Understanding Pain

I have been asked to write a brief summary of those areas in which I have a clinical interest.

I qualified as a Chartered Physiotherapist in 1987 and emerged from training with a determined desire to understand those factors which influence pain in everyday musculo-skeletal injuries and conditions and therefore would hopefully be more effective in their management.

From conditions such as acute sporting injury, repetitive strains and overuse injuries through to the debilitating effects of chronic low back pain and many osteoarthritic conditions; there is much that can be explored and changed to bring significant support to self-care management strategies and in many cases pain relief even after years of suffering.

For example one area of clinical interest in my practice is the management, treatment and prevention of headaches and migraines, most of which arise from stiffness and/or mal-loading of the upper three joints of the neck.  Many sufferers are completely unaware that a dominant aggravant or even in some cases the main cause of these symptoms are provoked by poor postural forces adopted every 24 hour cycle such as using the wrong number of pillows, sleeping on your front or simply unfavorable ergonomics at work.  Once understood, corrected and therefore avoided, many patients go on to enjoy a dramatic relief from prior debilitating symptoms and make more spontaneous improvements to ‘hands-on’ therapy and specific exercises which help support long-term body harmonization.

This approach is valuable to all severe and chronic pain condition and therefore I would advise any reader never to accept such symptoms as an inevitable consequence of the aging process or because they have already suffered from a protracted period of symptoms, 

It just a matter of unpicking the puzzle…

Tracey Butcher Grad, Dip, Phys, MCSP, HCPC res

To book in for a physiotherapy appointment here at The Body Junction, please call 01424 224164