Patient Has Neck Pain, But I Treated Her Leg

Last year I wrote about how your hips are connected to your shoulder, which turned out to be a really popular post.

Well, today I had a patient who told me she had neck pain as well. This was after I treated her for her plantar fasciitis problem and knee pain. I had only 2 mins left before my next patient. Here's a screen shot of the video I took before I treated her neck pain.

Before -12:58 pm

Here's the before video.

After treatment at 1:05 pm. Here's the screen shot of the video after at 1:05 pm.

After - 1:05 pm

Believe it or not I treated her leg, yes you read correctly. Watch the video how her neck range changed, without me going near her neck at all.

Many thanks to my patient for allowing me to post the images and videos.

Want to know what I treated? Here's a clue, look at the picture below.

SFL

Oops, Just Pooped During My Run

*Wouldn't wish this on anyone

Do you often need to go to the toilet just before your race? For lots of runners, the urge to go to the toilet happens during the race as well. I've occasionally needed to when I was racing, especially before a big race. But thankfully, never during an important race.

Well, you'll be surprised to know that the cause of you going to the toilet may be coming from your head.

A recently published study done only on 150 runners suggest that runners' gastrointestinal (stomach) problems during training runs and races were significantly related to their stress and anxiety levels. The runners were followed up for 30 days in this particular study.

This is after accounting for other known causes of stomach issues such as caffeine, medication, carbohydrates consumed during the run and workout intensity.

There is previous ample evidence that running intensity is closely linked to gastrointestinal issues. The faster (or eventually further) you run, the more blood is diverted temporarily from elsewhere (such as from digestion areas) to running muscles.

In this study, the runners who reported more anxiety and stress in their daily life were more likely to have flatulence, stomach distress and mid-run pit stops while running.

Other than running intensity and other contributing factors tracked, the major reason from this study showed that the runners' reported level of stress and anxiety was the other major factor linked to "on the run" gastrointestinal problems.

Bear in mind that the runners' in the study were not stressed about their running. From the questionnaires, the reported stress were based on people recalling their daily lives, not a specific activity such as work, or in this case, exercise.

So if you're having stomach issues before, during or after a stressful or anxiety provoking event, it makes it more likely that your stomach symptoms (and the need to use the toilet) are stress and anxiety related. Make sure you try to use the toilet before you run.


Reference

Wilson PB (2017). Perceived Life Stress And Anxiety Correlate With Chronic Gastrointestinal Symptoms In Runners. J Sports Sci. Dec 1:1-7. DOI: 10.1080/02640414.2017.1411175.

*Took the picture off the computer from rantlifestyle.com

Drill Bit Left In Ankle After Operation

11:42 am -before treatment

Have a look at the picture above. My patient came to our clinic with "problems" in his right ankle. He fractured the ankle in 2010, had pins and plates inserted (but the surgeon did not suggest physiotherapy after that).

He resumed running and football after that and subsequently needed an ankle reconstruction last year as another surgeon told him all his ligaments were now torn and the ankle unstable. Again there was no referral for physiotherapy after this second operation.

One year later, he still had lots of pain in his ankle and lack of range of motion. He saw another surgeon for a second opinion and the MRI was inconclusive. He underwent another operation and in the operating theater, the surgeon found a bone spur in front and a broken-off drill bit left behind! Yes, you read correctly, a broken-off drill bit from the earlier operation ??!!!

Finally, this third surgeon he saw referred him for physiotherapy.

11:55 am 

Well, it took me about 13 mins to change his right ankle if you look at the time difference between both pictures. Actually it was less because I treated his left leg too, before re-assessing him.

Now if we put both pictures together, you can definitely see the difference.

See the difference?

Having a difficult time before or after your operation? Come and see us in our clinics. We'll definitely be able to help you get better.

Job Done

It was raining cats and dogs this morning when we returned for Day 2 of the re-certification of the Kinesio Taping Instructors course. This was the last re-certification course available for this period for Instructors as there had already been courses in Albuquerque, Prague and in Brazil in the past 2 months.

Being the model for Graceann

The other Instructors present had become familiar faces and we discussed different teaching strategies. It was good for me to meet the other Instructors in Asia as previously I'd only done the re-certification courses in Albuquerque and Venice. We watched some videos and had the practical sessions to clear our doubts.

Getting my cert from Graceann

My 2 students before and now fellow Instructors

Well, my certification will qualify me to teach for the next 3 years til end 2020. And the next course I'll be teaching will be at Sports Solutions on 3rd-4th February 2018. You can sign up for the February course here.

Next course will be on June 16th-17th 2018.

Here's my cert

Day 1 Of Kinesio Taping Instructors Recertification (CKTI) In Hong Kong

Study time

3 years have gone by since Venice and here I am in Hong Kong doing my Kinesio Taping re-certification for Instructors. This is my 3rd re-certification after Albuquerque in 2011 and Venice in 2014.

My name tag

Dr Kenso Kase was unfortunately not present this time and since there are some changes to the course, we spent the whole day with Dr Graceann Forrester (who originally certified me as an Instructor in 2010) going through the new slides while sharing some laughs of course.

Going through the slides with Graceann

Graceann did a really good job explaining the new slides and changes.

Graceann at the break

Stay tuned for day 2 of the Instructors re-certification.