Have you been told that you have more than one disc bulge in your back? Have you been told why you have more than one disc bulge? 

The significance of an MRI scan is understanding exactly where the disc bulge is. The MRI scan can show where exactly the bulge is and this information is valuable to me as I can understand how to stop getting further damage, further leakage and help prevent further injury and pain. 

The fact that you have more than one disc bulge shows me that your body is still stuck in the same torque, the same twist that caused the first disc bulge. I am going to give you an example of a client I saw recently after their second back surgery.

Here is the background. In 2015 my client presented with a left sided disc bulge at the Vertebral level of L4 - L5 causing pain down his leg. He was unable to walk, sleep, work and painkillers were not helping. I advised him to see a surgeon but warned him that he needed to follow up his surgical intervention with a...

I am going to go through the common questions and statements I hear from my clients when they find out they have a disc bulge, also known as a herniated disc, ruptured disc. I am going to write these in the order that I hear the most often. 

Will the disc go back in? 

No! The disc is damaged and the leakage has occurred. It won’t go back in. 

What is a bulging disc? 

A bulging disc is when the round, fluid filled,shock absorber between each spinal bone is damaged. This damage leads to the disc changing shape, which looks like a bulge coming out from the spinal disc. 

How did I get a bulging disc? 

This damage and bulge is a response to your body needing more movement in that direction at that spinal disc. Let’s give the example of a right side disc bulge, think about coming up to a roundabout (Same shape as one of your discs) and you need to take the third exit (Turn right) but you find the available space to fit your car into is High and...

Let me tell you a story. 

There was a 12 year old boy called John, who started to develop pain in his right knee and foot. The young boy was a sports nut, a fanatic, he played hurling, football, soccer, tennis, darts, golf, you name it, he played it. The pain got worse and he was told to rest for a few months, “growing pains''. It wasn't an easy time for John but also for John’s mother as he was very annoyed that he couldn’t play any sport.  Sometimes when he broke loose and ran riot he would come running back to his mammy in floods of tears, the pain. This broke his mothers heart for two reasons, one to see her son so frustrated with nothing to do and secondly to see him in pain. 

They rested for 3 months but very little changed, John was stuck and suffering. They made the decision to get his feet checked. He was told he had “one foot shorter than the other”, his right foot was shorter and needed a heel raise to balance his body. John...

Have you been suffering with lower back pain over the last few years? It is a dull ache in your back? Are you thinking “it’s not that bad, I'll live with it”, Has that dull ache got worse and now you have pain running down your leg? Pins and needles and numbness running down your leg? Have you recently been told you have spinal stenosis and don’t know what it is and what to do with it? Read on because I'll tell you!  Have you been suffering with neck pain over the last few years? It is a dull ache in your neck? Are you thinking “it’s not that bad, I'll live with it”, Has that dull ache got worse and now you have pain running down your arm? Pins and needles and numbness running down your arm? Have you recently been told you have spinal stenosis and don’t know what it is and what to do with it? Luckily if you read on I will educate you and help guide you through spinal stenosis and what you can do to help it. 

What is spinal...

Are you pencilled in for a total knee replacement? Or have you just recently got it done? Have you had knee surgery and been told you will need a total knee replacement in the future? Are you just sitting there and waiting for your knee to get sorer and then get the op? I am not going to tell you that you might not need a total knee replacement but I am going to tell you that if anyone says you don’t need physiotherapy after, they are wrong. For some reason you might hear along your travels “I don’t believe in physio” or “you won’t need physio after your operation”. You most certainly will and lots of it. Why? Well, first off, do you know what actually happens in the operation? 

A total knee replacement is needed when the surfaces of your femur and tibia (See attached picture) are damaged and need to be replaced. This is done by: 

1. Cutting the quadricep tendon so the kneecap can be assessed. 
2. Sliding your kneecap to one...

Why you can’t get rid of your tennis elbow pain? 

Stephen Clarke Rehabilitation specialist at OneHEALTH

Struggling with pain at your elbow or on the outside of your forearm? Sometimes you feel it going down your arm into your hand? Is it most painful when playing tennis or any racket sport? Or do you just struggle to open jars? Struggle to hold or grip objects? Feel your grip has weakened? 

If you have any of the symptoms listed above more than likely have tennis elbow. It is primarily known as a repetitive strain or overuse injury. This is when simple daily repetitive tasks are done a lot and cause pain, for example using a mouse on your laptop. These daily tasks listed above not only use the elbow, they are a coordination of movement between three different joints, the shoulder, elbow and hand. Each joint should take some strain during these activities but an overuse injury occurs when one of the three doesn’t do its job and causes pain in a joint. 

What...

How Sciatica is related to the shoulder! 

Tommy Conway, Chartered Physiotherapist and Director at OneHEALTH, Physiotherapy Clinic Tullamore.

Struggling with pain on one side, sometimes it’s in your right ankle, next day it’s your right neck and shoulder and then worse again is when it triggers your sciatica. You keep asking your friends, family, GP and physio “Why is it always on my right side?”, “If it’s not my right ankle it’s my right neck”. The big question you want the answer to is “Are they related?” my answer to you is, yes of course they are and I am going to show you examples of how a shoulder and a sciatica issue are related. 

Case Study 

• Mid 30’s Male with 2 years ongoing sciatic pain on the left side. 
• Unable to stand for more than 30 mins.
• Unable to walk for 20 mins.
• Cannot exercise without increase in symptoms travelling down his left leg. 
• Cannot tie his shoelaces in the...

How the Sciatic nerve and foot are related!

Tommy Conway, Chartered Physiotherapist and Director at OneHEALTH, Physiotherapy Clinic Tullamore.

Do you understand the relation between your feet and your sciatica pain? Did you ever hear someone saying “flat feet can affect your back” and wonder how it can? Have you suffered from sciatica and plantar fasciitis?  For most people I help in my clinic they are amazed at how different parts of the body link up, they are amazed at how a problem at the foot can work it’s way up the body and cause sciatica. A common situation I encounter at OneHEALTH, is a client with a sciatica issue. I will start asking about previous medical history and they will say “I had plantar fascia or a heel problem before.” These two conditions are linked and I am going to explain how. 

What way does the foot move? 

The series of joints link as so, foot to knee, knee to hip, hip to spine. I personally look at the hips as...

Sciatica - You get one chance!

Tommy Conway, Chartered Physiotherapist and Director at OneHEALTH, Physiotherapy Clinic Tullamore.

Sciatica is a diagnosis that many people receive but they don’t know how they got it and what caused it. Everybody knows it is a severe painful condition and everybody knows at least one person that suffered from it. If you have pain running from your back, into your buttocks, down your leg and struggle to drive, sit and walk then you could have sciatica. 

When I see my clients in clinic they often ask me “Will it stop me going for walks, am I able to do my usual day to day routine, do I have to live with this for the rest of my life?” They are scared they will have it for life but it is nothing to be scared of because it can be easily treated provided you know why you are having Sciatica.

What is Sciatica?

Before we get into it treating it, let's explain Sciatica. Your sciatic nerve is a nerve that goes from your Spine and down...

Frozen Shoulder: Do I need a steroid injection? 

Tommy Conway, Chartered Physiotherapist and Director at OneHEALTH, Physiotherapy Clinic Tullamore.

Are you struggling to lie on your shoulder at night? Struggling to reach back for the seat belt? Struggling to reach overhead? Have you noticed you are starting to lose movement in your arm? Has it slowly gotten worse and worse? Have you been told you have a frozen shoulder and more importantly have you been told you need a steroid injection. I am writing this article not to discredit a steroid injection but through my clinical experience people simply get the steroid injection at the wrong time. Also, the most common question that is asked is why? Why has this happened to me? And why now? There are certain arguments to how a frozen shoulder can happen, for example not doing enough overhead activities but I have seen clients with frozen shoulders who’s professions are reaching overhead, Painters and plasterers. Another...