​Ear wax is a naturally occurring substance which protects our ears from dust and debris. Our ears are self-cleaning, and our body gets rid of it on a regular basis, with normally functioning ears, earwax can be left alone. But sometimes, excess wax can block the ear canal, trapping air between that wax and the eardrum.

​This can cause pain or discomfort during take-off and landing as rapid pressure changes can cause the trapped air to expand and push against the eardrum leading to pain, fullness, and temporary hearing loss.

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​For infants, babies and toddlers:
Feed babies with a bottle or use a dummy as sucking and swallowing equalises pressure.

For older children offer sweets to suck (for older children) or use a straw sports bottle.

​Swimming with Blocked Ears
Going for a dip in the sea or a splash in the pool can also prove hazardous for some with the water getting trapped behind a build-up of wax, causing hearing loss or discomfort which can lead to ear infection if left untreated.
The best way to treat this is prevention. Before you go on holiday is to book an appointment with an ear care professional to get your ears checked and cleared.
By taking these simple steps, you can significantly reduce your chances of ear discomfort and enjoy a smooth, pain-free flight/swim/holiday! 

Pack your suitcase from a bed rather than the floor, to avoid lots of bending.  If you can spread the load and pack two lighter cases instead of one – that would be helpful, and if you’re travelling light, take a wheelie hand luggage bag or rucksack rather than heavy shoulder bag.
 
Lounging around or sitting for lengths at a time, sunbathing or reading is generally the biggest offender.  

​Pack a tennis ball – great little tool for self-massaging tight trigger points in the shoulder blade region or buttocks.  Even better – treat yourself to a massage or two while you’re away.  Ask for a deep tissue massage rather than a relaxing one, to really relieve any muscular tension.
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Not sleeping in your own bed can cause problems – if your mattress is too hard, see if you can put an extra duvet under the sheet or if it is too soft – pull it onto the floor (if there’s space).  If you have space to pack a travel orthopaedic pillow, that’s great and if not ask for a second pillow if necessary, so that your neck is well supported.

Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis): is the more common of the two injuries, especially for people in trades, painters and manual therapists and affects the outer elbow.The pain is mainly due to repetitive wrist extension and gripping and involves the extensor muscles and tendon.

Golfer's Elbow (Medial Epicondylitis): on the other hand, Joke!!) affects the inner elbow and is due to repetitive wrist flexion and forearm rotation, involving the flexor-pronator tendon.

As one of the first practices in the Southwest to offer Shockwave therapy over 10 years ago, our clinic is familiar with the assessment and treatment of both of these elbow conditions.
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Shockwave therapy is a non-surgical treatment and works by delivering impulses of energy (compressed air waves) targeted to specific damaged tissues within the abnormal tendon, ligament or muscle. This increases the blood flow within the affected area, stimulating cell regeneration and healing, and decreasing local factors which can cause pain. It is a little bit like a “control Alt Delete” to kick start tissue repair. You might need as little as 3 sessions (max 6) to recover. Sessions should be done with 5–10-day intervals, so we tend to do it once/week - this way you will not lose “traction” in the repair process.