Physiotherapy Blog. Sharing knowledge & Encouraging growth.
Persistent pain is commonly linked to central sensitisation, or central modulating, due to pain hypersensitivity. Given this correlation, it seems very important that we assess this sensitivity. But how do we assess it, what do the results tell us, and can we assess this in the clinic?
Read MoreAs our knowledge of chronic pain broadens, we are beginning to appreciate that there are modifiable risk factors that contribute to the development of long term pain and disability. Fear avoidance, negative beliefs, anxiety and depression are just a few. Several outcome measures are currently available to clinicians to help guide their clinical reasoning by identifying these risk factors. The purpose of this blog is to look specifically at outcome measures and explore how they guide our patient management.
Read MoreRecently I listed to a fantastic podcast by Jo Gibson through Clinical Edge on Thoracic Outlet Syndrome and was thrilled to learn some advances which have taken place in our knowledge of this condition since I first published a blog on the topic in 2013. Seven years later and I am excited to share a revised piece that includes the latest ideas around clinical assessment, and in particular sensory testing in the differential diagnosis of this challenging condition.
Read MoreKinesiophobia is often mentioned when discussing persistent pain, but what is kinesiophobia? And how is it relevant to physiotherapy? This article discusses the definition, relevance to physiotherapy and assessment techniques.
Read MoreIn 2018, the Australian Physiotherapy Association published revised clinical guidelines for safe practice of manual therapy on the cervical spine. This topic of “safety” and in particular, identifying patients presenting with signs of VBI and CAD (vertebrobasilar insufficiency and cervical arterial dissection) is a topic I’ve come back to many times throughout my career. This blog is a revision of the current recommendations for the identification of CAD and VBI.
Read MoreIn 2018, a group of highly skilled Physiotherapists in Western Australia, collaborated to produce a very special ebook. It is a framework that helps teach physiotherapists how to assess and manage patients with musculoskeletal pain disorders. I was so excited to hear about this book being published and couldn’t wait to read it. This blog is a review of this ebook.
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