SPORT INJURIES

Sprains are usually caused by forcing a joint beyond it's normal range, damaging ligaments close to the joint.
Ankles and knees are most commonly involved.
The ligaments and nearby structures are torn causing bleeding. This blood then spreads filling up the tissue spaces and causing the area to become inflamed.

STRAINS
Strains usually involve injuries to muscles and tendons caused by violent stretching and pulling.
Muscle fibres or tendons are torn, resulting in pain due to haemorrhaging and inflammation.
Thighs, calves and the back are the most commonly affected areas.

SPORTS THERAPY
Treatments such as therapeudic ultrasound, laser, electro-stimulation, massage, mobilisation, manipulation, cryotherapy are designed to reduce swelling and inflammation and speed the healing process leading to a quicker recovery.
This may be combined with specialised exercises, taping, acupuncture and nutritional methods for best results.
Discuss with one of our sports practitioners.

* Are you unsure if your condition ca be helped by our treatments?
* Have you had previous treatment that has been unsuccessful and are looking for another approach?
* Do you feel your condition has not been assessed properly?
* Would you like to know more on how to help yourself?
* Visit our centre or call for a no obligation chat with one of our practitioners.
Professional Diagnosis
Effective Treatments
Caring Practitioners

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ACHES & PAINS?

MASSAGE THERAPY: This is massage for the purpose of alleviating or curing a problem such as a stiff neck or achy back, knee or shoulder.
Includes specialised soft tissue treatments performed by hand and designed to treat and relieve the tight and tender tissues (eg. muscles, tendons, ligaments) so often responsible for discomfort and pain throughout the body.
In this centre extensive use of massage therapy is performed by all chiropractors, osteopaths, physiotherapists and masseurs.

MOBILISATION: Gentle coaxing movements of the joints performed by hand to reduce joint stiffness and promote normal free movement.

ULTRASOUND & LASER: Modern equipment that reduces inflammation and promotes rapid healing of injured or painful tissues.

EXERCISE REHABILITATION: Specialised stretching, strengthening and co-ordination exercises designed to promote more rapid/complete recovery and prevent re-injury/recurrence.

POSTURAL AWARENESS: Movement techniques to keep you healthier.

ACUPUNCTURE: Reduces pain and encourages recovery.

MANIPULATION: Gentle stretching of stiff joints to encourage healthier movement.

NUTRITION & ANTI-INFLAMMATORY MEASURES: Dietary modification, herbs, vitamins, minerals and medications may be of assistance.

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TRIGGER POINTS EXPLAINED

Definition: An area of bunched, knotted muscle which when pressed causes the ache, pain or symptom about which the person is complaining.

Cause: Acumulated injuries to the body (sometimes years ago), postural strains/bad posture, overwork/tiredness, wear and tear, mental stress, arthritis, disc disease, past surgery. (More than one is possible).

Treatment/Prevention: Specialised trigger point therapy (soft tissue) massage, stretching of tight muscles, mobilisation/adjustment of stiff joints, heat, flexibility and strength exercise program, postural awareness, relaxation and nutritional methods.

BACK ACHES & PAINS: TPs are one of the most common causes of bodily aches/pains.

ARTHRITIS & RHEUMATISM: TPs are responsible for much of the pain and stiffness - correct treatment can relieve this.

ACHY & RESTLESS LEGS: TPs in hip/buttock and low back often cause this.

COLDNESS OF LEGS or ARMS: often caused by neck/back TPs.

CONCENTRATION: Neck TPs impair circulation and short term memory due to decrease in brain blood flow.

BURNING feelings in neck and shoulders often contributed to by neck TPs.

BUTTOCK PAIN: caused by low back and hip TPs.

CRAMPS often caused by back/buttock/calf TPs.

HEADACHES & MIGRAINE often caused by neck TPs.

NECK PAIN: TPs are one of the most common causes.

PERIOD PAINS in the back and abdomen are often made worse by back TPs.

SLEEP: being TP free often helps you sleep better.

TINGLES & NUMBNESS: neck and back TPs can cause this in arms/hands/legs/feet.

TINNITUS: often contributed to by neck and jaw TPs.

TIRED FEET: contributed to by back/buttock and leg TPs.

TIREDNESS: often relieved by treatment of neck/back TPs.

VISUAL DISTURBANCES: often relieved by treatment of neck TPs.

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SHOULDER PAIN

Shoulder pain can be a common complaint to athletes who use their shoulder repetitively, such as tennis players, squash players, swimmers, bowlers in cricket and baseball.

Athletes however, are not the only ones afflicted with shoulder pain as many occupations require considerable shoulder use which can lead to shoulder injury.

Sudden, unaccustomed use of the shoulder can also trigger problems.

While there are a number of causes of shoulder pain, the most common is related to strain and inflammation of one or more tendons of the shoulder muscles. This is known as tendinosis and causes pain and stiffness in shoulder and arm movement.

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Back Pain & Exercises!

How they can Help!

This man is performing a sit-up incorrectly - Ask our practitioners why!

Back pain has many causes, but often is contributed to by weak back and stomach muscles, poor posture, poor flexibility and obesity.

CHRONIC BACK PAIN - WHAT HELPS?

A review study in the respected orthopaedic journal "Spine" has shown that: pain killing and muscle relaxant medications have limited or no effect on chronic back pain. On the other hand, controlled studies show that exercise therapy, massage therapy, mobilisation, and manipulation have evidence to support their effectiveness. In our experience a combined approach gives best relief.

By exercising you can play an active part in the care of your own body and spine. Physical exercise is an important way to increase your general well-being. Exercise aids circulation, maintains (and restores) joint mobility, maintains (and increases) muscle power and can help improve your posture and the condition of your back.

Stretching is important to improving muscle length, improve flexibility and maintain joint mobility.

Strengthening exercises take the form of abdominal and back muscle stabilisation/strengthening and leg muscle strengthening.

Flexibility, strength, endurance, co-ordination and balance exercises are often combined with aerobic type exercise, such as walking, swimming or pool work for best results.

MUSCLES NEED TO BE TRAINED AFTER BACK STRAIN - STUDY FINDS

Your back pain has passed and you don't feel any symptoms, however is everything normal? Definitely not according to a study at the University of Queensland. Utilising ultrasound scans researchers showed that the deep muscles in the back that stabilise the spine often become smaller and weaker after injury leaving these people predisposed to further injury.

Muscle recovery did occur in those patients who exercised their deep trunk/spine stabilising muscles. Exercise programs should be prescribed individually taking into consideration each person's needs and should not be undertaken without professional prescription or supervision.

Discuss with our clinic practitioners what type of exercise program is best for your situation.

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NECK PROBLEMS

The pain sensitive structures in the neck include the muscles, ligaments, joints and discs.

Bunched knotty areas in the muscle called trigger points (TP's), marked X, often develop due to past strain/injury, poor posture, stress/overwork, arthritis, being unfit, past surgery.

TP's contribute to aches and pains and stiffness in neck, shoulders, arms and to headache. Correct treatment can relieve this.

A LIST OF SYMPTOMS REPORTED BY PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC NECK PROBLEMS & THEIR PREVALENCE

Symptom Prevalence (%)

Neck Pain/Ache, Stiffness & Tightness 100

Headache 71

Impaired concentration or memory 67

Numbness/tingle/ache in arm 63

Weakness or Heaviness in arm 59

Dizziness 51

Visual problems (eg. bluriness) 35

Tinnitus (ringing in ears), chest & shoulder aches, ear symptoms, sinus & facial symptoms are also common.

Your neck is an architectural masterpiece.

It consists of seven bones aligned one on top of the other and joined together by soft tissues including ligaments, muscles, joint capsules and discs.

The neck alone consists of 35 joints and a multitude of muscles that allow freedom of motion in all directions and angles and support the head which can weigh 5 kg.

Neck related problems are very common - a recent practice survey showed them to be just as common as low back disorders.

Many different treatments are available to give relief to and improve neck problems.

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ARTHRITIS & RHEUMATISM!

You can feel better - something Can be done! Ask our practitioners.

There are over one hundred and fifty different types of arthritis and related disorders.

ARTHRITIS is defined as inflammation of a joint which sometimes can be red, stiff, sore, warm and tender.

RHEUMATISM is an umbrella term which includes joint problems and especially disorders of the soft tissues such as the muscles, ligaments and tendons.

Therefore fibrositis, muscle (myofascial) pain, bursitis, tendinitis, sprains, lumbago, disc disease, sciatica and whiplash are all "rheumatic" conditions.

It is now established that rheumatic disease is the greatest single cause of disability in Australia today affecting millions of Australians. It is also little known that effective treatment is available for all forms of arthritis and rheumatism and some types may even be prevented. Ask your clinic practitioner for further details.

Typical arthritic joint showing cartilage wear (degeneration) and bone spurs (osteophytes).

Much of the pain and stiffness comes from problems in the muscles, ligaments and joint capsule which can improve with the right effective treatment.

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HEADACHES

For many years health professionals such as chiropractors, physiotherapists, osteopaths and massage therapists have recognised that problems with neck and jaw function can cause headaches and other symptoms. In 1988 the International Headache Society, a group of eminent neurologists and others who specialise in the treatment of headaches officially recognised the above.

Despite this, patients still come to us every week with headaches who have been prescribed various medications, seen the neurologist, had a CT scan of their head, neck and sinus x-rays, seen the dentist and optometrist (even psychologist) and possibly already seen a chiropractor, physiotherapist or masseur and still have headaches.

The answer is simply that one has to accurately diagnose the true cause of the problem (which is usually in the neck and/or jaw muscles and often cannot be felt by the patient) and then apply the most effective treatment; a summary of which is the adjacent diagram.

A breakthrough study performed at RMIT University in Melbourne involving 300,000 questions, 15,000 measurements and over 9,000 assessment days of 105 patients has seen an outstanding outcome with the above treatment for headaches. Ask our clinic practitioners for more information.

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OSTEOPOROSIS

Osteoporosis is a health condition where bones become weak and are more likely to break.

It is more likely to affect people over forty, more women than men and occurs due to calcium loss from the bones.

All fractures are serious, particularly hip fractures where it is estimated that up to 25% of people will eventually die from the hip fracture mainly due to complications.

Chronic back pain and a Dowager's hump can occur from a series of osteoporotic vertebrae.

What Causes Osteoporosis?

This is mainly due to the presence of a number of "pre-disposing factors"

Can Osteoporosis be tested for?

Yes. Referral for DEXA scanning is the most accurate, ask your clinic practitioner.

What can I do to prevent osteoporosis?

Prevention must start from an early age including when mum is pregnant! This includes incorporating as many of the "preventative factors" in our daily lives as possible.

Use it or lose it!

A high calcium intake in our diet together with regular weight bearing exercise such as walking, aerobics, gym, weights or exercises at home are associated with stronger bones and a reduced risk of osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis Can Affect You !!

Prevention is the Key

* 50% of women over 60 are likely to experience an osteoporotic fracture. 25% of men will have osteoporosis in their life.

* 16% of people suffering hip fractures will die within six months and 50% will require long term nursing care.

* By 2020 it is likely that 1 in 3 hospital beds will be occupied by elderly women with fractures.

Predisposing factors to Osteoporosis
Causes
* Family history of osteoporosis
* Smoking (leaches some calcium)
* Caucasian or Asian decent
* Over consumption of alcohol, coffee, tea, chocolate, sugar/ sugar containing foods and salt (all cause calcium loss)
* Exessive junk foods
* Stress (raises cortisol levels leading to calcium loss)
* Not exercising as a teenager
* Excess bed rest or inactivity/lack of exercise/fitness
* Excess animal protein (eg. red meat) - calcium loss.
* Soft drinks (sugar & phosphorus - calcium loss).
* Frequent inappropriate dieting or diarrhoea (loss of calcium)
* Certain drugs (eg. cortisone, laxatives, antibiotics, anti-ulcer)
* Being underweight
* Being post-menopausal or no period for 6 months
* More than 2 pregnancies
* Aluminium anti-perspirants & foils/ cooking utensils

Things to do to Prevent Osteoporosis
* Presence of calcium rich foods and plenty of vegetables in the diet
* Limited or no junk foods, sugar, coffee, chocolate in the diet
* Weight bearing exercise such as walking, jogging, dancing, aerobics, netball, gym/weight training (3-5 times per week)
* Relaxation (meditation, yoga, tai chi, hobbies)
* Sunlight! (for Vitamin D)
* Calcium supplementation (eg. calcium citrate - ask our practitioners)
* Increased magnesium intake (nuts, beans, lentils, dark green vegetables, seafood, whole grains)
* HRT (discuss with your health professional)
* Increased Boron intake (eg. Rose Hip tea)
* Avoid or minimise predisposing factors (causes).

High Calcium Foods - Calcium Content
Mg of Calcium
Nut Milk (per cup)
600 mg
Soy Milk (per cup) 400 mg
Sesame Butter (3oz) 843 mg
1 cup Almonds 600 mg
1/4 cup Sesame Seeds 550 mg
Salmon (canned) 100g 220 mg
Yoghurt (plain) 200g 400 mg
Milk (low fat) 250mls 415 mg
Cheese 35g 300 mg
Soy Beans (1 cup) 460 mg
Tofu (1 cup) 258 mg
Blackstrap Molasses (1 tbsp) 137 mg
Broccoli 100g 30 g
Steak/Beef 100g 13 mg
Sardines 100g 350 mg
6 Oranges 300 mg
Oysters, 12 230 mg
Prawns, 6 medium 225 mg
Lemon, average 110 mg
Rhubarb, 1/2 cup 105 mg
Spinach, average serve 360 mg

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FEEL GREAT

Health experts now tell us that just 30 minutes a day of moderate physical activity can significantly help our health in so many ways.

With so many benefits its hard to believe that over a third of Victorians do no regular physical activity.

Here are just a few good reasons why you should stay active for life:

HEART Risk of heart disease including angina and heart attack, is significantly reduced.

ARTERIES Regular moderate physical activity combined with a good diet can lead to a drop in cholesterol levels and blood pressure.

DIABETES You're not as likely to contract diabetes later in life. Diabetes sufferers need less medication to control illness when they're fit.

LUNGS Activities that previously caused shortness of breath will become increasingly easier.

BONE Bones, ligaments and tendons become stronger and the loss of bone mass with age is reduced helping prevent osteoporosis.

BACK AND NECK HEALTH All tissues in the spine are strengthened with exercise/activity so these areas are much more likely to stay well.

MUSCLES Muscles become stronger and firmer, even the heart the most important muscle of all.

CANCER Many studies show that fitter people have a better functioning immune system which is more capable of defending the body.

WELL-BEING You feel better about yourself and, with a sharp, clear mind you can enjoy life to the fullest. The feeling of accomplishment from being active everyday can give you a new lease of life.

STRESS Everybody needs an outlet for the pressures of modern living. Participating in an activity that also keeps you fit and healthy is a great way to release tension, relax and sleep well at night.

WEIGHT For those with a weight problem, it means an overall loss of body fat. You also feel good and look good.

Further assistance with exercise or diet can be obtained by seeing one of our therapists or dietitian.

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PREGNANCY

75% of pregnant women report back pain during pregnancy according to a recent Swedish study.

In 60% the onset started during the pregnancy. Approximately 15% of these women continued to have back problems after delivering their infants. Medically, back pain in pregnancy is all too often considered inconsequential despite its extraordinary prevalence and sometimes disabling intensity.

We often find that a combination of gentle soft tissue massage techniques, mobilisation, simple exercise program, postural awareness methods and self-help tips at home including patient education pamphlets help women manage back pain during pregnancy

There are a number of advantages in adopting and maintaining healthy lifestyle practices in order to maintain wellness of both the mother baby.

EXERCISE: Fitter mums handle pregnancy much better both physically and psychologically not to mention childbirth. Moderate exercise 3 - 4 times per week and adequate rest is beneficial. Ask your clinic practitioner about specific exercise guidelines.

POSTURE: Pregnant women strain their back/hips/necks much more readily due to the presence of the pregnancy hormone relaxin. Postural awareness helps to avoid this.

HEALTHY DIET: Maintain a healthy diet including adequate amounts of protein, calcium rich foods, fresh vegetables (especially folate/green leafy ones), fruits and water. Having an excellent diet during pregnancy is so important that a lack of certain nutrients (eg. folate) has been associated with birth defects such as spina bifida. For this reason alcohol and cigarettes should also be eliminated.

Sixty percent of women experience back pain during pregnancy not to mention headaches, cramps, restless legs and sleeplessness.

MASSAGE THERAPY TREATMENT: as performed by either chiropractors, osteopaths or physiotherapists in this centre together with an exercise program and various other treatments can be effective for the above - discuss with one of our clinic practitioners.

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IMMUNITY

Our immune system is a part of our bodies that is mainly composed of various white blood cells and antibodies.

These are our soldiers and police whose role it is to defend against foreign invaders such as germs (bacteria), viruses, fungi and even against cancer cells.

When functioning optimally our immunity keeps us well, however if the system is run down infection or illness can follow. Consider the following:

IMMUNE BOOSTERS

* Getting 8-9 hours sleep each night. Go to bed early - sleeping in doesn't work as well.

* Inner peace and relaxation (Meditation, Yoga, gardening, hobbies help).

* An excellent diet full of "alive" foods: wholegrain cereals, fresh fruits, yellow/orange and green leafy vegetables, nuts, fish, beans/legumes, meat in moderation, olive oil, onions, garlic, water.

* Consistent exercise 4-5 times per week.

Ask your clinic practitioner about use of immune boosting herbs such as garlic, golden seal, elderberry, echinacea and supplements such as beta-carotene, Vitamins B complex, C, E, zinc, selenium & acidophilus. Avoid herbs during pregnancy/lactation.

* Avoid sugary foods and white flour products as these reduce the vitamins available in the body.

* Avoid caffeine containing drinks coffee/tea/chocolate for the same reason above.

*Stop smoking: this considerably affects immune function.

* Minimise alcohol intake - same reason as above. (One or two glasses a day only is acceptable).

* Only take antibiotics when you really need them.
Ask your clinic practitioners for more information.

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CHILDREN & BACK PAIN

EXCESSIVE TELEVISION & COMPUTERS ARE BAD FOR CHILDREN & ADOLESCENTS' BACKS

A study of 1178 children published in the Scandinavian Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine shows a strong linkage between television viewing and low back pain.

Of those participants that watch television between 1-2 hours each day, nearly 60% had experienced back pain.

Comparatively, when viewing time increased to more than two hours per day so did the incidence of back pain (approached 70%).

Working on the computer or watching television for long periods can alter posture and impair normal muscular, soft tissue and bone health.

Sitting for long periods is bad for us!

Ask your practitioner for information on good posture tips.

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This information has been produced for general purposes.

It is not intended to be interpreted as individual advice.

For a particular health problem we suggest you obtain our professional advice.