Struggling to go to the gym?
Here’s why….
The gym can be a scary place if you don’t know what to expect. Here’s a few of the common problems people have and what you can do to overcome them.
Ankle Taping 101
How to tape your ankle
Ankle injuries are very common.
They can happen to people of all ages every day and can be very painful. The most common area of injury to the ankle is on the lateral aspect (outside of the ankle).
Here is our step-by-step guide to tape for additional basic support for the lateral aspect of the ankle.
The Physio Job You Don’t Want
Picture this; You are working in a practice with no other physios, you’re alone, no support, no mentoring, no one to go to and share you patient wins with. There are times when as a young physio you think, ‘Gee… I would love some help with this tricky presentation’.
You love going to the APA’s PD nights, but you would also love to learn from people every day. Your room is small, possibly even without a window. You have a small area to prescribe exercises which you know your patients won’t do. You are desperate to have a Friday night drink with colleagues. You haven’t had a holiday in ages, and your new roster means you can’t play social netball, soccer, or footy. You don’t even make it to the gym most days and are starting to be the person who will need a physio themselves.
You work, work, work, without someone saying ‘Hey, good job!’, or better still, being rewarded financially. You have this burning passion for physiotherapy, the profession, the patients, and getting great outcomes, but you can feel it slowly dying…
Sounds like you, or someone you know? Don’t let the flame blow out! There are better things on the horizon in practices that are changing the physiotherapy profession for the better!
At PhysioWest we are passionate professionals with a team first mentality. That’s why we provide:
- Individual light filled treatment rooms
- 200 sqm of gym space including cardio, weights, open space and Pilates studio onsite
- Free gym access to all employees
- Discounts on remedial massage for you and your family
- Weekly PD sessions
- Weekly 1:1 mentoring sessions
- Quarterly Team Pow-Wows
- Weekly Team Huddles
- Regular social events
- Designed roster to suit your life (and no Saturdays)
- Above award salary package with an incentive package on top
- Diversity of patients and treatment models, including telehealth
- Not to mention the best first day!
Contact us now, and change your lifestyle!
Rebecca Clare
08 8352 3582
0405 112 959
bec@physiowest.net.au
Evidence-Based Remedial Massage Therapy
How To Get The Best Out Of It!
Massage therapy is the most popular complementary therapy used by the Australian public. With research in massage therapy gaining significant attention over the last 30 years, clinical evidence exists to support the efficacies of massage therapy on many health conditions, including chronic low back pain. This growing body of research supports massage to become an evidence-based practice.
As a remedial massage therapist at PhysioWest, while pursuing a higher research degree in low back pain, I often wonder what evidence-based practice means in remedial massage. Importantly, what does it mean to you: a person considering remedial massage, or already enjoying remedial massage at our clinic? Let me expand this topic to offer some practical tips to help you get the best out of it!
Evidence-based practice is described as the thoughtful use of the best current evidence in making decisions about the care of the individual patient. In physical therapy, which includes massage and physiotherapy, the approach integrates clinical expertise and takes patient desires, values, and needs into consideration. A study published in the May 2018 volume of the Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice Journal, states that although massage therapists in Australia have very good access to apply research evidence in their practice, the majority do not. Those that do are often those that undertake continuing professional education and are members with reputable Professional Associations.
In addition to research evidence, another form of evidence, often overlooked, is experiential evidence – that is, the clinical experience gathered by the therapist as well as the experience of the person who receives the treatment. Yes, your experience reflected back to the therapist is of crucial importance to getting the best out of evidence-based treatments!
Tips to get the most out of evidence-based practice of massage are:
- Find and use a clinic whose practices are professionally accredited (e.g. partnered by health funds)
- Book your massage with qualified remedial massage therapists (Diploma or higher)
- Ask your therapist what type of massage he/she is trained in? (you want someone who can clearly explain their knowledge as applicable to you)
- Ask if he/she is a member of an established professional association for massage therapists? (e.g. Massage and Myotherapy Australia, previously AAMT, or the Australian Natural Therapists Association, ANTA)
- If all is safe and agreeable to your standards, trial the massage and take note of your experience during and after the massage
- Afterwards, reflect and evaluate your “experiential evidence” on how you felt following the treatment (sometimes, the treatment plan may include 3 or more treatments)
- Reflect and answer this for yourself: Is this treatment good for me? Trust your experiential evidence
- If Yes, book another massage with that therapist at that clinic!
90 Years Young: A celebration
Happy 90th Birthday Paddy!
Paddy is an inspirational woman who has been attending PhysioWest since Grant first opened the doors. Paddy has several health conditions including Pulmonary Fibrosis and Atrial Fibrillation but that doesn’t stop her being a very active member of the community.
Laura and all of the team at PhysioWest would like to congratulate Paddy on all her fantastic work in the PhysioWest gym and on living with such a brilliant healthy mindset and lifestyle; Paddy you are an inspiration to us all. Paddy attends the weekly Strength and Balance Class at PhysioWest; last week class we celebrated Paddy’s birthday with a balloon game and then enjoyed a lovely cake and chocolates. See photo below of Physio Laura with her awesome balance tribe on 28th March (left to right: Sandra, Audrey, Paddy, Maria, Laura and Dawn).
Falls Prevention with Strength & Balance Training at PhysioWest
Falls happen to one third of people over 65 years of age living in the community each year (Gillespie et al 2012). Worldwide we have an ageing population; a World Health Organisation report predicted that by 2050, the number of people aged over 80 will exceed those aged under 14 years for the first time in history (WHO, 2002). This emphasises the increasing importance on geriatric health care. Active Ageing is the process of optimizing opportunities for health, participation and security in order to enhance quality of life as people age (WHO, 2002); basically staying happy and healthy as you get older.
Falls may have serious consequences requiring hospitalisation including hip fractures, traumatic brain injuries and upper limb fractures. Physiotherapy can help rehabilitation of these injuries, but you might not know how important physiotherapy can be in prevention of falls – stopping them before they happen!
Importantly, there are several risk factors which can be modified including;
- Environmental risk factors; this means the shoes you wear, the rugs you have in your house, the lighting and flooring everywhere you go
- Behavioural risk factors, like diet and exercise… This is where physiotherapy may be able to help you out
Laura, Physio, is passionate about Active Ageing and Falls Prevention. Every Wednesday at 1pm, Laura runs the Strength and Balance Class at PhysioWest. The Strength & Balance Class is evidence-based (includes interventions which are shown to be effective in the research literature). As shown by a massive Systematic Review in 2012 (included 159 trials with 79,193 participants!), multiple-component group exercise significantly reduces rate of falls and risk of falling.
Okay, now you know exercise is important to prevent falls, especially in those over 65 years old. But what exercise specifically?
Here’s exactly what will you do in the Strength & Balance Class:
- Balance training – including exercises standing on uneven surfaces (such as air discs and wobble discs) with multi-tasking and sometimes even little pushes from Laura – Perturbation training is shown to be effective in preventing falls (Papadimitriou et al 2017)
- Muscle strengthening exercises, using mini weights, therabands, gym balls and steps. Laura specialises in whole body strengthening and stretching exercises and can cater these exercises for all mobility levels.
- Pilates – in the clinic it is clear that use of the Pilates equipment (reformers and trapeze table) has been great for older people, particularly those with low back pain. A low quality study in Spain supported this (Cruz-Diaz et al 2015). Physio Laura has experience and training in using Pilates for a range of neurological conditions.
- Yoga – modified seated and standing poses with the environmental supports to challenge balance have been shown to be effective (Youkhana et al 2016)
- Tai Chi – studies have shown Tai Chi does significantly reduce risk of falling. Laura is trained in modified Yang style Tai Chi for falls prevention and exercises may include movements sitting in chairs or standing up which will challenge muscle strength, endurance and balance.
If you, or someone you know, is over 65 years old and not exercising, let them know! A individualised assessment with Laura is how you can get started coming to a Strength & Balance Class.
Not keen on group exercise? Laura can set you up on an individualised home exercise program and see you periodically in the PhysioWest gym to refine your skills. Laura can also give you education on how you can modify environmental risk factors around your house, and also address any musculoskeletal problems you might have… For example, that really stiff ankle or arthritic knee which might be a risk factor for you losing your balance.
Call us today on 8352 3582 to make an appointment, get started in class or have a chat with Laura about exercises for Strength & Balance.
References
Cruz-Diaz D, Martinez-Amat A, de la Torre-Cruz MJ, Casuso RA, de Guevara NML, Hita-Contreras F, Effects of a six-week Pilates intervention on balance and fear of falling in women aged over 65 with chronic low-back pain: a randomized controlled trial. Maturitas 2015 Dec;82(4):371-376
Gillespie LD, Robertson MC, Gillespie WJ, Sherrington C, Gates S, Clemson LM, Lamb SE. Interventions for preventing falls in older people living in the community. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2012, Issue 9. Art. No.: CD007146. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD007146.pub3.
Papadimitriou A, Perry M, A systematic review of the effects of perturbation training on preventing falls. New Zealand Journal of Physiotherapy 2017 Mar;45(1):31-49
WHO Global report on falls prevention in older age, 2007
Youkhana S, Dean CM, Wolff M, Sherrington C, Tiedemann A, Yoga-based exercise improves balance and mobility in people aged 60 and over: a systematic review and meta-analysis, Age and Ageing 2016 Jan;45(1):21-29
What does the latest research say about treating low back pain?
Finding the right treatment for low back pain can be tricky, especially because there are so many different options from a wide range of health professionals and therapists. A recent study has
outlined which treatment methods have been shown to be effective in treating low back pain and the findings are summarised below:
1. Advice to remain active and education should always be provided regardless if the pain is acute or chronic
2. Exercise should always be prescribed, and it doesn’t matter what type of exercise it is
3. Hands-on therapies such as massage, joint mobilisation and manipulation can be used as an adjunctive treatment
4. Pain medication such as paracetamol and opioids should not be used to treat low back pain, whereas anti-inflammatories can be used as an adjunctive treatment
5. Low back pain should be addressed by primary care practitioners such as a GP or physiotherapist first who can screen for more serious pathologies
6. Imaging such as X-rays and MRIs are rarely necessary for most low back pain presentations
The bottom line is that if you are experiencing low back pain for either a short or long period of time, you should be trying to stay active as much as possible. You should also see a health professional or therapist such as a physiotherapist who can provide education on your condition and pain in general, prescribe exercises based on your individual needs, and treat your acute symptoms with hands-on therapy.
Let us help you find the right treatment for your pain. Make an appointment online today.
Blog produced by Spencer (Physiotherapist, PhysioWest)
Beginning in the Gym? Steps to Success
As a beginner, getting started at the gym is usually the hardest part of meeting your fitness goals. Here are a few tips for beginners to get on track to meeting your goals for the New Year and finally getting started in the gym.
1. Set S.M.A.R.T. goals
Goal setting is vital when you first start going to the gym as it gives you something to work towards. Goals need to be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely (S.M.A.R.T.). It is a lot harder to stay motivated to reach a broad goal such as “I want to get fit” when compared to a S.M.A.R.T. goal such as “I want to be able to do 10 consecutive push-ups by the end of 3 months”. S.M.A.R.T. goals allow you to measure your progress towards reaching your goals, and make any changes to your routine or seek advice if you unsure that you’re on track.
2. Consult with a health professional
Seeking advice from a health professional prior to getting started at the gym is important, particularly if you have a pre-existing medical condition that may be affected by exercise. A health professional such as a physiotherapist can offer advice on how to prevent injury if you have not been in a gym environment before.
3. Have someone look at your form
This step is particularly important if you would like to start lifting weights. It is always a good idea to seek advice from a trained professional such as a physiotherapist, exercise physiologist or a personal trainer at your gym. These professionals can offer you advice on how to perform exercises correctly, and how to prevent injury.
4. Don’t go too hard too quickly
When starting out, a big mistake that a lot of beginners make is lifting too much weight or going too hard too early. It is vital that you gradually increase the weight you lift, the time spent on the treadmill, and the amount of repetitions that you perform. This is to prevent an avoidable injury from occurring from doing too much too soon.
5. Have fun!
A great way to stay motivated for your fitness goals when first starting out is to find an exercise routine that you enjoy. Don’t be afraid to mix up your gym routine with exercises including cardio, resistance training, pilates, Tai Chi, yoga and anything else that you can think of.
If you would like a physiotherapist to set you up for success with a winning gym routine, book an appointment at PhysioWest online or by calling 8352 3582 and get on track to achieving your goals!
Written by Spencer Davis
How’s your heart?
Why your physiotherapist wants to talk about your general health and blood pressure
I went to the GP the other day and they told that my blood pressure went up (luckily only a little bit). I had no symptoms; there was nothing to let me know that was the case. I then started thinking about what affects blood pressure; I know there are several things that can cause high blood pressure including lack of physical activity, eating lots of salt, drinking lots of alcohol, family history and stress.
Blood pressure is a measurement of how much pressure there is in your arteries when your heart is at maximal contraction (systole) over relaxation (diastole). Blood pressure of 120/80 is considered normal. Blood pressure of 120/80 up to 139/89 is considered high-normal (where I was the other day), anything over this is considered to be a condition called hypertension (high blood pressure).
When you come in to see me, no matter why you are here, I will always ask about your general health. This will include asking you about your heart. Why? Because I am treating you as a whole person, not just your back or your ankle. Also, because some physiotherapy treatments are contraindicated (not allowed) if you are taking certain medications or if you have a pacemaker.
Having high blood pressure puts you at risk of cardiac disease, kidney conditions or stroke. What can you do to prevent high blood pressure? One thing is commence a healthy level of exercise: that is where your physiotherapist is most excited to help! Having a healthy diet, ceasing smoking and reducing alcohol intake are all important too, and we are happy to chat to you about this and refer you on to other health professionals if you need.
If you don’t know what your blood pressure is, if you haven’t had a medical assessment, I recommend you contact your GP and get started. Your GP will chat to you about any medical options available, particularly if you do have very high or low blood pressure. GP’s will often refer you to us physios to get started or improve your current level of exercise. A recent study found that Physiotherapists are a GP’s most recommended Health Professional.
While we do treat ankle strains and back pain, physiotherapy does more than this.
There is a great website where you can find out more information on how physiotherapy may help your condition – whether it’s getting your musculoskeletal or neurological condition managed, or just getting healthier! See https://choose.physio/
Blog Prepared by Laura Hundertmark (Physiotherapist)
Do you suffer from chronic neck stiffness and pain?
Yes?
Many of us do, but you don’t need to suffer any longer!
Neck pain is a significant health problem with 1 in 2 people experiencing neck pain at least once in their lifetime, according to a 2016 worldwide review. Neck pain is often recurrent and of non-specific in nature. With most of us gazing at computers or staring down at our smart devices most of the day, it’s safe to say that stiff and painful necks are not going to go away.
So what can you do about it?
Here are three easy things you can do that will help:
- Put your computer monitor at eye level and sit up straight to avoid tilting and twisting your head down or to the side while you are on the computer.
- When looking at your smart device, be sure to take frequent breaks and avoid having your neck bent in any one position for long periods of time
- The key to relief for a stiff neck is proper and regular stretching. So try doing these simple exercises as often as you can:
- Roll your shoulders backwards and down, hold for 10 seconds, relax, repeat 5 times
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together, hold for 10 seconds, relax, repeat 5 times
- Push your head backwards into car head rest or hands, hold 10 seconds, repeat 5 times
- Bring your ear to your shoulder, hold for 10 seconds, repeat 5 times.
- Book a head and shoulders massage and feel the relief
We would love to help you get to the bottom of your neck pain. Book online today or call 8352 3582 and make an appointment.
Blog prepared by: Alan Quek (Remedial Massage Therapist)
Is your car seat driving you up the wall?
When achey pains and niggles pop up, you often find yourself hunting for answers as to what could be causing the problem. One thing that is often missed, particularly with spinal pain, is the importance of your seating position while driving your car.
Driving is something that most people do every day, anywhere from 5 minutes to the local shops, to an hours commute to work. Our body loves to be kept moving, and the longer it’s left in once position, the stiffer things become. If you are poorly set up in the car, this may speed the rate at which those areas tighten up, predisposing you to picking up injuries with simple day to day tasks.
So what to look for? Here are a couple of simple tips to consider in relation to your position while sitting in your car.
- Adjust your wheel position
Reaching for the wheel or sitting to close, can both alter your sitting posture in the car. Have your hands just below shoulder height, with a small bend in your elbows as you place your hands at 10 and 2 o’clock on the wheel. Your shoulder blades should sit comfortably against the backrest of the seat.
- Adjust your reach to the pedals
Sitting too close to the pedals can cause your hips and knees to be too flexed, while reaching for them can force you to strain to get there. Similar to the arms, position your legs so they rest in a slightly flexed position, such that your knees and hips are kept roughly level.
- Adjust the seat angle
Once again, too far in either direction can create discomfort. Too much recline will encourage your upper back and neck to poke forwards. Sitting too upright will feel rigid and restrictive. Allow a small recline enough that you can keep your shoulder blades against the chair with your bottom in the back of the seat.
- Lumbar support
Different backs will need different degrees of support above the pelvis. Play around with the feeling of a rolled up towel in the small of your back to avoid slumping, and giving your back extra support while sitting.
Car Assessments are undertaken at both our Salisbury and Mile End clinics. Mention this to reception when making a booking.
Blog prepared by Matt Nowosilskyj (Physiotherapist)
The forgotten link to athletic success
Are you an aspiring Athlete? You need to read this!
Youth sport and athletic development are two of my greatest passions and being able to work with kids who love their sport and want to chase their dreams is such a privilege. So it’s lucky I live in a sporting nation such as Australia as I have had the opportunity to work with some truly great athletes.
The youth netball world cup was recently held in Botswana and the Australian 21/U team narrowly missed out on gold in a 57 to 60 point match with New Zealand. Now some of the girls in this team would certainly be aiming to get to a professional level but I want to talk about younger athletes and how to help them reach this level or higher.
So let’s talk about Sarah, she is 11 years old and loves netball, in fact she dreams of one day playing for the Diamonds when she grows up. What should her parents, school and coach do to give her the best chance of chasing her dream?
We have all heard it takes 10,000hr of practice to master a skill right? So doesn’t it make perfect sense that for a kid to become a great athlete that they need to start as early as possible?
Well sort of, a child’s brain is full of potential connections that are just waiting to be given the right stimulus to join together and build a more resilient and successful athlete. But there is a big difference between developing an athlete and building a netball player.
Early specialisation is often considered specialisation into a single sport before the age of 12 and can reduce an athlete’s chance of reaching the elite level of their sport compared to later specialisation in the later teenage years. Generally, it is recommend that kids continue to engage in approximately 2-3 different sporting fields to create better rounded athletes. This concept is what underpins long term athlete development. Early specialisation only refines a skill where engaging in a variety of activities helps to build true athleticism.
Another reason to rally against early specialisation is that it can increase the risk of overuse and stress injuries. Missing intended training sessions due to injury is one of the major predictors of failure to reach competitive success at a higher level but for youth athletes the focus should be on the development of the whole person and protecting kids from unnecessary injury.
Being involved in multiple sports also allows kids to grow their social circles and gain many other life skills that may help them well beyond a sporting career but it also gives them more options as they grow up. We can probably all think of someone who was great at a sport as a kid but due to either mental or physical burn out started hating the sport they once loved and gave it up. Developing athleticism also provides transferable skills that can be applied across sporting settings that enables you to try out new sports that others may not even have the confidence to get started on.
Kids are playing less and spending more time in formal organised sporting setting when they do get time to play at all. This is the opposite of what we want for youth athletes they should be engaging in diverse movements and leaning transferable sporting skills in their younger years. So while Sarah may love netball we should be encouraging her to participate in as many other sports as she can even if it is just to try them for a short period to provide her with a new learning opportunity.
Ultimately athletes who are missing the foundations of athleticism are not just missing a link to their performance and well being they are missing the foundation on which they can grow all their other athletic skills. While changing the system in which a youth athlete trains and performs may be impossible in the short term. Connecting with a uniquely skilled coach or physiotherapist to help establish a long term athletic development pathway is far more practical and will help prepare a growing athlete for all the challenges they have ahead.
At PhysioWest we can assist you to reach your potential and unlock the forgotten link! Make an appointment today by calling 8352 3582 or book online
Published by Sam Stewart, Physiotherapist, PhysioWest
Is your Smart Phone killing you?
We all worry about EMF radiation from phones but this could be the least of your concerns!
As our new phones get smarter, faster and larger than ever before so too has our desire to use our phones and be in constant contact with others. More than ever we are becoming addicted to our phones.
We are spending a greater period of our day looking, using, researching and communicating on social media, phones are no longer a way just call someone. If you look at any large building in the city at lunch time you see hundreds of people bent forward looking at their phones.
We get stressed when we send a text or message to someone and they don’t answer straight away. In our grandparent’s day, you would send a letter to someone and if you got a reply in a week you were impressed.
We go to the Gym to get fit and exercise but these days you see people doing one 30 second rep on a machine and then will sit and look at their phone for the next few mins and then do another rep of exercise. We need time in our day when we are Phone free and move freely not bent over looking at our Phones.
Having more time in your day taken up sitting or walking while looking down using your phone, means there is less time to be active. In a society where Obesity is at epidemic levels and is causing more medical problems such as Diabetes and Heart disease, the extra time we spend not being active and playing on our phones is a slow silent killer.
There should be an app designed that tells people how much shorter there life is calculated on the hours you spend on your phone.
So, if you find that at the end of you day you have tired shoulders, arms hurting, stiff neck and a head ache it may not be your job but your addiction / love affair for your phone. As with people who work at work stations all day they need breaks and to do exercises to free up their tight and tired muscles and joints. The same can be said for extended use of your smart phones.
Physiotherapist’s are able to assist people to set a stretching and strengthening program in place to help with issues around using your Smart Phones. And you can even book online using your Smart Phone!
Published by Glenn Watson, Physiotherapist, PhysioWest