Physiotherapy Blog

What is a facet joint?   Image of 2 vertebrae showing the body, spinous processes, and transverse processes Facet joints are located in the spine and are part of the vertebrae. The vertebra has two basic parts. Firstly, the body and secondly, the spinous process which is the bony part you can feel on your back that runs from the neck to just above the buttocks. The joint from one inferior facet (transverse process) of the top vertebrae to superior facet of the bottom vertebrae is called the facet joint. As a result, they are called the connection joint from one vertebrae to another. Facet joints are present on both sides of vertebrae. Facet joints increase in joint space when doing forward bending movements,  and compression while moving backward. Similarly, facet joints also help in twisting and rotation movements of the spine. Finally, they also prevent…

What is plantar fasciitis? As the name suggests, plantar fasciitis is inflammation of the plantar fascia — a tough, fibrous band of tissue that runs along the sole of the foot. Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common causes of heel pain. It commonly causes stabbing pain, especially with your first few steps in the morning or after being off your feet for a while. As you get up and move, the pain normally decreases. Eventually, it might return after long periods of standing or when you stand up after sitting. It is more common in runners and in people who are overweight. What are the symptoms? Stabbing pain in the bottom of your foot near the heel The pain is usually the worst with the first few steps after a long sleep, long periods of standing or getting up from sitting What are the causes? Inflammation and pain…

What is carpal tunnel syndrome? Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a common neurological disorder. It  occurs when the median nerve, which runs from your forearm into the palm of the hand, becomes compressed or squeezed at the wrist. Importantly, the median nerve provides feeling to the thumb, index, and middle finger, and part of the ring finger (but not the little finger). Also, it controls some small muscles at the base of the thumb. Sometimes, thickening from the lining of irritated tendons or other swelling narrows the tunnel and compresses the median nerve. For example, a common sign is that you might wake up and feel you need to “shake out” your hand or wrist. What are the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome? Usually, carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms start gradually and includes: Tingling or numbness – You may notice tingling and numbness in the fingers or hand. Usually the thumb…

Image by stockking on Freepik Tennis elbow, also known as lateral epicondylitis/epicondylalgia, is swelling and pain of the tendons that bend your wrist backwards away from your palm. Usually, it is diagnosed in both men and women between the ages of 30 and 50 years. What is tennis elbow? Firstly, tennis elbow is inflammation or, in some cases, micro tearing of the tendons that join the forearm muscles on the outside of the elbow. As a result, the forearm muscles and tendons become damaged from overuse— repeating the same motions again and again. Ultimately, this leads to pain and tenderness on the outside of the elbow. What are the causes of tennis elbow? 1.  Overuse Recently, studies show that tennis elbow is often due to damage to a specific forearm muscle. The ECRB (extensor carpi radialis brevis) muscle helps stabilize the wrist when the elbow is…

Image by Freepik What is cupping? Cupping is one of the techniques that has been used since ancient times. At first, it was used in Chinese, Egyptian and Middle Eastern culture and continues to be used for many years. Cupping Therapy is a technique which uses different sized cups to do suction on a body part by creating negative pressure. Importantly, it helps to increase blood circulation in the area. Additionally, it is beneficial in the treatment of pain like musculoskeletal pain, tension headaches and more. Similarly, \ cupping can also be helpful with muscle tightness and to help reduce areas of inflammation. To create the suction effect, they use cups made of different materials like silicon, glass, bamboo or more. Sometimes, they may combine it with additional techniques like fire, manual pumping or automatic pumping to create a vacuum. How is cupping performed? Dry cupping:…