COVID-19 changed all of our lives in one way or another. “WFH”, TikToks and garden parties became our norm. Another activity the isolated world embraced was exercise! Research has since shown us that since the pandemic started, our interest in all things fitness has hit an all time high.

As physiotherapists, the “physio” in our name can be considered to refer to physiology. This is the study of the function of the human body. According to definition we “promote, maintain, or restore health through physical examination, diagnosis, prognosis, patient education, physical intervention, rehabilitation, disease prevention, and health promotion”.

Muscle tears (also known as ‘pulled’ muscles, or muscle strains) are one of the most common musculoskeletal injuries that we see on a daily basis. Generally, a muscle tear occurs when the load placed on a muscle exceeds the capacity of that muscle to withstand the load. So how do you know if you have torn a muscle, or if it is something else causing your pain?

Paraesthesia, or “pins and needles” as it is more colloquially known, refers to a feeling of discomfort associated with itching, tingling or “skin crawling”. Generally pins and needles is a benign and transient experience. However, there are situations where the experience of pins and needles may be indicative of a more sinister pathology and will require further medical investigation.

Joint stiffness is an extremely common clinical presentation and one we see very often in our day to day work.