Dr S Aslam's Physio-Consultancy (2025)

02/10/2020

*Interesting facts about muscles you probably didn’t know.

-The word muscle is derived from the Latin term musculus, meaning "little mouse". This Latin term could be due to the shape of some muscles or because muscles contracting under the skin can look like a mouse moving under a rug.
-The muscular system is what allows your body to move. Muscles are necessary for little movements, like smiling, and for big movements, such as running or throwing.
-Some muscles you control, like your bicep when you’re lifting something heavy. Other muscles, such as those that help you breathe, move without you thinking at all.

1- Your body contains more than 600 muscles.
2- The largest muscle in the body is the gluteus maximus.
3- The smallest muscles in the body are in your inner ear. They include the tensor tympani and the stapedius.
4- The strongest muscle, based on its size, is the masseter. It’s a muscle in your jaw. It can close your teeth with a force as great as 200 pounds on your molars.
5- Muscles make up about 40 percent of your total body weight.
6- The hardest working muscle in the body is the heart. On an average day, it pumps about 2,500 gallons of blood.
7- Some of your busiest muscles are those controlling eye movements. These muscles are constantly making adjustments as you read, watch TV, or look around you. In an hour of reading, your eyes may make as many as 10,000 coordinated movements.
8- Most of the heat produced in your body comes from muscle contraction. Muscle movement counts for almost 85 percent of the total heat produced inside the body.
9- The motor cortex on the right side of your brain controls the muscles on the left side of the body, while the motor cortex on the left side controls the muscles on your right side.

10/08/2020

Whiplash injury
-Whiplash occurs when a person’s head moves backward and then forward suddenly with great force. This injury is most common following a rear-end car collision. When the muscles in your neck suffer a strain because of a rapid movement backward and then forward. The sudden motion causes your neck’s tendons and ligaments to stretch and tear, resulting in whiplash.
What causes whiplash?
-Car accidents.
-Physical abuse, such as being punched or shaken.
-Contact sports such as football, boxing, and karate.
-Horseback riding.
-Falls in which the head violently jerks backward.
Symptoms of whiplash?
Common symptoms include:
-Neck pain and stiffness.
-Headaches, specifically at the base of the skull.
-Dizziness.
-Blurred vision.
-Constant weariness.
Treatment:
In addition to medication, physical therapy plays a crucial role in recovery. You may want to apply ice or heat to the injured area and practice simple exercises to build strength and flexibility in your neck. Practice good posture and learn relaxation techniques to keep your neck muscles from straining and to help with recovery. You might also be given a foam collar to keep your neck stable. Collars should not be worn for more than three hours at a time

17/07/2020

What lunges do to your body?
The lunge is a resistance exercise that can be used to help strengthen your lower body, works several muscle groups at once.
-Boost Hip Flexibility.
- Tone The Gluteal Muscles.
-Improved Core Stability.
-Lower Body Shaping and Toning.
-Lower Body Strengthening.
-Better Balance and Coordination.
-Makes you more functional.
Major muscle groups used in lunges:
-Glutes in hip.
-Quadriceps and hamstrings in thigh.
-Calf muscles in leg.
- Abdominal muscles and your back muscles act as stabilizers.

12/07/2020

Swimming - health benefits:

-Swimming is an excellent way to work out entire body and cardiovascular system. Swimming is a great workout because you need to move your whole body against the resistance of the water, without any impacts on your bones and joints.

Swimming is a good all-round activity because it:
-Keeps your heart rate up but takes some of the impact stress off your body
-Builds endurance, muscle strength and cardiovascular fitness
-Helps maintain a healthy weight, healthy heart and lungs
-Tones muscles and builds strength
-Provides an all-over body workout, as nearly all of your muscles are used during swimming.
-Swimming Has a Minimal Risk of Injuries.

06/07/2020

Importance of a Good Pillow:
The right pillow is essential in keeping the neck in a supported position with neutral alignment during sleep. Pillows actually play a big role in the health of your spine, and using the wrong type of pillow can lead to problems back problems.
Your pillow is meant to help support your upper body as you sleep and keep your spine in a neutral alignment. It has to fit your size and your curves, and it also needs to be the right kind of pillow for the sleeping position you prefer.

-Try using a feather pillow, which easily conforms to the shape of the neck. Feather pillows will collapse over time, however, and should be replaced every year or so.
-Avoid using too high or stiff a pillow, which keeps the neck flexed overnight and can result in morning pain and stiffness.
-If you sleep on your side, keep your spine straight by using a pillow that is higher under your neck than your head.
-When you are riding in a plane, train, or car, or even just reclining to watch TV, a horseshoe-shaped pillow can support your neck and prevent your head from dropping to one side if you doze off. If the pillow is too large behind the neck, however, it will force your head forward.
-Consider trying a foam pillow, which compresses around your head and neck’s shape to keep them in line with your spine.

02/07/2020

Sleeping posture:
When you sleep, you lose conscious control over your body, and you can end up twisting your spine or tucking your pelvis in. Sleeping in the wrong way can cause or aggravate neck or back pain. It may also obstruct the airways to your lungs, leading to problems like obstructive sleep apnea. Some research even suggests that the wrong sleeping position may cause toxins to filter out of your brain more slowly.

1. Sleeping on the back with knee support:
-Lying on the back is usually considered to be the best sleeping position for a healthy back.
-This position evenly distributes weight the full length of the body’s largest surface. It also minimizes pressure points and ensures good alignment of the head, neck, and spine.
-Placing a small pillow under the knees can provide additional support and help maintain the natural curve of the spine.

2. Sleeping on the side with a pillow between the knees:
-Although lying on the side is a popular and comfortable sleeping position, it can pull the spine out of position. This can strain the lower back.
-Correcting this is easy. Anyone who sleeps on their side can simply place a firm pillow between their knees. This raises the upper leg, which restores the natural alignment of the hips, pelvis, and spine.

3. Sleeping in the fetal position:
-For people with a herniated disc, adopting a curled-up fetal position may bring relief during the night. This is because lying on the side with the knees tucked into the chest reduces bending of the spine and helps open up the joints.

4. Sleeping on the front with pillow under the stomach:
-Lying on the front of the body is usually considered the worst sleeping posture. However, for those who struggle to sleep in another position, placing a slim pillow underneath the stomach and hips can help improve spinal alignment.
-Sleeping on the front may also benefit people with a herniated disc or a degenerative disc disease.

5. Sleeping on the back in a reclined position
-Sleeping in a reclined position may benefit lower back pain, particularly in people with isthmic spondylolisthesis.
-If significant relief is found from resting in a reclined chair, it may be worth investing in an adjustable bed that can be positioned accordingly.

01/07/2020

WHAT IS TEXT-NECK SYNDROME?
Text-neck is a postural disorder caused by long periods of bending the head forward and downward during texting. This head position exerts a continuous strain on the joints and musculature of your neck and mid-back.
HOW TO PREVENT TEXT-NECK:
-Raise the phone: Move the phone (and other devices) up closer to eye level so the head does not have to be tilted forward.
-Take frequent breaks: Spend some time away from the phone—or any type of head-forward posture. If needed, use an alarm or app to set automatic reminders to take breaks from handheld devices.
-Stop slouching.
- Strengthening Exercises: You can also restore the curve in your neck by doing exercises that build up the affected muscles. Most important muscle groups to strengthen are your upper back muscles and deep neck flexors.
-Stand up straight: Good posture, with the chin tucked in and shoulders pulled back, keeps the body aligned in a neutral position.
- Arch the neck and upper back backward periodically to ease muscle pain.
*When to See a Doctor for Neck Pain?
If neck pain keeps returning or is accompanied by a severe headache, fever, nausea, unintended weight loss, dizziness, pain or tingling that radiates down into the arm or hand, or other troubling symptoms, it is important to seek medical attention.

20/05/2020

Gait Training:
Gait training is a type of physical therapy. They are exercises designed to help a person learn to walk, either as a child or after an injury or disability. Your gait is your manner of walking and gait exercises are prescribed to improve your ability to walk. It can help improve your ability to stand and walk.

You may need gait exercises after:
-Spinal cord injuries.
-Broken legs or pelvis.
-Joint injuries or replacements.
-Lower limb amputations.
-Strokes or neurological disorders.
-Muscular dystrophy or other musculoskeletal disorders.
-Children who require gait therapy often have brain injuries, neurological disorders, or musculoskeletal issues.

The key benefits of gait exercises are:
-Strengthening of muscles and joints.
-Retraining legs for repetitive motion.
-Developing muscle memory.
-Improving balance and posture.
-Building endurance.
-Lowering the risk of falls while increasing mobility.
-Lowering the risk of other illnesses such as osteoporosis and heart disease through mobility and physical activity.

16/05/2020

Physiotherapy for Gouty Arthritis/Gout:
-Gout is a kind of arthritis that causes painful and stiff joints. Gout is caused by the build up of crystals made of a substance called uric acid in your joints. It often starts in the big toe and can also cause lumps under the skin and kidney stones.
What causes gout?
-Stress.
-Daily consumption of meat and seafood.
-High blood pressure.
-Diabetes.
-Obesity.
-Certain antibiotics.
-20% chance increases if the person have a family history of the condition.
-Heart disease.
-Rheumatoid arthritis.

Symptoms:
-Pain in single joint for few weeks that spreads to other joints.
-Inflammation in the joints.
-Joint redness.
-Leg cramps or joint stiffness.
-Inability to carry heavy things.
-Tenderness.
-Finger weakness.

Physiotherapy for gout:
-First, physiotherapy focuses on stopping the acute inflammation of joints affected by gout arthritis, which is critical. Second, it addresses the long-term management of the disease in order to prevent future gouty arthritis and shrink gouty uric acid crystal deposits in the tissues.
-Physiotherapy may benefit you with regular exercise and massage. Physiotherapy increases the flow of blood and relaxes the muscles in the area of gout and can increase the intense pain. Physiotherapy will increase mobility with : Stretching exercise, Strengthening exercise, Massage, Endurance exercise, Cardio exercise

The other ways to control gout are:
-Change in diet.
-Weight reduction.
-Reduce the risk of cholesterol.
-Improves the risk of diabetes.
-Medication to reduce the level of uric acid in blood.

13/05/2020

Osteoarthritis:
-Osteoarthritis (OA) is caused by aging joints, injury, and obesity. OA symptoms include joint pain and stiffness. With knee OA, the muscles surrounding the knee can become weak, and the knee joints can become stiff. This makes it difficult to do everyday tasks, such as walking or getting out of bed.
-Physical therapy can help to reduce the pain, swelling, and stiffness of knee osteoarthritis, and it can help improve knee joint function. It can also make it easier for you to walk, bend, kneel, squat, and sit.
-Common Passive Treatments for Knee Osteoarthritis:
*Cold therapy.
*Heat therapy.
*Hydrotherapy.
-Common Active Treatments for Knee Osteoarthritis:
*Both strengthening and flexibility exercises are important to do because they can help take strain off the knee.
1-Straight Leg Raise:
Lie on the floor, upper body supported by your elbows. Bend your left knee, foot on the floor. Keep the right leg straight, toes pointed up. Tighten your thigh muscles and raise your right leg.Pause, as shown, for 3 seconds. Keep your thigh muscles tight and slowly lower your leg to the ground. Touch and raise again. Do two sets of 10 repetitions. Switch legs after each set.
2-Mini wall squats:
Stand with your head and back against the wall. Place your feet shoulder-width apart. Squat down slightly, so that your knees bend at a 30-degree angle. Press back up to stand. Repeat 10 times.
3-One-leg balance:
Stand next to a counter or table, and place one hand on it for support. Lift one leg and balance on the other for up to 10 seconds. As you get stronger, you can use one finger or let go of your support altogether. Repeat on the other side.

10/05/2020

Neuromuscular co-ordination:
-Co-ordination is when two or more separate entities work together or being able to do multi task. For example , hand-eye coordination ,which effect how well you can catch and throw a ball.
-Coordinated movement is characterized by appropriate speed, distance, direction, timing and muscular tension.
-It is the process that results in activation of motor units of multiple muscles with simultaneous inhibition of all other muscles in order to carry out a desired activity.
Causes of Coordination Impairments:
-Traumatic brain injury
-Alcoholism
-Infection
-neuropathies
-Spinal cord injuries
-Stroke
-Cerebral palsy
-Brain tumors
Coordination Exercises Involve:
-Constant repetition of a few motor activities
-Use of sensory cues (tactile, visual, proprioceptive) to enhance motor performance
-Increase of speed of the activity over time
-Activities are broken down into components that are simple enough to be performed correctly.
-Assistance is provided when ever necessary.
-The patient therefore should have a short rest after two or three repetitions, to avoid fatigue.
-High repetition of precise performance must be performed for the engram to form.
-When ever a new movement is trained, various inputs are given, like instruction(auditory), sensory stimulation(touch) ,or positions in which the patient can view the movement (visual stimulation) to enhance motor performance.
Physiotherapy:
-Pilates
-Yoga
-Otago Exercise Program and use of Balance Boards
-Neuromuscular coordination exercises.
-Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation.

Dr S Aslam's Physio-Consultancy

02/10/2020

10/08/2020

17/07/2020

12/07/2020

06/07/2020

02/07/2020

01/07/2020

20/05/2020

16/05/2020

13/05/2020

10/05/2020

Address

Website

Alerts

Shortcuts

Share