WAIT!!!! BEFORE YOU GO AHEAD TO DO AN X-RAY (AND MRI)

Hello,

TGIF!!!! Yes I am always very excited About Fridays!!! So earlier today I was doing one of my routine readings that I get to do anytime I have the luxury of holding my phone (I bet I have that luxury almost every time...lmao). And I stumbled on this write up by one of the best brains (a Physiotherapist) based in the US, and it resonanced deep.

Over the years, when a new patient comes into the treatment room, the very first thing he/she wants me to see is his/her Xray/MRI results; so that we can catch and crucify the culprits ca
using them pain. So you can imagine my joy when I came across this article. It's a great tool to educate my patients and I thought you, my readers, should benefit too.

I hope you'll learn a thing or two and also spread the love.    

Be the first to get  subsequent posts by subscribing through email, you can also follow the blog and social media accounts where we can further relate.
will be up soon.

Here is the link: How to Interpret Your Lumbar MRI Results | PHYSIO ANSWERS

Till next time,
Adesola Adebowale, PT
08051225450, 08063378827
...hands-on care to keep you moving

What Has Posture got to do with it: Sit up and Listen

When I was in Junior high school, I really wanted to be an accountant for a very funny reason- yes, because I felt I will have to work in a bank and be entitle to the money in my care…lol but fast forward to my first year in senior high school, I found myself in the sciences (story for another day). Several decades after, I am a PHYSIOTHERAPIST!!!! Do I love my job? Of course yes!!! But another peck to my job is that I dont have to sit all day like an accountant does (covers face).

Research shows that the seated professional is at much higher risk for low back injuries, since sitting places 2.5 times your body weight on your spine. Also, many people who sit for long periods of time have complaints of neck and back pain. This is because gravity is constantly pulling down on our bodies, causing muscle imbalances throughout the neck and back, it's not hard to understand why people complain of discomfort. 

I will be highlighting various methods to prevent the common complications (neck pain, back pain and other musculoskeletal conditions) associated with prolonged and improper sitting postures. These methods include education on proper sitting technique, simple exercises that can be performed in the workplace, and the correct ergonomic workstation setup that can prevent or alleviate the majority of musculoskeletal ailments common for those who sit for long periods at a desk or computer.

While you are seated, make sure you are doing all you can to ensure good health of your spine.

1.    Check your posture.
Sit as close as possible to your desk, with your upper arms parallel to your spine and your hands rested on the work surface.

At this point, examine whether your elbows are at a 90-degree angle. If they are not, adjust your office chair higher or lower as necessary.

Also make sure that your legs are bent at the knees at a 90 degree angle. Try to maintain this ideal sitting posture as much as possible, and if you find yourself slacking, give yourself a break by getting up and stretching.

2.    Don’t sit too high.
By the end of the day, the average person’s ankles swell from 6 to 8 percent. Patients with back, leg, or circulation problems can experience swelling from 10 to 15 percent. Sitting in a chair that is too high can increase the odds for ankle swelling.

A seat height ranging from 16 to 21 inches off the ground is suitable for most workers. To test whether or not your chair is too high, slide your finger underneath your thigh at the front end of the chair. If it’s easy to do, your chair is likely at a good height. If there is less than a finger’s width of space between your thigh and chair, your chair is likely too high.

3.    Boost your feet in certain situations.
If you have to lift your feet off the ground because of a chair or a desk that is too high and cannot be adjusted, consider using a footstool to prop and rest your feet as opposed to leaving them hanging all day long.

Using a footstool will reduce pressure on the feet, which decreases foot pain at the end of the day.

4.    Raise your work surface if needed.
If you are unusually tall and there is more than a finger width between your thigh and chair, consider raising the height of your work surface/desk.

Raising your desk will then allow you to raise your chair to a more suitable height that will reduce strain on your back.

5.    Check the depth of your seat.
The depth of your seat may not be something you think about, but having the correct seat depth can make a difference in your back pain.

Seat depth refers to the length between the back edge and front edge of your seat.

To check for proper seat depth, first sit all the way back in your chair. Check the room between the front edge of your chair and your calves by making a fist and bringing it to the edge of the chair and pushing it on the calf.

If you can fit your full fist between the front edge of the chair and your calf, you likely have enough space for circulation. If not, your chair is likely too deep.

Moving the chair’s backrest forward, inserting a cushion, pillow, or rolled-up towel to support your lower back, or purchasing a new office chair are some possible solutions to this problem.

6.    Support your back.

Ideally, your work chair should do a couple of things: provide back support angling just past 90 degrees or up to 90 degrees, and include cushioning that pushes your back forward when sitting back in the chair.

Low back support is essential in preventing slouching and minimizing the load on your back. With this in mind, the backrest of an ideal ergonomic office chair is typically between 12 and 19 inches wide.

7.    Watch your posture.
A lot of times, workers have chairs with great back support but don’t take advantage of these features because they sit on the edge of the chair.

Make a conscious effort to press your bottom against the back of the chair, and avoid slumping or slouching, which places extra stress on the lumbar discs and other structures of the lower back.

8.    Watch the height of your screen.
Once your chair has been adjusted to the height of the table, your legs have gotten comfortable and your back is supported, close your eyes and take a deep breath.

Casually look forward with your eyes closed, and then open your eyes, which should be aimed at the center of your computer screen. Adjust the screen so it is level with your gaze.

If you need to raise your laptop, consider using a stack of books or even a small box, which has helped me reduce the likelihood of neck strain at work.

9.    Adjust your armrest.
Armrests play an important role in reducing neck and shoulder strain and diminishing the likelihood of slouching forward in your chair.

Adjust the armrest to the point where your arms are slightly lifted at the shoulders. Doing so will allow the armrest to support just the elbow and take weight off the shoulders.

Perhaps after making all these changes, you ultimately decide that you do need a new office chair. Parameters such as the seat’s height, width, depth, materials, armrests, back rest, lumbar support, and swivel should be considered.

In my next post, I will talk about simple exercises you can do to prevent/ alleviate neck/ back pain caused by prolonged or improper sitting posture.

Do you find yourself having neck/ back pain often? Do you think it might be due to an improper posture? Have you found ways to alleviate your back or neck pain in the office? 

I will love to hear your thoughts and comments.

Please do follow the blog and share with others.

Till next time,

Adesola Adebowale, PT

+2348051225450, +2348063378827

adesolaadebowale88@gmail.com

askthephysiotherapist@gmail.com

DEMYSTIFYING THE MYTH: PHYSIOTHERAPY

Some of the common questions/ comments I get when I introduce myself as a Physiotherapist or someone finds out I practise as a physiotherapist are; “ Oh!!! Its you people that set people’s bone”, “you see I have been looking for someone that will do massage for my grandma”, “you must be very rich because you should be working with the football players”. These and many more are some of the statements we hear from most educated, not- so- educated, elites amongst others.

My aim with this write- up is to help demystify some of the myths surrounding Physiotherapy as a profession- conditions we see, requirements necessary to qualify as a Physiotherapist etc.

Physiotherapy is a regulated profession and to qualify to be a Physiotherapist; one must have gone through a thorough Bachelors degree from any of the recognized universities even though a country like USA has since shifted focus from bachelors to doctorate degree as their first degree.

Hence, not every tom, dick and harry qualify to be a Physiotherapist, even No PHYSICIAN OR ANY OTHER MEDICAL TEAM MEMBER QUALIFY TO DO THE JOB OF  A PHYSIO; albeit we work together with other health professionals as a multidisciplinary team.    

                                                                                              

·        Myth: Physiotherapy is painful.

• Fact: I have had patients who came in for physio sessions, and were literally shaken/ unsure if they will be able to bear the pain they assume will accompany their sessions.

The truth is temporary soreness may occur with treatment, and this is largely normal because a very significant portion of your physio session consists of exercises. It is expected that this soreness should reduce/ disappear in no time. Our sole aim with Physio is to reduce a patients’ pain, maximize movement and optimize function.

·        Myth: Physiotherapy Is for certain clinical conditions caused by Injuries

• Fact: On the contrary, as Physios we evaluate, diagnose and plan treatment programs for various conditions from low back pain, osteoarthritis etc.

·        Myth: Physiotherapists are masseurs

• Fact: We use manual therapy (which include some form of tissue mobilization- which the layman might call “massage”), exercises, modalties such as heat, cold in the management of the conditions we see. Hence use of “massage” is just a fraction of the different techniques we use in treating our patients/ clients.

·        Myth: I can do physiotherapy myself.

• Fact: The goal of physical therapy is to educate the patient on successful self-care. To accomplish this, however, the expert care and guidance of a licensed physical therapist is required. Your physical therapist's specialized education and clinical expertise, combined with the latest available evidence and treatment techniques, are critical to evaluating and diagnosing your condition and developing an individualized plan of care.

·        Myth: Surgery is my only option.

• Fact: In many cases, physical therapy has been shown to be as effective as surgery in treating a wide range of conditions—from rotator cuff tears and degenerative disk disease to meniscal tears and some forms of knee osteoarthritis. The study found that people who recently have seen a physical therapist know this to be true, with 79% believing that physical therapy can be a viable alternative to surgery.

·        Myth: Any health care professional can perform physical therapy.

•  Fact: Although the survey found that 42% of consumers are aware that physical therapy can be performed only by a licensed physical therapist, 37% still believe that other health care professionals can provide physical therapy. While physical therapists and other health care professionals may perform some treatments that seem similar, physical therapy can be provided only by licensed physical therapists.

·        Myth: Physiotherapy is for bone- setting                                                       

• Fact: When there is need for bone reduction (bone- setting) as a result of fracture, dislocation etc; the person is first being evaluated and managed by Orthopaedic surgeons through the use of POP, different kinds of surgeries depending on type of injury. Physios usually come in after the reduction has taken place to help prevent common complications that occur with bone(s) reduction like stiffness, muscle weakness, reduction in muscle size etc 

PS: Some texts gotten from apta.org

Please do share this blog on your social media accounts and with person(s) you think might benefit from the content. 

I will love to hear from you.

Thanks for reading,

Adesola Adebowale, PT

askthephysiotherapist@gmail.com