Anna Cherry Acupuncture & Physiotherapy

27/07/2026

This a great article on high calcium foods for osteoporosis prevention … the mention of chia seeds was a surprise! A great read especially for women. Of course resistance training is also super important to prevent brittle bones as we age, with the added bonus of feeling stronger and more powerful during everyday activities!

Our bone density begins declining earlier than you might think. But ensuring our diet is rich in certain nutrients can help to keep our skeletons strong.

13/06/2026

Did you know that cigarette smoking delays bony union and wound healing? It’s well known in orthopaedic and physiotherapy circles that smokers demonstrate slower fracture healing times than non-smokers. Smokers also experience delayed soft tissue healing. This can be explained by the fact that smoking reduces oxygen delivery to tissues, and also impairs the function of certain white blood cells that are vital to tissue repair. To top it off, smokers have been shown to report worse pain intensities than non-smokers. Bottom line: there really isn’t anything good about smoking. The good news: once you quit smoking, the elevated negative impacts of smoking gradually reduce year by year and can eventually drop to those of a non-smoker, demonstrating the body’s incredible ability to bounce back given the right circumstances.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12812234/

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4241583/

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6768701/

13/05/2026

For those of you curious about acupuncture! This is a great article presenting lots of various research findings, and more recently on the interstitium as a potential acupuncture pathway 🙂

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30/04/2026

This is so important to know!! A recent 2026 study published in JAMA Internal Medicine showed that of 602 men aged over 40 with no shoulder pain, 96% of people had rotator cuff abnormalities (tendinopathies, tears etc) on MRI. In shoulders that have not had a trauma, rotator cuff pathology should be viewed as a normal part of aging, like wrinkles and grey hair, rather than the reason for pain. This confirmed previous studies with similar findings.
So, it’s important not to focus on imaging results, but instead focus of symptoms and function and understand that a rotator cuff tear isn’t as terrible as it sounds, and is actually very common once we’re over 40.

This cross-sectional study assesses the prevalence of shoulder rotator cuff abnormalities in a general Finnish population and whether diagnostic imaging should guide diagnosis or treatment of atraumatic shoulder pain.

17/04/2026

Happy Saturday everyone! I hope you are enjoying the sunshine while it lasts ❤️ The below link is food for thought regarding longevity indicators, and the top one is not diet or exercise!!

03/04/2026

I just did this most beautiful hike in the South Island!! The 4 night Greenstone-Routeburn track. I have a small gluteal tear and was worried how my body would fare with the distances. Interestingly it felt better and better each day, probably due to the gentle incline and slowly increasing distances each day. It reminded me to not be a boom or bust exerciser, as in, sit in clinic all week then do a 6 hour steep hike in the weekend, and then pay for it the next day! I often talk of the Goldilocks approach to exercise - not too much (all of a sudden), and not too little. Gradually building up strength/fitness to help your body adapt and prepare. Planning activities around your injuries and to split the bigger exertions into smaller chunks to allow your body to rest in between and build strength. And the biggest lesson of all - our bodies were made to move!! We have a saying in physio - motion is lotion 🙂

31/03/2026

Every day I talk to clients about posture! Good posture is such a simple but important thing to practise as it influences so many different parts of our body - not just our spine, but our shoulders, hips and even feet! Sitting upright instead of slouching, and using our core to lift our head (not chin) upwards when standing, are both low effort adjustments we can do, which over time strengthens the muscles that hold us in better form. Exercises like scapular retractions, neck retractions and posterior shoulder rolls can also help address the dreaded hunched back. Make an effort, it will pay off in the end!

26/02/2026

This is fascinating! I certainly have quite a few “SuperAger” clients who I always find interesting and inspiring!

“This shows the aging brain has the capacity to regenerate — that’s huge.”

Full story ⬇️

22/02/2026

After being rushed off my feet over the last few months I have some appointment openings this week! 9.30am and 10.15am Thursday, and 1.30pm Friday 😊
Shop 10/2 Oceans Resort Tutukaka
021 0246 9949 (best to text for an appointment)

16/02/2026

Is my hip pain osteoarthritis? If you have pain over the outer hip region it is usually due to a damaged gluteal tendon or inflamed bursa. Bursa are fluid filled sacs that provide cushioning and reduce friction between structures, and if irritated they can cause sharp pain with compression positions (ie. side lying, crossing legs) or overuse. Gluteal tendon injuries are common in active women over 50 and are made worse by compression positions or walking uphill/stairs.
Hip osteoarthritis usually presents as aching pain deep in the groin or in front of the thigh, which often gets worse after periods of inactivity.
It’s important to know these differences! With bursitis and gluteal tendinopathies, it’s important to take measures to reduce the irritating activities and progressively load the hip muscles in the correct manner. Dry needling has been shown to be helpful in reducing the acute gluteal pain episodes also. Osteoarthritis responds well to strength training, pain management and weight loss, and in worst cases, joint replacement is recommended.