Annette van Kampen Physiotherapist

01/09/2025

September is Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month. 💜🦋 Since 2000, this worldwide observance has united survivors, families, and advocates to spread awareness and support those impacted by thyroid cancer. 🌍🫶🏻

Learn more and explore our awareness materials at 👉 www.thyca.org

13/05/2025

What’s on in Newcastle? Discover events, school news and a digital read like never before in the latest LoveLocal!

02/04/2025

25/03/2025

🌍 Movement Monday: Breathe Easy, Fight TB! 🏋️‍♂️💨

🌟 Exercise of the Day: Diaphragmatic Breathing 🌟

Deep breathing strengthens your lungs, improves oxygen flow, and supports TB recovery. Try this simple diaphragmatic breathing exercise:

How to Do It:
1️⃣ Sit or lie down in a comfortable position.
2️⃣ Place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly.
3️⃣ Inhale deeply through your nose, letting your belly rise while keeping your chest still.
4️⃣ Exhale slowly through pursed lips, feeling your belly fall.
5️⃣ Repeat for 5–10 minutes daily.

💙 This exercise helps improve lung function, reduce breathlessness, and promote relaxation. Give it a try and keep your lungs strong!

26/02/2025

Are you having urine leaking when you cough, sneeze, bend over, pick up something heavy, laugh or jump?

Does your bladder simply not have the ability to delay weeing when you feel the urge to wee?

Make an appointment. Don't suffer in silence. I can help you.

24/02/2025

Do you know of anyone that is pregnant/are you beyond 14 weeks of pregnancy?

I assist ladies suffering from lower back and hip pain, pelvic floor problems and pelvic girdle dysfunction.

If you are having back pain, discomfort at your p***c area, into your groin or at your bumb muscles or hip and if you are struggeling with a leaking bladder or constipation, these are common during pregnancy and there is something I can do to help you.

Don't suffer in silence.

Make an appointment and get the assistance you deserve.

17/02/2025

Vertigo is much more common than many of us think. It happens at the inner ear when calcium carbonate crystals get displaced and move into our semicicular canals. Inside these canals there is a jelly-like fluid and fine hairs lining the inside of the canals. When one moves one's head or turns it, these displaced crystals scratch against the fine hairs. That causes a spinning sensation for a few seconds and this is often accompanied by nausea.

I often gets asked what causes this. The causes are still being researched, but I often have cases where patients roll over in bed or where they were lying in the dentist's chair, turned their head and felt a spinning sensation. I have also had cases where patients developed this after being in a motor vehicle accident (after being cleared by a doctor for other causes of dizziness).

It can be treated by a vestibular trained physiotherapist such as myself. I assist my patients to get the crystals back in their place and then I provide a simple, individualized vestibular rehabilitation home exercise programme to aid in recovery after such an event.

If you suffer from this condition or if you know of someone who does, make an appointment and get this treated as soon as possible.

15/02/2025

Intimacy

Literally meaning "into me you see."

There are many different facets to intimacy and many types of intimacy - emotional, spiritual, financial, intellectual, experiential, lifestyle, social, creative, conflict and aesthetic.

In the treatment of Vaginismis, one often starts at a certain stage to focus on other types of intimacy that gets affected when a woman suffers from Vaginismus. This is part of the journey of healing.

13/02/2025

A supportive, understanding partner can make a big difference in the recovery process. When the partner understands what is going on and what the plan is, it often brings relief.

12/02/2025

This is when the muscles at the pevic floor near and around the vaginal canal squeeze and spasm prior to and during in*******se or an intra-vaginal examination, causing pain and discomfort. This can become a vicious cycle with the pain itself causing more tightness and spasm and that in turn resulting in more pelvic pain.

There is a treatment regime for this condition. It usually involves a team of health care professionals. Annette is trained to treat this condition, along with other health care professionals.

If you need help for this condition, make an appointment or send an email to annette@avkphysio.co.za .

11/02/2025

The theme for the next few days is Vaginismus and the treatment thereof.

This can be a debilitating condition, causing strain on relationships.

There is hope for patients with this condition.