Tag: pain management

Chapter 7. How Life Changes When We Change Not the Person, but Their Activities and Environment.

There is a moment in rehabilitation when the usual question begins to sound slightly strange. A person says, “I need to get stronger,” or “I need to become more independent,” or sometimes simply, “I need to get back to normal.” The expectation is almost always directed toward the person. The body should become stronger. The […]

Chapter 6. What an Occupational Therapist Notices Before the Person Does.

People usually come to an occupational therapist with a problem that has already acquired a name. The shoulder hurts. The hand has become weak. Walking takes too much effort. Dressing has become difficult. Work is exhausting. There is trouble concentrating, sleeping, cooking, getting through the morning without needing to lie down. The person has usually […]

Hand Osteoarthritis: Massage, Exercises, and Practical Ways to Reduce Discomfort.

Pain and stiffness in the hands can make surprisingly ordinary things difficult. Opening a jar, turning a key, holding a cup, using a phone or simply making a fist may begin to require more effort than it used to. With osteoarthritis of the hands, the problem is not always severe pain. Sometimes it is stiffness […]

When the Shoulder Feels Stiff: Why Gentle Movement Can Help.

A shoulder can become strangely unfamiliar after a period of pain or inactivity. You reach for something on a shelf and stop halfway. Lifting a bag feels heavier than it should. You try to put on a jacket and suddenly realise that a movement you never used to think about now requires planning. Sometimes the […]

Back Pain and Movement: Why Gentle Exercise Can Sometimes Help More Than Rest.

Back pain has a strange way of changing how a person moves. Something starts hurting, so we become careful. We sit more carefully. We stand up carefully. We stop bending. We stop turning. Eventually, we may stop moving almost completely because movement has started to feel like something dangerous. And for a while, staying still […]

Kinesiology Taping for Ulnar-Sided Wrist Pain: When and Why It May Help.

There is a particular kind of wrist pain that makes ordinary movements suddenly feel uncertain. Turning a key. Opening a jar. Holding a heavy object. Pushing up from a chair. Sometimes the pain is sharp and localised to the little-finger side of the wrist, sometimes it feels more like irritation, weakness, or a sense that […]

A Physiotherapist’s Guide to Recovery After a TFCC Injury.

Sharp, stabbing pain on the little-finger side of the wrist can make surprisingly ordinary movements difficult. Turning a door handle, opening a jar, or pushing yourself up from a chair suddenly becomes something you think about before you do it. One possible cause is an injury to the triangular fibrocartilage complex, or TFCC. This structure […]

What Is Osteoarthritis and Why Does It Develop?

One phrase stays with me because I hear it almost every week. “Doctor, my joints are just wearing out because I’m getting older.” People usually say it with complete certainty, as though age explains everything. I wish it were that simple. Getting older does increase the chances of developing osteoarthritis, but age itself isn’t the […]

Heel Spur and Plantar Fasciitis: Why Every Step Begins to Hurt.

The first thing many people say when they come into the clinic is almost always the same. “The X-ray showed a heel spur.” They usually say it with certainty, as if the mystery has already been solved. There’s a piece of bone growing where it shouldn’t, so naturally that’s what must be hurting. I understand […]