Hordle Physiotherapy

15/10/2024

Hi I’m Zoe, a soft tissue and sports massage therapist based here in the New Forest.
I completed my Level 5 soft tissue therapy Diploma with LSSM ( London School of Sports Massage ) 3 years ago and have been working in 2 private physiotherapy practices since that time. I am confident in treating clients with a wide range of musculoskeletal/ soft tissue injuries, osteoarthritis, sports people and the post- natal population.
After an initial assessment and discussion as to the needs of the individual client, treatment will be aimed according. Massage is integrated with soft tissue release (STR), muscle energy techniques (MET), trigger point and fascial release as appropriate.
My mother, Cheryl Boettger is a Chartered physiotherapist and my sister, Hannah Marrion is also a Sports massage therapist so we all work together as a team.
The benefits of soft tissue massage are widespread and there is always emerging research to support the use of touch to desensitise the nervous system, restore normal blood flow, encourage muscle relaxation and provide input into the brain that reduces the state of stress.
I work from a treatment room in Hordle and also happy to provide home visits with a mobile couch if you feel happier to be treated in your own home.
I look forward to hearing from anybody who is in pain and would like the chance to experience massage in a safe trusting environment.
Please contact me on 07737831509

22/09/2024

Really interesting article published this week by the British Journal of Sports Medicine ( BMJSM) that reinforces our knowledge in diagnosis and best management of Greater Trochanter Pain Syndrome (GTPS) formerly more commonly referred to as Trochanteric bursitis.

Funnily enough a lady approached me informally a couple of days ago voicing her concerns that she was developing OA hips as she had pain on the outside of her hips on both sides, worse lying side to side at night. I did suggest she makes an appointment to see me in office hours so I could make a more accurate diagnosis other than in a bar !!!

Generally the symptoms of pain can radiate down the outer aspect of the thigh to the knee, into the gluteal (buttock) region and above the hip joint.
1 in 4 women over 50 are affected
Female:male ratio is 4:1
Pain can be made worse with prolonged sitting and climbing stairs
The average duration of symptoms prior to having any treatment is 7 weeks to 4 years !

GTPS is thought to be due to excessive overload of soft tissue structures on the outside of the hip/ pelvic area. It can be associated with metabolic conditions such as diabetes, Rheumatoid arthritis and being overweight. Other risk factors are age, menopause status, friction during provoking movements and biomechanical factors such as leg length differences, spinal scoliosis, high intensity training or equally sedentary lifestyle.

The commonest causes of GTPS are due to the gluteal tendons more than bursitis. There may be degenerative changes, partial or full thickness tendon tears.

Resolution of symptoms is commonly slow and 50% of cases have ongoing pain at one year.

Most importantly however is understanding what treatments are available to address the individuals symptoms. There is never one magic bullet !

Education needs to be at the top of the list. Improving metabolic health, explaining tendon loading and identifying reversible risk factors such as body weight, sleeping positions, tracking step count and terrain need to be addressed.
As a favourite modality of mine, it goes without saying; exercise forms the mainstay of initial treatment. There is ever increasing evidence in management of tendons with the principle that treatment is aimed at restoring tendon capacity to full function.

Encouraging generic forms of exercise such as cycling, walking, water based exercise as well as specific exercises to progressively load the tendons without provoking symptoms.

My suggestion would be if you have a suspicion of having GTPS please seek the advice of your trusted physiotherapist. Corticosteroid injections have been shown to be less effective compared to education and exercise.

An extensive list in the article included :
Weight loss
Non steroidal anti inflammatory meds
Ice
Taping
Rest
Targeted physio ( exercises to build strength)
Load modification
Shockwave therapy
Therapeutic ultrasound
Corticosteroid injections
Platelet rich plasma (PRP) injections
Surgical intervention

Food for thought ! Enough for a Sunday night blog.

29/04/2024

My lovely friend Emma, recommend you sign up !

05/04/2024

Very neglectful in posting anything recently, life has taken me in different directions. However I am still working albeit now only 2 days a week !
My website has quietly disappeared, as I don’t feel the need to promote my services as I have more than enough work.
I would still like to use social media however as an information platform you can trust !

I have followed Proff Tim Watson over many years, reading his work in Electrotherapy which is now more commonly referred to Electrophysical Agents (EPA). I was a long term advocate for Ultrasound which in its day was fashionable and well utilised in the physio world.
The newer of these interventions is Shockwave which is gathering research papers rapidly, with the majority of papers and reviews positively supporting Shockwave therapy.

Shockwave was initially used in the 1980’s as a means of breaking down kidney stones but research then considered its potential positive effects in the musculoskeletal system. There are two modes of Shockwave and the one I am most familiar with is Focused Shockwave also termed Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT). It is considered to provide a mechanical stimulus that generates changes in the tissues that promote recovery.

I have had the benefit of having use of one of these machines at The Arches Physiotherapy where I work in Lymington. The main body of evidence of clinical application is mainly in the treatment of tendinopathies and I have used it for treatment of plantar fascia pain, Achilles tendinopathy and Lateral epicondylalgia ( tennis elbow like pain).
It’s application is not without discomfort, as my patients will verify, but the results have been positive!!
I do not use it in isolation but as a part of a structured treatment plan with exercises and manual therapy.
My motive throughout my 40 year career is to keep people moving for them to enjoy their life to the full, so my responsibility I feel is to keep updating my knowledge so I can pass it on to my patients.
Happy Belated Easter folks !!

16/12/2023

Wishing all my present and past patients a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year !
My joining the Bluetits lasted for 3 sea swims then the cold got the better of me. Water temperature was tolerable but getting changed afterwards in 1 degree was not. Will start again with enthusiasm next spring !!!
Meanwhile the ever evolving question, do I or don’t I retire ?
Think I am closing my doors to any new patients from January but will continue 2 days a week to look after my ‘returners ‘ and loyal patients for another few months.
Off to golf in Portugal for New year, so whatever you enjoy, keep moving and keep healthy into 2024 🚶‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏊‍♀️👣⛳️🏋🏻🤸🏿‍♂️🏌️‍♀️

07/11/2023

Been a while, lost my mojo for posting.
Work is backed up but the message is the same, keep moving!
My husband had half a new knee almost 3 weeks ago, he’s doing well and back on a spinning bike yesterday.
Our garden like most, is almost a swimming pool but saw this picture which made me smile. Gardening targets different muscles so great exercise !!!

31/01/2023

Fantastic resources as self care guides for common MSK conditions. Please read and share x

Muscle and joint aches and pains are a normal part of life for many people, sometimes they can interfere with your day-to-day activities.

15/01/2023

Can recommend the app for guided breathing.

I can generally get to sleep quite quickly at my normal bedtime but often wake 3 am and then can’t get back to sleep for 2-3 hours.
Try this combination of breathing to help get you to sleep
4-7-8 for 2 mins.

4s inhaling
7s hold
8s exhaling

Give us some feedback on the reply page if it helps you and that might encourage others to try !

15/01/2023

Exercise is effective for migraine treatment !
Strength training and High-IntensityAerobic exercise can be used to combat monthly frequency of migraines.
In fact all exercise modalities showed higher therapeutic effects compared to placebo.
Pass the message on to family and friends who suffer from regular migraines.

A recently published paper. Thank you Physio Network

14/01/2023

Always interested in reading about cramp because we all suffer from it from time to time and wonder why.
This article was looking at cramp associated with running a marathon. Well we don’t all routinely run marathons (well a lot of friends do, but I don’t) but this recent paper suggests that incorporating strength training into your marathon training can give you more protection against cramping.

02/01/2023

And just for a chuckle, last post of the day !

02/01/2023

Want to see a beautifully defined pair of hamstrings ?
And a random shot of my beautiful girls !

02/01/2023

For those of us who are on a New Year renewal of exercise here are some interesting statistics from a reliable chap I follow on Twitter.

02/01/2023

Please share, this will be a great class for those of you concerned about getting down on the floor to exercise. I know Diana Briggs, and she is a lovely teacher.

02/01/2023

02/01/2023

Happy New Year to you all, let’s keep healthy and happy in 2023 !
I’m one year closer to retirement, qualified in 1984 and retiring after 40 years next year. What a journey it has been, an amazing career that has seen me around the world as well as supporting our sad NHS and now learning to say no and work less and less.
I have a couple of potential student physios spending observational time with me in the next few months. Don’t think I could cope with physio training these days, but I do so want to encourage the youngsters to pursue this career, so hope I do the profession justice and point them in the right direction.
When I’m a physio no longer, who will I be ?????

24/12/2022

Haha, taken from a Twitter feed, but sometimes I do get asked questions by runners that are desperate to continue running.

Happy Christmas and let’s look forward to a better 2023 when perhaps I can start running again !