Carpal tunnel syndrome or referred neck pain/cervical nerve root compression?
What is carpal tunnel syndrome? Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when the median nerve, which is in the centre of the palmar side of your wrist, is compressed as it passes through the carpal tunnel. The carpal tunnel is the area between the two rows of small bones in the wrist, called carpal bones, and the [...]
Why do perimenopausal women develop musculoskeletal pain and inflammation?
Why do pain symptoms increase with menopause? Between 40-60% of perimenopausal and menopausal women have musculoskeletal pain and inflammation. Oestrogen has an anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive effect. It also helps to inhibit pain pathways in the spinal cord, which reduces your perception of pain. So when the levels of oestrogen fall during menopause, pain, inflammation and [...]
Physiological Effects of Yoga Breathing Techniques for Relaxation or Stimulation.
What types of Yoga Breathing are there and what are they good for? The most gentle yoga breathing is Savasana (Corpse Pose). This is usually used at the end of a yoga class to create a relaxed state. Pulse mediated relaxation breathing was devised more recently by Dr Vijay Pabbathi, from whom I have learned [...]
Guidelines for treatment of Temporomandibular Joint Disorders
In the last few of years, guidelines have been released by the Royal College of Surgeons, British Medical Association, British Orthodontic Society, and NICE Guidelines regarding the best treatment options for issues with the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD. The more recent guidelines place a larger emphasis on using physiotherapy, manual therapy [...]
Musculoskeletal Side Effects from Immunotherapy
Cancer immunotherapy, commonly using immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), has revolutionized the treatment of previously hard to treat metastatic (stage four) cancer. The main difference to other treatments such as chemotherapy is that it boosts the immune system rather than impairs it. Chemotherapy tries to kill cancer cells by using medications that are toxic to cancer [...]
Stress, Anxiety and its Effect on Pain, Muscles and digestion
Stress can cause muscle tension and conditions related to muscle tension such as temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD), tension headaches and migraines, low back pain, neck and shoulder pain and dizziness. Stress creates muscle tension by activating your sympathetic nervous system and releasing adrenaline making you ready for a fight or flight response. In most cases, [...]