McKenzie Method & self treatment guides

January 14, 2021 by Sian Smale

A reflective piece on the self-treatment guides created by the late Robin McKenzie. A true pioneer and leader in our profession who was passionate about the treatment of musculoskeletal pain disorders. His work in renown world wide for ‘repeated movements’ and ‘directional preferences’ commonly known as the McKenzie Method of Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy. His wisdom and pearls from years of patient management have been distilled into self-treatment guides. This blog reviews five of his books involving self-treatment of the neck, back, shoulder, hip and knee.

Thoracic Outlet Syndrome - clinical assessment

January 23, 2020 by Sian Smale

Recently I listed to a fantastic podcast by Jo Gibson through Clinical Edge on Thoracic Outlet Syndrome and was thrilled to learn some advances which have taken place in our knowledge of this condition since I first published a blog on the topic in 2013. Seven years later and I am excited to share a revised piece that includes the latest ideas around clinical assessment, and in particular sensory testing in the differential diagnosis of this challenging condition.

Suprascapular nerve palsy

May 14, 2018 by Sian Smale

Suprascapular nerve compression is a rare condition that primarily presents with pain and weakness. This blog outlines the clinical presentation, causes of compression, diagnosis and prognosis for recovery.

Cervical Radiculopathy Part 3 - Physiotherapy Treatment

August 02, 2016 by Sian Smale

The third and final blog for this series covers the treatment modalities available for cervical radiculopathy. It is important to consider what the goals of your treatment are and how you are going to implement strategies to improve both the health and the movement of the nerve.

Cervical Radiculopathy Part 1 - Clinical Presentation

July 19, 2016 by Sian Smale

This is the first of a three part series on cervical radiculopathy. Cervical radiculopathy occurs when the cervical nerve roots are compressed resulting in pain, paraesthesia, and weakness into the upper extremity. The first step in making this clinical diagnosis is understanding dermatomal pain patterns indicative of nerve root pain.

Shoulder Symptom Modification Procedure - picking the right shoulders to treat

December 19, 2015 by Sian Smale

This week we take a look at one more approach to assessing shoulders, the Shoulder Symptom Modification Procedure. It was developed by internationally acclaimed Physiotherapist Dr Jeremy Lewis and it links beautifully with the previous shoulder blogs, providing a more holistic assessment for the painful shoulder. The SSMP helps identify those suitable for conservative treatment and directs our initial rehabilitation approach.