercising is weird.

We are not evolved to exercise, but we did evolve by exercising. Our ancestors had to move regularly, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, often for long periods to hunt and gather food. When not moving to find food to survive, we were programmed to rest and conserve energy.

Given that we can now source food without moving or moving that much, exercise has become less necessary for survival, which is not to say exercise is not necessary for health. The problem is that with food now so easily accessible, our inherent laziness makes it challenging for many of us to find the motivation to exercise.

Here I have provided some guidelines on optimising your chair, desk, and PC set up at work and at home.

It is worth trying to get this right, or near enough, to help avoid neck and back pain. However, no matter how good your ergonomics, it is still essential to get up from sitting and move about regularly. There is also the option to combine sitting with the use of a standing desk.

Covid-19 is having a very negative impact on our collective mental health; in fact, a tidal wave of mental health issues in the wake of multiple and extended lockdowns has been predicted.

All being well, the golf courses will open up again before too long.

Many of my clients are frustrated golfers, itching to get back out on the golf course, especially with the weather improving and longer stretches in the evenings.

When a return to golf is the main aim for having a bout of low back pain treated with physiotherapy, I need to be certain my client's whole body is prepared.

An effective course of treatment for a golfer not only involves settling pain symptoms but also making sure the injured area is ready for the stresses and strains of golf. For most of my golfing clients, these are not stresses and strains their bodies have had to deal with for quite a while, given the length of the current Covid-19 lockdowns.

As we move into Spring, it is great to see so many of our regular clients at the clinic over the last few months. We take this as a huge compliment and recognition of our efforts to provide safe and effective physiotherapy at a time when looking after your physical health has never been more critical.

Covid-19 Vaccinations

We’d like to let our clients know that all practising chartered physiotherapists at Mount Merrion Physiotherapy & Health have received a Covid-19 vaccine as essential healthcare providers. We would like to thank the Irish Society of Physiotherapists and the HSE for facilitating this process.

An orthotic is a corrective device inserted in the shoe to improve foot and lower limb function, similar to wearing a pair of eye spectacles.

Orthotics are normally prescribed as part of a physiotherapy course to reduce the strain on the lower limb's pain-sensitive tissues. Rarely, orthotics alone will fully alleviate your pain. Orthotic prescription is usually an adjunct to other physiotherapy treatment techniques.

Our orthotics are prescribed by a specialist chartered physiotherapist after a full foot and lower limb assessment. They will be prescribed for your feet only.