Month: September 2015

Tips to Prevent Groin Strains

Groin injuries account for up to 5 percent of all sports-related injuries, and the rates are much higher for sports such as football, soccer and hockey. B Below are helpful tips that may prevent a groin injury;
 

• Warm up dynamically! This is easily overlooked, but important. Prior to training and competing, ensure you perform a complete warm-up, including slow to fast movements, dynamic stretches (movement stretches) and sports-specific drills.
• Stretch the inner thigh and outer thigh muscles on a daily basis. Tight groin muscles are a large contributory factor to groin strains. Also, hamstrings should also be stretched to insure good muscle balance.
• Regularly get manual therapy and massages from your Chiropractor. This will help to get the muscles flexible and break down any trigger points or scar tissue that can lead to injury.
• Learn sport-specific drills .Your Chiropractor can teach you strength and conditioning drills to practice the change of direction and cutting manoeuvres which commonly cause groin strains. This will help the muscles to adapt and become stronger at performing this kind of movement.
• Work on your core stability. Having good core and pelvic stability provides a solid base for sport-specific movements and reducing the chance of adductor strains.
• Strengthen the inner thigh muscles using weight machines and resistance bands. It is especially important to strengthen the muscles in the movement which caused the injury, to prevent a reoccurrence.
• Strengthen the lateral hip muscles, mainly the gluteal muscles. This will help with pelvic stability.
• Improve your proprioception. This is our sense of where each body part is in space and is similar to balance. Proprioception affects the way we move, especially when our balance is compromised and is therefore important in avoiding all injuries.
• Get plenty of rest and avoid over-training! If you train too much or for too long fatigue sets in, which increases the risk of injury.

Golf Tips for a Healthier Back

If you take the chiropractic approach, you’re in good company. Tiger Woods says that lifting weights and visiting his chiropractor regularly have made him a better golfer. Chiropractors suggest these simple measures to help you avoid back pain or injury and improve your game:

• Purchase equipment that fits. Don’t try to adapt your swing to the wrong clubs: A six-footer playing with irons designed for someone five inches shorter is begging for back trouble.
• For the women in golf: If you have “inherited” your husband’s or significant other’s golf clubs, they might be difficult for you to use. Not only are the clubs often too long, but the shaft is often not flexible enough for a woman’s grip. Women typically play better with clubs that are composed of lighter, more flexible material, such as graphite.
• For the men in golf: It is a good idea to spend some extra time performing quality stretches-before and after your game-to increase your trunk flexibility. While men are traditionally stronger than women, they usually aren’t as flexible. Men need to improve their flexibility to maintain a more even and consistent swing plane and thus improve the likelihood of more consistent performance.
• For senior golfers: If you show some signs of arthritis in the hands, consider a larger, more specialised grip for added safety and performance.
• For all golfers: For some, scores may not be as important as enjoying the social benefits of the game. Having clubs that are comfortable will increase the chances of playing for a long time without significant physical limitations.
• Take lessons. Learning proper swing technique is critical. At the end of the swing, you want to be standing up straight; the back should not be twisted.
• Wear orthotics. These custom-made shoe inserts support the arch, absorb shock, and increase coordination. Studies show custom-made, flexible orthotics can improve the entire body’s balance, stability and coordination, which translates into a smoother swing and reduced fatigue. While the upper part of a shoe may score style points, what the foot rests on affects your game.
• Avoid metal spikes. They tear up greens and can increase stress on the back. Soft shoes or soft spikes allow for greater motion.
• Warm up before each round. Stretching before and after 18 holes is the best way to reduce post-game stiffness and soreness. Take a brisk walk to get blood flowing to the muscles; then do a set of stretches. To set up a stretching and/or exercise routine, see a chiropractor who can evaluate your areas of tension and flexibility.
• Pull, don’t carry, your golf bag. Carrying a heavy bag for 18 holes can cause the spine to shrink, leading to disk problems and nerve irritation. If you prefer to ride in a cart, alternate riding and walking every other hole-bouncing around in a cart can also be hard on the spine.
• Keep your entire body involved. Every third hole, take a few practice swings with the opposite hand to keep your muscles balanced and even out stress on the back.
• Drink lots of water. Dehydration causes early fatigue, leading you to compensate by adjusting your swing, thus increasing the risk of injury. Don’t smoke or drink alcoholic beverages while golfing, as both cause loss of fluid.

Pain & Chiropractic

B bPain is Australia’s third most costly health problem and arguably the developed world’s largest ‘undiscovered’ health priority.” – Professor Michael Cousins AM, Chair National Pain Strategy.
National Pain Week is on the 20th-26th July 2015
Chiropractors play a critical role in assisting people to live with chronic pain.
Chronic pain is long-lasting, ongoing pain that doesnbt go away and affects the quality of life of those affected. It can be severe. It is estimated that 60-83% of Australian aged care residents are affected. Alarmingly, chronic pain is often seen as bnormal part of ageing.b It isnbt!
Patients with chronic pain often receive the same approach to treatment that would be applied to acute pain. However, this treatment is generally ineffective, contributing to only a 30 percent reduction in pain, on average.
Also, treatment is not bone size fits allb but needs to be person-specific. Substantial evidence shows that patients with chronic pain who are engaged in active approaches to manage their pain have less disability than those who are engaged in passive therapies, such as taking medication or surgery.
If you live with pain we can help you understand it and manage it.

Back Pain in the Workplace

As a large proportion of life is spent at work, the tips below are to help you move well, stay well and assist in preventing back pain in the workplace.
Lifting

• Prior to any lift, ask yourself if there is an easier way to do this. Could I use a crane, forklift, wheelbarrow or other device to do the hard work for me?
• For those heavy lifts, asking for help doesnbt make you less of a tradie.
• Do a quick safety check of the area and what you plan to lift.
• Prepare your body by warming up BEFORE you lift and carry.
• If you do have to lift, then use a sound lifting technique with your feet comfortably apart and in a stable position. Lift using hips and knees, not your back.
• Maintain the natural curve of your back.
• Avoid twistingbturn by using your feet, not your back

Standing Posture

• Think tall, chest lifted, shoulders relaxed, chin tucked in and head level.
• Posture should be stable, balanced and relaxed.

Sitting

• Donbt stay seated for too long.
• Regularly stand up, stretch and walk around.
• If you work in an office ensure that your workstation and computer are correctly positioned.

Driving

• Adjust your seat to sit comfortably. Adjust the lumbar support if available.
• Take regular breaks on long journeys.
• Donbt sit with your wallet in your back pocket.
• Be careful what you do after a long journey, take a few seconds to straighten up before lifting things out of the car.

Footwear

• With every step, shock is absorbed by the feet, knees, hips and spine to decrease the force of impact. Wearing the correct footwear helps reduce these forces further whilst not affecting the normal function of the foot.

Exercise

• Simple exercise such as walking or swimming is the best.
• Before and after exercise, make sure you warm up and cool down with gentle stretches.

Soft Tissue Injury

A soft tissue injury is the result of a sprain, strain or bruise to a muscle tendon or ligament. These injuries often occur during sports and exercise activities, but sometimes simple everyday activities can cause an injury. Whiplash is a common soft-tissue injury often treated by chiropractic.
Soft-tissue injuries fall into two basic categories: acute injuries and overuse injuries.

• Acute injuries are caused by a sudden trauma, such as a fall, twist, or blow to the body. Examples of an acute injury include sprains, strains, and contusions.
• Overuse injuries occur gradually over time, when an athletic or other activity is repeated so often, areas of the body do not have enough time to heal between occurrences. Tendinitis and bursitis are common soft-tissue overuse injuries.

Recovery from a soft-tissue injury is greatly improved with proper treatment received immediately after the injury.
 
Chiropractic care allows an injured person to carry on with his or her life by reducing pain and improving motion and function. This enhances and encourages the healing process.
 
Treatment Modalities may include:

• Ice
• Heat
• Joint mobilisation
• Tissue mobilisation
• Electrotherapy
• Ultrasound
• Spinal & extremity adjustments
• Electrical Stimulation
• Trigger Point Therapy
• Acupuncture
• Dry Needling
• Supportive Taping & Strapping
• Exercise prescription
  • Specific Stretching Exercises
  • Strengthening Exercises: Localised and Global (eg Core Stability and Adjacent Muscle Groups)
  • Proprioceptive Retraining
  • Biomechanics Correction
  • Function or Sports-Specific Rehabilitation

Soft tissue injury is painful and requires chiropractic intervention. It is important to rest the part and give it time to heal. Athletes are often reluctant to do this and continue to train despite pain and injury. This is unwise, as the injury can be exacerbated and take a longer time to heal these tissues to optimal function.

Tradesmenbs Health

Tradies have among the highest number of injuries, musculoskeletal conditions and other health and safety risks of any profession. Every day 10 tradies are badly injured at work. That is 3650 tradies a year on workers compensation. Nearly a quarter of all roofers, labourers and plumbers experience back pain, muscle stress and strain from lifting equipment or slips, trips, and falls when handling materials.
Chiropractors play a critical role in providing early healthcare intervention supportbthrough diagnosing, treating, and preventing disease and disability through physical means. Working in partnership with their patients, Chiropractors can help recovery from injury, reduce pain and stiffness, and increase mobility, and also prevent further injury.
How Can Chiropractic Help?
Chiropractors are experts in human movement. They understand how your muscles, bones, joints and ligaments work and how injuries happen.
Chiropractors are able to help get you back to work faster. Chiropractors can:

• Assess your muscle strength, flexibility and fitness to design an appropriate fitness program
• Teach you how to better handle loads, to move more efficiently and safely
• Teach you how to engage your trunk core stabilisers when performing a task
• Show you how to prevent injury in your home or workplace
• Improve general fitness and weight control

They may use:

• Chiropractic manipulative therapy (adjustments)
• Functional and rehabilitative exercises
• Neuromuscular injury prevention strategies, including proprioceptive balance training
• Massage and mobilisation to increase flexibility and range of movement directed towards soft-tissue structures, articular structures and neural tissue
• Muscle energy techniques
• Activity modification advice
• Biomechanical correction
• Postural assessment, correction and advice
• Ergonomic advice regarding work role modifications, if required
• Exercises to improve flexibility, strength, posture and core stability

Early intervention and treatment through chiropractic care and the promotion of preventative health and wellbeing can prolong working careers and improve general wellbeing for any worker in the trade industry.