Joints

The 2 most common problems presenting to the clinic are Adhesive Capsulitis (Frozen shoulder) and Rotator Cuff degeneration. Frozen shoulder is usually of insidious onset, more commonly found in females than males. It can be present from a few months to 18 months. Rotator Cuff injuries are a common presentation to the clinic. They often occur as a result of normal activities of daily living, such as lifting, but may also be the result of a sporting injury or a fall. Tendon pathologies are … [Read more...] about Common Shoulder Problems

A frozen shoulder (or adhesive capsulitis) is when your shoulder becomes acutely painful and loses freedom of motion as a result of inflammation of the capsule of the shoulder. It usually starts for no apparent reason and can take anywhere from 6 to 18 months to recover completely. Thorough initial assessment is important to determine that a stiff, painful shoulder is not a rotator cuff problem, which requires a different treatment plan. There are three stages in a frozen … [Read more...] about What is a Frozen Shoulder?

Osteoporosis occurs when bones lose minerals, such as calcium, quicker than the body can replace them, resulting in a loss of bone thickness. This causes bones to become brittle, with a higher risk of breaking than normal bones. Women are at greater risk of osteoporosis due to the rapid decline in oestrogen levels during menopause, which causes bone to lose calcium and other minerals at a much faster rate. From the age of 25 until the time of menopause, bone mass remains relatively stable, … [Read more...] about Osteoporosis

Osteoarthritis affects more than 1.3 million Australians. The main underlying feature is the loss of or damage to cartilage tissue, needed for easy joint movement. Cartilage loss can be affected by mechanical, biochemical and genetic factors. In advanced stages, the space between the joint decreases, accelerating joint damage and pain. Structural damages of the joint can be observed on x-ray but symptoms can be present without radiological changes, just as changes that appear on x-ray may not … [Read more...] about Knee Osteoarthritis

The most common cause of pain in the hip and lateral thigh area, is due to degenerative tears of the deep muscles of the hip (the rotator cuff muscles of the hip). This is commonly known as Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome. Bursitis is frequently implicated but is usually not the primary cause of pain. It is usually secondary to degenerative changes in muscles and tendons, namely gluteus medius and gluteus minimus. Pathology in these muscles is usually associated with some other … [Read more...] about Hip pain – It’s not always bursitis

Sprains to the lateral ligaments of the ankle are responsible for more time lost from sports participation than any other injury, and the rate of the recurrence has been reported to be as high as 80%. Functional ankle instability is said to occur when the individual repeatedly feels their ankle ‘giving way’ without a specific mechanical cause. It can result from : Loss of proprioception. Errors in detecting ankle positions prior to ground contact, technically termed proprioceptive deficit, … [Read more...] about Chronic Ankle Instability

Get the Balance Right – The importance of the scapula and rotator cuff muscles in shoulder movement Chronic shoulder problems often occur because of imbalance of shoulder muscle activity caused by incorrect exercising and poor posture. Effective coordinated movement of the shoulder complex requires a certain balance of strength between the large prime mover muscles and the smaller stabilising muscles. Most chronic shoulder problems result from poor function of these smaller rotator cuff … [Read more...] about The Grumbling Shoulder