Category: Health Tips

Shoulder Injuries

Life can bring activities and sports that can result in some common injuries involving the shoulder. Sports such as tennis, golf, swimming, soccer, wake-boarding or water skiing, even home maintenance work can all cause shoulder problems.
 
The rotator cuff is comprised of a group of muscles and tendons that cross the top and back of the shoulder and attach onto the bone at the top of the shoulder joint, most commonly the supraspinatus tendon is affected. The biceps tendon crosses the front of the shoulder to attach to the joint. Any activity that uses repetitive overhead motions or sustained postures can result in inflammation of these tendons and shoulder pain due to tendinitis.
 
The most common shoulder problems include:
Impingement Syndrome – When the rotator cuff tendons become pinched in the joint due to narrowing of the joint space; this is commonly due to either inflammation or arthritic changes.
Bursitis – Inflammation of the bursa (fluid-filled sacs) around the shoulder that normally are present to provide cushioning.
Muscle Strain – Can occur in the upper shoulder muscles such as the upper trapezius or in the deltoid muscle at the side of the shoulder.
If you notice pain or soreness in your shoulder following any repetitive activities or sports it is important to use a cold pack for 10 minutes 3-5 times per day to help decrease inflammation.
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Treatment Options for Shoulder Injuries
Chiropractors are skilled in performing orthopaedic and biomechanical assessments of the shoulder, frequently identifying those at greater risk of a shoulder injury. The type of Chiropractic treatments that you will receive depends on the specific condition that you have and whether youbve undergone surgery or not. In addition, your Chiropractor will likely ask about your goals for rehabilitation.
Chiropractic treatments for shoulder injuries may be composed of a combination of any of the following:

• Cold therapy (ice pack application/ice massage)
• Hot pack application
• Immobilisation (splinting/bandaging)
• Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)
• Dry Needling
• Soft tissue mobilisation (massage)
• Shoulder joint mobilisation
• Exercises
• Range of motion exercises
• Stretching or flexibility exercises
• General conditioning exercises
• Shoulder muscles strengthening exercises
• Patient education
• About the patientbs particular shoulder problem
• Precautions and activity modification
• Self-care of symptoms
• Home exercise program
• Shoulder injury prevention
• Return to work or sports rehabilitation program

 
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As a specialist in movement patterns, your family chiropractor is ideally positioned to detect underlying weaknesses in your shoulder, neck and upper back that may pre-dispose your friends and family members to a shoulder injury. Please speak to your chiropractor if you have any questions or concerns about rotator cuff tears.

Achilles Tendonitis

The Achilles tendon runs from the calf muscles down to the back of the heel bone (the back of the ankle). Achilles tendonitis is an inflammation of the Achilles tendon, usually due to overuse of the area. It is most commonly reported in athletes that are training under less than ideal conditions.
 
Although the prevalence of Achilles tendonitis varies greatly among different demographic groups, it is most commonly found in individuals aged 30-40 (American Journal of Sports Medicine.) 90% of these cases occur while participating in sport/exercise (the journal Acta Orthopaedica), and is diagnosed predominantly in runners.
 
There are a number of reasons why people develop Achilles tendonitis. In most cases, it is due to excessive physical training (in particular running or lunging) or using inappropriate athletic footwear while training.
 
The Achilles tendon has a relatively poor blood supply. This lack of blood supply is responsible for a slower tissue repair process and can therefore lead to inflammation and deterioration in the soft tissue structures of the area (the journal Arthritis Research). Tightness in the calf muscles is also associated with the onset of Achilles tendonitis (Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine).
 
Mechanically, the bones of the ankle and foot naturally slide and glide during the various phases of running or walking. Improper movement patterns of the foot and ankle can lead to tissue irritation, inflammation and Achilles tendonitis (the journal Sports Medicine). As a specialist in the movement patterns of the skeleton, your family chiropractor is best qualified to assess the mechanics of the ankle and foot.B If the movement patterns are abnormal (predisposing the patient to soft tissue injuries like Achilles tendonitis), your chiropractor is trained to make the appropriate corrections.
 
Chiropractors are frequently consulted for the management of Achilles tendonitis. By improving the bodybs weight distribution and the biomechanics (movement patterns) of the lower extremity (leg, ankle and foot), your chiropractor helps the body to achieve a more balanced state with more graceful movement patterns. This reduces the unequal wear and tear that can lead to various painful conditions (such as Achilles tendonitis). When chiropractic treatment is coupled with specific exercises designed to strengthen the calf muscles, patients can expect to see a decrease in the rate of Achilles tendonitis recurrence.
 
As bmovementb specialists, chiropractors are best positioned to evaluate and treat bmovementb problems. Because chiropractors are not using drugs or surgery, chiropractic evaluation and treatment should be a integral part of any injury management strategy.
 
If you or anyone who know is suffering from Achilles tendonitis (or any similar injury) please feel free to contact out clinic.

Stay Healthy During the Festive Season

The warmer weather is well and truly here and Christmas is fast approaching. You can feel the party vibe in the air. With a little planning, you can stay in good health while still enjoying summer and all its festivities.
Travelling on the Holidays
Take frequent breaks when driving long distances. It is recommended that you spend at least 15 minutes away from the wheel for every 2 hours of driving. Have niggling back and neck pain checked out before you leave to go on holidays. Long drives will always highlight any spinal problem. Safe, hands on treatment to restore joint and muscle flexibility as well as an exercise program are mainstays of chiropractic care for spinal pain.

Reaching and Bending for Christmas Presents
Use the proper lifting technique every time you pick up a gift. Bend at your knees not at your back. Or kneel down on one knee, as close as possible to the item you are lifting, with the other foot flat on the floor and pick the item up. Avoid bending or twisting the spine at any time while you are carrying heavy gifts. When reaching for something above shoulder level, for example when placing the Angel on the top of the Christmas tree, stand on a stool. Straining to reach such objects may not only hurt your mid-back and neck, but it can also bring on shoulder problems.
 
Water
Drink plenty of water to keep you hydrated. If you do drink alcohol, remember to alternate every alcoholic drink with a glass of water and please don’t drink on an empty stomach. Always eat something nutritious before you head out.B Try to stick to three to five alcohol-free days a week.

Nutrition
Remember to make healthy choices this Christmas. If you are consuming more heavy and energy-dense foods than usual you may need some highly metabolic workouts. Increase the intensity of your workouts so you can stay looking and feeling good during this time of year. If you do like enjoying Christmas treats, limit your portion size.

Exercise
Remember to keep up with your exercise routine. Just because you were out and about the night before is no excuse to sleep in and forego your workout. If you’re going away on holidays think about what exercise gear you can take. Your trainers, workout clothes and a skipping rope are a good start.
 
Sleep
Sleep is something our bodies and minds crave, so if you are having later nights, look at when you can do some catch-up. Try not to have a consecutive run of short sleeps. Never sleep in a position that causes a portion of your spine to hurt. Most often, your body will tell you what position is best.
 
USE IT OR LOSE IT by December 31st!
Did you know that you lose private health fund benefits each year? Most of our patients are unaware of this, so we thought we should let you know.
NOW is the time to use your entitlement before it’s lost forever for treatment in our practice! Choose to use your health fund entitlement today.
Most health funds allow extras claims only for the duration of 12 months, usually from January till December.
Unused claims generally DO NOT carry over to the next year or, so this means…
IF YOU DO NOT USE IT…YOU LOSE IT!
With HiCaps. instant rebates on the spot, you can use your health fund benefit to achieve a pain free life, get a check up, recover from injury, get back into your rehab classes, and simply be as healthy as you can be!
The CHOICE is yours but as I have mentioned earlier – you must USE IT or you will LOSE IT by 31^st December!
Don’t miss out on the rebate you pay for! Call our practice today to schedule an appointment and take advantage of the funds still available to you before they run out. Call now!

World Spine Day

October 16th is World Spine Day.B Each year, people from around the world join together to raise awareness about the importance of spinal health.B This event is a regular part of the Bone and Joint Decadebs Action Week.B The World Spine Day theme for 2014 is bStraighten Up and Moveb.B The emphasis is to focus on the importance of proper posture and movement in maintaining good spinal health.B Chiropractors are the recognized experts in these very topics.
Spinal disorders, such as back pain, neck pain, degenerative disc disease and scoliosis are common within the population and they can have a profound effect on a personbs overall health.B These treatable conditions can impact a personbs ability to work and enjoy everyday activities.B They can even disrupt healthy sleep patterns.B Most chiropractic patients report that the activities of their daily lives improve under chiropractic care.
Research has demonstrated that both poor posture and inactivity can contribute to the development of back pain and other spinal disorders.B With their extensive study of spinal anatomy (the structure of the spine) and biomechanics (the proper movement patterns of the spine), chiropractors are the perfect choice for spinal assessments. This yearbs World Spine Day theme of bStraighten Up and Moveb seems to be an appropriate reminder that all family members should go for a spinal bcheck-upb to identify any abnormalities in the structure or the movement patterns of their spines.
The encouraging news is that many common spinal problems can be easily detected and prevented with regular visits to the chiropractor.
To help mark World Spine Day, participating health care providers and organizations around the world will provide important information, tips and tools to help prevent many of these spinal disorders.B The chiropractic profession has always been at the forefront of providing information, tips and tools about the prevention of spinal disorders for over 100 years.
If you have any questions regarding your familybs spinal health, or steps that can be taken to prevent the development or progression of various spinal disorders, your first port-of-call should be your chiropractor.B Through their training and clinical experience, chiropractors have earned the distinction of being the recognized specialists in spinal health.
No one is too young or too old for a spinal check-up.

Headaches

This month we focus on what has become a growing problem for our patients b headaches (HA).
 
90% of all HA are primary HA, usually appearing between the ages of 20 – 40 years old. The most common types of primary HA are migraines and tension-type HA (as printed in the textbook bEvaluation & Management of Headacheb). They each have different characteristics.
 
Migraines typically present with pulsing head pain, nausea, difficulty tolerating bright light and difficulty tolerating noise. The traditional theory of migraines suggested that they were the result of a problem with blood flow through the small blood vessels of the brain.B Migraines are now thought to be caused by an irritation of the nerves in the brain (as published in the journal bBrainb).
 
Tension-type HA usually present with a non-pulsing bband-likeb pressure on both sides of the head, not accompanied by other symptoms (as published in the Journal of the American Medical Association).B
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Another (less common) type of primary HA is a Cluster HA, characterised by short episodes (15 minutes b 3 hours) of severe pain, usually around one eye, which occur at the same time every day (printed in the textbook Harrisonbs Principles of Internal Medicine).
 
The other form of HA would be secondary HA.B These can be caused by problems elsewhere in the head or neck.B One of the non-threatening secondary HA is cervicogenic (coming from the neck) which are frequently encountered in chiropractic clinics and resolved quite successfully through chiropractic management.B Another non-threatening secondary HA is due to medication overuse (according to the UK NHS).B One possible indication that your HA is due to medication overuse would be that your HAs are getting worse with the continuation of the medication.B
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Your chiropractor is trained to recognise the difference between these two benign secondary HAs.B You will be referred to your GP if your HA appears to be medication related, and your chiropractor can successfully manage your HA if it is due to a problem in your neck.
 
However, there are other more serious causes of secondary HA. The university chiropractic programs devote considerable time and resources to the study of differential diagnosis and bred flagb identification.B This allows your chiropractor to determine the cause of your HA, whether it poses a potential threat to you or not, and make the appropriate medical referral if required.
 
With the widespread utilisation of computers, tablets and smart phones, patients are spending much more time in front of screens, monitors and electronic devices. This had led to an increase in the reported incidence of neck pain and HA in Australia.B Is it any wonder why over 200,000 Australians consult a chiropractor each week (according to the Chiropractors Association of Australia)?

Core Stability Exercises

One of the popular topics in the fitness industry over the past few years has been bcore stabilityb.B This is not merely the next exercise fad. Core stability is considered essential for preventing injuries to the lumbar spine.
 
Core stability is a misunderstood term. Typically, bthe coreb is associated with the strength of the abdominal muscles.B For the purpose of designing an exercise routine, we need to include the hip muscles, pelvic floor muscles and low back in our model of bthe coreb.B The lumbar spine (low back) is primarily responsible for posture and providing stability for the muscle contractions used in our bodybs movement patterns.B The low back should be considered in the bcore packageb because it serves as an anchor for other muscles that create stable body movement patterns.
 
Whenever a body movement is initiated, the core muscles are tensed first.B This forms a stable ball-like bcoreb region against which the mechanical forces of our movement patterns are balanced and coordinated with our body posture.
 
It is commonly accepted that core stability is essential for the maintenance of an upright posture.B Without core stability, the low back is not supported internally, and therefore may be more prone to injury through strains caused by even mild exercise.B A routine chiropractic assessment can help to determine which patients may be more pre-disposed to lumbar (low back) injuries due to exercise.
 
While core stability exercises assist in promoting safe movement patterns, they may not be necessary for all patients:
 
Studies suggest that core stability exercises may only produce the same benefits as general, non-specific exercise (Journal of Physiotherapy – 2008, 2009, Journal of Clinical Rehabilitation – 2006).
 
Another published study suggests that core stability exercises may only produce the same benefits as walking (Australian Journal of Physiotherapy – 2009).
 
Despite the fact that most elite sports training programs include core stability regimes, core stability exercises failed to demonstrate an improvement in sports performance (Journal of Sports Medicine – 2008).
 
While the published research may suggest that core stability exercises do not produce vastly superior results over general exercise programs, the introduction of a core stability exercise regime improves the strength and stability of the spine and spinal muscles.
 
Because chiropractic care places a strong focus on healthy spines, posture and efficient movement patterns, core stability exercises may enhance the benefits of receiving regular chiropractic treatment.
 
As a spinal specialist, your family chiropractor can provide you with simple, safe and non-strenuous exercises to strengthen your bcoreb and stabilise your spine.

Winter Sports Injuries

Australia is a sports-loving nation, as both participants and spectators.B Australiabs mild winters mean that in most parts of Australia, participation in outdoor exercise and sports can occur all year round.B According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), over 60% of Australians participate in sports and exercise programs.
 
The Medibank Private Safe Sports Report found that their memberbs main motivation to exercise were (in order): general health and fitness, weight loss, to have fun and enjoy social benefits.
 
The report also revealed that bindividualb rather than bteam-basedb activities were the most popular.B This is consistent with published data from the ABS Year Book.B Walking, aerobics, fitness, swimming and golf ranked among the top five participation sports/physical activities.
 
According to the Monash University Accident Research Centre approximately 5.2 M Australians suffer a sports-related injury each year. Surveys indicate that the most common injuries (in order) are to the knee, ankle, foot, back and shoulder.
 
Statistically, sports injuries peak in the months of May, June and July.B This is not surprising because cold muscles, tendons and ligaments increase your risk of sustaining injury.
 
The fear of sustaining a sports injury should not deter someone from participating in winter exercise/sport.B Regular exercise has been shown to reduce the probability of developing heart disease, diabetes, mental illness and many types of cancer (particularly breast and colon cancer).B The benefits certainly outweigh the risks.
 
Dr Peter Larkins is a noted sports medicine specialist (as well as being an Olympic athlete and media personality) in Australia.B In order to reduce the risk of a winter sports injury, Dr Larkins recommends:
 

• Get the correct advice on the right activity program for you
• Warm up and cool down
• Have the correct equipment for your activity
• Begin slowly and gradually build up to the challenge
• Keep hydrated
• Listen to your body
• Give yourself one or two recovery days each week
• Rest an injury, donbt try to bwork throughb the pain
• Progress at your own pace and donbt overdo it

 
Before beginning any exercise program, it is advised that you visit with your chiropractor, especially if you have had a previous injury or musculoskeletal condition.B Your chiropractor is trained to assess/evaluate your body and offer valuable advice to assist you in preventing winter sports injuries.
 
Regular exercise and chiropractic care are recommended for a healthy lifestyle.

Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction

The sacroiliac joint is located in the lower part of the back and joins the tail bone (sacrum) to one of the pelvic bones (ilium). There are two sacroiliac joints b one on either side of the spine. The sacroiliac joints act to transfer weight from the spine to the pelvis and allow a small amount of movement to occur.
A painful sacroiliac joint is one of the more common causes of mechanical low back pain. Sacroiliac joint dysfunction may occur from excessive forces being applied to the sacroiliac joint. This can be from bending, sitting, lifting, arching or twisting movements of the spine, or, from weight bearing forces associated with running or jumping. Injury to the sacroiliac joint may occur traumatically or due to repetitive or prolonged forces over time.
How Can a Chiropractor Help with Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction
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Chiropractors are experts at locating and correcting problems in the joints of the spine and pelvis, these are calledB subluxations. Subluxations occur when there is an injury to the joint and the joint becomes misaligned, and stuck out of place. A subluxation also causes interference in the proper function of the nervous system. Chiropractors locate and correct subluxations. This includes sacroiliac joint dysfunction. Chiropractic is non-invasive, safe and extremely effective. Chiropractic addresses the underlying cause of the problem rather than simply trying to mask the symptoms.
 
Treatment may comprise of:

• Manipulation & Mobilisation
• Exercise focusing on strengthening the core stabiliser muscles of the spine and trunk and on maintaining mobility of the sacroiliac joints
• Soft tissue massage
• Taping
• Use of a sacroiliac belt or lumbar brace
• Use of a lumbar roll for sitting
• Correction of any leg length discrepancy
• Dry needling
• Activity modification advice
• Biomechanical correction
• Ergonomic advice
• A gradual return to activity program

 
The recovery time for sacroiliac joint dysfunction may vary from patient to patient depending on compliance with Chiropractic Care. With ideal treatment, patients may be pain free in as little as several days, although typically this may take 2 b 3 weeks. It is important to note, however, that injured tissue takes approximately 6 weeks to restore the majority of its strength in ideal healing conditions. Care must therefore be taken when returning to activity during this period.