Not only back complaints ...

The name of the site 'Rugspraak' (= back talk in Dutch) suggests that in this practice only people with back problems are treated. However, people with other complaints are also examined and treated. A selection of possibilities with short explanation here and there.

Headache

It is possible that headaches arise from the neck. For example, when a lot of muscle tension exists high and/or low in the neck. The structure of the posture often plays a role. There can also be irritation from the cervical spine that triggers the muscle tension. We are not always aware of this. The headache problem therefore usually requires a combined approach, consisting of providing insight into the complaint, exercises and treatments. See also the Headache article.

Wear hip

Particularly people of older age are increasingly involved in this. In the meantime many tens of thousands of artificial hips are being placed in the Netherlands each year. The scientific literature shows that treatments with exercises and manual therapy can help the group of people with incipient and limited complaints fairly well and with sustainable results. In my practice, a period of about a month, with a maximum of 3 treatments, is sufficient to achieve an optimal effect. See also the article Hip and knee osteoarthritis.

Complaints at the knee

Knee complaints can have various causes, including wear and tear, clinging fibula at the knee, overload (for example, at the kneecap). The complaint can also come from elsewhere: feet/ankles, hips, low back. This requires a broad approach to find out what is going on and what the best approach would be.

Intestinal obstruction

Apart from complaints on back, neck, arms, legs, complaints can also be improved of so-called internal nature such as intestinal obstruction. How is that possible? If someone is accustomed to having a sagging position (pelvis tilted backwards, convex back, head/neck forward), the front of the body: abdomen/chest area is compressed. There is relatively little room for the functioning of, for example, the intestines. This can be at the expense of the quality of digestion. Some people can react with bowel obstruction. The policy is then clear: in any case, change the posture. This is done gradually with the help of daily exercises and limited supervision. The guidance then also offers the opportunity to treat other possible causes of the complaint, such as a stuck middle back.

Wrist complaints

Wrist complaints often arise as a result of overload or a fall. Particularly in the latter case it is important that there is no fracture of, for example, a carpal bone. That is sometimes missed, with unpleasant consequences in the longer term. In case of overloading it is of course important to trace the source: is the person concerned overusing, or is there a disorder present in the wrist or elsewhere 'in the kinetic chain' (hand, elbow, shoulder, neck).

Shoulder pain

The shoulder consists of different structures that can each give pain complaints. In practice it appears that there are often 'on the way' to the shoulder disorders: dysfunction of the shoulder blade or upper back. Sometimes the problem lies in the low back. With shoulder complaints, it is important to realize that the shoulder is part of a posture and movement chain to allow the hand to function. When there is a disorder in part of that chain, another part will take over the task. This is often the neighbor. And in the kinetic chain of the hand that is often the shoulder because of its extensive mobility. The trick is to trace the disorder (in the shoulder, or outside) and to direct the treatment.

Complaints after sprained ankle

In the Netherlands many hundreds of thousands of ankles are sprained every year. It appears that a relatively large number of people (estimated at 1 in 4) continue to have long-term complaints, varying from pain to instability. In a number of people, the symptoms disappear after musuloskeletal treatment. It often concerns a part of the ankle or foot that has become stuck after the sprain. This gives an altered walking pattern with possible (permanent) complaints.

Tingling in the hand

Tingling in the hand is often interpreted as a complaint belonging to the so-called carpal tunnel syndrome. A constriction has formed on the palm side of the wrist, causing a major nerve (median nervus) to get trapped, resulting in complaints. Tingling in the hand can also be caused by a problem at the elbow, upper arm, shoulder or neck. It may therefore be interesting to examine the whole line of hand-elbow-shoulder-neck for possible causes of the complaint.