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Coronavirus Update – 18th May 2020

Coronavirus

We have made a short video to reassure you that you will be safe if attending the clinic.


An  essential medical service Milltown Physiotherapy has been open during the Pandemic.

We are operating with a policy of social distancing and thorough regular sanitising. It is our priority that our patients, reception staff and physiotherapists are protected to the utmost of our ability.

From the outset

Patients will be asked if they have had any of the following over the last 14 days:

  • Fever above 38 degrees

AND / OR

  • Symptoms of cough or shortness of breath

AND one of

  • Travel to another country of high transmission
  • Had contact with someone experiencing respiratory symptoms in the last 14 days
If the answer is yes to these questions, they will be asked not to attend.
In addition

Patients in ‘at risk’ groups should not attend unless their symptoms requiring treatment are acute and the benefit of treatment will outweigh the risk of leaving the home.

 

On the day of an appointment

  1. Patients will receive a text reminder of their appointment and will be asked where possible to wait in the car.
  2. Their therapist will then come out to the car park when ready to start the treatment session.

The patient could let reception know whether they are in the front or side car park and the colour of their car though this is not essential.

 

In the clinic

  • Seating in the waiting room or in the exercise room is greater than 2 metres apart so it is possible to wait in the building.
  • There are sanitising hand gels and tissues throughout the clinic. The clinic is sanitised frequently throughout the day including all commonly touched surfaces.
  • Treatment rooms are cleaned thoroughly by the therapists between patients.
  • Payment would ideally be made by card rather than cash. We use Apple Pay , Google Pay and Revolut (also use symbols). Accounts can also be settled over the phone from the car park either before or after the session.

To make an appointment

Please call us on 01-2960603 or email info@milltownphysiotherapy.com
Remember that Telehealth consultations are also available.

 

Are you pregnant and in pain around your pelvis?

Women's Health
Ante post natal Pilates

Pelvic Girdle Pain (PGP) is a condition that is very common during pregnancy affecting 1 in 4 women.

Symptoms often include:

Pain to the front (Pubic symphsis joint) or back of the pelvis (Sacroiliac Joint)
Difficulty walking, taking stairs, standing on one leg, lying or rolling over in bed
Can physiotherapy treatment help to improve your symptoms during and after pregnancy?
Usually PGP is a mechanical problem affecting the joints and muscles in the pelvis. Often one of the SI joints at the back becomes slightly stuck and the joints in the pelvis start to move asymmetrically putting extra strain on the other tissues.
By treating the stiff joint with manual therapy by a physiotherapist, it can relieve the pain and allow the pelvic joints to function normally again.

I have PGP, what should I do next?

It is important to find a knowledgeable physiotherapist with specialist experience in the treatment of PGP with manual therapy. Our women’s health physiotherapists at Milltown Physiotherapy have all undertaken postgraduate training in the treatment of PGP and have a wealth of experience in this area.

 

Why should I take action early?

The sooner you are treated the better the likely outcome.
If everything is moving as well as possible (ie the joints are moving symmetrically) before the birth, women usually find that the pain resolves quite quickly afterwards.
It is rarely too late to improve symptoms. However, if you still have symptoms after you have your baby this is still treatable.

As is the case before the birth, the sooner you seek treatment, the sooner you are likely to make a recovery.

 

What should I expect from a treatment?

Your physiotherapist will use a combination of joint realignment or mobilisation and soft tissue or muscle release techniques.
It is not usually painful and you should expect to feel an improvement after each treatment.
You may be given gentle exercises to improve pelvic stability and as you recover these are adapted individually to help you get back to normal.
Ante-natal and post-natal pilates is also effective in improving and maintaining the pelvic stability muscles to help reduce symptoms of PGP.

 

www.milltownphysiotherapy.com/team/

Women’s Health Physiotherapists for PGP: Elaine Barry, Stephanie Crossland, Sarah Mullins, Helen MacDevitt, Mary McGuinness, Suzanne Skelton.

Would sticks and stones break your bones?

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To mark World Osteoporosis Day and to help raise awareness practice partner Helen MacDevitt offers tips and advice.

 

canstockphoto16141556-e1413807772168Osteoporosis is a disease in which the density and quality of bone are reduced, leading to weakness of the skeleton and increased risk of fracture, particularly of the spine, hip and wrist.

Osteoporosis affects 200,000 Irish people (women AND men!) and results in 18,000 fractures annually, costing the state a whopping €653 million in health care! Ireland has one of the highest rates of hip fractures in the world!

 

Am I at risk?

The bad news is, if you are female, have had children, are over 50, are have a mother or father with a history of osteoporosis then you have a higher predisposition.
The good news however is that, if you don’t smoke, drink alcohol in moderation (less than 14 units a week), reduce caffeine, consume calcium and vitamin D rich foods (diary, broccoli, almonds for eg) and take regular weightbearing exercise, you can reduce the likelihood of developing osteoporosis significantly!

 

So what kind of exercise is helpful?

The message is ‘Move it or Lose it’ when it comes to bone density. A worrying fact is that women who sit for more than nine hours a day are 50% more likely to have a hip fracture than those who sit for less than six hours a day.

Just like muscles, bones respond when they are “stressed,” in other words, when they are forced to bear more weight than they are used to. This can be achieved by “weight bearing” or impact exercises such as walking, running, lifting weights, jumping, skipping or dancing. Ten times up and down an average flight of steps (10-12 steps) is a 1/3rd of your daily weightbearing requirements. So during your working day, take the stairs instead of the lift, consider jogging on the spot for a minute or 2 or get out for a short walk….. it all adds up!

 

So to look after your bone health, remember the key things:

Bone mass and exercise are inextricably linked.

Exercise, in addition to a healthy diet and lifestyle, can help to maintain your bone density and slow down the process that leads to osteoporosis.

By improving balance, strength, and agility, exercise helps prevent falls that lead to fractures.

Impact and weight bearing exercises are best – consider skipping, jogging or weight training instead of swimming or cycling.

For further information and advice http://www.worldosteoporosisday.org/5-steps-better-bone-health

Today is World Spine Day – October 16th 2014

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Spine-SelfieOur physios got involved in spine selfies to help raise awareness for World Spine Day.

 

Spinal disorders, such as back pain, neck pain, scoliosis and disc disease to name a few are common. They can have a profound effect on a person’s overall health, impacting a person’s ability to work, to enjoy everyday activities and even disrupting healthy sleep patterns.
Research has demonstrated that poor postures and inactivity can contribute to the development of back pain and other spinal disorders.Spinal pain is the second greatest cause of disability, as measured by years lived with disability (YLDs) worldwide and across most regions of the world (Lancet 15 December 2012).

 

Physiotherapy can help manage symptoms and provide pain relief. Call us on (01) 296 0603 today.

Have you ever counted how many hours a day you spend sitting down? It could affect how long you live!

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canstockphoto6816280Practice partner and senior musculoskeletal physiotherapist Helen MacDevitt offers some tips and advice.

 

Recent research has found that it’s not just about how much physical activity you get, but the amount of time spent sitting that can increase your risk of premature death! The study which followed over 123,000 people over a 13 year period, identified that women who reported more than six hours per day of sitting were 37 % more likely to die during the time period studied than those who sat fewer than 3 hours a day. Men who sat more than 6 hours a day were 18% more likely to die than those who sat fewer than 3 hours per day.

When combined with a lack of general physical activity, the association was even stronger. Women and men who both sat more and were less physically active were 94% and 48% more likely, respectively, to die compared with those who reported sitting the least and being most active. Heart and blood related illness followed by cancer were the most common causes of death.

Take a moment to consider how many hours a day you spend sitting down! Between commuting to and from work, sitting at your desk or in meetings and relaxing at home in the evenings, it is not uncommon to spend up to 10 hours a day (and sometimes more) in a static seated position. Not only will your spine and posture benefit from regular movement but so will your heart and lungs

Examples of how you can move and still work:
• Instead of emailing a colleague, walk to their desk and give them the message or leave a post- it.
• If you are reading a paper document, stand up or lean against a wall to read out
• Keep a small bottle of water on your desk, drink and refill it 3-4 times a day.
• Before your answer your phone, stand up!
• While standing at the printer or photocopier, stretch your arms overhead to lengthen your spine.
• Take the stairs between floors rather than using the lift.
• On your lunch break, leave the office to get a short breath of air – even a brief 10 minute burst of outdoor exercise will refresh you physically and mentally

 

 

Journal Reference:
1. Alpa V. Patel, Leslie Bernstein, Anusila Deka, Heather Spencer Feigelson, Peter T. Campbell, 5 Susan M. Gapstur, Graham A. Colditz, and Michael J. Thun. Leisure Time Spent Sitting in Relation to Total Mortality in a Prospective Cohort of US Adults. American Journal of Epidemiology, 2010; DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwq155

 

Pelvic masterclass a great success supporting Deirdre Holland Recovery Fund

Women's Health

The Pelvic Floor Masterclasses on Sept 8th, Sept 17th and Sept 25th were great successes with all venues filled will enthusiastic support for the Deirdre Holland Recovery Fund.

PF-Masterclass-DL-e1413306498571

The half hour long presentation was followed by a half hour of pelvic floor exercise with description of how exactly to do your pelvic floor exercises and as the title of the talks went, to find out “Where’s My Pelvic Floor”! We had fun afterwards with questions and answers and participants could look at pelvic floor products supplied by sponsors EVB Sports Shorts, In Tone pelvic floor stimulators by SRA Medical, pelvic floor multipath stimulator by Neurotech Vital and Women’s Health products by Physioneeds. A glass of wine was in some cases welcomed as we relaxed in the company of friends talking about the pelvic floor and much more. Most importantly, Deirdre and her family were delighted and most grateful to everyone for their participation and generosity and with the funds that the classes raised.

Specialist Chartered Physiotherapist in Women’s Health & Continence, Maeve Whelan will be marking World Physical Therapy Day on September 8th 2014 with a Master Class titled Where’s My Pelvic Floor?!

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The title of this year’s World Physical Therapy day is “Fit to Take Part” and women throughout the world lose out because they are not fit to take part with one in four women suffering from pelvic pain and one in three women suffering from pelvic floor dysfunction including pelvic organ prolapse, bladder or bowel control problems. Possibly not surprising with those statistics, fifty percent of women contract their muscles the wrong way. Further studies report a prevalence of sexual difficulties in up to 50% of women worldwide.

 

The Where’s My Pelvic Floor?! Masterclass combines the need to educate women to look after their pelvic floor and at the same time raising funds for Deirdre Holland who tragically lost both lower legs through a rare strain (“Y”) of meningococcal septicemia in April 2013 and is currently in the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dun Laoghaire learning to walk again.

 

This class is for all women who would like to learn more about their pelvic floor.

 

Registration is online at www.deirdreholland-recoveryfund.com/upcoming-events/

 

Further classes take place throughout September.