Here at Muscle Unwind, we see a variety of issues from a neck ache through to dislocated collar bones. Below are some of the common problems I diagnose and treat every day. Many of the common aches are caused by repetitive movements or incorrect posture so these aches will build up more over time. Most sports injuries are generally more suddenly-felt; known as a traumatic injury.
Common aches:
Neck pain: neck pain is often caused by incorrect posture. Generally at a desk or from excessive flexing at the neck e.g. to look at a phone. Once we determine the source of the pain through specific tests (along with what may be causing it), we can then determine the best treatment plan.
Hip pain: pain in the hip can sometimes be caused by muscular imbalance in other areas of the body e.g. the legs or sometimes down through the back. Using specific tests, we try to pinpoint the source and work more globally on the body rather than just the hip.
Lower back pain: this is very common and again can have many different causes. We will always work within your comfortable range of movement to see when you begin to feel the discomfort or pain.
Injuries common from sports:
Shoulder pain: the shoulder is a complex joint that is prone to injury because of the composition of the joint. It’s a ball-and-socket joint but unlike the hip, for example, the shoulder joint has an extremely shallow ‘socket’ and therefore the bone of the arm is primarily held in place by soft tissue; which can then be prone to injury.
Ankle or foot pain: ankle injuries are often caused by fast-turning sports e.g. football or netball. The ankle generally has a limited range of movement, and if you stumble or ‘roll’ your ankle, you have gone past this comfortable range of movement and can sprain the ligaments. Normal RICE procedure should be followed if this occurs and after swelling has gone down, usually after 72 hours, then we can treat the area to help the healing process and any discomfort.
Knee pain: knee pain can be debilitating even in basic movement, such a going downstairs and can be quite painful. We treat knee injuries if we know the cause or alternatively can carry out some diagnostic tests to determine if the issue is with the soft-tissue (which we can treat) or with another structure such as the meniscus or anterior cruciate ligament which would need onward referral.