Headaches are a common factor in life. The headache market is a multi-billion dollar industry for the pharmaceutical industry. Equally, the consumer has grown accustomed to reaching for over the counter medications such as paracetamol, aspirin and ibuprofen. However, many such products do not identify the root cause of the headaches and often only mask symptoms. Equally, there is growing evidence of the longer-term effects of prolonged use of such medications and, in some cases, even causing headaches. Headaches can occur for various reasons, levels of severity and differing symptoms. Many types of headaches have a musculoskeletal or myofascial component. It is often possible to reduce the frequency and even severity of such headaches with simple lifestyle changes and hands-on treatment. The full article looks more at possible causes of headaches and treatment , including the relevance of myofascial trigger point pain. The information on this page was written by Terry Davis MChiro, Gr...

  Trochanteric Bursitis and Hip Pain Hip pain caused by Trochanteric Bursitis is surprisingly common. Trauma caused by falls is a common reason for experiencing hip bursitis symptoms. Often, when people fall, specific contact points hit the floor first, such as hands, elbows, shoulders, and hips. Hence, many areas can get injured during a fall, and hips often take the brunt of many falls. Due to other swelling and pain, symptoms of trochanteric bursitis may not be apparent at the time of injury. Equally, unresolved injuries and habits can result in tissue adaptations and changes in biomechanics, which can also lead to hip bursitis. Such changes can lead to gradual symptom onset with no obvious, apparent cause. The full article on  Hip Pain and Trochanteric Bursitis  explains more about, symptoms, possible causes, anatomy and MSK Therapy treatment options. The information on this page was written by Terry Davis MChiro, GradCertMentHlth, BSc. (Hons), Adv. Dip. Rem. M...

Subacromial Bursitis and Shoulder Pain Subacromial Bursitis is just one of the many conditions that can cause shoulder pain. The shoulder complex is no doubt the most complicated set of joint structures within the body. Hence, no wonder there is such a wide variety of conditions that impact shoulder mobility. The human body makes various tradeoffs, including mobility over stability. Shoulders are highly mobile yet at the cost of a wide range of joints and supportive structures. Although there are many types of Bursitis, the subacromial bursa of the shoulder is one of the most common. The bursa is a small fluid-filled cushion, which reduces friction between bones and other tissues. Bursae can become inflamed for many reasons, resulting in pain and reduced mobility. It is also easy to further irritate an inflamed bursa, especially in the shoulder. Hence, the condition can easily become chronic if left or if the wrong treatment strategy is applied. The full article on  Subacromial Bur...

Chronic Pain and Treatment  Chronic Pain can arise for many reasons and is not fully understood. Many types of injury can become chronic in that symptoms persist for longer than three months and sometimes years. In most cases, tissues heal as "normal" after trauma, and we are not likely to notice the subtle changes an injury may create. After all, tissue healing is a repair and not new or regenerated tissue, equivalent to the original uninjured tissue. However, the body and other tissues naturally adapt to these changes. Tissues can only correctly heal if they have the right healing environment, including protection from further injury. It is relatively easy for conditions to worsen and become chronic if a healing environment does not exist. Trauma can impact many tissues and structures, and one area can affect others (biotensegrity). Although one area may heal, it may not function as well as it should, affecting the healing of other regions. Although the human body is extrem...

Bursitis Pain Treatment Bursitis is an MSK condition involving the inflammation of a bursa and named after the involved bursa, such as Trochanteric Bursitis affecting the hip. Bursae exist throughout the body and near joint structures and cushion or reduce the friction between tissues and structures during movement. There are many reasons why a bursa and the surrounding tissues can become inflamed and painful. Once inflamed, it is easy to irritate tissues further, leading to more inflammation, pain and restricted movement. Besides the hip, Subacromial Bursitis of the shoulder is extremely common. Bursitis can resolve quickly enough with the right MSK treatment strategy, though it can easily become chronic if left. The full article about Bursitis pain explains more about the anatomy, possible causes, symptoms and treatment options. Bursitis Pain - an MSK Therapy Perspective . The information on this page was written by Terry Davis MChiro, GradCertMentHlth, BSc. (Hons), Adv. Dip. Re...

Massage Stick - Muscle Roller Stick Self-Myofascial Release - Quadriceps Although self-myofascial release (SMR) techniques can make a great addition to one self-maintenance routine, they will never replace a trained professional. SMR tools work in different ways according to design and how one uses them. One such tool is a massage stick or muscle roller stick. There are limitations on what one can achieve in a self-treatment context, partially due to applying tools. One can get the best results by using the right tool in the proper context and not expecting one tool to do everything. Even a combination of tools will not treat everything due to the limitations mentioned. The full article on Myofascial release using a Massage Stick / Muscle Roller Stick covers using such a tool to treat the quadriceps muscles in a self-treatment context. The information on this page was written by Terry Davis MChiro, GradCertMentHlth, BSc. (Hons), Adv. Dip. Rem. Massag., Cert. WHS. TotalMSK Clinic...

Treating the legs with self myofascial release (SMR) tools - a myotherapist's perspective Self-myofascial release (SMR) has grown hugely in popularity and partly due to social media. Just as there are many forms of myofascial release (MFR), there is a huge variety of myofascial release tools on the market. As with most tools, each tool has a specific purpose by design. Equally, it is possible to use particular tools in different ways to achieve different intended outcomes. Professionals using soft-tissue therapy techniques, including (MFR) have historically used specific parts of the body to perform techniques on patients/clients. The development of many SMR tools came about by professionals looking to reduce loads and wear and tear on their bodies. However, the market for such tools within the professional therapist field is relatively small compared to the entire population. Hence, it is essential to understand the origins of such tools and the knowledge base behind their use and...