Archive for category Health Tips

The World Health Organisation recommends that adults aged 18–64 do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity or do at least 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity throughout the week. However with more and more people becoming time poor and unable to fit exercise into their daily lives, there has been a strong movement towards the ‘weekend warrior’ lifestyle. A weekend warrior refers to a person that crams their recommended weekly dose of exercise into 1-2 days (mostly on the weekend) rather than spreading it evenly across the week.

We all know that exercise is beneficial to maintaining a healthy lifestyle and it has proven benefits in regards to lowering cholesterol, reducing risk of mortality, reducing risk of depression and improving bone and muscle function. But are you still getting the same health benefits by cramming your exercise all into one day?

A recent study followed 63,000 men and women over a twelve year period to see whether ‘weekend warriors’ would have the same health benefits than those who spread their exercise load evenly over the week. The good news is that those who were termed ‘weekend warriors’ ended up having a 30% lower mortality rate during the study period, than those who didn’t exercise.² This is an interesting finding as this figure is only 5% less than the regular exercise group, who overall had a 35% lower mortality rate. People who were in the weekend warrior group also had reduced chances of cancer and cardiovascular mortality compared to the non-exercising group.

So this sounds like great news, but why isn’t everyone doing this and why does it not come heavily recommended?

The downside of squeezing all your exercise into those (too short!) weekends is the increased risk of injury that you have. By spreading your exercise over the week you allow your body to have enough time to adapt to the changes in your training load, while also ensuring that your muscles have adequate rest and recovery between sessions. The most common injuries seen in ‘weekend warriors’ include ankle sprains, achilles tendinopathies, plantar fasciitis and tennis elbow.

So to ensure that you are still getting the benefits of exercise, but not filling up your already jam packed schedule, here are a few tips to try:

• Try and get more active on your commute- walk to and from work or the train station.
• Join a gym and get active at lunch time.
• Find an exercise class that works into your lunch break or directly before work.
• Join a work sporting team.
• Form a walking group for lunch times and choose a new route every week.

And if all the time you have is on the weekends, ensure that you don’t increase your training too quickly and keep your activity consistent to best prevent injury.

It’s the normal Monday morning rush. You’ve dropped the kids off at school and you’re racing to the train station to catch the 08:35 to Workville. You roll into the car park at 08:22 and you’ve still got to queue for a ticket. Bah! Why did you lie in bed that extra 10 minutes this morning? Run, queue, ticket, platform (Wrong platform… Eeeek!), run to the correct platform, trip on the last step, hands out to break the fall, THUD! “Ouch… My wrist!” Oh, the humiliation.

Very quickly you realise something is wrong. You can’t move your wrist without pain and it’s starting to swell. You’ve missed your train… What a terrible morning! Now you’ve got to get this wrist seen to. Time to give us a call.

What has happened?

This type of event usually results in one of two outcomes. Worst case scenario, you’ve broken a bone in your wrist or forearm. A slightly less than worst case scenario is a wrist ligament sprain. Calling your physio first up is a good idea and may well save you a trip to the emergency department. Having said that, if your physio suspects you have fractured a bone after they have assessed you, they will refer you for a scan to confirm. For the purposes of this blog, you’ve been cleared of any fracture and have been left with a nasty sprain.

A ligament is a strong, dense, inelastic piece of tissue that joins bone to bone to form a joint. The strong and inflexible nature of this type of tissue is perfect for creating stability in a joint. Without them, our bones would just fall off each other, and we’d collapse into a big pile of skin and bone. During a Fall Onto an Out-Stretched Hand (or ‘FOOSH’), if the force of the impact is too great for the ligament to take, it will tear or ‘sprain’.

Typical signs and symptoms of this injury include:

• Pain with wrist movement
• Tenderness and heat over & around the sprain
• Swelling
• Bruising

What should I do next?

Being under the care of your physio is a great option as we have the expertise to take you from your injury back to full fitness. The direction you go will depend on the severity of your sprain. A severe sprain with complete tearing of the ligament may require scans and a specialist opinion. A mild/moderate sprain can be completely managed under our care, with no need for outward referral.

The first stage of treatment will include having your wrist immobilised in a brace to allow inflammation to settle and healing of the sprained tissues to start. You will need to do your bit too — protect it at all costs and perform rest, ice, compression and elevation (RICE).  This will all be discussed in detail during your consultation.

After a period of immobilisation, the muscles which cross the wrist joint will have stiffened up and weakened. Over the coming weeks, we will aim to restore range of motion to the wrist, hand, elbow, and any other joints that have been affected by the injury. We may use massage, joint mobilisation and other techniques such as dry needling and taping. Another aim will be to restore stability to the wrist and strength and power to the muscles that help the wrist to function. Be prepared for some strength and flexibility exercises to do at home. These are necessary to further improve after your consult in the clinic. Please do your exercises, they will speed up your recovery and have you back to full fitness before you can say “scapholunate ligament” (that’s one of the commonly sprained ligaments in the wrist… More Anatomy lab next month!).

As part of the rehab process, you’ll be gradually performing tasks to get you using your wrist in everyday life again, like lifting a kettle, typing, holding weights, doing cartwheels and riding a zip-line. Regardless of your goal, be it wanting to take part in your sewing club or being a top gymnast, we’d love to play a leading role in your recovery process. If you’ve sprained your wrist and are looking for help, please call us on 9838 3030 and we’ll get you from A (injury) to B (champion of your world).

Christmas is almost here! Whether you’re looking forward to the all the Christmas feasts to come, the break off work or spending time with family, this season is a time for a little R&R (except when we stress about finding those perfect gifts). As much as we want to rest our minds, our spines are always hard at work, so it’s important we take time to ensure our spines get the attention they deserve.

It would be a Christmas miracle for back pain to be totally eradicated, but the reality is that 1 in 6 Australian’s suffer with back pain every day. Back pain can cause a poor quality of life and leave many people unable to engage in an active and social lifestyle.

This Christmas, SANTA (Straighten up, Active, Neck up, Take breaks, Action) is giving us the tips and tools to prevent and reduce the effects of back pain this Christmas season. Every time you see a Santa at the shops or hanging off a tree, remember these five important spinal health tips:

Straighten up: Good posture is key to a healthy spine. Giving our posture a second thought can have a positive impact on our susceptibility to back pain and weakness of the muscles.

Active: Although it’s tempting to stay on the couch and remain in a constant food coma during the holidays, this is the time we should be most active. Take advantage of the great weather and head for a brisk walk with the dog or run around with family and friends in the park. Exercise is great for our spinal health and helps improve posture.

Neck up: With more and more time being spent looking down at our phones, this can put enormous strain on our necks and spines. Christmas is a time to be social and catch up with friends and family, so when at a festive event, why not have a ‘no phone’ policy, giving you a much-needed break from technology? When using your phone bring it to eye level, to avoid excessive slouching and poor posture.

Take breaks: Christmas can be a very busy time, hanging decorations, wrapping presents and cooking up Christmas feasts, which can all put strain on our bodies, especially our spine. We don’t need to do all these tasks at once, or by ourselves. So be sure to ask for help and take frequent breaks.

Increasing running mileage in preparation for a race or goal unfortunately does increase injury risk.  So, what can you do to avoid becoming one of those unfortunate people who suffer an injury from running?

Exploration of the research literature shows that the biggest factor for causing running injuries is not surprisingly – running! However, the solution is not to stop running. So, what else then causes running injuries?

A study published in 2014 by Saragiotto et al. asked runners what they think causes running injuries. The common answers given were:

• Not warming up
• Not stretching
• Wearing the wrong shoes
• Lack of strength
• Excessive training
• Unbalanced diet
• Not respecting the body’s limitations

The research literature however does not agree with a number of these beliefs on what causes running injuries. There is currently no evidence to support the notion that stretching before or after a run, warming up before a run, wearing the correct shoes and eating a balanced diet significantly reduces running injuries.

The runners from this study were however correct in stating that excessive training causes running injuries. It has been estimated that between 60-80% of running injuries is due to training error where the training load exceeds the capacity of the tissue. This normally occurs when the increase in running volume (how much), intensity (how hard) and frequency (how often) is too fast for the tissues to adapt too, with injuries resulting. An injury in the previous twelve months and a higher body mass index has also been linked to a higher risk of a running injury.

When planning your training consider these points to reduce your risk of injury:

• Train smart by including rest days especially after intense training days as your body needs the time to recover. If you run without giving your body adequate rest it will tip the balance towards tissue breakdown increasing your risk of injury.
• Include strength and conditioning training in your routine which has been demonstrated to reduce injury risk and improve performance. Your physiotherapist will be able to help you identify specific weaknesses and provide a targeted strengthening exercise program.
• Track your running to monitor your weekly running volumes to avoid a sudden increase in your weekly mileage. Ensure that you follow a graded running program where an increase in running distance is done gradually.

Do not make too many changes to your training program at once. Only schedule one change in your training cycle such as your distance, frequency and speed.

When it comes to exercise, walking doesn’t always get the respect it deserves — and it’s time that changed. Before buying into the idea that walking isn’t a worthwhile workout, learn the truth behind these three common walking myths.

Myth #1 – 10,000 steps is the Holy Grail

There is a great feeling of accomplishment when your fitness tracker buzzes to signal you hit 10,000 steps. But Carol Ewing Garber, PhD, professor of movement sciences at Columbia University, believes it might be an arbitrary target. Yes, there are studies that show walking 10,000 steps per day is associated with lower blood pressure and improved glucose tolerance but the idea of walking the equivalent of five miles per day could feel overwhelming to new exercisers. “[Walking 10,000 steps] will result in health benefits,” Garber says. “But it should be noted that … there is benefit even with small amounts of walking and the benefits increase with the more steps you walk each day.” Garber suggests aiming for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week instead of setting a step count goal. If you want to count steps, consider this: Walking an additional 2,000 steps per day — even if your current step count is minimal — helps lower body mass index and boost insulin sensitivity, according to research published in the journal BMJ.

Myth #2 – Walking doesn’t help with weightloss

Leslie Sansone, fitness expert and creator of Walk at Home Workouts is adamant: “Walking works for weight loss!” A slow stroll around the block isn’t going to move the needle on the scale (although it does burn more calories than binge watching legal dramas). To lose weight with a walking workout, Sansone suggests high-intensity interval training or HIIT. Picking up the pace — without breaking into a run — at regular intervals during your walk has a major impact on weight loss. In one small study, researchers at the University of Virginia found that overweight women who logged three 30-minute, high-intensity walks and two moderately-paced walks per week for 12 weeks lost six times more belly fat than women who went for a slow stroll five days per week. A second study found that varying speed burned up to 20 percent more calories than maintaining the same pace.

Incorporating HIIT into your walking workout is simple, according to Sansone. After a 5-minute warm up walk at a slow pace, walk at a brisk pace for 30 seconds and then a regular pace for 4 minutes. Repeat the interval four times. End with a 5-minute cool down walk.  “Walkers have so many choices to get fit and stay fit for life,” Sansone says.

Walking can be a “gateway exercise” that helps new exercisers improve their cardiovascular fitness and stamina to transition to running but not all walkers want to run — and that’s OK.

Myth #3 – Walking is only for those that can’t run

“Walking is a good exercise for everyone,” Garber says. A study published in the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology found rates of hypertension, high cholesterol, heart disease and diabetes were lower for regular walkers than runners. While a walk around the block is a good start, maximizing the benefits of a walking workout requires logging sufficient time in your sneakers. Garber suggests focusing on distance, duration or calorie expenditure (all viewable on your fitness tracker) noting that it’s the amount of exercise that counts — for both walkers and runners. “If you start fitness walking today, you will instantly feel better and know you’re doing something good for your body, mind and soul,”

How is it May already? Well, May allows us to celebrate those very special people in our lives – our Mums. Being a parent can be very challenging at the best of times. And especially if you’re a new mum. It doesn’t matter whether it’s your first, second, or fifth child; being a new mum comes with a whole host of daily challenges. Your new little human requires all your attention – feeding constantly, changing eight nappies a day, bathing… Throw in another child, other family members, work, groceries (and the list continues) into the equation and it’s easy to see how life can be taxing on you and your body.

The good news is, we’ve devised a little self-help guide for new mums! Below we give you tips on how to be kind to your body and not put yourself at risk of injury, so you can give your little munchkin the attention they need.

FEEDING

You’re going to be doing a lot of this. Your new recruit requires constant nourishment to ensure they grow strong and stay healthy. It doesn’t matter whether you breast or bottle feed, it’s likely you are going to be seated for long periods, looking down at your baby. This all leads to extra strain through your neck, back and shoulders. So, try some of these little gems of advice to help keep this process pain free:

1. Get a comfortable, supportive chair – pick a chair that is going to feel good to sit in, but one you can easily get up and down from. If it’s too low you’ll struggle to move yourself and your baby around without compromising your back.
2. Keep your neck moving – feeding is a great time to bond with your baby. Eye contact is important but try not to spend the whole time looking down at a funny angle. Once your baby is comfortable feeding, it’s OK to break that eye contact every now and then to move your neck. Completing some light stretches will ensure you don’t end up with sore, overworked muscles.
3. Consider a feeding pillow – these are great for taking the weight of your baby, so your shoulders and arms don’t have to. And they still allow you to have that important close contact.
4. If you have a partner who can help feed, allow them to help regularly to give you a break. This tip is more for the bottle feeders of course, but it can make a huge difference.

CHANGING

It’s going to be nappies galore! This can mean a lot of bending over, so it’s important you look after your posture so your lower back doesn’t take all the strain. Try to avoid changing your baby on the floor in these early days. Ideally, get yourself a changing table. It means you can place your baby down on the table and change them at a height where you don’t have to bend forward and hold an awkward position. And of course, the same advice can be followed when changing your baby’s clothes. Look after that back, you’re going to need it!

OTHER USEFUL TIPS

The following tips are by no means any less important, so try to take these on where possible:

1. Sleep when your baby sleeps: Getting those extra hours in when your baby is taking a nap is important to conserve your energy and reduce the risk of fatigue.
2. Eat and drink well: It’s easy for the focus to turn to your baby, and rightly so, they are little and dependent on you. Remember though, you can’t look after your baby if you aren’t well. Eat for the health of you and your baby – lots of water and good nutritious food such as fruit and vegetables!
3. Stretch: Especially your shoulders, neck and chest. Once baby comes along, our arms are always in front of us. Whether it’s holding, feeding, changing or playing, we’re usually a little slumped in our shoulders. Build stretching into your routine (like every time after baby feeds for example). We want to reverse the ‘slump’ position, so take your arms out wide, open up your chest and hold for 30 seconds (and repeat). Aim to do this three times a day (or whenever you get the chance!). Gentle shoulder shrugs and neck stretches can also help.
4. Take time to relax: When the opportunity arises, get your partner, grandparent or friend to look after your newborn while you take a bath, read a book, or close your eyes for a little while. You deserve it, and it helps keep you sane and grounded during a very busy period in your life.

We hope you’ve found our list of tips interesting and helpful. If you are ever unsure, have a niggle or need some further advice, please do not hesitate to call us and book an appointment! Happy Mother’s Day to all you lovely Mums and mother-figures out there!!!

Australia is a sports-loving nation & winter is a time when many of our most popular sports are ‘in action’.  Australians just can’t seem to get enough of AFL, Rugby League, Rugby Union and netball as well as other popular winter sports such as skiing & snowboarding. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), over 60% of Australians participate in sports and exercise programs – we just love sport!

The Medibank Private Safe Sports Report found that member’s 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 ‘individual’ rather than ‘team-based’ activities were the most popular.  This is consistent with published data from the ABS Year Book.  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. Many of these injuries arise from the very popular winter sports we play.

Statistically, sports injuries peak in the months of May, June and July.  This is not surprising because cold muscles, tendons and ligaments increase your risk of sustaining injury. Our most popular contact sports like rugby & AFL are also played in these months.

The fear of sustaining a sports injury should not deter you from participating in winter exercise/sport.  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).  The benefits certainly outweigh the risks.

In order to reduce the risk of a winter sports injury however, your Physiotherapist is most likely to recommend some or all of the following:

• 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, don’t try to ‘work through’ the pain
• Progress at your own pace and don’t overdo it
• Get a Physiotherapist check-up on a regular basis

Before beginning any exercise program, it is advisable you visit a Physiotherapist, especially if you have had a previous injury or musculoskeletal condition.  Your Physiotherapist is trained to assess/evaluate your body and offer valuable advice to assist you in preventing winter sports injuries. If unfortunately, you do sustain a winter sports injury, your Physiotherapist should be your first port of call – they are well-trained to assess & treat musculoskeletal injuries.

Did you know that most private health fund benefits are reset each year? Unused claims generally DO NOT carry over to the next year meaning that any unused portions are lost.

NOW is the time to use your entitlement for treatment in our practice. Choose to use your health fund entitlement today.

Call our practice today to schedule an appointment.

Many of our patients get very frustrated when they hurt their back because it affects so much of their daily activities. The good news is that for 90% of sufferers, back pain will resolve within a few weeks. This short term or “acute” pain is the body’s natural response to an injury or damage to the body. For the other 10%, there are things that can be done to reduce the risk of the pain becoming long term or “chronic”.

Firstly, it is important to get the advice of a health professional such as your doctor or physiotherapist. Voice any worries and concerns and ask any questions you may have. A physiotherapist or doctor can also order any necessary investigations such as x-rays if something more serious is suspected. It is worth noting that you do not need a referral to see a physiotherapist.

Once the physiotherapist or doctor has confirmed there is nothing serious to worry about, it is important to stay active and not to stay away from employed work for too long. A physiotherapist can help reduce inflammation and pain as well as prescribe an exercise program to help you stay active, including finding ways to perform work tasks without flaring up your pain. A doctor may also suggest short term pain relief or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication.

Remember: most low back pain resolves itself. It is important to remain as a mobile as possible without flaring up your pain.

To see how Philip Wood Physiotherapy can help with your pain, contact us on 9838 3030 or www.philipwoodphysio.net.au

With advances in the treatment and management of cancer, people are surviving longer. However the side effects of such treatments can often mean a decrease in physical function and reduced quality of life. There is growing evidence to suggest that exercise can be of great benefit  to those with cancer; including improved cardiovascular function, strength and quality of life, as well as a reduced risk of cancer recurrence and death as a result of certain types of cancer.

What remains unclear is the optimal intensity of exercise. A team of Melbourne researchers has drawn on data from 4000 participants in randomised trials and established that exercise generally reduced fatigue and increased walking endurance. However, a peak effect was found for exercise at moderate intensity. This means that moderate intensity exercise is better at reducing the overall levels of cancer related fatigue than high intensity exercise.

Contact us to see how we can help with prescribing the best exercise treatment and strategies to help you minimise fatigue and maximise strength.

Source: APA, 24 June 2016.  http://www.anatomy-physiotherapy.com/articles/other/ various/1874-exercise-improves-fatigue-and-mobility-in-cancer-survivors