Don Kelly physical therapy and Acupuncture clinic

09/03/2026

In today’s fast-paced world, many people live with persistent aches, stiffness, stress, or recurring pain without realising how much it affects their overall wellbeing. At Don Kelly Physiotherapy & Acupuncture, we focus on treatments that don’t just relieve symptoms temporarily—but support your body’s natural ability to heal, move, and feel better long-term.

Two of the most effective approaches we use are physiotherapy and dry needling. When combined, they create a powerful, holistic system for restoring balance, improving mobility, and enhancing your overall health.

Relieve pain, improve mobility, and support long-term health and wellness.

09/03/2026

If you spend a large portion of your day sitting—whether commuting or working at a desk—understanding these muscles is the first step toward moving pain-free.

Struggling with hip stiffness from sitting? Don Kelly Physiotherapy and Acupuncture offers specialized Dry Needling in Limerick and Charleville to reset muscle tension and restore mobility.

09/03/2026

Clam shells

Lie on your side with your feet, ankles and knees together.
Bend the legs a little and tighten your core stability muscles.
Keeping the feet together, lift the top knee up.
Make sure you don't roll your body back with the movement.
Control the movement as you bring the knee back down to the starting position.


Key Benefits

1. Strengthens the Gluteus Medius

Activates the gluteus medius, an important muscle for hip stability.

Helps improve control of the pelvis during walking, running, and standing.

2. Improves Hip Stability

Strengthens the muscles that stabilise the hip joint.

Reduces excessive inward movement of the knee during activity.

3. Helps Prevent Knee Pain

Stronger hip muscles improve knee alignment.

Often used in rehab for patellofemoral pain and knee injuries.

4. Supports Lower Back Health

Better hip stability reduces strain on the lower back.

Useful in rehabilitation programmes for low back pain.

5. Improves Pelvic Control

Enhances control of pelvic movement during functional activities.

Important for athletes and people returning to sport.

08/03/2026

“Thread the needle” full rotation

Start on your hands and knees, with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
Take one hand off the floor and reach in and through between your other arm and your legs.
Allow your body and head to follow, moving your shoulder down towards the floor as your hand reaches through.
You should feel a stretch down your side, your shoulder blade and neck.
Hold this position, and then return to the starting position.
Reach your arm out to the other side, and then up towards the ceiling.
Follow the movement of your hand with your head, twisting in the other direction to look up towards the ceiling.
Hold this position, and then repeat the sequence.

08/03/2026

Child pose

Get onto your hands and knees, and drop your buttocks back onto your heels.
Stretch your hands forwards, dropping your head between your shoulders towards the floor.
You will feel this stretch through your back and upper arms.

06/03/2026

Quick walking uni-lateral high knee march with knee extension sweep – weighted bar across shoulders

Stand up straight with a weighted bar held across your shoulders.
When ready, bring one knee up as high as you can in front of you, maintaining your balance.
Keep your torso upright and avoid twisting.
Extend your knee and then lower your leg down in a sweeping action, taking a forward step.
Repeat, leading with the same leg.
Continue to travel quickly in a forward direction.

Quick Walking Unilateral High Knee March with Knee Extension Sweep (Weighted Bar Across Shoulders) – Benefits

This dynamic exercise combines balance, strength, and coordination while engaging the core and lower body. Here are the key benefits:

1. Improves Hip Flexor Strength
The high knee march activates and strengthens the hip flexors, which are essential for walking, running, and climbing stairs.

2. Strengthens Quadriceps
The knee extension sweep targets the quadriceps, helping improve knee stability and strength.

3. Enhances Core Stability
Carrying a weighted bar across the shoulders challenges the core muscles to stabilize the spine and maintain posture during movement.

06/03/2026

Knee extension on a stability ball

Sit on a stability ball with both feet firmly on the floor.
Roll your hips forward and backwards to find your neutral sitting position.
Holding this posture, straighten one knee.
The back of your thigh should still be resting on the ball.
Hold, before you bring your foot back down to the floor.

Knee extension on a stability ball is a great physiotherapy exercise used to strengthen the legs while also improving core stability and knee control. It’s commonly used in rehab for knee pain, knee injuries, and post-surgery recovery.

Key Benefits

1. Strengthens the Quadriceps
This exercise activates the quadriceps muscles, which are essential for knee stability, walking, and climbing stairs.

2. Improves Knee Stability
The unstable surface of the ball forces the muscles around the knee and hip to work harder, improving joint stability.

3. Engages the Core Muscles
Because the ball moves, your core and glute muscles must stay active to keep your body stable during the movement.

06/03/2026

Say Goodbye to Skin Tags – Safely & Effectively ✨

Skin tags can appear on the neck, underarms, eyelids, and other areas of the body. While harmless, they can be uncomfortable or affect your confidence.

At Deirdre Kelly Facial Electrolysis & Skincare, we offer safe, quick, and effective skin tag removal using advanced techniques to help you achieve smoother, clearer skin.

✔ Quick treatment & Aftercare
✔ Professional and hygienic care

If skin tags are bothering you, we’re here to help.

📅 Book your appointment today

📞 086 840 3989
🌐 www.deirdrekellybeautytherapist.com

📍 8 The Stables, Huntsfield Dr, Dooradoyle, Limerick

06/03/2026

We help players recover, regain peak performance, and get back to the game.

26 years in providing guaranteed relief and solid recovery. have treated more than a thousand patients during my physiotherapy career, including many who were on the verge of surgery.

06/03/2026

Supine isometric knee extension in 20 degrees flexion

Lie on your back with your legs straight.
Place a rolled towel underneath your knee on the leg to be exercised.
Your heel should rest on the ground with your toes pointing directly up towards the ceiling.
Tighten your thigh muscle and push the back of your knee into the towel.
Your leg should remain still as you tense your thigh.
Hold this position.
Relax, and repeat.

Supine Isometric Knee Extension (20° Knee Flexion) – Benefits

Moving from a seated position to a supine (lying on your back) isometric hold at 20° of flexion changes the game significantly. This specific angle is often referred to as the "sweet spot" in clinical rehabilitation, particularly for ACL recovery or patellar tendonitis.1. Key BenefitsVMO Activation: At $20^\circ$ of flexion, the Vastus Medialis Oblique (the inner quad) is highly active. Strengthening this specific muscle helps stabilize the kneecap.Reduced Patellofemoral Compression: Unlike deep squats or full $90^\circ$ seated extensions, $20^\circ$ of flexion provides a mechanical "buffer" where the contact pressure between the kneecap and the femur is relatively low.Joint Stability without Shear: Since it is isometric (no movement), you strengthen the connective tissues and muscle fibers without the grinding or "shearing" forces that can irritate a sensitized joint.Neuromuscular Re-education: This is the primary exercise used to "wake up" the quad after surgery when the brain tries to "shut down" the muscle due to pain (arthrogenic muscle inhibition).

This exercise is commonly used in physiotherapy to strengthen the knee safely, especially during early rehabilitation.

Key Benefits

✅ Strengthens the Quadriceps
Holding the knee in a 20° flexed position activates the quadriceps muscles, helping improve strength without excessive joint movement.

✅ Improves Knee Stability
Stronger quadriceps help stabilize the knee joint, which is important for walking, standing, and daily activities.

✅ Reduces Knee Pain
Isometric contractions can decrease pain by improving muscle support around the knee and promoting better joint control.

06/03/2026

Resisted knee extension in sitting - leg elevated

Performing resisted knee extensions in a seated position with the leg elevated is a staple in physical therapy and strength training, particularly for isolating the quadriceps.

Sit on a chair with a pillow or towel loosely rolled and placed under one thigh, close to your knee.
Have a resistance band attached low behind you and looped around your foot.
Straighten your knee against the resistance from the band.
Hold for a moment, and then in a controlled manner, return to the starting position.

05/03/2026

Gluteal muscle stretch

Lie on your back in a comfortable position.
Now, bring one knee up towards your opposite shoulder.
You should feel a comfortable stretch, not pain, in your deep buttock muscles.
To increase the stretch push your flexed hip gently downwards.
Maintain this position for as long as prescribed.

Stretching the gluteal muscles (gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus) is essential for hip mobility, lower back health, and overall movement efficiency.

✅ 1. Reduces Lower Back Pain

Tight glutes can pull on the pelvis and strain the lower back. Stretching helps relieve tension and improves pelvic alignment, reducing discomfort.

✅ 2. Improves Hip Mobility

Flexible glutes allow better hip rotation and extension, making movements like walking, squatting, and lunging smoother.

✅ 3. Helps Relieve Sciatica Symptoms

Gentle glute stretches can reduce pressure on the sciatic nerve, easing pain, tingling, or numbness down the leg.

✅ 4. Enhances Athletic Performance

Improved flexibility supports better stride length, jumping power, and overall lower-body strength.

✅ 5. Prevents Hip & Knee Injuries

When glutes are tight, other muscles compensate. Stretching helps maintain proper muscle balance and joint stability.