René Alberts & Nicola Michau Physiotherapy

24/08/2026

20/08/2026

Two people can sustain the same spinal cord injury and end up with very different pain outcomes.

A new study suggests the gap isn't just about the injury itself. Factors like mobility, access to care, and overall health may help explain why—which means some disparities may be more changeable than we think.

Open access paper here: https://bit.ly/4wX2zpf

14/08/2026

Happy Friday😉

13/08/2026

🩻 Think a “slipped disc” automatically means surgery? Think again.

One of the scariest things you can hear after an MRI is:
“You’ve got a slipped disc.”

But here’s something you might not know 👇:

For most people with an acute slipped disc and sciatica, surgery isn’t the first step — and many people improve without it.
📈 Research suggests that around 7–8 out of 10 people experience substantial improvement within the first 6–12 weeks without surgery.
And over the longer term, 80–90% can experience significant recovery without an operation.

But here’s where it gets really interesting…
🧬 Your body can actually help clean up the problem.
In some cases, the body gradually breaks down and absorbs the herniated disc material — a process known as spontaneous disc resorption.
One recent evidence review found disc resorption in approximately 76% of conservatively treated patients.
So what if your MRI looks… terrifying? 😳
An MRI can show a significant disc protrusion or herniation, but how dramatic the scan looks doesn’t always tell us how someone will feel or how they will recover.
For many people, the initial approach involves things like:

🚶‍♀️ Appropriate pain management
🏋️ Guided rehabilitation
📈 Gradually returning to normal activity
⏳ And, importantly, giving the body time to recover

That doesn't mean surgery is never necessary. A smaller number of people may need an operation, particularly when symptoms remain severely disabling, neurological weakness progresses, or emergency warning signs develop.
So if you’ve been told you have a “slipped disc”, don’t automatically assume that surgery is your only option.

Sometimes, the body is already doing more healing than you realise.

References:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11465477/
https://www.bmj.com/content/381/bmj-2022-070730/

31/07/2026

Great post by Stanford Pain Medicine

Every little bit counts. Start small and gradually build up💪🌟

Struggling to find the right activity or dosage for you? Give us a call and we will guide you through it!

☎️013 282 4440
📍31 Joubert Street

One of the biggest misconceptions about chronic pain is that pain always means you should stop moving.

While rest is important after an injury, chronic pain is different. Research suggests that appropriately tailored movement can improve strength, endurance, mobility, sleep, and quality of life.

You don't have to start with a workout. A short walk, stretching, gardening, or playing with your kids can all be meaningful ways to move.

For many people, success isn't measured by a lower pain score. It's measured by getting back to the things that make life meaningful.

16/07/2026

🌟Exciting news🌟
We now offer Shockwave Therapy at our practice.

Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT) is a non-invasive modality that uses high-energy acoustic waves to stimulate healing in musculoskeletal tissue.

Shockwave Therapy is used as an adjunct treatment modality rather than a stand-alone treatment💪

It is a treatment modality used to to treat chronic tendinopathies—like Plantar Fasciitis, Tennis Elbow, Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy and Achilles Tendinopathy—by increasing blood flow, breaking down scar tissue, and accelerating cellular regeneration.

It can be used in various conditions, if unsure give us a call

☎️ 013 282 4440
📍31 Joubert Street, Middelburg

25/06/2026

❗️Reminder❗️
Remember from 1 July 2026 we will be located at 31 Joubert street📍

See you there!

03/06/2026

🌟Exciting news🌟

Behind the scenes we have been building something worth waiting for!

We will be moving to our new premises soon!

From 1 July 2026 we will be located at 31 Joubert street🌿

We can't wait to see you there!

28/05/2026

26/05/2026