Most people will have heard that the symptoms of a heart attack include shooting pains down the left arm. This type of pain is being ‘referred’ from the heart, as the heart is the true cause of the pain and not the arm itself. Pain may also be referred from the spine to other areas Read More

Most people are aware that shooting pains down the left arm and pain in the jaw are possible signals of a heart attack, despite the fact that the heart isn’t located near to the jaw or to the left arm within the body. This is an example of referred pain, which is also known as Read More

Low back pain with referred pain can vary widely with regards to severity, intensity, locality and quality. It tends to be achy, dull and migratory (moves around). As opposed to true sciatica it is difficult for patients to pinpoint precisely. It also tends to come and go and often varies in intensity. It can result Read More

Most people have heard that heart attacks can result in referred pain to the jaw, shoulder or the left arm. Referred pain is also known as “reflective pain”. The International Society for the Study of Pain has developed a series of theoretical models which explain how this takes place. Commonly Observed Spinal Pain that Originates Read More

We all know the term – ‘a slipped disc’. However this phrase is a little misleading, as discs don’t really slip at all. To understand what is actually happening we need to look at the composition of the spine in greater detail. Lying between the bones of the spinal column (vertebra), are the discs. These Read More

Discs lie between the bones of the spinal column (vertebra), acting as shock absorbers and helping with movement. Disc injuries are a common cause of back pain – but because they are attached to the vertebra they do not slip – instead they degenerate, tear, bulge, prolapse or herniate. The disc is made of two Read More

An illustration of the entire spinal column can be seen below.   Anyone who suffers from chronic back pain will be keen to know exactly where his or her pain is coming from, and as such, what is causing it. In this day and age, with the advances in medical science, it is hard to Read More

An illustration of the entire spinal column can be seen below. The spinal column is easily recognisable and is built up of vertebrae (bone) which are separated by discs (cartilage). The joints of the spine are at the rear and most of the muscles attach to the rear area. Pain Giving Structures Injury to the Read More

London Marathon training is now in full swing and so we have prepared some top tips on avoiding injury whilst training that will make sure you are able to complete the course successfully. Don’t let a Niggle Become a Pain Other than normal post-training muscle soreness, don’t ignore niggles at this stage of training – Read More