Runners Knee

One of the most common running injuries I see is ‘runners knee’ pain on the outside of the knee due to friction between the iliotibial band (a band of connective tissue stretching down the outside of the thigh to below the knee) and the outside of the knee joint. It is most often felt when running downhill. Iliotibial band syndrome is common in runners who perform unbalanced, repetitive exercise such as running only on one side of a crowned road, or only running one way around a track. Most roads slope off to the sides and running along the edge causes to the outside foot to be lower than the inside foot. This in turn causes the pelvis to tilt to one side and stresses the IT band.

The Iliotibial band is a hard area to stretch effectively so It is advisable to use a foam roller regularly to keep it nice and loose.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoHBDim_fzk




Whatever your goal remember to gradually increase your exercise load gradually. This will allow your body to adapt to the new demands being placed on it. 

Unexplained Pain?

Making sense of your pain

How many times have you woken up in the past to find that you have a new ache or pain. Where does this pain come from?

The sensations we experience in our bodies are not random. The complexity of the human  body can make what we experience seem random.

When we experience pain in a muscle or around a joint, a common assumption is that the problem is right there with that muscle or joint. This may seem self evident but it’s not quite that simple. It could be referred pain. This is a pain that originates in one place but shows up in another.

For example a common presentation in the clinic is pain on the side of the neck and shoulder and down around the shoulder blade. Each joint in the neck has a distinct area of referred pain so patients are often surprised to find that the pain they feel in the shoulder blade is in fact from the neck and that joint problems at the top of the neck may cause tension headaches. See the diagram below by N. Bogduk

Each vertebrae in our spine has a corresponding spinal nerve, these can also give referred pain, as the diagram below shows. An example of spinal referred pain is sciatica which arises from the irritation of the spinal nerves at L4 and/or L5,S1.

Internal organs may also give referred pain. The sensory nerve supply for the heart originates from the spinal nerves at T1-4 in the upper back so the pain felt during a heart attack is in the left arm or shoulder. Pain in the right shoulder may also be referred from the liver and gallbladder

Referred pain is therefore something that needs to be considered in all patients complaining of any type of pain in order to make an accurate diagnosis. These referral patterns are something that osteopaths are highly trained in.

OSTEOPOROSIS

Osteoporosis affects many people

1 in 3 women

1 in 12 men

To understand osteoporosis it is important to know a bit about how bone is made and maintained.

Osteoblast cells build new bone

Osteoclast cells remove and recycle bone

Normally their activities are balanced

Bone mass peaks at 30 and then naturally declines. 

Many factors will effect a persons peak bone mass.

Throughout life, bone cells are constantly being removed and replaced from within your skeleton. When the rebuilding rate becomes less active than removal rate, bones are left weaker and more porous.

The biggest threat of this is the onset of the menopause in women. Oestrogen keeps the number of bone removal cells at bay. 

After the menopause when oestrogen levels decrease the cells that break down bone increase, breaking down the bone at a quicker rate than than it is being replaced. 

Bearing this in mind it is vital that in the younger years (up to 30 years old) major risk factors that reduce bone density are avoided to accommodate for this e.g 

SMOKING smoking has a toxic effect on bone by stopping the construction cell (osteoblasts) from doing their work. 

DRINKING TOO MUCH ALCOHOL, 

INACTIVITY Your skeleton grows stronger if you do regular weight-bearing    exercise.

POOR DIET

Other factors such as steroid treatment, family history and illness where malabsorbtion of nutrients is a problem.

Your Osteopath may be able to offer you some relief from your symptoms. For many patients massage and gentle movements of the affected joints will help to restore a more healthy blood supply and greater freedom of movement.

This does not in itself suggest a cure, but if you are more mobile and less uncomfortable, you will be able to do more exercise and this is a crucial part of self-help.

Do I have a 'Slipped disc'?

One of the most common things we see at the practice are disc related problems. So, what are discs?

The discs you have in your back are protective, circular pads of cartilage (connective tissue) that lie in between the bones of your spine (vertebrae). The discs are responsible for cushioning the vertebrae when you jump or run. The discs are made from a tough, fibrous case, which contains a softer, gel-like substance.

A prolapsed or herniated disc (sometimes called a ‘slipped disc’) occurs when the outer part of your disc ruptures, allowing the gel inside to bulge and protrude outwards from in between your vertebrae. The damaged disc can put pressure on your whole spinal cord or on a single nerve fibre. This means that a slipped disc can cause pain both in the area of the protruding disc and in any part of your body that is controlled by the nerve the disc is pressing on. Most commonly this will result in sciatica.

Causes of a slipped disc injury

• Any type of intense pressure on the disk by the vertebrae above and below it can cause this injury. Lifting a heavy objects in an improper manner, sudden twisting, weakening of the disk covering that occurs with age, or by traumatic injury to the back area.
• Obesity can also put pressure on the disks.
• Smoking can contribute to degeneration of the disk material

I love this chart by Dr Alf Nachemsen. It really shows how different positions affect the pressure on your discs.

Hemel Osteopathic Practice logo

Hemel Osteopathic Practice is a professional osteopathic clinic based in the centre of Hemel Hempstead.  We treat people of all ages that have a wide range of musculo-skeletal problems.  We are registered with the General Osteopathic Council and are recognized by all major health insurance companies.

 Clinic opening times

Monday	9am to 8pm
Tuesday	9am to 8pm
Wednesday	9am to 8pm
Thursday	9am to 8pm
Friday	9am to 8pm
Saturday	9am to 1pm
Sunday	Closed

Happy New Year for 2012

Wishing you all a HAPPY and Healthy 2012!

For those of you that have made a New Years resolution to get fit, this may be of interest!

A gentle jog is LESS tiring than a brisk walk... and better for your muscles, scientists say

If your 2012 health drive involves introducing regular power-walks to your exercise schedule, you might want to consider going jogging instead.

A new study has found that a gentle run is actually less tiring - and is better for your muscles - than a brisk walk.

Welcome to Hemel Osteopathic Practice

A warm welcome from Chris and Samantha Sullivan!