Your Wellness Nerd

03/09/2026

After treating 10,000 knees, physiotherapist Grant Frost reveals that non-traumatic knee pain is rarely just a knee problem. It's usually a consequence of hidden dysfunction in your lower back, hip, or ankle.

He shares three key exercises (lower back mobility, the couch stretch, and the banded ankle stretch) to address these underlying causes and provides a "test and retest" method to identify which areas are most relevant to you.

After treating thousands of sore knees, physiotherapist Grant Frost shares the hidden causes of knee pain and 3 exercises to address back, hip, and ankle d

27/08/2026

Stiff Neck? Give this simple Ball Trick a try!

26/08/2026

This 2018 study found that placing a resistance band around the feet during side stepping produced the greatest gluteus maximus and medius activation without increasing tensor fascia lata (TFL) activity, making it the optimal position for targeting the muscles that resist hip adduction and internal rotation.

Women showed higher muscle activation and different movement patterns than men, highlighting the importance of sex-specific considerations when prescribing this exercise.

Where should you place the band for resisted side stepping? Research shows that placing it around the feet may maximise glute activation without increasing

25/08/2026

This guide brings together 50 practical back pain tips covering hip mobility, trunk strength, posture, spinal movement, nerve mobility, and understanding why pain can appear seemingly out of nowhere.

The overarching principle is that back pain is rarely about one single event – the moment pain appears is often the "last straw" rather than the start of the problem, so looking beyond the painful area is crucial to understanding the bigger picture.

https://www.yourwellnessnerd.com/blogs/blog/50-back-pain-tips

24/08/2026

Hip tightness may actually come from the deepest layer of tissue around your hip joint – the joint capsule – not just the superficial muscles, and traditional muscle stretches alone may never reach this hidden restriction.

Use a power band to distract and open up the joint, perform a series of exercises to target hip extension, internal and external rotation, flexion, and abduction, and use a test-retest approach; you may see immediate improvements in your hip mobility.

Tight hips may be caused by joint capsule restrictions, not just muscles. Learn banded hip capsule stretches that target the deepest layer of tissue.

21/08/2026

Research has found that tattooed skin produces 53% less sweat and has a 64% higher sodium concentration than non-tattooed skin, suggesting that the tattooing process can disrupt the sweat glands located in the dermis.

While more research is clearly needed – particularly on larger tattoos, different demographics, and real-world thermoregulation – this emerging evidence highlights potential implications for heavily tattooed individuals, especially athletes or those working in hot environments who may need to pay closer attention to hydration and electrolyte balance.

Research shows tattoos may reduce sweat production by 53% and increase sodium concentration. Learn how this impacts thermoregulation and what it means for

21/08/2026

Try this simple shoulder tap exercise, which engages the rotator cuff and all surrounding stabilising muscles in a functional, weight-bearing position – offering an alternative to traditional rotator cuff isolation exercises that may not fully address shoulder instability.

By retracting the shoulder blades and creating external rotation stability, the exercise can be progressed from an incline position to a full handstand, generating the fatigue needed to prompt meaningful adaptation and improvement in shoulder stability.

A simple shoulder tap exercise that engages all shoulder-stabilising muscles. May work better than rotator cuff isolation exercises for shoulder instabilit

21/08/2026

Try these six banded shoulder capsule mobilisation exercises that target the deepest layer of tissue around the shoulder joint, addressing hidden capsular restrictions that can limit range of motion and contribute to shoulder pain.

Using a power band to distract and open the joint, each exercise biases a different shoulder movement – flexion, extension, horizontal extension, horizontal flexion, internal rotation, and external rotation – with the test-retest approach allowing you to see immediate improvements in range and quality of motion.

6 banded shoulder capsule mobilisation exercises that target hidden restrictions. Improve range of motion, reduce pain, and see immediate results with the

20/08/2026

A study of 80 adolescents found that moderate screen exposure (approximately 141 minutes per day) during the first three days after concussion was associated with 35% faster symptom resolution than very high exposure, but this was an observational study and not a randomised controlled trial.

The findings suggest concussion recovery is more nuanced than "screens are bad" or "screens are good" – screen exposure should likely be individualised and guided by symptom tolerance.

A new study found that moderate screen use was associated with faster concussion recovery. Here is what the research shows.

20/08/2026

Try this simple but effective mobilisation technique for the first rib – a commonly stiffened and restricted area that can underpin neck pain, shoulder issues, thoracic outlet syndrome, and arm symptoms like RSI or tennis elbow.

Using a lacrosse ball or tennis ball to find and release restrictions just beside the spine at the base of the neck, a test-and-retest approach allows you to see immediate improvements in arm reach, neck movement, and symptom relief.

First rib dysfunction can cause neck, shoulder, and arm pain. Learn a simple self-mobilisation technique using a ball to find and release restrictions.