What goes up…
As the saying goes, must come down. In other words, at the top of every hill you will find an effortless stretch of running, or will you?
The lay man will tell you that running down a hill is easier and less work than running up the same hill but I will tell you otherwise. Without getting too scientific and physiological, downhill running is far more work than any hill you will run up despite the breathlessness, …
Finding your form
What does form really tell us and how can it help us get to where we going faster and more efficiently?
When assessing an athlete’s running style, we typically look at toe-knee-hip-hand-shoulder alignment. Do not underestimate the power of the mind though as head position will determine where and what the rest of the body will be doing during a run.
Head carriage should be neutral. The chin should line up with the breastbone and be …
Nausea, vomiting and stomach cramps during exercise can be largely attributed to gastric emptying syndrome. During periods of physical performance, the heart, lungs and muscular system demand up to 80% of the blood flow to ensure optimal oxygen delivery to working tissues. This results in limited effort being made available to the digestion of the food or fluid from the stomach.
Most of the time, anything that is consumed will be emptied from the stomach largely undigested which leads to …
Anatomy of the spine:
The spine is a crucial structure in the body. It has three major functions important for everyday life:
Protection: the spinal cord, nerve roots and several organs within the body are protected by the spine.
Structure: the spine provides structural support to withstand load and hold you upright.
Movement: the spine allows movement in multiple directions.
The spine can be broken down into five sections – cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacrum and coccyx. The spine …
What is Sciatica?
The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in the body. Sciatica refers to symptoms of lower back, buttock or leg pain, which can be described as tingling, numbness, or weakness in the leg and foot. These symptoms originate in the lower back but may also be felt without lower back pain. The sciatic nerve exits the spine and travels through the buttock and down the back of the leg before branching off behind the knee to different …
Low Back Pain
Low back pain is the most common complaint we see at Mike Varney Physiotherapy. 7 out of 10 people will experience some form of low back pain in their lifetime. It is characterised by a pain or ache anywhere between the bottom of your ribs and the top of your legs. Some people also experience referred pain down into the buttocks and legs. Despite being so common and very treatable, we often have patients who have waited …
One of our fabulous patients David, has set himself a massive challenge of walking 1 mile through Harlow Town Centre for the Brain and Spine Foundation. David has spent years learning to both speak and walk again after he suffered a subarachnoid brain haemorrhage in May 2007. This walk will be the furthest he has ever walked since his brain injury and we are following his progress as he prepares for his challenge.
David first visited us in 2012 looking …
On Tuesday 29th November, the Mike Varney Physiotherapy team presented an information and advice evening lecture to patients, local GP’s and opticians. The talk was aimed at examining the different types of headaches and migraines and the treatment that we can provide to help reduce symptoms, frequency and intensity.The evening was delivered by 3 of our therapists: Tom Green, Annabel Moeser and Martin Atkinson.
If you missed it here is a brief over view of the discussed points. …
Over the summer season, the team at Mike Varney Physiotherapy have been offering their services to Silver Leys Polo Club situated just outside Bishop’s Stortford. The Club has been around since 1894 and is believed to be the oldest Polo Club in England.
Players travel from all around the country and even from abroad to play at Silver Leys, however the club is also supported by a wide range of spectators making the Polo events a worthwhile and enjoyable experience. …