This is a commonly asked question: What's the difference between Pilates reformer and mat-based Pilates? How do you know which is right for you? Our Pilates teacher, Louise, provides some insight into these different styles of Pilates exercise. "Both Pilates reformer...
At Bridge Health & Wellbeing, we offer both sports massage and remedial massage therapy by our highly experienced therapists, Alice Loveridge, Nathan Nobel and Sharon Sawyer. But how do you know which type of massage is right for you? Is there really much...
Shorter days and long, dark winter nights can make it hard to motivate yourself to get out and do some exercise. But staying active is so important for both your physical and mental wellbeing. Whether you are an early riser who likes a jog to start the day or trying...
No matter what level of fitness or physique you are, sports massage can benefit everyone in one way or another. In this blog, our sports massage therapist, Nathan, shares some of the main benefits of sports massage and why it is important to understand the...
What's the difference between a bruise, a contusion or a hematoma? Our Sports Massage Therapist Nathan explains all. "Contusions are bruises that are formed when small veins or capillaries (the blood vessels that run to the epidermis of the skin) break. Hematomas are...
As we move into the summer and get to enjoy big tennis events like Wimbledon, we thought it would be timely to write something about tennis elbow or as we like to call it now lateral elbow tendinopathy (LET). What is tennis elbow? Tennis elbow is a condition that...
Did you know that around 80% of Premier League football clubs employ a chiropractor or osteopath? Our chiropractor, Aaron Coode, talks us through the common footballing injuries he has come across in his career and how he works with players to treat them. Aaron has...
The menopause happens to all biological females. It is a retrospective date based on you not having periods for 12 months. The average age of the menopause is 51, so most women find themselves in menopause any time between age 45 and 55. Early menopause is classified...
Arthritis, in particular osteoarthritis, is one of the main causes of pain and disability that we see in the clinic. It can be extremely restricting and sometimes results in a significant intervention like a joint replacement. But there are lots of ways to manage the...
Pain is an opinion, not a fact. Pain is a unique experience for every individual. It’s the brain’s perception of how much danger you and your body are in. Whether it’s post-surgery, a childhood injury that has never really gone away, an acute injury or posture-related...
Have you booked your skiing holiday? Are you ready to hit the slopes? ⛷️ We’ve got seven exercises for skiing that will help get you ready to manage the moguls, glide the slopes and have fun in the snow. 7 days of ski fitness! No. 1: Squats for skiing A classic...
Our sports massage therapist Sam Sam Meehan-Vandike talks about what hypermobility syndrome is and how it can be treated. “Joint hypermobility syndrome is when you have very flexible joints and it causes you pain. You may also think of yourself as being...
Headaches. Mysterious. Sometimes debilitating. They can cost millions in lost time and productivity. And finding out more about them can be a headache in itself. Did you know there are over 150 different types of headaches? Tension headaches are some of the most...
Sciatica is a condition involving pain and sometimes weakness down the back of the leg into the foot. The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the human body. It forms from the nerve roots of L4-S3 in the spine. The presentation of sciatica can vary from patient to...
What is Pilates? This is a question that I get asked regularly. Usually, a long, animated answer follows, so I thought that I would give my definition. Pilates was named after Joseph Pilates (1883 -1967), originally called Contrology. It was only following his death...
Did you know that you can benefit from a massage at any stage of pregnancy? From the first trimester, all the way to postpartum, pregnancy massage therapy offers a host of physical, psychological and emotional benefits. Receiving a massage during this extraordinary...
Do you suffer with jaw pain or tmj? If so, you are not alone. It is estimated that 1 in 10 people in the UK have issues with their temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and it is more prevalent now than ever. What is a TMJ disorder? The TMJ acts like a sliding hinge,...
March 8th – 15th Local podiatrist Sarah Byrne has shared these great tips for looking after your feet. Find out more about Podiatry, what it is, what they treat and how often you should see your podiatrist. What is Podiatry? What-is-Podiatry-1Download A ‘pod’, or...
Post COVID, many of us are working from home a lot more. But is your home desk environment set up correctly? Are you suffering from nagging pains in the neck and shoulder areas? Is working from home actually causing you problems like neck and shoulder tightness? Our...
Orthopaedic surgery relates to surgery that is performed on the bones and joints. Unfortunately, due to the demands that Covid is having on the NHS, elective orthopaedic surgery is being postponed or cancelled. People waiting for procedures like hip and knee...
The shoulder is a highly mobile yet strong and stable joint. It allows your arm to move in a number of different directions and, most importantly, perform overhead activities. The joint itself has a capsule that surrounds it and it is this capsule that is affected in...
The shoulder is an extremely complex part of the body. It allows for high levels of function and activities involving the arm, hand and wrist. There are a large number of moving and working parts in the shoulder which all work together to provide movement, strength,...
Whiplash describes the mechanism of injury that occurs as a result of a sudden acceleration and deceleration movement, like in a car accident. Clinically, we use the term Whiplash Associated Disorder (WAD). This also covers the symptoms you can experience because of a...
What is Pilates? If you are have ever wondered what is Pilates and where to begin, then look no further. As a beginner to Pilates, it is always best to look for a teacher that is specifically qualified in Pilates. There are many reputable teaching schools out there...
Back pain, especially lower back pain, is extremely common. In approximately 90% of cases there will be nothing specific or sinister going on. Unfortunately, there are times though when the symptoms you present with do need immediate onward referral and usually some...
At our clinic in Christchurch Dorset we have great experience in treating lower back pain, helping people relieve their symptoms through physiotherapy and then manage their backs with rehab classes, regular massage, Pilates or Yoga. How common is lower back pain? It...
Running is one of the most popular ways for people to stay active. It requires virtually no equipment, has no age limit and can easily fit into even the busiest schedule. But running is also an activity that’s prone to overuse injuries. For individuals that run...
Plantar fasciitis or plantar heel pain is a condition that refers to pain in the sole of the foot which originates at the heel and can travel down the arch on the inside of the foot. What is the plantar fascia? The plantar fascia is a band of connective tissue that...
What is medial tibia stress syndrome (MTSS) or exercise related lower limb pain or shin splints? Theses are all umbrella terms which relate to the pain you can get along the inside of the shin bone (tibia). The cause is repetitive loading that commonly occurs in...
What is Achilles tendinopathy Commonly called Achilles tendinitis, it is an overuse injury very common throughout all stages of life. You can have insertional or mid-substance symptoms, depending on its location, with insertional symptoms being lower on the heel and...
Avoiding Neck Pain, Stretching, Massage, Posture & Workspace set up As the home office becomes the new norm, it’s easy to fall into bad posture habits or end up with a workspace that makes you feel stuck in one position all day. Adapting to any new work...
The ankle Ankle sprains are one of the most common injuries we see. Usually involving the foot and ankle turning inwards (inversion) and damaging at least one of the ligaments on the outside of the ankle. It is possible to twist the ankle outwards (eversion), but this...
The foot and ankle are made up of a large number of bones, ligaments, muscles, tendons and connective tissue (fascia) with the main purpose of absorbing load and force (landing, change of direction, deceleration etc) and locomotion (walking) all of which can be...
Find out more about the causes symptoms and safe management of groin pain in footballers. Download our advice handout: Download For further advice or to speak to our physiotherapist Paul at our health and wellness clinic in Christchurch, Dorset please call us on 01202...
Pain on the side of your hip or thigh is more than likely caused by the structures that are involved with the greater trochanter of the thigh bone (femur). If you touch the outside of your leg and feel a bony lump, this is your greater trochanter. For many years we...
Introduction Hip osteoarthritis (OA) is a very common condition and is caused by the shiny white cartilage (articular cartilage) over the ends of the bones (acetabulum and head of the femur) wearing/thinning/being damaged. Once the cartilage wears through, the...
The hip joint is what we call a ball and socket joint. This type of joint allows good amounts of movement but is also very stable. This is vitally important for the hip as it provides a connection from the pelvis to the lower limb. Bony anatomy The main two parts we...
The MCL is one of the 4 main ligaments found in the knee which provide mechanical stability and act in the process of what we call proprioception. To make things simple proprioception applies to the process of balance and our conscious and unconscious awareness of...
What is osteoarthritis of the knee, and how can it be treated? Over the ends of any bone that forms a joint (articulates) with another bone, we find shiny white cartilage that we call articular cartilage. As part of the ageing process, being active and/or maybe having...
Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injuries The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of two ligaments that can be found inside the knee joint itself. They work together to support the knee, especially into rotation movements. The ACL also helps control the tibia...
When people talk about tearing the cartilage in their knee they are usually talking about the meniscus. We have 2 menisci, the medial (on the inside of the knee) and lateral (on the outside of the knee). They are discs of cartilage that add surface area to the joint...
The knee is the largest joint in the body and, clearly, is one of the most important. It allows us to walk, run, sprint and change direction, all while supporting our body’s weight. It takes a huge amount of pressure throughout our lives and, unfortunately, often...
To find out more about us and how we can help you, please contact us on 01202 473800 or email on info@bridgehw.com. You can also book a physio assessment online.