Calf Pain

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Do you suffer from calf pain or discomfort?

Calf muscles
Woman stretching to ease calf pain

The calf muscle is made up of two different muscles. These muscles are the gastrocnemius and the soleus muscles. The join to form the Achilles tendon which inserts into the heel. Some common calf complaints patients attend Archview Physiotherapy Clinic with include calf cramps, muscle strains, Achilles’ tendinitis, compartment syndrome, plantar fasciitis.

Some tips for preventing calf pain and injuries:

  • Warm up before exercise
  • Stretching / Strengthening to help with calf strength and endurance
  • Wear good quality shoes
  • Stay hydrated
  • Avoid prolonged sitting / lying in bed
  • Massage therapy and dry needling therapy can also help maintain good tissue length

At Archview Physiotherapy, we provide treatments to ease calf pain, such as:

  • Deep tissue massage
  • Sports massage
  • Trigger point release
  • Laser
  • Dry needling
  • Orthotics or prescription insoles
  • Stretching and strengthening exercises

To book an appointment with one of our team at Archview Physiotherapy Pain and Sports Injury Clinic, please call 014913228 or book online www.archviewclinic.ie. Located in Ranelagh, Dublin 6.

Sports Massage

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sports massage

Sports massage is a hands-on technique used by our therapists at Archview Physiotherapy Clinic, Ranelagh. It involves applying pressure to your muscles by using different stroke techniques in a kneading-like motion. This form of massage can be highly beneficial to many people. There is a common misconception that this only applies to professional athletes. This could not be any more misleading! You can enjoy the many benefits even if you do not play any sports. In fact, if your role involves a lot of sitting down, a sports massage might be the very thing you need!

When to get a sports massage?

If you are suffering from tight and sore muscles, a sports massage might be a perfect remedy for your issues.

What conditions can be helped?

  • Sore muscles
  • Pain & aches
  • Headaches
  • Pain reduction
  • Recovery
  • Injury prevention
  • Reduced stress levels
  • Post-race/workout recovery

Is sports massage painful?

Your therapist will use varying techniques to achieve reduced muscle tension and improved muscle flexibility. They will vary between medium to deep pressure, but our therapists will work with you to ensure that the experience is a pleasant one so do not worry we will work around your own preference and pain threshold.

Benefits include:

  • Improved blood circulation
  • Increased muscle flexibility
  • Improved joint range of movement.
  • Improved tissue quality and reduced muscle tension
  • Relaxation and recovery
  • Improved performance

To book an appointment with one of our massage therapy team at Archview Physiotherapy Pain and Sports Injury Clinic, please call 014913228 or book online www.archviewclinic.ie.

Good Desk Posture

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Sitting for many hours on end is not good for anyone and can lead to terrible neck, back pain, and headaches. It has become one of the most common complaints seen in physiotherapy clinics throughout the world due to increased mobile phone, laptop usage and of course, computer-based desk work. Good desk posture can help to prevent pain.

desk posture causing pain

Our bodies are efficient and have been evolutionarily engineered to keep us working well and adapting to the stresses we put it under. However, even the most efficient musculoskeletal system will have its limits and that is where having good desk posture is crucial.

At Archview Physiotherapy Pain and Sports Injury Clinic, our physiotherapy team specialise in this area of physiotherapy care. We will place you on a treatment plan that will leave you feeling great. Our google reviews speak for themselves ?

Sitting in a poor, slouched, unsupported position means that after a much shorter period, your muscles will become overloaded and pain and injury will set in. Improving your posture will help prevent headaches, muscles aches and pains and more importantly, prolapsed discs.

So, the first step for correcting posture is correcting your working station and from there correcting your posture!

Here are three simple top tips to start you off!

  1. Correct your head posture: Top of your screen should be at eye level so you may need a laptop stand or to place your PC up onto a few books.
  2. Relax the shoulders: Resting your forearms on the desk will help with this!
  3. Ensure you have your back supported: Sit back into you chair and if you feel your back still is not getting the support it needs, you can use a pillow or purchase a lumbar support from our clinic.

Your physiotherapist, will of course go through ergonomic corrections in much more detail as everyone’s office and home set up is different but hopefully these few tips help!

To make an appointment with one of the physiotherapy team who specialises in postural correction and ergonomics, please call (01) 4913228 or book your visit online by visiting our website www.archviewclinic.ie.  

Lockdown yoga for whole body health

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Lockdown Yoga might just be the key to a happy and healthy lockdown. At a time where our options for exercise and wellbeing are narrowing it is very important to appreciate those forms of exercise that are safely still available. Yoga is a wonderful form of exercise that is doable from your very own home and that can be suitable for all abilities. Not only is yoga widely accessible but it is extremely beneficial for the body and mind.

lady doing lockdown yogaHere are just some of the multiple evidence-based benefits of yoga:

  • Strength and mobility improvements
  • Improved balance and coordination
  • Reduction in blood pressure and in overall cardiovascular risk factors
  • Increased GABA levels and reduced cortisol levels, both of which are linked with reduced stress and anxiety.
  • Improved markers of lung function

It is safe to that the health benefits are numerous, but where to start? Yoga as a practice comes in all shapes and sizes. There are many different types such as Hatha, Iyengar, Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Yin, Chair yoga, even more trendy adaptations such as goat or wine yoga! What suits one person may not suit another, so it is best to try a few different types of yoga before settling on the best one for your body type and mindset.

There are many different online yoga classes out there and some good YouTube video’s too. If you have a previous injury or are unsure if yoga is suitable for you it is best to consult a Physiotherapist first or start a Physio-led yoga class to build your foundation.

Danielle Moran is a Physiotherapist and 200hr Yoga teacher who is passionate whole-body health and movement. To make an appointment please call (01) 4913228 or book your appointment online by visiting our website www.archviewclinic.ie

Migraines and Headaches

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Approximately 500 thousand people in Ireland suffer with Migraines. Nearly 60% of them will also suffer with tension or cervico-genic headaches. Our physiotherapy team at Archview Physiotherapy in Ranelagh, Dublin specialise in the treatment and management of headaches, and a large portion of those patients are migraines sufferers. Migraines are a medical condition that require medication in many cases. They can be very debilitating. By managing the headache associated with the migraine, your lifestyle and quality of life can be greatly improved.

Our physiotherapy team use a combination approach of physiotherapy, dry needling, myofascial massage, posture correction exercises and ergonomic correction. Dry needling is an evidenced based technique that will help reduce the painful trigger point knots that are causing your head pain. There are 20 muscles that can refer pain into the head. The diagram below shows the referral pattern of the SCM muscle. This is a commonly treated muscle for tension headaches. These headaches are seen a lot in migraine patients. Once these knots are released you should feel pain relief from your headache anywhere from between 1-24 hours after treatment. It has been proven to be an extremely effective technique to reduce and, in many cases, eliminate headaches.

These painful trigger point knots are one source of your pain. The joints in the neck are another source of pain. Poor posture that is associated with desk work and mobile phone usage is having a huge impact on the spine and the muscles around the head neck and shoulders. When the joints in the neck become poorly aligned or stiff, headaches can develop. When the muscles become overloaded they will knot, and referral pain from those knots may develop.

Your physiotherapists will identify all sources, treat and educate you on self management.

If you wish to learn more or talk to one of our physiotherapists to see if physiotherapy and dry needling can help you, book a consultation by calling  014913228 or emailing us on [email protected].

Migraine

Correct Footwear and Orthotics

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The human body is rarely completely symmetrical. This could be due to things like injury, traumas or it could be something you were born with. Be it a tilted pelvis or one leg shorter than the other, the body then must compensate for these abnormalities and this can cause aches, pains and injuries to develop. Correct footwear and orthotics can help.

Orthotics can help correct these abnormalities. Orthotics are custom-made shoe inserts that are specifically made to correct the biomechanical alignment of your feet. They are primarily used for people with a high level of over-pronation (flat arch) or supination (high arch). An orthotic can help re-align and control the movement of the foot in turn relieving stress and pain in the joints of the feet and lower limbs.

Wearing the incorrect footwear or not having the support you need can affect your bodies alignment and can make you more susceptible to injury also. Flat soled shoes can cause terrible foot biomechanical issues. This has been more commonly seen in the last decade due to pump style shoe wear and flat soled runners. Wearing correct footwear and orthotics can improve the situation. It is advisable that all shoe wear should have a gradient from heel to toe where the heel is elevated by about 1-2 inches.

At Archview Physiotherapy Clinic we have a Chartered Physiotherapist who specialises in biomechanical issues of the feet and orthotics. To book a consultation call the clinic on 014913228 or email us on [email protected].

Correct footwear and orthotics

Reoccurring Ankle Sprains & Ligament Injuries

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The most common acute sporting injuries seen are acute ankle sprains or ligament injuries in the ankle. The ankle has many ligaments to support the foot in different directions. These ligaments are usually damaged by quick turns, explosive twists or ‘going over’ on your foot.

There are 3 possible grades of tear to any ligament simply numbered 1,2 and 3, with grade 1 being minor damage and grade 3 being a complete tear.

If you suspect ligament damage in your ankle or an ankle sprain you should book a consultation with Archview Physiotherapy Clinic. Here one of our physiotherapists, physical therapists or sports therapists can assess and determine which ligament is injured, what grade of tear you may have and can then proceed to treat the injury.

Initially for any ankle sprain or ligament injury rest, ice, compression and elevation, also known as RICE, is recommended to reduce swelling and it enhances a quicker recovery in the initial 24 -48 hours. From there your therapist will work with you to restore a full range of motion, strengthen and condition the surrounding muscles and ligaments, work on proprioception and balance and eventually use functional exercises to aid in your return to daily life or sport.

If the correct rehabilitation is not followed it is very likely for a person to endure multiple or reoccurring ankle sprains. Many people claim it is due to having ‘weak’ ankles. However, with professional rehabilitation this problem will be minimised.

Call (01)4913228 or email [email protected] to book a consultation with one of our team to start your recovery.

Dublin City Marathon: Pre / Post- Marathon Massage Sessions!

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The marathon training is in full swing for the Dublin City Marathon and  many participants don’t allow their bodies to recover enough in between sessions or long-distance runs.

In order to for your body to recover it is obviously important to keep hydration levels up and keep track of nutrition, ensuring you are eating enough protein for cell repair and growth and enough carbohydrates to give you the energy you need. Rest days are really important to allow the body to recover and a massage on a rest day can aid recovery even further.  Many athletes opt for a massage on a rest day or even go for pre or post-training/event massages to ensure they can give their best possible performance and to have a speedy recovery afterwards.

A pre-event massage will focus on increasing blood flow, flexibility and essentially warm up and keep the muscles loose, it will also decrease stiffness post event.

A post-event massage has many physiological benefits also, for example, it will aid recovery by flushing out lactic acid and reducing post-marathon soreness. It also has psychological benefits as many athletes will report that going for a massage post-event will lift their mood as well as help their body feel better.

If you are one of the 22,500 people taking part in the Dublin City Marathon this week, book in with one of our massage therapists at Archview Physiotherapy Clinic for a pre or post marathon massage! Call us on 014913228 or email [email protected] to book in now as we will fill up FAST!

Best of luck to all participants!

McKenzie Lumbar Rolls

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The Original McKenzie® Lumbar Roll™ is the top-selling lumbar cushion and the ideal companion in the car, at the office or for use with any seat that does not provide adequate lumbar support. The built-in strap secures the lumbar roll to most chair backs and can even be used around the waist. It is the only lumbar support approved for use with the McKenzie Method®.

The McKenzie lumbar roll fits snuggly against your lower back, cushioning it and helping you maintain good posture and proper curvature of your spine.
The McKenzie Method is an approach that therapists at Archview Physiotherapy take when treating back pain which includes four main steps: Assessment, Classification, Treatment and Prevention. Lumbar rolls can aid in the treatment of back pain and prevent a problem from reoccurring.

McKenzie Lumbar Rolls can be purchased at Archview Physiotherapy Clinic. You can also follow our Ergonomic Tips in our previous blog to help improve your seating posture at work.

If you have any queries, please don’t hesitate to book a consultation with one of our physiotherapists by calling 014913228 or emailing our reception at [email protected]

Ergonomic Tips:

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There is a whole science called ergonomics that is concerned with how people design and arrange things and interact with them efficiently and safely. Like your work desk for example. Use these 4 quick and easy ergonomic tips to improve your posture, allow the spine to stay upright, take pressure off the spinal joint and discs and muscles around the back, neck, shoulders and pelvis.

Tip 1:

Have all your computer devices or screens centred, the top of the screen should be at eye level. If you have more than one, ensure there is an even space between them.

Tip 2:

Ensure you’re sitting back fully into the chair with your feet placed flat on the floor. Your knee joint should be in line with or slightly lower than your hip. If they are higher this will cause your lower back to slump and put more pressure through the discs of your spine.

Tip 3:

A lumbar roll can help with improving your sitting posture. They should be placed in the curve of your lower back. We would recommend using a McKenzie Lumbar Roll, which we sell at our clinic. Be aware when you first start using one that it will take some time for your spine to adjust.

Tip 4:

Your elbows should be fully supported on the table in front as you type or on the armrest of your chair provided it is in line with the desk. You may need to push your computer and keyboard away from you so that the keyboard is at forearm distance. This will allow your neck muscles to be relaxed and will also take pressure off the discs in your spine.

Book a consultation:

At Archview Physiotherapy Clinic we can assess and treat bad posture. With physiotherapy treatment in conjunction with these tips you’ll be able to sit pain free at your desk in no time. If you have any enquiries please contact our reception desk on 014913228 or email us at [email protected].