Don Kelly physical therapy and Acupuncture clinic

30/05/2026

Lumbar spine rotation with piriformis stretch

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
Place the ankle of one leg just above the knee of your other leg.
Maintaining this position, rotate your legs over to the side of your elevated leg.
You should feel a stretch in your buttocks and lower back.
Hold this position.

Key Benefits
1. Relieves Low Back Pain & Stiffness
The rotation mobilizes the lumbar vertebrae and facet joints, reducing stiffness and easing muscle tension — especially helpful after long periods of sitting or standing.
2. Releases the Piriformis Muscle
The piriformis sits deep in the buttock and can tighten due to prolonged sitting, overuse, or poor posture. Stretching it reduces glute tightness and helps prevent or relieve piriformis syndrome.
3. Reduces Sciatic-like Pain
A tight piriformis can compress the sciatic nerve. Regular stretching can relieve radiating pain, numbness, or tingling down the leg.
4. Improves Spinal Mobility & Flexibility
Rotating the lumbar spine gently restores range of motion, which tends to decline with age, sedentary lifestyles, or injury.
5. Releases Hip Tension
The combined movement targets the hip rotators and external rotators, easing tightness around the hip joint and SI (sacroiliac) joint.

29/05/2026

Treatment for neck pain came on while doing gardening very common complaint this time of year especially with everyone in the garden taking advantage of the good weather mind yourself folks if gardening go slow and take it easy no rush and if you start to get sore just stop and take a break

29/05/2026

Running is one of the best ways to stay active, but for many people, knee pain after running can quickly turn a healthy habit into a painful experience. At Don Kelly Physiotherapy and Acupuncture, with clinics in Limerick and Charleville, we regularly help runners overcome knee pain so they can get back to training safely and confidently.


Whether you’re a casual jogger or a seasoned athlete, understanding why knee pain occurs—and how to treat it properly—is essential for lasting relief.

Suffering from knee pain after running? Don Kelly Physiotherapy and Acupuncture in Limerick and Charleville offers expert relief.

29/05/2026

Active prone knee flexion

Lie on your tummy with your legs stretched out.
Bend one knee, bringing your foot in towards your buttocks.
Hold then return to the starting position and repeat as directed.

28/05/2026

Seated wall angel

Do this exercise up against a wall.
Make sure your lower back, shoulders, and head are touching the wall.
Bring your arms out to the side so that your elbows, wrists and hands are touching the wall.
Your elbows will be bent.
Try to raise your arms above your head as much as you can without coming away from the wall.
Keep your shoulder blades squeezed together.
If you feel that your elbows and your wrists are coming away from the wall as you raise your arms up, you need to stop at that position and lower your arms back down.

Key Benefits
Thoracic Spine Mobility & Extension

Directly combats thoracic kyphosis — rounded upper back from prolonged sitting
Encourages thoracic extension and segmental mobilization
Restores natural mid-back curvature flattened by desk posture and screen use
Improves vertebral joint mobility throughout the thoracic spine
Creates length and space between thoracic vertebrae during the movement

Scapular Stability & Control

Trains the serratus anterior, lower trapezius, and rhomboids — key scapular stabilizers
Improves scapular upward rotation essential for pain-free overhead movement
Reduces scapular winging — a common sign of shoulder instability
Develops neuromuscular control of the shoulder blade throughout its full range
Builds the foundation for safe overhead pressing and pulling movements

Shoulder Mobility & Impingement Relief

Gradually increases shoulder flexion and abduction range of motion
Reduces subacromial impingement by improving scapular positioning during arm elevation
Stretches the pectoralis minor — a major contributor to rounded shoulder posture
Improves glenohumeral joint mobility in a controlled, supported environment
Beneficial for people with frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis) in appropriate stages

28/05/2026

Prayer stretch

Start position is kneeling with the upper body bent over the knees and stretching out the arms as far forward as possible, the backside should in contact with the heels.
Keeping the head down and the back muscles relaxed, reach straight out with both arms and place one hand over the other, hold.
Relax the arms and the body then repeat the exercise using the opposite arm in the upper position.

The prayer stretch (also called child's pose stretch or lumbar flexion stretch) involves kneeling and reaching both arms forward on the ground while lowering your chest toward the floor — mimicking a prayer or bowing position. It is a foundational stretch in both rehabilitation and yoga practice.

Key Benefits
Lumbar Spine Decompression & Flexibility

Creates flexion-based separation between lumbar vertebrae
Gently stretches the posterior longitudinal ligament and paraspinal muscles
Relieves compressive load accumulated from prolonged sitting or standing
Reduces lumbar stiffness and morning back tightness
Beneficial for people with lumbar disc irritation in flexion-tolerant presentations

Thoracic Spine Mobility

Encourages thoracic flexion and elongation
Counteracts thoracic kyphosis worsened by desk posture and screen use
Improves mid-back mobility essential for rotation and overhead movements
Relieves tension in the rhomboids and mid-trapezius muscles

28/05/2026

Hamstring stretch against a wall (bilateral)

Lie on your back with your feet facing a wall.
Place your legs on the wall.
Move your body towards the wall, using your arms to assist.
Try and straighten your legs up the wall.
When you feel a stretch down the back of your legs, hold this position.
It may become easier, so move yourself further into the wall.

Improved Pelvic Alignment & Posture

Releases posterior pelvic tilt caused by chronically shortened hamstrings
Allows the pelvis to sit in proper neutral alignment
Improves standing and walking posture throughout the entire spine
Reduces compensatory tension in the gluteal and lumbar muscles

Sciatic Nerve Relief

Gently mobilizes the sciatic nerve along its full length
Reduces neural tension contributing to radiating leg pain
Safe alternative to more aggressive neural mobilization techniques
Helpful for mild to moderate sciatica symptoms

Improved Hip Range of Motion

Increases hip flexion range, essential for bending, squatting, and lifting
Reduces hamstring-related restrictions in athletic and daily movements
Supports full stride length during walking and running

28/05/2026

Back issues are extremely common. Research reveals that 4 in 5 adults (that’s 80%) experience the discomfort and distress of back pain at some point in their lifetime. Inactivity can make the muscles tighten up and the joints become stiff, so rest isn't always the best option. That’s why exercise is commonly advised as one of the best ways to help prevent and manage most back pain.

Everyday Tips
Keep moving: avoid sitting for long periods by getting up and going for a walk every 30 minutes – even a gentle five-minute stroll can work wonders
Maintain good posture: be aware of maintaining a good posture if you are spending long periods at your computer
Drink plenty of water each day: to help flush out any toxins from your body
Eat lots of fruits and veg: good nutrition can help you maintain a healthy spine.

If your back pain persists
Don’t suffer in silence. Contact your physio or arrange an appointment with Don Kelly.

28/05/2026

Quads stretch with towel assistance

Stand up straight with a support in front of you.
Place a towel or belt around your ankle on the leg you are going to stretch.
Hold the ends of the towel in the hand on the same side as the stretching leg, and hold on to the support with the other hand.
Gently pull your leg up towards your buttocks, keeping your knees together and chest up tall.
You should feel a stretch down the front of your thigh.
Hold this position then release and repeat with the other leg.

Knee Health & Pain Relief

Relieves tension pulling on the patella (kneecap), reducing anterior knee pain
Decreases stress on the patellar tendon — helpful for patellar tendinopathy
Complements VMO strengthening by balancing muscle tension around the knee joint

Hip Flexor Release

Stretches the hip flexors simultaneously, especially the re**us femoris
Reduces anterior pelvic tilt caused by tight hip flexors
Relieves tension contributing to lower back pain

Improved Posture & Spinal Alignment

Loosening the quads and hip flexors allows the pelvis to return to neutral
Reduces lumbar lordosis (excessive lower back curve)
Supports better standing and walking posture

Post-Exercise Recovery

Accelerates removal of metabolic waste from quad muscles after training
Reduces delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS)
Helps muscles return to resting length faster after intense workouts

Rehabilitation & Post-Surgical Use

Safe and controllable for post-knee surgery patients (e.g., ACL, knee replacement)
Allows gradual progression of knee flexion range of motion
Reduces scar tissue tightness around the knee after injury or surgery

Who Benefits Most

People with tight quadriceps from desk work or athletic training
Individuals recovering from knee injuries or surgery
Athletes in running, cycling, football, or basketball
Older adults maintaining hip and knee flexibility
Anyone experiencing anterior knee pain or lower back pain linked to quad tightness

The towel-assisted quad stretch is a simple yet powerful tool in both rehabilitation and everyday flexibility maintenance.

28/05/2026

Isometric VMO strengthening

Lie on your back with your elbows supporting your upper body.
Place a foam roller underneath your affected knee.
Turn your hip on the affected side outwards slightly.
At all times keep the heel of this leg in contact with the bed.
Push your knee downwards into the foam roller, keeping the heel in contact with the bed.
Hold this contraction relax and repeat.

Key Benefits
Knee Stability & Protection

Strengthens the primary muscle that keeps the patella (kneecap) tracking correctly in its groove
Reduces lateral patellar maltracking, a major cause of knee pain
Protects the knee joint from excessive stress during weight-bearing activities

Pain Reduction

Highly effective for Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS) — "runner's knee"
Reduces pain from chondromalacia patellae (cartilage softening under the kneecap)
Decreases anterior knee pain with minimal joint loading

Post-Surgical & Injury Rehabilitation

Safe early-stage exercise after ACL reconstruction or knee surgery
Prevents muscle atrophy (wasting) during immobilization periods
Rebuilds neuromuscular control before progressing to dynamic exercises

Improved Functional Movement

Better VMO strength improves squatting, stair climbing, and walking mechanics
Supports proper knee alignment during running and jumping
Reduces valgus collapse (knee caving inward)

Muscle Activation & Mind-Muscle Connection

Isometric holds train the nervous system to recruit the VMO more effectively
Helps "wake up" an inhibited VMO, common after knee injury or surgery
Builds a foundation before progressing to isotonic (dynamic) exercises

Joint-Friendly Strengthening

Minimal stress on the knee joint compared to dynamic exercises
Safe for people with arthritis, acute inflammation, or post-op restrictions
Can be performed in pain-free range of motion only

Who Benefits Most

People with knee pain or PFPS
Post-ACL or post-knee surgery patients
Athletes returning from lower limb injuries
Older adults maintaining knee joint health