Opening Hours : Mon-Thu: 8.30am - 7.00pm Fri: 8.30am - 1.00pm Sat: 9.00am - 12.00pm
  Contact : Ph: 03 9707 4452 Email: reception@physiofit.clinic

Archive for July 2020

Working from home during iso? Tips & tricks from Emma Selbie…

Here are some simple tips/tricks to prevent neck and back pain when working from home…

  1. Posture

Our desks/seats are generally designed so that we sit in a slumped, forward head posture. Believe it or not, your head actually weighs about 5kg! If your head isn’t positioned correctly over your neck, this weight can increase the pressure on the joints, ligaments, and muscles of the neck.

Imagine that you are drawing a line from your earlobe down to your shoulder, then down to your hip. If your ear-lobe is sitting forwards of your shoulder, you may need to gently tuck your chin in. If your shoulder is sitting forwards of your hip, you may need to think of opening through your collarbones.

Our bodies are designed to conserve energy and use as little of it as possible. Sometimes, you may find your lower back slumping into your chair. It can be helpful to place a rolled-up towel or lumbar support behind your back. This will act as a prompt, and encourage you out of the slumped position.

  1. Daily exercise/activity

The WHO (World Health Organisation) recommends at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise at least 5 days per week for adults aged 18-64. This doesn’t mean you have to go for a 10km run. Breaking up your day with a short walk in the morning, and short walk in the afternoon may be enough to help prevent aches and pains. Find a type of exercise that you enjoy!

  1. Regular movement/stretching

Motion is lotion. Joints like movement. When we sit for long periods, particularly in a slumped/flexed position, this puts us at higher risk of lower back injury. To help compensate for the time spent in this flexed position, lower back extensions/cobra exercises can be particularly helpful.

To do these, lying on your stomach, gently prop up onto your elbows, the lower. Repeat 10 times. If these are easy, you can progress to propping up onto your hands.

Some gentle neck stretches/movements can also be helpful. Gently tilting your head will stretch through the upper trapezius muscle, whilst gently rotating your head will help to prevent stiffness of the joints on the side of the neck.

  1. Self-massage with tennis ball/spikey ball

If you find you do have some “tight” spots in your muscles from sitting, a helpful hint is to use a tennis ball/spikey ball. Lean against the wall with the ball under the “tight” muscle, and gently roll until you find a “tight” spot. Hold and wait for approximately 10 seconds, until the pain starts to subside. Roll the ball and repeat in other “tight” areas in the muscle.

  1. Get up at least once every hour

Sitting for prolonged periods of time can put pressure on the joints, ligaments, and muscles in our neck and back. Try to get up and move around at least once every hour. This helps to lubricate the joints and prevent that joint stiffness/pain. You will feel better for it.

The advice above is general. If you are experiencing any neck or back pain from WFH, we recommend that you come and see one of our physios so that you can have personalised assessment and treatment, with a home exercise program tailored to you specifically.

Emma Selbie (Physiotherapist)

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Dry Needling explained, by Nando Lee

What is dry needling?

Dry needling is an invasive procedure where an acupuncture needle is inserted into the skin and muscle. Commonly it is aimed at a painful or knotted part of a muscle which is known as a myofascial trigger point.

The aim of dry needling is to reduce pain and restore active range of motion, with an emphasis on improving tissue healing and restoring normal tissue function

Your physiotherapist may insert needles superficially (mostly with many needles) or deeply (usually with less needles) depending on assessment and condition.

How does it work?

The exact mechanisms of dry needling are complex, probably not fully known. However, there is an increasing number of studies which support the positive effect that inserting a needle has on the electrical and chemical communications that take place in our nervous system.

Dry needling into a certain body tissue causes a local twitch response which can be explained as ‘our brain reacts to the damaged tissue which is created precisely by the insertion of needles’. The reaction has been shown to reduce the concentration of pain inducing chemical substances.

What will I feel during a dry needling session?

Generally, needle insertion is not painful. You may feel a very slight, brief pain which is triggered by the local twitch response or sudden slight contraction of the muscle.

During treatment, and depending on the dry needling technique used, patients commonly experience heaviness in the areas of insertion, or overall relaxation.

Is it safe?

Dry needling is a very safe and widely accepted treatment. Serious side effects are rare with an incidence of less than one per 10,000 treatments. Your physiotherapists are trained to provide safe treatments. At PhysioFit Berwick, we use only individually packaged, single use, sterile needles.

Common conditions to treat with dry needling therapy:

Dry needling is an effective treatment for acute injuries, muscle spasms, chronic pain or muscle pattern imbalances caused by other injuries or issues.

  • Low back/hip pain
  • Neck pain
  • Headache
  • Knee pain
  • Ankle/foot injuries
  • Shoulder pain
  • Elbow pain

Written by physiotherapist Nando Lee, who is highly experienced in dry needling techniques.  If you have any questions regarding dry needling please contact Nando at the clinic on Mondays and Thursdays, or ring for an appointment. 

 

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COVID-19 Update

Update as at 21st July 2020…

PhysioFit Berwick is committed to maintaining our services during the current Coronavirus pandemic and we remain OPEN and ready to assist with all your healthcare needs. Our allied health services are also open, including Podiatry and Remedial Massage Therapy.

For all physiotherapy and podiatry appointments please call the clinic on 9707 4452.

For remedial massage please contact MyoPhysics Massage Therapy on 9052-4904 or visit  www.myophysicsmassage.com.au (bookings can be made online).

Whilst we remain open, our priority is also ensuring the safety of all our clinic staff and patients, and we are following the guidelines issued by the Australian Government Department of Health for healthcare environments. We would like to assure our patients that we continue to implement a high level of hygiene control, screening procedures, as well as strict social distancing rules. Further measures include:

 DO NOT ATTEND if you have been in contact with anyone who has been overseas in the last 14 days, or if you have been in contact with a possible or known case of Covid-19, or is you are experiencing any flu-like or respiratory symptoms.

 TELEHEALTH appointments are available for anybody who cannot attend the clinic in person.

 CLEANING: All equipment and treatment tables are cleaned before and after every patient, and extra precautions are being taken with regards to towels and linen. Contact points throughout the clinic are being regularly cleaned (i.e. door handles, benches, chairs, bathroom facilities).

 WAIT IN YOUR CAR for your appointment.  Please call to let us know you have arrived and we will let you know when to come into the clinic.  

Upon Entering the Clinic:

 1. ATTEND ALONE: Please attend alone unless you are a caregiver or parent of a child attending. If you have additional children with you, please notify reception prior to arrival.

2.  WEAR A MASK:  From Thursday 23nd July, masks will be mandatory in Metro Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire.  ALL patients, staff and visitors are required to wear a mask while attending this clinic, with the exception of children under 12 years or with a medical certificate of exemption.

 3. TEMPERATURE CHECK: Please go to reception for your temperature check. If it is over 37.4˚ you will be asked to return home and contact your GP for further advise.  All staff will be temperature checked daily.

4. WASH YOUR HANDS with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. This is preferred to using sanitiser alone as it is more hygienic. 

 Thank you for your cooperation and we hope that you and your family can stay safe and well during this difficult time.

Kind Regards,

The PhysioFit Team

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Myophysics Massage is back!

Have you been hanging out for a massage? Well wait no more!

MYOPHYSICS MASSAGE THERAPY is back up and running after a break, and with two additional therapists you are sure to find a time to suit. For more information or to book an online appointment please visit http://www.myophysicsmassage.com.au

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