#physiostudent

[cherangroups]

Move up in your physiotherapy career by gaining latest knowledge and practical studies through a good PG course.

BPT Admissions are open now in Cheran College of Physiotherapy

Institutions of Cheran Group: Cheran Colleges / SMS College

[cherangroups]

Become the best and qualified health professional to preserve the optimal health condition of society. Make a living in treating people.

Admissions are open now in: cheran college for Physiotherapy

Institutions of Cheran Group: Cheran Arts and Science College / SMS College | SMS Arts and Science College

[theranow-blog]

List of best home exercises for weight loss with no equipment

Best home workout program for losing weight without gym equipment. Save time & money & achieve similar results.

The gym environment can be pretty impressive with all the latest equipment and people pumped on motivation working out on them in full gusto. But it can seem frightening to individuals who are just getting started on their fitness journey and do not have the expertise to navigate the maze of a fully equipped gym.

The good news is you do not need to be a gym rat to achieve the desired effect on your body and your fitness levels. You can have a much effective workout at home with a well-planned exercise protocol created based on the outcome that you desire. In addition, you save a lot of money as well as the time you would have spent traveling to and for from the gym.

[theranow-blog]

Back Pain and Weight Training

Back pain has become one of the most common orthopedic issues across all active age groups with the United States spending more than $50 billion every year in treatment. Low back pain is one of the most common health problems in society and causes considerable disability, work absenteeism, and the use of health services. Back pain affects 50%-80% of people in their lifetime with 15%-30% suffering through it at any given time.

Major cause of back pain in the active population is either occupational or gym injuries. Moderate weight training helps develop back strength but overdoing can lead to back strain or even disc prolapse. Not only would a hurting back keep you away from gym, it would also bring a variety of other health issues as a result of the compensatory mechanism caused by back pain.

Things to remember

Be Reasonable – This is the most important point to remember. Overextending or flexing the back muscles while lifting the weight can result in injuries like muscle strains/spinal injuries.

Choose Wisely – While starting a new weight training program, the exercise chosen should focus on support.

Warm-up and Cool-down – Appropriate warming up prior to working out and cool down afterwards is mandatory.

Gradual Gradation – Start training with minimum weight and gradually increase the weights over time as you develop strength.

Repetitions – You have the option of using less weights and performing more repetitions if you want to tone your body.

Using Belt – During weight training, it is advisable to wear belt as it would protect the back during lifting weights.

Movement Awareness – Jerky movements can apply undue strain on muscles so ensure you contract the muscles gradually and smoothly leading to a smooth movement during weight training.

Consult a Physical Therapist/Trainer – Consulting an expert who would train you in the right technique of performing the movement is important.

Exercises should be started at a baseline where you are comfortable and gradually built up in duration and intensity as your body gets accustomed. The same principle applies to weight training. It will help you keep in shape and out of harm’s way provided you learn the right way to go about it. So stay safe and happy lifting!!

[jmazumdar]

Modality Based Physiotherapy Price in Bangalore listed on the website.

[theranow-blog]

Back Pain: The bane of the modern world.

In today’s world, increased sedentary workstyle, gaming and technology has reduced activity level causing back pain to become a common occurrence in the young adults as well as the older population. Given the various potential underlying factors that lead to back pain, it makes sense to delve deeper into understanding them to help ourselves heal better from this modern age curse.

Pain is an unpleasant stimulus and the response to this stimulus varies from person to person. A mild strain might cause excruciating back pain while there might be no pain in another individual with disc extrusion. There might also be potential underlying factors that might cause intermittent flare-ups of pain. Since the pain is subjective, and varies in the type and intensity, it is always advisable for a person to actively participate in the treatment protocol to ensure the most successful outcome.

Understanding the causes of back pain

The back is a complex structure and the issues with pain might be related to orthopedic or neurologic causes. The spine undergoes a lot of stress through activities like twisting, turning, bending, sudden jerky movements etc. If the mechanics used during these activities are not ideal, it might result in back pain.

The orthopedic factors associated with back pain can be:

Injury to joints, ligaments, muscles and bones of back.

Strain to the larger muscles of the back.

The manifestations, however, are interconnected and predisposition to one may lead to another.

Orthopedic Factors

Injury to bones, joints, ligaments or muscles of the back

Strain of the large muscles at the back

Neurologic factors

Spinal cord injury

Disc protrusion/herniation

Nerve impingement/irritation

Degenerative changes in the orthopedic structures might eventually lead to neurologic signs and symptoms with accompanying back pain depending upon the structures involved.

Identifying the causes of back pain

The right diagnosis of the cause of back pain is paramount to fixing the issue so that the pain resolution can occur. However, the complexity of the back with the several structures involved and them sharing common nerve supply adds to the complexity of making the right diagnosis.

The following steps are a good plan to move in the right direction regarding the diagnosis:

The individual needs to be interviewed to attain their medical history and the present history as it pertains to the present issue of back pain with details obtained about the onset of pain, the type of pain, and the intensity of pain experienced.

An objective examination needs to be conducted with detailed physical examination and special tests that would help rule out and rule in structures that might be the issue.

Further diagnostic tests in the form of X-rays and MRI might be advised depending upon the structures suspected to be involved.

Sometimes when a definite etiology is not found, symptomatic treatment and conservative care are provided to help manage the back pain.

The most common types of back pain experienced are:

Mechanical pain: Usually precipitated by muscle strains and can be sharp or dull, intermittent or constant.

Referred pain: Dull and achy pain that is experienced at a location away from the actual region of issue. For eg. Degenerative disc disease may produce referred pain along the course of the nerve impinged or irritated without actually causing back pain.

Radicular pain: Deep pain along the course of nerve with possible weakness and loss of sensation. It is caused by injury to a spinal nerve root, irritation or compression by the surrounding structures. Some common underlying conditions causing radicular pain include sciatica, spondylolisthesis, disc degeneration and spinal stenosis.

Managing back pain

The first line of treatment in self-management of back pain usually includes:

Pain medications as required

Anti-inflammatory and analgesic ointments

Heat therapy

Correction of faulty posture and maintaining good posture

Using relaxation techniques to relax the muscles that might be tight and causing the pain

Strengthening the weak structures and muscles

Stretching the tight structures and muscles

Modifying the activities to ensure they are being completed without eliciting pain

If the pain lingers even after the above self-management, consult a specialist to rule out issues that might have the potential to cause long term disability due to their severity

In conclusion, managing back pain is easier and the healing process faster if the action is taken earlier rather than later. The later you push this matter of pain resolution, more structures might get involved and prolong the healing process.

[jessyblanche]

My first semester as a first year physio student!

In my first semester, I was introduced to Pathophysiology, Research and Study Skills and the Anatomy of the Lower Quadrant. Overall, I loved the content of the subjects and found them very interesting. All the actual ‘physio stuff’ - maybe not Research and Study Skills so much… But, the two come hand in hand. 

In pathophysiology, the lesson was conducted under a Problem Based Learning approach. So we were given a patient trigger, which we had to identify key terms, questions we had, links and produce a mind map. From this, we put together some learning objectives to go away and practice some self study. I have to say; for me personally; meeting the group for the first time ever, and having to work in a group to do all of this, during COVID-19, was pretty tough. I suppose because you can’t really get to know anyone properly. It was sort of like a chair meeting, but everyone facing forward, 2 metres apart and not looking at each other. As you can imagine, it was quite stinted. However, as the weeks went on, it got easier.  

We completed a few weeks on Cardiorespiratory, MSK and Neurology. It was a nice little introduction to be honest, as I’m not sure what I would like to specialise in yet! I think I was most interested in Neurology, although, when I started the course I actually thought I would be most interested in MSK. We’ll see anyway, still got a long way to go yet! 

We were then examined at home - (because of the COVID mess) - by undertaking a 50 question MCQ test. It was difficult, but I passed. In reflection, I think next term I will have to balance my revision better as I did focus a bit more on Anatomy this term. 

For Anatomy, we were introduced to the upper quadrant. We had to use each other for models which meant no social distancing, however, full PPE was provided by the uni. I remember in the first lesson, we started palpating the spinous processes of the thoracic spine and I said to my lecturer I couldn’t feel anything. He said to me “we’re going to have some problems then because it’s probably one of the easiest parts to palpate.” It makes me laugh actually because it’s so true. Obviously, I’ve over come that hurdle now! 

Anatomy blew my mind. We had to know planes, axis, bones, joints, articulations, muscles, ligaments etc etc etc etc!!!!!!! It was so hard. I think as well, because I’ve never really done anything like this before, working with people so closely, that was a bit of a barrier for me. I did feel awkward to begin with, poking and prodding the body parts of a stranger. It didn’t take long to get over that though. 

For the assessment, it was a practical viva voce. We knew that we were going to be given the Thoracic or Cervical spine, and then either the shoulder girdle, the glenohumeral joint, the elbow, the forearm and the wrist or the hand. I got given the Thoracic spine and the shoulder girdle. 

To reflect, next term when we study the anatomy of the upper quadrant, I feel like it will be slightly easier for me as now I have done this once before, I’ll know what to expect and I’ll know what I need to know for the viva!

My first semester was completely different to how I expected it. Firstly, a lot of it is based online now due to COVID. So no big lecture halls you see in the movies. Secondly, I did not expect how many hours of reading, self directed study and revision I would have to do. At the start, I was just cruising, a couple of hours a week here and there. Well, that didn’t last long. Before I knew it, I was probably putting in around 4/5 hours A DAY, 5 days a week. And actually, I still feel like I’ll need to put in more next term! It’s all a learning curve anyway. But overall, I have loved the start of this journey and it definitely feels like the right course for me. But for now, I’m going to enjoy Christmas and back to the grind in the new year! 

[jessyblanche]

About me!

I suppose I should start my very first post with a little introduction about myself! I’m definitely not a natural writer or “blogger”, I’ve never really done anything like this before so I think i’m probably going to find it quite difficult to kick start this thing. Anyway, I wanted to start a blog because I’m taking a massive first step in the direction of my career and I really want to record my thoughts, feelings and reflections from the start. I will only experience this journey once! 

This is me! Sitting at the top of Table Mountain in Cape Town. I am a 26yo first year physiotherapy student at Coventry University. 

Unfortunately, in 2018 I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis which ovbiously was a huge shock to me as a 24 year old, but everything happens for a reason and that exact reason is what has brought me to where I am today. It is the reason why I wanted to study physiotherapy and what has made me so passionate and interested in the field. 

At the time, I was working as Cabin Crew and I did have A levels, but not the ones I needed to get onto the course I wanted. So, I completed an ‘Access to Health’ course at Henley College in Coventry in 2019, and then started studying at CU in 2020! 

I’m always happy to connect and chat with new people! Send me a message, for anything - If you have twitter or linkedin, i’d be happy to connect on there too!