SMARTPHYSIO Blog

Written by Caitlin Erlank Physiotherapist BSc HCPC MCSP AACP What is it? Parkinson's Disease is a progressive neurological condition that...

Is strength training for you? It definitely is for me and you will find me everyday early morning in the gym working on different body parts to maintain and get strong It’s definitely more and more difficult as I get older but if you don’t use it you will loose it! For as long as I can remember, I have been dedicated to the pursuit of strength. Through my own experiences, competitions and evidence-based research, I have come to understand the transformative power of strength

My mum is 80 this year and I am becoming increasingly aware of my own predispositions. Having been a Chartered Physiotherapist for more than 30 years now, I know the value of getting strong and keeping strong. Our practice visits many patients in their home who have lost confidence, had a slip, trip or a fall. And this is on the rise. We're now living longer than ever and it's definitely worth investing time in strength training to help to improve the quality of our lives and

Do you have a tendonitis? Are you suffering from plantar fasciitis? Achilles tendonitis? Have you tried Shockwave Therapy? Shockwave therapy machines pass short, intense energy sound waves, travelling faster than the speed of sound, into affected tissues. This causes micro-trauma, increases blood flow and stimulates an acute inflammatory response which aids the healing process. Shockwave therapy is widely used in physiotherapy, podiatry, sports medicine, urology and orthopaed

Having been a Chartered Physiotherapist for more than 30 year I can truly say that I am so blessed to have chosen this career. 'Always...

According to research,3-18% of amateur and professional golfers suffer knee injuries which, of course, leads to pain. So why does it happen as often as it does for a supposedly low-impact sport? And is there anything that relieves the pain? And should I still be playing? There are 3 key areas to look at: Your knee’s anatomy Your swing mechanics, and Your equipment Anatomy of the knee Your knee is a synovial joint and as a synovial joint, as part of its anatomy there is a cap

This year the London Marathon has been moved to October 2nd 2022. It was postponed from April and this is the third successive year that the race has been held in the autumn. At this time of year we usually see an increase in plantar fasciitis. This is a disorder of the plantar fascia which is the connective tissue that supports the foot.This tends to be caused by overtraining, an increase in mileage, tight calf muscles, hill workouts and an up in your speed training. This m

Chest physiotherapy is a term used for physiotherapy treatments targeted towards issues in the lungs. The cause of this can be from many...

Having seen many patients over the years, it is becoming increasingly clear that many pathologies are exacerbated by anxiety and stress. Stress definitely has an impact on muscle functions. Aging is often associated with weakness of skeletal muscles and decrease in muscle functions. Usually in old-age, people undergo wasting of muscles, so they are more prone for fall and fracture. It has been stated that stress and cognition has an impact on muscle functions. This study was

From an achy back to throbbing wrists, joint pain may feel like an inevitable part of getting older. Indeed, nearly nine million Britons suffer from osteoarthritis – the most common type of arthritis, associated with the wearing down of joints and the body’s attempts to repair them – with most people who get it developing it in their mid-40s or older. However, musculoskeletal conditions are more widespread than you might think. These are problems to do with your joints, bo

Physiotherapy helps restore movement and function when someone is affected by injury, illness or disability (Chartered Society of...

Physiotherapy helps to restore movement and function when someone is affected by injury, illness or disability. It can also help to reduce your risk of injury or illness in the future. It takes a holistic approach that involves the patient directly in their own care. A picture paints a thousand words so instead of words I thought that I would share some recent photos of some of our Chartered Physiotherapists in action A range of Hands-on and Hands-off approaches are used at t

We are now offering Shockwave Therapy at our in Hampstead and Highgate included in your treatment if referred by a GP or consultant....

Back pain is on the increase and as Chartered Physiotherapists we are always looking at ways to treat and advise. Covid has meant that more of us are working from home and this has had a huge impact on the increase It is important to consider all pain in a ‘biopsychosocial framework’. This means there will be biological, psychological and social factors that can influence each other, and the level of pain. A biopsychosocial framework of pain: Cardiovascular fitness (healthy

The lasting impact of the pandemic shutdown We seem to have lost our footing slightly during lockdown, with physiotherapists seeing an increase in falls in older adults. ‘During lockdown, many of my clients were only walking about a third of the amount they used to,’ says Sammy Margo, a physiotherapist based in London. ‘Reduced activity leads to muscle weakening that causes instability, particularly in older adults,’ she explains. ‘But I also think that the pandemic has desta

Summer is finally here. The days are beautiful long and warm. The hot nights are a challenge. Just because the sun is out, it doesn’t lessen your need for sleep. The temperature of our surrounding environment is one of the key factors that influences sleep. Hot temperatures make it harder for the body to shed heat and cool itself. Steamy and humid nights cause people to wake more often during the night, reducing sleep efficiency. So how is this relevant to repair and recovery

Smartphones have become our most prized possessions, holding our contacts, music, banking and our all-important social media accounts. Now, all those hours of swiping, scrolling, typing and flicking across the screen are taking their toll on users’ hands, giving rise to cases of ‘scroller thumb’. Also called ‘smartphone thumb’ or ‘text thumb’, symptoms include pain, numbness and stiffness as the tendons become inflamed – a condition called tendonitis. And it’s on the rise as

As a physiotherapist, the most rewarding aspect of our jobs is getting people moving well, pain free and achieving their goals. Our Neurorehabilitation Physiotherapists have designed this programme for our Parkinson's patients Our unique Parkinson's care program includes home visit treatments in the central and northwest London areas. Please feel free to download and call us if you need more information.

Saturday January 30 2021, 12.01am, The Times written by Peta Bee Long days at laptops have taken a physical toll. Here are the best...

Carer training is the provision of specific skills training for those who care for your loved one. Care companies and family members often need a bit of extra training to be able to confidently help with transfers or handling, safely use equipment, and many other aspects of your parent's care We can offer specific training sessions, and produce instructions on specific skills. What is the point of carer training? There are many reasons to train your parent's carer Ensures all