Spires Physiotherapy | Latest news

Sciatica – a pain in the butt but what causes it and what can you do about it?

The term “Sciatica” is used to describe any pain in the legs or buttocks which is being caused by irritation of the nerve that supplies those areas; the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve delivers messages from the legs to the brain via the spinal cord. When there’s an irritation of the nerve, it can send pain messages relating to any part of the leg that it spreads to. For example, the irritation might be where the nerve originates in the lower back but the pain can...

The term “Sciatica” is use...

9th October 2019

Conditions

Knee Arthritis…to scan or not to scan

Osteoarthritis is extremely common and effects millions of people worldwide. Approximately 1 in 5 adults over the age of 45 has osteoarthritis of the knee. I know what you’re thinking, that’s not very old to have arthritis but it’s true. Arthritis has always been thought of as a disease of the elderly, a natural part of growing old. Which it is, but the changes in the joint that cause arthritis start much sooner than you think and those changes don’t effect everyone in the same way. Firstly,...

Osteoarthritis is extremely co...

24th May 2019

Exercise

Is sitting the new smoking?

Tobacco smoking was arguably the largest health hazard to effect the developed world in the 20th century. It has been directly linked to a number of health conditions, such as heart disease and lung cancer, leading to compulsory health warnings on every cigarette packet sold in the UK. Increased awareness of the health risks associated with smoking has lead to a dramatic reduction in the number of smokers in the UK with a quit rate of over 50% (1). Looking back, it’s easy to see how smoking...

Tobacco smoking was arguably t...

16th January 2019