General Archives • Total Care Physio

Are You A Limber Leopard? 2 Simple Home Tests To See How Flexible You Are

Total Care Physio 16/04/2021

Don’t Take Your Mobility For Granted

Remember when you were a child and you could bend and reach and twist with ease. Can you still, or are the days at the computer or at the desk starting to take their toll?

The fact is, although we shouldn’t, many people lose their flexibility and mobility over time. This can lead to pain and poor performance in athletes.

How Flexible Are You?

The good news is that physiotherapy can give you the tools to restore your movement. Here’s Rob with 2 simple tests you can do at home to see if your mobility is normal.

It’s Never Too Late To Start

Now you know where your at, if you have started to stiffen up, remember it’s never too late to get moving again. As the old saying goes,

“The best day to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the second best day is today”

If you need some help to loosen up from the professionals, give us a call and book an appointment. Our hands on treatments and international programs will put you moving again 😀

General, Home Tips chartered physiotherapy, flexibility, get fit, pain relief, podiatry, running, shoes, Sport, walking

Don’t Buy Your Next Pair Of Shoes Until You Do These 3 Quick Tests

Total Care Physio 13/04/2021

Sick of sore feet, blisters and pain from your shoes?

Not sure if you have the right shoes for you?

Today, foot specialist and Kerry footballer, Niamh Carmody SCPI, from our Tralee Clinic, shows you the 3 simple tests you should do before you buy your next pair of shoes.

As a Podiatrist & Chiropodist, these are the tests Niamh uses when she’s is in a shoe shop. They are quick and easy and vital to help you pick your best pair of shoes for being active.

This is super important for anyone who is active, wants to be able to walk or run better for longer, or is returning from injury.

Remember if you have any queries on foot pain or foot problems please don’t hesitate to give us a call in our Limerick or Tralee clinic. We would be more than happy to help. 😀

General podiatry, running, shoes, walking

What Are Orthotics & How To Wear Them In

Total Care Physio 23/02/2017

Our in house Chiropodist & Podiatrist, Sarah Kerrane SCPI, talks us through orthotics and how to best wear them in.

What Are Orthotics?

Modern Orthotics come in every size and shape possible

Custom insoles, often called orthotics, are professionally developed inserts for your shoes, made with a personalised fit. They are used to straighten out the feet, correct posture are are used to help with a whole host of problems from flat feet to Achilles’ tendinitis, heel spurs and bunions.

How Are Orthotics Made?

Orthotics are made by taking very careful measurements of your feet and legs. A mould is taken of your feet and this is used to make a tailor made insert that is then placed into your shoes. This snug fit is crucial.

How To Wear In Orthotics

There are 4 big points that I recommend to all my patients when first getting used to their orthotics

1.The Right Shoe

Modern orthotics can be made to fit into lots of different types for shoes from work boots, to dress shoes, to football boots, golf shoes and even ski boots. These shoes can vary wildly in shape and design so make sure your orthotics are designed with the footwear you need them for.

2. Be Patient

It does take time for the foot and body to get used to have this new insert in your shoe. At the start it won’t know what happened. We recommend that you wear your new orthotics in gradually. Start with an hour per day. Aim to wear them for a full day after 2 weeks. It takes most people 4-6 weeks to really get used to them.

3. Walk Before Your Run

Running puts so much more pressure on our feet than walking does. If your orthotics are for exercising just make sure that walking feels comfortable first, then build up to exercising in them.

4. If They Squeak

If your orthotics squeak at the start don’t worry it’s normal! Some talcum powder can work a treat.

Hope you enjoy these tips. If you would like to chat to Sarah, you can contact us on 061 530 030 or drop us an email at info@totalcarephysio.ie.

She’d love to answer any questions you have.

General chiropody, custom insoles, foot pain, footwear, orthotics, podiatry

Top 3 Stretches for Low Back Pain

admin 20/02/2017

Today, Chartered Physiotherapist, Rob Hanley, takes us through his top 3 stretches to help relieve low back pain.

The Scurge of Low Back Pain

How many of us at some point in our lives have bent over to pick up a pencil and suddenly our back ceases up. Sound familiar? Well it is. In fact 80% of us will get a bout of low back pain at some point in our lives*. The good news is that there are loads of things we can do to help it.

Low Back Pain is Common

It’s no surprise that we get sore backs. Our spines love to move and they tend to get tight when we don’t stretch and move them regularly. They really don’t like sitting for hours on end, yet this is exactly what some many of us spend our days doing- be it at our desks, in the car or on the couch at home.

Top Stretches for Low Back Pain

The good news is that we can fight low back pain and get relief, if we do the right things.

Gentle, pain free stretching can be one great way to loosen up a stiff and painful lower back and help get back on track quickly**

Here are my 3 favourites:

Cat & Dog Stretch:

Great For:

Loosening out a stiff and tight lower back
Stretching the mid back
Pain relief

Cobra Stretch:

Great For:

Elongating your lower back
Undoing the tightness of sitting

Child Pose

Great For:

Stretching deep into the low back muscles
Loosening out the shoulders

Hope you enjoy these exercises as much as we do. If you would like to chat to our expert physiotherapists on your back problem you can contact us on 061 530 030 or drop us an email at info@totalcarephysio.ie.

We’d love to answer any questions you have.

* Pengel 2003
**Stretches must be pain free and never done if they provoke symptoms

General Back, Rehab, Stretch, Stretching, Yoga

The Rio 2016 Olympic Experience

admin 23/12/2016

Rob Hanley, Clinical Director at Total Care Physio was selected to work as a chartered physiotherapist at the Summer games in Rio 2016.

He reflects on working with the world’s most elite athletes on the very biggest of stages.

The process to work with the Olympic Committee at an olympics is a long one. It all started off 2 years ago and after months of interviews, screenings, video discussions and training, the bags were packed and I was ready to go.

As a physiotherapist, I worked in the Polyclinic in the athlete’s village. Roughly the size of a GAA pitch, the Polyclinic houses all the medical supports that an athlete needs, from the physiotherapy service to podiatry, pharmacy, X-ray, MRI, sports medicine and even dentistry.

An Incredible Environment
The Polyclinic is a fascinating place and as a working environment it is sensational. The Olympic Committee had assembled a team of international professionals that worked as a close knit unit. It has the very best equipment, no waiting times, instant access. An athlete walking in the door, unannounced, could see his doctor and physio, get an MRI and be back out preparing for his event with his prescription within a couple of hours.

Working with the Best
To work with the very best clinicians in their respective fields, in one place, at one time, does not happen often.The hours are long but so rewarding and the opportunity to troubleshoot problems that come up for athletes on the eve of the biggest event of their sporting careers is particularly special. Working with the biggest names in sport on the eve of battle is a great place to be

Beautiful Brazil
Luckily, in my down time I got to see a bit of Rio itself. The beaches, the city, the people and, of course, the Irish on tour. It’s a rare rare place and one I certainly won’t be forgetting!

General Elite, Experience, Olympics, Physio, Rio

My Favourite Motivational Quote

admin 15/12/2016

This week, Rob Hanley, Clinical Director & Chartered Physiotherapist talks about his favourite motivational quote when working with

Success in any walk of life requires effort.

In order to achieve we must have passion, drive, and the commitment to achieve our goals.

I’ve always thought that challenges that life presents us and returning from pain and injury are really the same thing. We must sit down and work out what we want, what we are trying to achieve and then come up with a plan. We then work hard to implement that plan over time, with the patience and endurance for the bumps we meet along the way. It takes lots of persistence and patience and most of all, bucket loads of motivation.

The Man in the Arena

One of my favourite quotes that I use to help inspire my clients when they are recovering is “The Man in the Arena” from Theodore Roosevelt at the Sorbonne in Paris, 23rd April, 1910

It is not the critic who counts;
not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles,
or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena,
whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood;
who strives valiantly; who errs,
who comes short again and again,
because there is no effort without error and shortcoming;
but who does actually strive to do the deeds;
who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions;
who spends himself in a worthy cause;
who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement,
and who at the worst,
if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly,
so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

I think this speech sums up well what we do here at Total Care Physio. We strive everyday to help you get back out there, to return to your arena, whatever and wherever that is.

We’re here to help you every step of the way, when you are doing well but most importantly on the days when you need a pick up. As Muhammad Ali, famously said

The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses – behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights

We strive with you to help you win your fight.

General Quote, Sport, Success