Understanding Sciatica
Sciatica refers to pain that radiates along the back of the buttock and leg, sometimes extending to the feet and toes. This pain typically stems from irritation of the sciatic nerve, commonly occurring at the buttock level or the lower back's nerve roots. Additional symptoms may include altered sensation, tingling and muscle weakness.
Contrary to popular belief, sciatica can occur without lower back pain. It is possible to experience leg pain and associated symptoms without any accompanying back discomfort.
Duration of Sciatica
Most cases of sciatica resolve within 4-8 weeks with appropriate physiotherapy management. Severe symptoms, such as numbness, tingling and muscle weakness, may require a longer recovery period.
Surgery is rarely necessary for sciatica. However, in rare instances where severe nerve compression occurs, such as altered sensation in the saddle region or impaired bladder or bowel control, surgery may be considered.
Causes of Sciatica
Sciatica often develops gradually without a specific onset moment. According to a study conducted in 2007, physically demanding occupations like manual labour or truck driving are common risk factors for sciatica.
The sciatic nerve, responsible for supplying the leg, originates from the spinal cord and exits through small spaces in the lower back. These nerve roots combine to form the sciatic nerve, which passes through the pelvis, buttock muscles and down into the leg. Sciatica can be caused by the compression or irritation of nerve roots close to the spine, such as from a herniated disc, inflammation, spondylolisthesis, or spinal stenosis. Additionally, compression or irritation of the sciatic nerve itself, often due to muscle irritation, can lead to sciatica.
In essence, sciatica refers to nerve irritation in the lower back or buttock region.
Symptoms of Sciatica
The main symptom of sciatica is pain, which may vary in nature:
Diagnosis of Sciatica
Sciatica is diagnosed based on a combination of historical information and physical assessments conducted by a physiotherapist. Physical tests, including muscle strength assessments, nerve mobility tests and lumbar range of motion tests, are used to determine the source of sciatic pain.
Additionally, your physiotherapist should ask you some red flags questions, to rule out any sinister problems and conditions, which are rare.
How ATO life. Physiotherapy Can Benefit You
Early-stage sciatica treatment focuses on effectively reducing pain through various techniques, including manual therapy, gentle nerve stretching and exercises to enhance spinal mobility. These interventions aim to decrease the sensitivity of the irritated nerve, providing significant relief and reducing symptoms within 1-4 sessions.
To achieve long-term results and prevent symptom recurrence, a personalised rehabilitation plan is crucial. Our approach ensures comprehensive management of sciatica, including specific exercises tailored to different stages of recovery (early, mid and late stages). While the primary goal is to eliminate your pain, our meticulous attention to your rehabilitation journey will ensure exceptional outcomes and preventing symptom relapse in the future.
This comprehensive approach includes strength and conditioning exercises to enhance your body's ability to handle daily activities and pursue recreational pursuits without strain. Additionally, our long-term management plan incorporates targeted nerve mobility exercises to improve the movement of affected nerves and spinal mobility exercises to enhance overall spine mobility.
After pain subsides, we will identify and address areas to improve overall health and wellbeing, which is essential to help you regain your normal functionality and stay well. A thorough assessment by a physiotherapist will identify areas that require attention and provide you with the knowledge and guidance to address them effectively.
By implementing these approaches, our physiotherapy services aim to alleviate your sciatica symptoms, promote healing and empower you to regain an active and pain-free lifestyle.
Join the hundreds of people who have made the journey to pain-free with ATO life. Physiotherapy and Book An Appointment today!
]]>I invite you to try some of the exercises below, during times when you simply want to feel more relaxed or if you have been emotionally triggered in a particular moment throughout your day. These exercises can be used as often as you like, or can be added to your self care routine.
Take a seat or stand, raise your right arm in front of you and look at your thumb. Take your right arm out to the right and follow your thumb with your gaze only, whilst keeping your head facing forwards. Keep following your thumb with your gaze as you bring your right hand back to the centre. Raise your left hand to meet the right, then repeat your thumb and eye movements on the opposite side. Keep repeating from left to right for at least 30 seconds to give your eyes (and mind!) a break from stress-inducing technology throughout your day.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart, with your knees slightly bent and your arms dangling beside you. Begin shaking your hands as if you're flicking water off of your fingertips. Keep going as you start to shrug your shoulders and gently bounce through your knees. Notice the vibration spread throughout your body. Why not play your favourite song and shake like nobody’s watching! Start with 5 minutes of shaking and build to up to 20 minutes a day if it works for you.
Close your eyes and scan the body to identify areas of muscular tension. If you are focussing on large muscles of the legs or arms, start by kneading these muscles or make a loose fist and lightly drum up and down the length of them. For smaller muscles, use your thumbs or finger tips to work tiny circles on or around the muscles or tap your fingers over more bony areas such as your forehead, cheeks and jaw. All it takes is a few minutes to feel the soothing effects and don’t worry - you can’t do yourself any damage. Finally, cup your hands over your eyes or give yourself a hug …take a big inhale and deeply sigh out.
If you try any of these exercises and enjoy the benefits, let me know via email abi@atolife.co.uk or share your thoughts with me on social media @ato_your_life
Best Wishes,
Abi
]]>These effects can be amplified by participating in regular physical activity whereby one experiences feelings of pleasure, excitement and enthusiasm i.e. choosing an activity that enjoyable over ones that conjure up feeling of embarrassment or shame. What's more, physical activity builds energy, and when we dedicate this to ourselves, we feel alive and vital!
So What?
Physical Activity literally supercharges your life satisfaction and wellbeing.
There are plethora of ways levelling up your exercise regime, it does not only involve going to the gym! Physical Activity does not require too much time, nor money and it can built into one's lifestyle. However, it should be regular and when it comes to motivating oneself to get going, there is nothing better than to just do it. Whatever you decide to do, ensure that it is something that you enjoy.
If you're not sure where to start, contact us at ATO life. for more support, we look forward to hearing from you!
Best wishes and motivation,
Abi (Founder of ATO life.)
Get fit before you go. Skiing and snowboarding utilise muscles in a completely unique way. Strengthen your quadriceps and hamstrings and stretch those calves! Improving your overall cardiovascular fitness will also help you cope with long, tiring days and manage the altitude
Ski with the right equipment. Ensure your boots, skis/snowboard are suitable for your ability and adjust the bindings appropriately. Wear layers and correct warm gear to make sure you are not too distracted by the cold and therefore lose your tekkers.
Take a lesson or start out on the easier runs. If it’s been a while or if you are totally new to skiing, don’t be a hero. Sharpen your technique and avoid bad habits for the best and safest experience.
Practice good skier etiquette. Look out for the simple, common-sense rules to follow on the mountains. For example, a reminder to give people coming downhill right of way and mounting ski lifts correctly, might help prevent accidents.
Rest when tired. Fatigued muscles struggle to provide as much joint protection, which could put you at more risk of injury. So, if you’re tired, have a break and head back to the slopes when you’re re-energised.
If you want to feel more prepared for your upcoming ski trip, book in to see us at ATO life. clinic in Hanger Lane for a 1hr physio assessment. Or if winter leaves you or a loved one hurting, don’t forget that at ATO life., we currently have a promotional offer of x2 60min sports massages for £99.
See you Après-Ski,
Abi Onuoha (ATO life. Founder & Physiotherapist)
]]>Have you considered how often you feel agitated or stressed throughout your day? Has it occurred to you that perhaps you're stuck in a vicious stress cycle? What triggers your stress response? We may not be able to shape the world around us and prevent stressful events heading our way, but we can modify the way in which we respond. By doing this, we can create more balance in our mind, body and overall health.
There are many options available to you. One easy method to break this perpetual stress reaction cycle is to signal to the body/mind that the external stressor has finished.
If you experience a stressful moment or a long exhausting day, try engaging in an activity that tells your body and mind that the stress-inducing trigger is over. This might be helpful immediately after a stressful moment, or after a string of stressful events.
The activity which you choose to break the cycle should be personal to you; enjoyable, somehow challenging and totally immersive. Think outside the box here and try to utilise all your senses.
Put on some music at the end of the working day and have a dance/workout. Spend five minutes doing some breathing exercises with your eyes closed after receiving a difficult work email. Simply get changed out of your work clothes and savour a cup of tea (with the laptop closed!) after a hard day's work. If you signal to your brain that the stressful moment is over and you are safe, your body will respond physiologically by bringing you out of a high alert state.
So, try some activities that are enjoyable, challenging and immersive, be consistent with it and reap the benefits.
Yours in balance,
Abi
Founder & Physiotherapist of ATO life.
abi@atolife.co.uk
@ato_your_life
]]>I think we can all agree that exercise is good for us and makes us feel good ...afterwards! Simply moving our bodies and adding weight progressively can enhance our physical (and mental) robustness A LOT.
In this blog, I want to talk to you about the benefits of resistance exercise as we age and also for those who are managing complex health conditions. Let's get into it.
STRENGTH TRAINING & METABOLIC SYNDROME
"Metabolic syndrome is the medical term for a combination of diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity. It affects an estimated one in four adults in the UK. It puts us at greater risk of getting coronary heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular conditions that affect the blood vessels" (NHS 2016). It is characterised by increased waist circumference (bigger belly compared to hips), high triglyceride levels (fat in the blood), high blood pressure, insulin resistance (Diabetes) and inflammation/swelling in the body. It is associated with being overweight with poor physical activity levels.
Metabolic syndrome is not the one. Luckily though, we can prevent and even reverse Metabolic syndrome with a number of lifestyle changes. In a recent study by Liu et al. (2019), it was shown that "less than an hour a week of resistance exercise was associated with decreased risks for cardiovascular disease-related events, independent of aerobic exercise."
WOW.. it's possible to reduce our risk of developing Metabolic syndrome with less than one hour of effortful lifting/pushing/pulling/carrying per week! If that's the minimal effective dose required, pass me the dumbbell!
STRENGTH TRAINING & SARCOPENIA
Sarcopenia is defined by the loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength, simply as a result of ageing. From about forty years old, our muscle mass automatically declines (sigh), and we become at risk of developing Sarcopenia, which can be associated with Osteoporosis (bone density loss). Now, it does not take a rocket scientist to comprehend the secondary effects of muscle mass and bone loss. As a result, we can develop muscle weakness, leading to insidious joint pain and/or overuse injuries. This is something I see so commonly in clinic these days - injuries coming from nowhere, without specific trauma or incident, "I'm just getting old", they say. Long term and chronic injuries can reduce our mobility and over time put us at risk of falls, frailty, decreased immunity, poor overall health and increased mortality (Strength For Life 2019). Eeek, that does not sound good.
Ok, ok bad news over. In all honesty, regardless of what age you are or what condition you may be in, strength training is good for you. Walking the dog at the park every day is lovely, but simply not enough to fend off those daunting health conditions. If you find yourself the right programme, with the right guidance, you may well enjoy it!!
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If you are keen to improve your health span and enhance your overall health through exercise, but you are not sure how, get in touch with us at ATO life. We are advocates of physical exercise and aim to make it accessible and enjoyable for all.
Yours in strength and balance,
Abi
Founder & Physiotherapist of ATO life.
abi@atolife.co.uk
@ato_your_life
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I've wanted to read a bit more myself about this subject for a little while now. As you know, I am a Physiotherapist and prescribe exercise A LOT for A LOT of people. If you work in this industry and you find yourself 'doing what has always been done' and all too often prescribe 3x10 with most resistance-based exercises, perhaps this blog will encourage you to re-evaluate this and be a bit more mindful of the exercise prescription process. Alternatively, maybe you go to your (now) home gym and never really know how many reps and sets you should do to really get the benefits you're looking for?
Well. I recently found some interesting results from a meta-analysis (the gold-standard of research) that you may want to hear about. The study is not that recent, but a good reminder of some basic strength training principles.
Let's get straight to it.
A Meta-analysis to Determine the Dose Response for Strength Development by Rhea et al. 2003.
The aim of this study was to identify the relationship between the dose of exercise e.g. 3x10reps and the strength responses in the body. The researchers wanted to analyse the magnitude of strength gains elicited by various levels of training intensity, frequency and volume in order to clarify to effort to benefit ratio. Approximately 140 studies were included in this review.
So what were the results?
INTENSITY = the level of effort one exerts during exercise relative to one's maximum effort.
- Untrained individuals (with less than one year of consistent training experience) get maximum strength gains with a mean training intensity of 60% of their 1repetition max (RM). This is equivalent to being able complete a maximum of 12 reps per set at any given weight. Diminishing returns appear to begin in untrained individuals who train above this and caution should be used when prescribing high intensity strength training to avoid overtraining.
- In experienced individuals, a mean training intensity of 80% of their 1RM elicits the greatest strength increase, which is equivalent to a maximum of 8 reps per set.
FREQUENCY = how many training sessions one performs per week.
- Untrained individuals who train three times per week (per muscle group), elicit the greatest increase in strength.
- Trained individuals show similar strength improvements with two sessions per week but at higher volumes i.e. more sets and reps per session.
VOLUME = the number of muscles worked, exercises, sets, and reps during a single session.
- In both trained and untrained individuals, strength increases with multiple-set protocols (most commonly four sets per muscle group). Diminishing returns begin after four sets.
- Untrained individuals have been shown to be more sensitive to an increase in volume compared to trained individuals. This means that there is more potential for strength improvements in untrained populations. In fact, trained individuals have to complete four sets to get the same magnitude of strength gains as an untrained individual would get with a single-set!
- Be careful to not overcook the volume with individuals who are fairly inexperienced. They could easily lose motivation and commitment and there's risk of injury.
So, what's the moral of the story?
Progressively overload - gradually increase the amount of stress on the body during exercise - start with a low intensity/volume/frequency if you're prescribing exercise for a newbie or starting strength training from scratch. Perhaps 1-3 sets of 12 bodyweight squats once per week is good to start with if you haven't done them before.
Vary the training load and dose. Strength gains found with four sets of an exercise at 80% of one's 1RM could also be achieved with three sets of the same exercise at 90% of one's 1RM.
If you are an exercise professional, think long and hard about what your intentions are with your client's exercise selection. Then plan and progress.
If you want to start strength training and all this is quite confusing for you, find yourself an experienced training expert who can assist you. You can discuss how much strength gain is desired or required by you, then they can plan accordingly and be clear and open about the effort required by you to achieve that.
You can do it!
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Adverse Childhood Events (ACE)
It turns out that difficulties in our childhood can influence how healthy we are into adulthood. The more adverse childhood events an individual experiences in their younger years, the higher their risk for poor health outcomes such as mental illness, drug/alcohol abuse, diabetes, cancer and heart attacks (Hughes et al. 2017).
Genetic & Epigenetic Predispositions
Our DNA sequence accounts for 10% of our health status. Up to 90% of our health status is influenced by our environment i.e. things we expose ourselves to in life have the power to influence our gene expression (Kelly & Shull 2019). These factors can include nutrition, level of physical activity and tobacco to name a few. For example, studies show that exposure to cigarette smoke can make breathing airway cells more susceptible to genetic mutations known to cause lung cancers.
Environmental Conditions
Your local environmental conditions also influence your health status. Things such as air pollution, second-hand smoke, water supply, food deserts, war, pandemics, famine and earthquakes can play a huge part in how healthy and well you are (Kelly and Shull 2019).
Socioeconomic Status
Lower socioeconomic status correlates with poorer health. What’s more, people in racial minorities have less access to health interventions (Elmore et al. 2013).
Health Literacy
People with higher education have a better ability obtain, read, understand and use healthcare information in order to make better health decisions and follow instructions. Those with low 'health literacy' have increased hospital admissions and visit their GP more often (Vernon et al. 2007).
It's important for someone like me, other health & fitness professionals AND you, to understand the these determinants. Recognising these with help us to make positive change in ourselves and our communities.
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Here are some definitions of health by a few published schools of thought:
"Happiness is the highest form of health" - Dalai Lama
According to Ayurveda ”holism and balance are key aspects to health - a holistic approach to health involves considering all aspects of the individual’s life, especially diet. Balance is then achieved by constantly adapting to the environment”
"Health is a resource for everyday life, not the objective of living. Health is a positive concept emphasizing social and personal resources as well as physical capacities" (The World Health Organization 1986)
Health is "the ability to adapt and self manage in the face of social, physical, and emotional challenges" (The British Medical Journal 2011)
"Health is a state of balance, an equilibrium that an individual has established within himself and between himself and his social and physical environment. Health would thus be a dimension of human existence that remains in existence regardless of the presence of diseases, somewhat like the sky that remains in place even when covered with clouds." (Sartorius 2006)
We asked a bunch of people what '“good health” meant to them. This is what they said…
To Jolene "Good health means being able to live to your full potential. It means being well enough to enjoy all aspects of life including mental/emotional wellness, reaching our own physical goals and being able to connect with our environment/society well."
Jolene's husband on the other hand believes that health means "not dying when you're 35"
Julieann (Osteopath) says health is "Good inner-outer body connection. Often we are too much in our heads and use our bodies as a kind of vehicle to rush around. No wonder it gives up sometimes. It's not a mind-body connection we need. It's more like a shut the brain up and give the body some time to breath. Go for a walk, look at the autumn leaves let the beauty of the world reconnect us - blinkin' I sound very hip'. But we are out of touch with our bodies and the world we are designed to be intrinsically part of."
To Leanne "Health is my mental space. A happy place when my health is at its best via food and exercise in my opinion. Health is also spiritual. You need spiritual energy to get to your best health!"
To Joshua "Health means, quality sleep, constant hydration, protein & green diet, and lots of orgasms!"
Charlotte says "Health to me means feeling charged, positive and stable, in both a physical and mental sense. However, as I write this, I'm mainly thinking of ones mental health. I believe that before you can feel physically healthy within your body (and reap the benefits of that) your mind must be in a good, safe and stable condition. It makes sense as to why I don't physically feel good when I'm having a negative mental health day."
Ben says “Health = Three things: 1. Ability to function adequately (mentally and physically) 2. To be pain-free (mentally and physically). 3. Confidence that items 1 and 2 will continue through to old age. Actually the first thing that sprung to mind was that it's a measure of how well I'm doing when I play Mortal Kombat"
To Lisa, "Health is when mind, body and spirit are all working well in tandem to produce the best, and most content human being you can be."
To Hayley "health means living your best life, physically and mentally"
Paul says "Good health means well-being, contentment and happiness"
Rachel thinks that health is all about “Living a happy and enriched life”
ATO = THREE, which symbolises three main pillars of health – physical, psychological and social. the life bit is because essentially it’s all about YOUR LIFE.
]]>My name is Abi and I am a Physiotherapist by background. I realised the benefits of yoga practice many years ago when life got very busy and I needed something to help me de-stress and feel more equipped to deal with the drama that is life. Since then, I have dedicated thousands of hours to the practice and trained as a yoga teacher. The effects have been quite profound; I have become more calm and collected and noticed positive changes in my physical body.
Please read on if you'd like to find out how yoga can guide you to better health and well-being and what you can expect from my online yoga classes.
So what IS yoga exactly?
Yoga as most people know it today is a form of movement and exercise that can be used to enhance health through physical poses, purposeful breathing and mental focus. It is mostly known to improve one’s flexibility... I have patients asking me all the time, “Shall I do Yoga to help with my stiff muscles?” Don’t get me wrong, yoga will help you improve your flexibility, but this is just a side effect, not the main intention!! In my opinion, yoga is one of the best ways to help you to move well, through larger ranges of motion and different planes of motion. But it is so much more than that and I must do it justice!
So, without getting too philosophical, let me just explain…
According to ancient Yogic texts such as The Yoga Sutras written by Patanjali at some point between 100BCE and 100CE, yoga is defined as Citta Vrtti Nirohdhah (Sanskrit language). Citta means Mindstuff, Vrtti means Thoughts and Nirohdhah means Restraint. Essentially, yoga is about channelling the fluctuations of the mind. Just imagine your brain as a lake and your plethora of thoughts as algae underneath the water's surface. This algae distorts and obstructs your view of what is really below the surface. You can’t see clearly. Through the discipline and instruction of yoga, one can clear the messy algae and see more clearly through the depths of the lake.
If these ideas seem a bit far fetched, don’t worry, I will not preach any longer. But just remember, yoga is the practice of bringing the body and mind to stillness in order to see things clearly.
Could you do with some of this in your busy, hectic life?
How can yoga help YOU?
I teach a down-to-earth, light hearted yoga class, which has a particular focus on traditional alignment (I am a Physio after all). I can therefore assure you that you will be led through a sequence that is safe, but challenging at the same time. I will teach you to think about movement in an intelligent way, focussing on mobility, stability and strength. I teach a type of yoga called Vinyasa Flow - meaning that it is quite dynamic . We won’t spend more than 10-20 seconds in any pose, apart from relaxation at the end (yay). For any of you experienced yoga students, do not worry, I’ve got lots of tricks up my sleeve to keep you feeling challenged! I incorporate themes to my classes to ensure there is a clear focus. Over time and with some commitment and effort, you will develop a better understanding of the different elements of yoga practice. Most importantly, you will become more balanced, mobile and adaptable in your life (physically and mentally!)
If you would like help to clear the algae and chaos, don't hesitate to get in touch.
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