Don Kelly physical therapy and Acupuncture clinic

08/01/2026

Do you suffer from nagging pain in your hip and knee that appears to be getting worse, not better? Many people mistakenly believe these are two separate issues. After two decades of clinical experience in Limerick and Charleville, Don Kelly Physiotherapy & Acupuncture understands that simultaneous hip and knee pain is a classic sign of a problem further up or down the body’s interconnected chain

At Don Kelly Physiotherapy & Acupuncture, we don’t just treat the sore spots; we find the root cause of the mechanical breakdown to provide lasting pain relief—without relying on endless medications, injections, or unnecessary surgeries.

why your hip and knee hurt simultaneously. Learn how foot mechanics and the kinetic chain cause joint pain.

08/01/2026

Kettlebell deadlift

Stand with your feet a large pace apart and the kettlebell on the floor in front of you.
Move down into a full squat grasp the kettlebell and then drive your body upwards through your heels.
As you raise upwards keep the kettlebell close to your body in a goblet grip with your hands and the weight facing downwards.
The movement out of the squat must be a forceful fluid motion using both your legs and hips as one unit and not as individual stages.
Keep your back and chest straight and head up, gaze looking forward as you rise and squeeze your buttocks together at the top of the movement.
Move back down into the squat and ground the kettlebell at your feet.

1. Mastering the Hip Hinge
The kettlebell deadlift is the best tool for learning to "hinge" (pushing the hips back) rather than "squatting" (dropping the knees forward). This is the foundation for almost every athletic movement, from jumping to sprinting.

2. Posterior Chain Strength
It targets the "Powerhouse" of the body:

Glutes: The primary muscle used to stand up from the hinge.

Hamstrings: These are under a massive "stretch" load during the descent.

Erector Spinae: The muscles of the lower back that keep your spine neutral under load.

3. Reduced Spinal Shearing
Because you can place a kettlebell directly between your feet (rather than in front of your shins like a barbell), the weight stays closer to your center of gravity. This significantly reduces the "pull" on your lower back, making it a safer option for those with back sensitivities.

4. Grip and Lat Engagement
To lift a heavy bell, you must "pack" your shoulders. This engages your Latissimus Dorsi (the large muscles of your back), which helps stabilize the spine. Additionally, the thick handle of a kettlebell develops functional grip strength.

07/01/2026

Resisted ankle inversion

Sit on a low chair so your feet can touch the floor.
Have your unaffected leg flat on the floor and cross your affected foot over the other leg so it is resting on your thigh.
Tie the band in a long loop with one end under the foot on the floor, and the end other across the inside of the affected foot.
Turn your affected foot inwards, lifting it up against the resistance of the band.
Slowly return to the start position and repeat as directed.

07/01/2026

Exercises for knee osteoarthritis (OA) improve pain, function, strength, and flexibility by using low-impact activities like walking, swimming, cycling, and specific strengthening/stretching (hamstring curls, straight leg raises) to support joints, control weight, and boost overall well-being without adding stress, with aquatic exercises offering buoyancy benefits.

Regular sessions build muscle support, improve balance, and increase stamina, reducing stiffness and protecting the joint for better daily living.

07/01/2026

In today’s fast-paced world, many people live with persistent aches, stiffness, stress, or recurring pain without realising how much it affects their overall wellbeing. At Don Kelly Physiotherapy & Acupuncture, we focus on treatments that don’t just relieve symptoms temporarily—but support your body’s natural ability to heal, move, and feel better long-term.

Two of the most effective approaches we use are physiotherapy and dry needling. When combined, they create a powerful, holistic system for restoring balance, improving mobility, and enhancing your overall health.

Relieve pain, improve mobility, and support long-term health and wellness.

07/01/2026

Hamstring walkout

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
Ensure your feet and knees are hip-distance apart.
Tighten your buttock and abdominal muscles as you lift your hips up into a bridge position.
There should be a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
With your weight in the heels of your feet, start alternately walking one foot, and then the other foot away from your buttocks.
Ensure you keep your hips up as high as you can, and your abdominal muscles activated.
Relax your upper body and shoulders.
At the point your knees are almost straight, alternately walk your feet back into the starting position and repeat.

1. Intense Eccentric Strength
The "walkout" phase forces your hamstrings to lengthen under load. This is known as eccentric contraction. Strengthening the muscle while it is lengthening is the single best way to prevent hamstring strains and tears, which usually happen when the leg is fully extended (like during a sprint).

2. Targets the "Distal" Hamstring
Most hamstring exercises (like leg curls) focus on the area near the glutes. Walkouts, especially as your feet get further from your body, place immense tension on the distal hamstring (the area closer to the back of the knee). This helps stabilize the knee joint.

3. Core and Pelvic Stability
To keep your hips elevated throughout the movement, your erector spinae (lower back) and abdominals must work together to prevent your pelvis from tilting or sagging. This builds "anti-extension" core strength.

4. Glute-Hamstring Tie-In
The exercise forces the glutes to maintain a bridge (isometric contraction) while the hamstrings do the mechanical work (isotonic contraction). This improves the functional coordination between these two muscle groups, often called the "glute-hamtie-in."

06/01/2026

Star Excursion Balance

The Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT), often simplified into the Y-Balance Test, is a dynamic exercise used to assess and improve "functional" reach and unilateral (single-leg) stability. It requires you to maintain a single-leg stance while reaching as far as possible with the opposite leg in multiple directions.

Stand on one leg with hands on your hips.
Squat down a little by bending your knee to assume your start position.
When ready, with your other leg reach as far as possible in each of the following directions lightly touching the floor to the furthest point before returning to the middle position:
- Forwards across your standing leg
- Straight forwards
- Forwards and away from your midline
- Sideways
- Backwards and away from your midline
- Straight back
- Back and behind your standing leg

06/01/2026

UL roll up/down wall with scapula control standing - resisted GHjt ER

Stand up straight facing a wall.
Loop a resistance band around both of your wrists.
Place a foam roller horizontally on the wall and lean on it with your forearms.
Your forearms should be vertical with your hands pointing up to the ceiling.
There should be some tension in the band with your arms around shoulder width apart.
Walk your feet back a little while leaning forwards on the foam roller.
Ensure you keep a straight line from your head to your heels.
Drive your forearms into the foam roller, flattening your shoulder blades against your ribs.
Do not hunch your shoulders up, or round your upper back.
Keeping this control with your shoulder blades, roll the foam roller up and down the wall.
The key to this exercise is to ensure your shoulder blades remain tight against your rib cage, and your forearms remain in the same parallel, vertical position throughout.

The Standing Wall Roll-Up/Down with Scapular Control and Resisted Glenohumeral Joint (GHJ) External Rotation is a sophisticated "proprioceptive" exercise. It is often performed using a foam roller or a small towel against the wall, with a mini-band looped around the wrists.

Key Benefits
Rotator Cuff & Deltoid Co-activation: By pulling the band apart (Resisted ER) while moving the arms up, you force the Infraspinatus and Teres Minor to fire. This "centers" the humeral head in the socket while the deltoid lifts the arm.

Serratus Anterior Activation: The act of "rolling" or "pushing" into the wall requires scapular protraction. This targets the Serratus Anterior, the muscle responsible for "winging" prevention and stable overhead reaching.

Upward Rotation Timing: As you roll up, the shoulder blade must rotate upward. This exercise trains the "Scapulohumeral Rhythm"—the coordinated timing between the arm bone and the shoulder blade—which is essential for avoiding impingement.

06/01/2026

Hamstring bridge with hold – long lever bridge

Lie on your back with your feet on the floor and knees a hips width apart.
Straighten your knees a little and lift your toes.
When ready, push through your heels and lift your hips from the floor.
At the top of the movement, you should have a straight line between your shoulders, hips, and knees.
Hold this position.
You can increase the difficulty of this exercise by straightening your knees further.

The Long Lever Hamstring Bridge is a variation of the standard glute bridge where the feet are placed much further away from the hips. This shift in geometry fundamentally changes the muscle recruitment from the glutes to the hamstrings.

Key Benefits
Distal Hamstring Strengthening: Placing the feet further away increases the demand on the "distal" portion of the hamstrings (near the back of the knee). This is a common site for athletic injuries.

Isometric Conditioning: Holding the position (the "hold" phase) builds tendon stiffness and endurance. High-tension isometric holds are a gold standard for rehabilitating hamstring tendinopathy.

Pelvic Control: To hold this position, you must resist anterior pelvic tilt. This forces the hamstrings and lower abdominals to work together to keep the pelvis "tucked" and stable.

Minimal Knee Compression: Unlike leg curls on a machine, the bridge is a "closed-chain" movement. It provides high hamstring activation with very low shearing force on the ACL.

06/01/2026

Relieving shoulder pain and tightness through exercises, stretching, and therapies improves mobility, flexibility, and strength, reducing stiffness and discomfort while preventing future injuries, leading to better daily function and overall well-being. Key benefits include restoring range of motion, easing tension headaches, supporting joint stability, and reducing reliance on medication, ultimately allowing for comfortable engagement in hobbies and work.

05/01/2026

PROM hip flexion supine

Bend your knees so that the feet are flat on the floor.
Reach underneath your knee and pull the knee in towards your chest as far as you can go comfortably.
Ensure you grab behind the thigh and not on top of the knee to avoid compressing the knee joint.
Hold this position.

Passive Range of Motion (PROM) Hip Flexion in Supine (lying on your back) is a technique where an external force—either a therapist, a strap, or your own hands—moves the hip joint through its range without the hip muscles contracting.

Key Benefits
Joint Lubrication (Synovial Fluid): Passive movement stimulates the production and circulation of synovial fluid. This "greases" the joint, providing nutrients to the articular cartilage which lacks its own blood supply.

Capsular Stretching: It helps maintain the extensibility of the posterior hip capsule. If the capsule becomes "frozen" or tight, it can limit functional movements like squatting or sitting.

Pain Modulation: Through the Gate Control Theory, rhythmic passive movement can provide sensory input that "closes the gate" to pain signals, making it an excellent early-stage recovery tool.

Post-Surgical Adhesion Prevention: After surgery, scar tissue can form between tissue layers. PROM gently "glides" the femoral head within the acetabulum (socket) to prevent these tissues from sticking together.

05/01/2026

Shoulder external rotation with band in sitting

Sit up straight holding a resistance band in each hand.
Bend your elbows to 90 degrees and gather up the tension in the band.
With your elbows by your side, gently draw your shoulder blades back and lengthen your neck.
Keeping this position with your shoulder blades and neck, pull your forearms outwards away from one another.
The movement should rotate at your elbow and your forearms should remain horizontal.
Control the movement as you bring your arms back into the starting position.
Repeat.
Ensure your shoulders do not round at any point.

Performing shoulder external rotation with a resistance band while seated is a highly effective "prehab" and strengthening exercise. It specifically targets the rotator cuff, a group of four muscles that stabilize the shoulder joint (the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis).