Archive for December, 2007

Birmingham Sports Massage Team from Solihull Sports Injury Clinic in Hall Green Birmingham assisted the Birmingham Clothes Show catwalk team of dancers and models to complete a tough 37 shows over 6 days at the NEC in Birmingham during December 2007.

The show had some fabulous outfits and ran like clockwork thanks to the experienced team of backstage organisers and top quality dancers and models.

Physical stresses from a punishing schedule can take its toll on dancers and models and Solihull Sports Injury Clinic were on hand to provide Sports Massage and any first aid necessary. Manned by Birmingham Osteopath and Physiotherapist John Williams and his team of remedial massage sports therapists the show went very well and was appreciated by the crowds of people who packed the theatre during the 6 days.

Atlas Spine Management Programme

We all know that musculo-skeletal pain can cost time off work and give much discomfort. Back pain, neck pain and trapped nerves such as sciatica are usually symptoms of wear and tear or neglect.

Many years ago the dentist was only visited when you had a toothache. With advancement in dental care we now realise that prevention is better than cure!

Regular checkups have resulted in less serious damage to teeth and gums and now “Teeth for Life” is a real possibility for all of us. Following this example, the health of your spine surely has to be a priority. Pain is a red traffic light, it is a warning sign that something is wrong and is your body asking for help. Left and Ignored painful symptoms can develop into something more serious.

Following numerous requests from patients we have introduced the Atlas Spine Management Programme. Regular checkups every 3 months is sufficient to assist early identification of potential problems in most cases.

What is involved in the
Atlas Spine Management Programme checkup?

 Blood Pressure check

 Body Fat analysis

 Spine and postural assessment

If you prepay for the annual management plan you save £33

Prepay for 4 checkups and only pay for 3

Prebooked payments can be made at reception at a cost of £99

Telephone 01827 59943 for more information or visit the website on www.atlaspainrelief.com

Acupuncture is often spelt incorrectly as accupuncture.

Acupuncture can be an effective treatment for back pain however firstly the cause of the problem has to be identified. Bulging discs leading to nerve root irritation such as sciatica are of a mechanical nature and acupuncture treatments in these cases would only be treating the symptoms not the cause.

Many medications prescribed via your GP are only treating symptoms and in numerous cases the cause of the complaint has not been established. Acupuncture treatments may be viewed as similar to this by not addressing the nature of the complaint.

Acupuncture practitioners who work alongside other professionals such as GP’s, osteopaths, chiropractors and physiotherapists will have the support of practitioners with diagnostic skills and knowledge of medical testing. This can be valuable as a health screening process as some patients who present with low back pain may have a serious disease. Spinal Mets are a common site for prostate cancer and other local tumor sites and often present as back pain.

Some acupuncture practitioners prefers to work independently and will offer acupuncture as a treatment for every condition. Once again it must be stressed that acupuncture can be effective in the management of pain but for mechanical back pain the important factor is to identify the cause.

Treating pain without looking at the cause is like removing the red warning light lamp behind the dashboard of your car to prevent the irritating light coming on every time you drive. Diagnostic testing is very important when faced with back pain and once the cause of the back pain has been established the treatment regime can be selected.

A multi-disciplinary clinic where your first appointment will be carried out by a registered qualified practitioner capable of diagnostic testing to screen for any serious complaints is a good idea for safety. Missing early clinical signs may lead to a delay in diagnosing serious complaints and thus a delay in getting valuable early lifesaving intervention.

Many acupuncture practitioners are unable to register with private health companies such as Bupa due partly to the nature of the training they have previously received.

Atlas Back Pain Relief Centre in Tamworth Staffordshire and Solihull Birmingham is a multi disciplinary centre with osteopaths, physiotherapists and an acupuncture practitioner and all practitioners work together as a team. Acupuncture is used successfully within the clinic and the acupuncture practitioner has the comfort should they require it to seek a second opinion on patient symptoms or have a health screen done before commencing acupuncture treatment. Acupuncture can be more succesful than western medicine in some cases and is a great alternative for osteopaths and physiotherapists should they require an alternative viewpoint,

Atlas has the reputation for quality and customer service and all their practitioners have experience at treating back pain.

Testimonials can be viewed by visiting the website www.atlaspainrelief.com

Birmingham Clothes Show 2007 is supported again by the Solihull Birmingham based Sports Event Massage team. Fashion show models and dancers have a very physical 6 days of hard work with up to 7 shows per day over the 6 day period.

Birmingham Osteopath and Physiotherapist John Williams and his squad look after the clothes show team and provide backstage support for tired and aching muscles. Sports massage, sports therapy, deep tissue massage, electrotherapy and manipulation treatments are a few of the treatments available to the team which ensures the show has the team of dancers and models fit for duty and enables them to take part in delivering a fabulous performance to please the large enthusiastic Birmingham crowds.

Solihull Birmingham sports massage treatments are able to be booked by telephoning
0800 1953 916 or visiting www.solihullsportsinjuryclinic.co.uk

Heel Pain is very common these days and if you suffer a sharp stabbing pain under your heel, especially when you put your foot down on the ground first thing in the morning, it is probably a painful heel condition called plantar fasciitis or a heel spur.

Plantar Fasciitis is an inflammation of the plantar fascia which runs under the bottom of the foot and joins the heel to the toes. It has a broader attachment at the front and a very narrow specific attachment under the heel. There are many forces which are applied to the foot when weight bearing and this results in a stretching of this fascia and pulling at the attachment at the heel. This eventually leads to inflammation which can become very painful when standing after periods of rest. If left untreated this can develop into a bony heel spur.

Common causes of plantar fasciitis are overpronated feet or dropped arches. This allows more stretch on the plantar fascia and increases the heel pain. Treatment will involve identification of the cause of overpronation via a biomechanical evaluation and if required the fitting of custom prescription orthosis or orthotics. These are prescription insoles that insert in your footwear and correct the biomechanics which stop the feet from overpronating.

There are many options of orthotics from DIY versions sold at the chemist shops, on line sales and sports injury clinics who will fit them for you. I have to stress that the orthotics come in different qualities and cheap is not usually best. In Solihull Birmingham and Tamworth Staffordshire there is a specialist centre for running injuries and they have vast experience in treating heel pain, achilles tendonitis and shinsplints.

At the Tamworth clinic they have a sports podiatrist who specialises in heel pain and running injuries. Facilities at the clinic include Biomechanical Evaluations, Laser Foot Scanning, Prescription Orthotics, and Video Gait Analysis which is up to date technology to pinpoint your problem and provide a solution.

Visit the website on www.atlaspainrelief.com for more details.

Other factors which can increase the symptoms of heel pain is, becoming overweight, tight calfs and restricted ankle dorsiflexion, which are all treatable. A visit to the GP may result in an anti-inflammatory injection in the heel which can be painful and often does not work. This is mostly due to the cause of the problem having not been addressed. Treating symptoms only, will likely lead to a recurring problem.