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Chronic / Persistent Pain

Chronic / Persistent Pain
Chronic / Persistent Pain 1000 700 Ace Health Centre

Chronic/Persistent Pain

What is chronic/persistent pain?

Why is it that some pains last much longer than we expect them to? And why is it that if we have had a similar pain in the past which went away quickly is sticking around longer this time around? If we use the example of a muscle strain which we typically see muscle strains recovering in as little as 4-6 weeks, but when it lasts for 3-6 months why does it still hurt? Or why is it that when talking to two different people about their knee osteoarthritis, one has pain and limited with their activities while the other is reporting no pain and has no limitations?

Why is my pain lasting so long?

The short answer is there are numerous factors playing a role into how we experience pain and how long it can last. The longer answer is that our body/brain are very smart and very protective to keep us functioning. The brain and body use a lot of pathways to communicate to decide on the appropriate response to a stimulus (injury or event). The brain doesn’t want to waste time processing everything that happens to us so it creates shortcuts and calls on old memories, or things we’ve seen, how people have reacted to similar situations, or our expectations, stress levels, mental health, and mood. With this being said the brain decides to react to the stimulus or decides its not important enough to react.

So what does this mean?

In a sense this means that an injury that has caused pain and has recovered, may continue to persist due to our experiences and an ongoing fear avoidance to prevent ongoing pain. As we continue to build into that fear avoidance the body becomes more sensitive to pain and more restricted leading to longer recovery times. This is not to say that you should push through pain either though as that can also increase the bodies sensitivity. Discussing with a physiotherapist can help you find the right track back to your usual activities with graded exposure.There are also a few interesting cases out there that will further show how interesting the body is in reacting to different stimuli.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/pain-explained/201911/tale-two-nails

And if you prefer TED talks instead of reading you can google “why things hurt” with Lorimer Moseley

Or contact us today to see how our physios can help you with pain management. 

tennis elbow brace

Tennis elbow brace
Tennis elbow brace 671 935 Ace Health Centre

Tennis elbow brace

Do you ever see people wearing those black straps just below their elbow you might have wondered what it is? It usually isn’t a fashion item and in most cases would be a tennis elbow brace.

They might be wearing it to help with tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) injury. This may have been recommended by their health practitioner in order to help with their injury.

How does it help with pain?

The idea behind the brace is to help offload the pressure/tension being put on the tendons that connect to the outer portion of the elbow (common extensor origin). The majority of the forearm muscles cross the elbow joint and attach to the lateral epicondyle. So when overworking those muscles with job demands, lifting, painting, writing or even playing tennis all that load is being put through that area in a more localised distribution.

The benefit of the brace is that it essentially creates a new anchor point that helps distribute the force over a larger area and takes some of the stress off the lateral epicondyle. Doing this allows the tendons and muscles to have a better chance to recover and can help speed along with recovery. It also allows the person to perform the exercises required to rehab the injured area with less pain and reduce the risk of setbacks. Your physio therefore may recommend one to wear during the prescribed exercise programme.

How long do you have to wear a tennis elbow brace?

We never want to leave you reliant on those fashionable braces and as the recovery progresses you will feel more confident with slowly weaning out of the brace and back to doing the things you enjoy doing. Working with your physio will help you determine when that time will be so that you find the perfect balance of support and recovery while moving to a program that will help prevent future injury.

We always recommend getting the view of a health practitioner before purchasing any bracing to reduce the risk of purchasing the wrong brace and reduce the risk of causing other issues.

 

If you need a brace or have a tennis elbow, give us a call today. Book in with one of our physio to get that elbow back on track. Book here or call us on 07 5572 6222

Chronic Kidney Disease Dietitian Gold Coast

Chronic Kidney Disease Dietitian Gold Coast
Chronic Kidney Disease Dietitian Gold Coast 626 417 Ace Health Centre

Chronic Kidney Disease Dietitian Gold Coast

It’s a no-brainer that enjoying a healthy diet is essential for everyone’s health, but for those with chronic kidney disease (i.e. chronic renal disease/ CKD), diet plays an important role in slowing down the decline of your kidney function. If you want to preserve your kidney function and prevent yourself from the pathway of hemodialysis, then this article is relevant to you.

What is Chronic Kidney Disease?

Our kidneys are vital organs that are mainly responsible for removing waste products and balancing fluid in our body, including regulation of the body’s salts like potassium and sodium. They also play a role in regulating our blood pressure and controlling calcium metabolism (i.e. our bone health). If our kidneys cannot filter waste products effectively and gradually lose their function over time, it can be a sign of CKD. There are 2 main causes of CKD, diabetes and high blood pressure are responsible for up to two-thirds of the cases.

Therefore, the type of food you eat play an important role in controlling blood pressure and blood sugar level if you have diabetes.

What diet is good for you?

Unfortunately, there is no size fit all standard diet for kidney disease, a healthy diet can be different for everybody based on your health needs and blood results. A general rule of thumbs are:

  1. Have regular meals with a wide variety of food from all food groups

Try to have a consistent meal pattern (i.e. breakfast, lunch, and dinner) and enjoy foods from all core food groups, especially plant-based food, and whole grains. Aim to have half your plate with vegetable/salad.

  1. Minimize your salt intake

Try to use more herbs and spices to flavor food instead of salt and eat less processed food and takeaways.

  1. Don’t eat too much protein

Getting the right balance of protein can be tricky with CKD, eating too much causes your kidneys to work harder and decrease their function, but eating too little can cause muscle loss and weakness. Generally aim to eat a moderate amount of protein each day, e.g. a serving size of meat/fish close to the size of a deck of cards or 1 and a half cup legumes/pulses/tofu at main meals.

For any individualized meal plan or dietary advice, come and ask our dietitian today.

Does Tennis Elbow occur from playing tennis?

Does Tennis Elbow occur from playing tennis?
Does Tennis Elbow occur from playing tennis? 598 403 Ace Health Centre

Does Tennis Elbow occur from playing tennis?

A fun fact about tennis elbow is that it rarely occurs due to playing tennis, in fact only about 5% of people will develop tennis elbow from tennis! Tennis elbow can be described as a pain on the outside of the elbow with increased activity and movement. The pain can also refer down as far as the wrist and hand. So why does tennis occur if not from tennis? Tennis elbow can be seen as an overuse injury in which it can occur from increased job demands involving the wrist, hand, and elbow, or with manual labor.

What is happening that causes pain?

As tennis elbow is more of an overuse injury there are a number of factors that could be contributing to the pain. Due to the repetitive nature of job, hobbies, and daily life, the repetitive movements can cause inflammation around the elbow joint. Inflammation is the body’s way of trying to protect itself which can be painful to move the affected area. Furthermore, microscopic tearing and degenerative changes within the tendon can be occurring. This is caused by the tendon tissue not being able to handle the load of activity and can slowly weaken which in turn causes the sensation of pain in the area with movement and activity.

How long can it last?

Tennis elbow is related to load management and activity which means it can vary in duration. The pain being experienced can change in intensity and duration. You may find that pain is immediate with certain activities and will resolve afterwards, or you may find it occurs a few hours after activity. With most overuse type injuries like this we will typically see recovery times around 3 months. Discussing treatment options and activity modifications with a physiotherapist can help speed up the recovery as well as give you the tools to help manage the future risk of reoccurrence.

Book now with Joey our tennis belbow phyios. 

Neck Pain After Sleeping

Neck Pain After Sleeping
Neck Pain After Sleeping 225 225 Ace Health Centre

Neck Pain After Sleeping

Neck Pain After Sleeping – Have you ever woken up one morning and when you try to turn you head you can’t? Turning the other way feels fine but it’s very sore and painful to turn to one side. Neck pain after sleeping can happen without any warning. It can feel very uncomfortable and last longer than you want it to. This neck pain is usually called acute wry neck. Physiotherapists can help speed up the healing of this neck pain and get you back on track.

What is Neck Pain After Sleeping?

Neck pain after sleeping is usually due to what’s called acute wry neck. This happens when the joints and muscles on one side of your neck tighten and stiffen up. This can make it feel very difficult to move your head in one direction. This also usually only happens to one side of your neck, not both. It can happen out of the blue with no direct known cause. You may experience any of the following if you get acute wry neck:
  • Neck pain
  • Muscle spasms
  • Loss of movement of your head
  • Shoulder pain
  • Head positioned away from the side of pain
All of these also only occur on one side of the neck, not both.

How Do I Get Rid of my Neck Pain After Sleeping

 Luckily for you, acute wry neck can be treated in a very short period of time! Your physiotherapist can provide several different treatment options to get rid of your neck pain quickly. This may include:
  • Joint treatments
  • Massage
  • Other manual therapy techniques
  • Heat
  • Stretching exercises
  • Dry Needling
  • NSAID recommendations
  • Strengthening exercises
Treatment and further long term strengthening exercises can be of great benefit. This will relieve your pain quickly and also help prevent it from coming back! Strengthening specific muscles are a great way to keep your neck pain away. Your physiotherapist is there to help find the right exercises for you and keep you pain free.

Why did Chelsea get into physio?
Why did Chelsea get into physio? 744 992 Ace Health Centre

 

Top tips to get your feet ready for running

Top tips to get your feet ready for running
Top tips to get your feet ready for running 620 330 Ace Health Centre

Top tips to get your feet ready for running

The top tips to get your feet ready for running will be discussed in this blog. The new year brings fresh motivation and new goals. You may want to challenge yourself to run your first ever 5k or even complete a marathon. Quality foot care is paramount, the feet are what will carry us over that finish line after all.

Top running tips

  1. Shoes – The first of the top tips to get your feet ready for running is choosing the correct shoe. It is a great idea to buy shoes at the end of the day as your feet will have swollen a bit. Choose a shoe with a toe box that will accommodate the shape of your feet, wide enough to avoid friction to the toes and forefoot, long enough to avoid the toes hitting the front of the shoe when running downhill (1 size bigger usually recommended). Lace-up is also preferred as it can be adapted, tightened, or loosened as required.
  2. Socks – Socks are often overlooked but also very important. Socks offer protection to the feet, can limit excessive sweating which causes maceration and blistering. Avoid socks that cause friction from poorly placed stitching, again this can cause hot spots or blisters. Toe socks can be a good option as they will not restrict toes and reduce friction between the toes.
  3. Skin Care – The third of the top tips to get your feet ready for running is skincare. Moisturising the skin stops it from drying up and helps maintain natural moisture levels. Apply moisturizer while the skin is still damp, so it traps surface moisture into your skin.
  4. See a Podiatrist – Last but not least, see a Podiatrist. A podiatrist can assess your foot function and structure and make suitable recommendations on footwear, socks, and shoe modifications. They can also provide expert skin and nail care, keeping your feet healthy, comfortable, and pain-free.
And that’s it, now it’s time to go for a run! Contact us for more info. 

Why does the front of my knee hurt?
Why does the front of my knee hurt? 150 150 Ace Health Centre

Why does the front of my knee hurt?

Have you been going throughout your day and wondering why the front (anterior) of your knee has been hurting lately? This could be while you are sitting at work, walking around doing chores, playing your favorite sport, or even when going up and downstairs. There is a lot of factors that can be at play when looking at the cause of pain around the front of the knee.

Signs you have from of my knee pain

As stated above, you may have noticed a sharp or dull pain around the front of your knee. This may also be occurring at different times, whether it’s while you’re walking, going up and down stairs, or playing a game you love. This pain may also stay at the front of it may be moving toward the back of the knee or up and down.

Common reasons for anterior knee pain

So… Why does the front of my knee hurt? There are a few common reasons we see pain at the front of the knee. Each of these has slightly differing feelings.

  • Patellofemoral pain – This is caused when the knee cap moves slightly out of alignment and causes increased contact with the surrounding bone.
  • Patella tendinopathy – This is caused by overuse of the knee during a certain activity or a change in activity that is beyond the body’s capability at the time of the activity.
  • Fat pad irritation – This is caused by increased swelling and inflammation in the area causing increased pressure on the fat pad.
  • Osgood Schlatter’s disease – This is more common in children/adolescents who are active with sport and are going through a growth spurt.

Why is this happening?

As the knee takes a lot of pressure from our daily demands, there a few factors that could be leading us to these common injuries. Some common factors include; genetics, fatigue, muscle weakness, decreased activation of muscles, increased weight gain, and movement patterns.

We hoped this answered Why does the front of my knee hurt? At Ace Health Centre we will help you understand what is happening, why it is happening, and help you get back to doing what you enjoy.

Concussion physio on the Gold Coast

Concussion physio on the Gold Coast
Concussion physio on the Gold Coast 600 358 Ace Health Centre

Concussion physio on the Gold Coast

Here at ACE, we have Concussion physio on the Gold Coast. We’ve heard about concussions throughout the sporting world and possibly from everyday accidents.
But what exactly is a concussion? Based on the most widely used definition, a concussion is a trauma-induced alteration in mental status that may or may not result in loss of consciousness. A big take away from this definition is that there doesn’t always need to be a loss of consciousness to sustain a concussion.

How does a concussion occur?

Concussions are a result of a traumatic blow to the head which causes the brain to shake/twist and forced against the inside of the skull. From these forces, the attachments of the brain to the skull are put on high levels of stress. This goes along with the injury caused by the collision of the brain with the skull.
A majority of concussions are results of motor vehicle accidents, and sports, while other reasons can be from assault or falls. Signs and symptoms of concussion
  • Headache
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Fatigue/drowsiness
  • Confusion
  • Amnesia
  • Dizziness
  • Sleep Disturbances
  • Loss of consciousness
  • Slurred speech
  • Delayed responses
  • Dazed appearance
  • Concentration and memory complaints
  • Sensitivity to light
  • Irritability or personality changes
  • Depression

How do we treat concussions?

We have started to move away from the idea that strict rest is the best medicine for concussions. There is good evidence to show that returning to daily activities and exercise can provide better results for recovery. This is not to say to go back into sport immediately. It should be more of a gradual return to daily activities and returning to light exercise, prior to returning to a game or full daily activities.

A well-outlined recovery program should be implemented as athletes with concussions are 3x more likely to sustain a second concussion in the same season. Regardless of the sport played or daily activities involved recovery times can be shortened with a gradual return to activity. Recovery times can range depending on the person but can range anywhere from 2-4 weeks. Just like the body, the brain also needs a combination of rest and activity to help return to doing the things that we love to do.

 

If you have has a concussion injury contact us today for Concussion physio on the Gold Coast treatment. 

Why do I have neck pain?

What is Whiplash?
What is Whiplash? 1280 500 Ace Health Centre

What is Whiplash?

What is Whiplash? A whiplash injury is an acceleration-deceleration event that results in increased forces directed to the neck, usually from a motor vehicle collision. The impact of the accident may result in various injuries that could present in many different ways. Some symptoms you may experience if you are involved in a car accident include:
  • Neck Pain
  • Shoulder/Arm/Hand/Back pain
  • Pins, needles, or numbness down your arm
  • Sensitivity to touch
  • Decreased neck movement
  • Headaches
Although not as common, other symptoms could include:
  • Vision problems
  • Trouble with your hearing
  • Dizziness
  • Memory/Concentration problems
  • Jaw pain
  • Sleeping difficulty
  • Fatigue
  • Emotional changes

Whiplash Myths

Over the years, there have been mixed sayings on whether or not certain factors relate to recovery success. For example, awareness of the collision has been said to increase your whiplash symptoms. This is actually NOT true. Other myths that do NOT relate to how well you recover include:

  • Shoulder pain
  • Speed of collision
  • Age
  • Marital status
  • Seat belt use
  • Shoulder pain
  • Position in vehicle

How do I treat whiplash?

A motor vehicle accident can be a very scary and potentially traumatic event. It is important to seek both physical and psychological aid for coping and relief strategies. This will ensure you make a full and speedy recovery. Most do make a full recovery after their accident, however, the timeframe of recovery can greatly vary. Seeking treatment and support from your physiotherapist can help facilitate a quicker recovery. Treatment strategies can range from various neck movements to breathing exercises. Seeking assistance as soon as possible after your accident helps ensure your symptoms can be promptly addressed and taken care of.
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