Roisin Sullivan OT

〽️ NERVE PAIN 〽️

Nerve pain can be a tricky type of pain to resolve, with many people struggling with it for a long period of time with little relief 😩 Nerve pain can be intense - it can keep you awake at night, affect your ability to do day to day activities, be unrelenting and even affect your mood 😏😤😠😪😖

Nerve pain feels different to other types of pain. Nerve pain typically feels like a burning, electric, sharp, hot, numb, tingling, shooting, itchy or travelling type of pain. It can either comes and go, or just hang around continuously. These are all signs that a particular nerve in your body is irritated in some way.

There’s lots of possible causes for that nerve to be irritated. Any nerve in your body has the potential to become trapped, swollen, pinched or compressed and if left untreated, it can spread like wildfire.

As an OT, I have a lot of experience treating people with nerve pain. Nerve pain definitely doesn’t have to be “put up with” and you don’t have to “get used to it”. I slap my forehead when patients say this is what they’ve been told previously 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

If you are experiencing this nasty type of pain, feel free to get in touch 😊

PM if you’d like to chat about anything before booking in an OT session, otherwise you can book online directly at :

🌎 http://www.roisinsullivanot.com/online-booking/

🤷🏻‍♀️ WHICH PILLOW IS THE RIGHT ONE FOR ME? 🤷🏻‍♂️

With so many fandangle pillows on the market, choosing the right one can be a little confusing 🤔

I’ve lost count of how many times people have told me they’ve purchased a “top of the range, super expensive pillow”, only for it to now sit on a shelf in their cupboard 😬

When considering which type of pillow to use, you need to think about what position you sleep in, how firm or soft your mattress is and whether you have any injuries that need to be given additional support.

But regardless of which pillow you choose, it needs to be one that allows you to actually sleep 💤 . There’s no point in picking a beautifully supportive pillow that protects all the joints of your neck if you can get comfortable on it!

For many people, a standard off-the-shelf pillow is comfortable enough, although it may not give quite enough support to your spine.

Contoured pillows are designed for side and back sleepers to support the curves of your cervical spine (your neck) and come in varying sizes, materials and heights, designed to suit all our different neck sizes.

If you’re a side sleeper, you may find a body pillow, hourglass pillow or peanut pillow gives you support between your knees that allows your lower back and hips to stay in better alignment.

Sleeping on a pillow that’s too high or too low can kink your neck, sleeping on one thats too hard or too soft can also cause musculoskeletal issues. It can be so confusing! 🥴

However, in short, the right pillow for you is one that adequately supports your joints BUT is comfortable enough to give you a great night’s sleep 😴 Getting the balance right is super important not only for your musculoskeletal health, but for your overall health and function 😁

If you need help with pillow and positioning advice, just ask me at your next appointment 👍🏻

Saying “howdy” to the weekend! 👋 Hope everyone has a great one! ❤️

Sound it out peeps! 🗣 😂

🤫 SECRET LITTLE WEAPON – ARNICA! 🤫

Arnica is a fantastic natural anti-inflammatory cream and one I often recommend for clients, particularly for injuries where there’s a lot of swelling and bruising. It like a magic eraser for bruises!

Arnica comes from the perennial Arnica montana, a yellow-orangish flower that grows in the mountains of Europe and Siberia and can be made into a homeopathic, natural ointment.

It’s a natural pain reliever and can be purchased from most local pharmacies in either a gel, cream, spray or pillule form. It’s something I recommend everyone has in their first aid cabinet! Applying it quickly to an injury site can stem the bruising process, speed up healing, reduce swelling and give immediate pain relief.

It can even help with mild relief from arthritic pain, muscular pain and other inflammatory pain.

Like all natural things though, you still need to be careful when using it so if you’re not sure if arnica would suit you, just check with me next time you’re in the clinic!

The good old Epsom salts... 🛁 a great excuse for a hot bath with some of these well known crystals added 🧼

Epsom salts, or magnesium sulfate crystals, are a fantastic old wives remedy with so many good uses!

They’re used for everything from fertilising your garden to an inexpensive fabric softener, but they can also be used as a potent muscle soak in the bath 🛀🏼

An Epsom salts bath can alleviate pain from muscle tightness, arthritic changes, stiff joints and general soreness. It’s a time tested remedy for sports recovery and relieving overworked muscles, sworn by athletes for many years 🏊‍♀️🏋️‍♂️🤾‍♂️🚴🏻‍♂️

The benefits are two fold - firstly, the warmth of the bath helps to increase blood flow and soothe muscles 🥰 Secondly, the high magnesium levels in the salts act as a muscle relaxant, aids recovery and loosens stiff joints 💪🏻

These salts are readily available at most supermarkets and pharmacies. As with any natural remedy, you should always seek advice to make sure it’s suitable for you so feel free to ask me about it next time you’re in! 🙋🏻‍♀️

IS IT TENNIS ELBOW? OR COULD IT BE COMING FROM YOUR RADIAL NERVE? 🤔

Tennis elbow and radial nerve issues can cause very similar types of pain, mostly located on the outer aspect of your elbow 💪🏻 But is it really tennis elbow causing your pain? Or is your pesky radial nerve the real cause? ⚡️

Both conditions will be exacerbated by lifting objects, overuse and activities that require forearm grip strength.

Your radial nerve is one of the major nerves of your forearm and runs through many musculoskeletal structures as it travels to your hand ✋🏻

If your radial nerve can’t move freely in the arm, it can cause pain - very similar pain to tennis elbow pain!

As a Soft Tissue OT, I see both of these conditions on a regular basis. Tennis elbow is by far a much more common issue, however when an elbow pain is persisting or not responding to tennis elbow treatment, it may be time to look at your radial nerve.

If you are experiencing ongoing elbow pain, feel free to get in touch 👋

Online bookings are available using the link below. But feel free to message me directly if you need to chat about anything before booking in.

🌎 www.roisinsullivanot.com/online-booking

For whoever needs to hear this today… 👍🏻❤️

❄️ Why do joints hurt more in winter? ❄️

With winter comes rainy days, warm fires and wooly jumpers, but unfortunately it can also come with something else - increased joint pain 😔

But why do our joints hurt more in winter? And why can someone with joint pain predict the rain better than the weatherman? ☔️

Well, winter effects our bodies in a unique way. Studies show that cells that promote inflammation are increased in winter, while cells that suppress inflammation are simultaneously decreased in the winter. And if that’s not enough, the drop in barometric pressure that happens before a storm can cause our joints to swell, placing more pressure on the nerves that talk to our pain centres. The more swelling you have, the more aches and pains you’ll feel in winter.

But not all is lost! Despite the weather working against you, there’s still plenty that you can do in winter to keep the aches and pains at bay 💪🏻

Try these ideas:
🔹Using heat often (such as heat packs, hot water bottles, hot baths and showers) can keep joints warm and increase blood flow.
🔹Using a joint support to give a little extra TLC to a joint during winter - neoprene ones are best as they keep in the warmth (think wetsuit material).
🔹Keep on top of niggles and seek help if they persist. Getting onto of swelling and inflammation quickly can nip it in the bud before it turns into a bigger problem in winter.
🔹Stay as active as you can. This keeps your joints mobile, keeps fresh blood circulating around your body and reduces muscle shortening.
🔹Stretch often to keep your joints and muscles moving well and hold back increasing joint winter stiffness.

If you need any help managing your pain as the cold sets in, just ask next time you’re in the clinic! 😊

📸: David Blumer

Good news for a cold winters day… a warm cup of cocoa may actually improve your health!

Not only does cocoa contain a good dose of magnesium - the “miracle mineral” for muscles - but it also contains flavonoids which help to improve your health by:

❄️ reducing cholesterol
❄️ lowering blood pressure
❄️ lowering blood sugar
❄️ reducing inflammation

Not bad for a cup of winter warmth! ☕️

However, as with most things, cocoa is good for you only in moderation.

But for a chilly day like today, it could be just what the OT ordered 😉 ❤️

👍🏻👎🏻 THUMB STRETCHES 👍🏻👎🏻

These stretches are lovely, simple ones that can help to ease the pain of tight thumb joints 👍🏻

I’ve been seeing lots of sore thumbs popping up lately. We are generally doing more than ever with our thumbs, with devices, technology and other grip intense activities. Add the cold weather snap to that and there’s a lot of achey thumbs around! 👎🏻

But even if your thumbs aren’t particularly sore right now, these stretches are great ones to do to prevent any thumb joint pain from starting.

Try following the steps below:

1️⃣ STEP 1 : Place your hand up so your palm is facing away from you and use the opposite hand to pull your thumb gently, directly away from the rest of your fingers without rotating it (as in photo 1).

2️⃣ STEP 2 : Keeping the pressure gently pulling gently on your thumb. Hold this for 30 seconds.

3️⃣ STEP 3 : Now shift your position of your thumb so you are pulling it back gently towards your head. Use your opposite hand to pull your thumb into a gentle stretch (as in photo 2).

4️⃣ STEP 4: Hold for another 30 seconds and relax into the stretch.

5️⃣ STEP 5: Switch sides and repeat again for the other side.

🙏🏻 This should feel like a nice stretch all the way through your thumb, into your palm and maybe even up into side of your wrist.

🛑 It shouldn’t feel like increased pressure on your thumb joint or pinch anywhere - if it does, stop this stretch and seek the advice of myself or another health professional.

💁🏻‍♀️Some tips:
Don’t “bounce” this stretch, take it nice and slow. And just be careful not to apply too much pressure and keep it gentle! And remember to breathe deeply.

🚨Caution: This stretch may not suit you if you have hypermobile joints or thumb arthritis.

🙋🏻‍♀️As always, check with me or a suitable health professional for advice if you’re not sure about which stretches are best for you personally.

Happy weekend everyone! ✌🏻

There’s some last minute appointments available for tomorrow courtesy of covid related cancellations 😬

Friday 20th May : 9:20am, 10:20am

If you would like either of them, you can book online at any time:

🌎 www.roisinsullivanot.com/online-booking/

So true ❤️ I often say that your body tells a story, so I just listen to it closely and “have a bit of a chat” with your body 😊

📸: Australian Hand Therapists Association

NEED AN APPOINTMENT?

There’s been some last minute cancellations this week, so if you need an appointment, it might not be as tricky as usual to find one! ❤️

You can browse the calendar for upcoming available appointments at

🌍 www.roisinsullivanot.com/online-booking/

And remember if you can’t find a suitable time, please feel free to send me a message and I can pop you on the waitlist for any other cancellations 🙂

When a mask hides your St Patrick’s Day smile, you have to improvise! ☘️☘️☘️

Happy St Patrick’s Day everyone! 💚💚💚

In honour of National Random Acts of Kindness Day today, go forth and sprinkle! ❤️😁

🦴 ARTHRITIS CARE 🦴

Did you know that there are actually many different types of arthritis? The two most common types are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, but there are over 100 different forms of arthritis 😯

Some arthritis types are about “wear and tear” or degeneration of the body’s joints. Others are very different and are autoimmune conditions where your body is essentially attacking and inflaming your joints 🥴

But regardless of the type of arthritis, the condition actually involves much more than just the bones of the joint and involves all the muscles, nerves and tissues surrounding the affected joints.

Because each type of arthritis has different symptoms and different triggers, they actually need very different treatment and therapy 🦵🏻🦶🏻💪🏻✋🏻

As a Soft Tissue OT, I see lots of different types of arthritis coming in through the clinic.

Occupational therapy can help to relieve the pain of arthritis, reduce inflammation and restore your range of movement. We work to improve your day to day function and reduce pain levels so you can keep living life well, despite your condition ✅

If you’re suffering from arthritis or know someone who is, feel free to get in touch. You can also book directly online for an appointment by heading to :

🌏 www.roisinsullivanot.com/online-booking 🌎

🔸 CHEST OPENER STRETCH 🔸

This stretch can be an easy one to throw into your day to open up through the muscles of the front of the chest and arms 💪🏻

These muscles, particularly your pecs, biceps and anterior deltoid muscles can shorten when we round our shoulders forwards or hold a poor posture. This stretch is also good for people who use their chest and arm muscles a lot in activities.

Follow the steps below to give it a try! 👍🏻

1️⃣ STEP 1 : Clasps your hands together behind your back. If you can’t quite get them to reach, you can hold onto a towel behind you in both hands.

2️⃣ STEP 2 : Roll your shoulders back and imagine your chest opening up wide, pushing your chest forwards.

3️⃣ STEP 3 : Take deep breaths for 30 seconds, allowing your muscles to open up a bit more with each deep breath.

🙏🏻 This should feel like a nice stretch all the way across your chest and front of your arms.

🛑 It shouldn’t feel like increased pressure on your wrists, shoulder joints or midback - if it does, stop this stretch and seek the advice of myself or another health professional.

💁🏻‍♀️Some tips:
Don’t “bounce” this stretch, take it nice and slow. And just be careful not to apply too much pressure and keep it gentle! If it’s too difficult at first, start with a towel as in Step 1.

🙋🏻‍♀️As always, check with me or a suitable health professional for advice if you’re not sure about which stretches are best for you personally.

There’s some new appointment times that have been added this week! 🙌🏻

If you need one of these, you can book online at any time at www.roisinsullivanot.com/online-booking 🌎

Tuesday 8th Feb : 4:20pm, 4:40pm
Friday 11th Feb : 9am, 10:20am, 12pm, 12:20pm

The latest newsletter has hit inboxes this morning, perfect for a cuppa and some weekend reading 🥰

Please note: If you can’t find it, it may be in your junk/spam folder 📁

Be right back! ⏰

Just off for a quick getaway with the family for a week 🏖

The clinic will reopen on Monday 31st January but you can still book online at anytime at 🌎 www.roisinsullivanot.com/online-booking/

See you soon! 👋

🔸 DRY NEEDLING 🔸

Dry needling is certainly far more common now than when I first started using it about ten years ago!

Some people absolutely love dry needling and know it works really well for them, and then there’s still some people that are nervous, unsure or have never tried it 🤷🏻‍♀️

For most trying it for the first time, there’s usually some questions around whether it is painful and what it will feel like 🤔

It’s important to note that not all dry needling feels the same, regardless of who has done it so the you in the past. There’s so many different styles!

There’s actually quite a few different methods of dry needling that I do with clients and they range from the super-duper gentle (most people describe this as “just feels a bit strange”) all the way through to quite strong styles (and these are uncomfortable, but quick and usually described as a “good hurt”) 😀

However, I always work within your own preferences and if dry needling is a definite no-go zone for you, that’s completely fine! There’s still lots of other great treatment techniques that I can use that don’t involve needles 🙅🏻‍♀️

But if you haven’t tried dry needling and you would like to, I’m always more than happy to chat to you about it at your appointment and walk you through what it might involve. It’s not suitable for everyone so we will make sure it’s the right option for you too ✅

And yes, I do have dry needles my own arm here for demonstration purposes 😆

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with doing a little recalibration ahead of the week ahead… ❤️

📷:

KICKING OFF 2022 IN THE CLINIC!

The clinic is now reopen and back to normal opening hours 😃

Don’t forget your mask though 😷

If you need an appointment, you can book online at anytime at www.roisinsullivanot.com/online-booking/ 🌎

If you’re lucky enough to be having some time off work this week, it’s a great opportunity to rest, recover and recharge your batteries! 🔋

This little list of summer self-care options have some great ideas for inspiration ❤️

📸:

Wishing all of my beautiful patients and their families a very Merry Christmas 🎄 It’s hard to believe that 2021 is well and truly wrapping up! Thank you all for allowing me the privilege to care for you this year ❤️

The clinic is now closed and will reopen on Tuesday 4th January after a little break 🙂

If you need to book ahead for an appointment after the festive season, you can do so anytime online at www.roisinsullivanot.com/online-booking/ 🌎

❤️ FEEL GOOD STORY ALERT!❤️

Because you can never have enough of the good feels ❤️ A Case Study Feature :

Miss S has Ehler-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), a complex genetic condition that affects all her connective tissues and joints. One of the features of her EDS is extreme hyper mobility of her joints 🦴

When I first met Miss S, she was having frequent trigger thumbs and painful thumb dislocations, sometimes lasting for hours at a time and often multiple times within a day. Miss S is only 8 years old so this was affecting everything from schooling to writing to holding cutlery to doing her hair and playing with toys.

She was referred to me by her GP as she was still having lots of issues even with wearing a 24 hour splint 😬

She was so scared to take her splint off, fearful that she would dislocate the thumb or set off hours of pain again. She actively avoided so many things that an 8 year old would normally love doing! It was heartbreaking to see, but I am so incredibly grateful that her mum trusted me to help her 💕

For Miss S, her OT sessions focused on restoring correct mechanics to the right hand and thumb, reducing pain and reducing compensatory muscle issues that had built up over the years. Her mum and I also worked on changing her pens, cutlery and day to day items to special ones more suitable for her joints.

Fast forward 3 months and I am so proud of this little girl! She now barely wears her splint at all (usually she forgets about it now which is a huge gain!). She has built up some incredible muscle mass to support her joints and is no longer in daily pain. She writes, paints, plays and does everything with so much more confidence. We’ve had no dislocations or trigger thumbs for around 6 weeks now! 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

Needless to say, Miss S comes in to the clinic now grinning from ear to ear, which is beautiful to see 😁

Miss S will have her condition for life, but she has come along leaps and bounds and is such a superstar patient!

It’s been a joy to be involved in this little girl’s care and see her getting back into all the things she loves to do as a kid. Onwards and upwards! 💫

*shared with permission from Miss S and her mum to share with other people with Ehler-Danlos Syndrome