JMPhysio’s Logical Approach to Musculoskeletal care When you’re in pain, it’s natural to try and diagnose yourself. You might think you’ve “pulled a muscle” or “slipped a disc.” While understandable, these assumptions can inadvertently send you down the wrong path...

Meet Alex, a passionate runner with an opinionated Achilles tendon that always seemed to protest after a big race. One day, having pushed hard for a 21km PB, the pain flared up, sharp and insistent. So, Alex did what seemed logical: she stopped running to let the...

As physiotherapists, we see this all the time: Someone wakes up with a "stiff neck from sleeping funny," or an old knee injury flares up after a normal game of tennis. Painful? Absolutely. But here’s the thing: not every ache is an injury, and your best management...

Whether you’re crushing the spray wall at CityROCK or prepping your next weekend mission to Boven’s epic crags, there’s one golden rule: Don’t be the chop who skips the warm-up. Demanding function from your muscles on sandstone, quartzite or plastic is like trying to...

Let’s talk about pain. Not the simple “I stubbed my toe” kind, but the stubborn, persistent kind that makes you feel like you’ve tried everything. You’ve gone to experts, spent time and money, maybe even blamed yourself when things didn’t work. Sound familiar? It’s a...

I believe it’s crucial to clarify some of the misconceptions around treatment options for nerve, muscle and joint pain. Physiotherapy and other “conservative” treatments are commonly opted for in trying to avoid surgery, as if surgery is the ultimate solution. This...

When are painful exercises / training sessions valuable? “No pain, no gain” is so over sold that people easily assume it means that your undiagnosed pain will do well from pushing on… Sometimes this pays off and sometimes it backfires in spectacular fashion! But how...

What is EXPOSS, you ask? This is the abbreviated name given to a research study from Canada based on the McKenzie assessment which showed surprising results in recovery from pain in an arm or a leg. “Extremity Pain Of Spinal Source” or plainly put, when your spine...

This question is asked of me several times a day, in one way or another. “I will do your recommended exercise, but can I still go running this weekend?” or “I don’t have to skip yoga, do I?” In other words: Do you have to let your fitness fade? Do you need to rest? Do...

Some refer to this as the “check engine light” flashing on your body’s dashboard which is continually being ignored. I think rather than merely ignoring it, we intentionally shove that poisonous mushroom into the deepest darkest corner that we need not deal with the...

Many patients mention on arrival that they weren’t sure if they should start with a doctor or a physiotherapist for their [musculoskeletal] pain. You can all assume what my answer is to that but let me explain why. Physiotherapists are “first line” practitioners. The...

Until we answer this question, treating the pain will be a hit and miss and considering the number of conditions which may cause shoulder pain, more often than not, it will be a ‘miss’! We can make many (potentially incorrect) assumptions: Older people are more likely...