Treatment Options for Knee and Hip Osteoarthritis

Treatment Options for Knee and Hip Osteoarthritis

Aidan Rich

Hip and knee osteoarthritis are very common conditions, affecting up to 5-15% of all people. Osteoarthritis can cause symptoms including pain, morning stiffness, loss of joint flexibility, swelling and reduced ability to undertake occupational and sporting activities.

There are a variety of treatment options available for treatment of hip and knee osteoarthritis, these are in three broad categories

Occlusion Training

Occlusion Training

Aidan Rich

It’s been a while since our previous look at the mechanisms and benefits of blood flow restriction (or occlusion) training. Since then there has been some more research evaluating the effect of blood flow restriction for both knee pain and quadricep strength. Today we will have a look through these recent publications.

Plyometrics for Runners

Plyometrics for Runners

Aidan Rich

Plyometric exercises generally involve body weight jumping, hopping and bounding activity.

The aim of plyometrics is to make the muscles in the leg more efficient at storing and releasing energy (the “stretch-shortening cycle”) which is very important for efficient running.  Often with age, or with high volumes of low to moderate-intensity running, the ability of the muscles to act in this way is decreased, leading to more ‘sticking’ on the ground with every step.  Incorporating regular plyometrics in your running program can assist with slowing down, or even reversing these changes.

Lateral Hip Pain

Lateral Hip Pain

Shay Mcleod

A common complaint amongst female peri/post menopausal women is an onset of pain over the outside of the hip. Researchers in this area believe that this issue is most common for this demographic population due to the width of the female pelvis, hormonal changes that occur affecting the homeostasis of the tendon, weight gain which is common during this stage and overload to the tendons around the outer hip due to activity changes and poor biomechanics.

Self-compassion With Persistent Pain

Self-compassion With Persistent Pain

Charles Ruddock

Self-compassion has become a key strategy used within modern psychology treatments. Dr Kristin Neff and Dr Paul Gilbert (known for Compassion Focused Therapy – CFT) and many others have helped to develop and research the use of self-compassion and bring it into the practices of many psychologists for treating people with a range of psychological conditions. 

What is research going to do for my Low Back Pain?

What is research going to do for my Low Back Pain?

Jon Ford

To answer simply - a lot! At Advance Healthcare we pride ourselves on our evidence-based approach to our clients’ care. We are passionate advocates for evidence-based practice. We are widely involved in research projects and many of our therapists are PhD graduates and published research authors.

 In relation to your low back pain, the Advance Healthcare team, with the clinical director Dr Jon Ford as the research lead, published a landmark study called the STOPs trial in the internationally respected British Medical Journal in 2015.

The McKenzie Method

The McKenzie Method

Luke Surkitt

 The McKenzie method - also known as Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (MDT) – is a system of assessing and treating musculoskeletal problems commonly used by practitioners around the world. It was developed by New Zealand physiotherapist Robin McKenzie who found that specific postures and movements could help patients to reduce back and neck pain, improve movement and increase function. The McKenzie method can also be used for common problems of the extremities (your arms and legs).

Whiplash Injuries

Whiplash Injuries

David Goulding

Whiplash Associated Disorders (WAD) are defined as soft tissue injuries that result from “an acceleration-deceleration mechanism of energy transfer to the neck” (Pastakia & Kumar, 2011). These types of injuries are most commonly seen as the result of rear-end or side- impact motor vehicle accidents but can also occur through other circumstances.