6 things you must do to prevent injuries if you are an office worker

You may not realize it, but being an office worker is a very dangerous job. Sitting too much is directly linked to an early death from a range of causes. It is literally a risk factor for most diseases in the modern world! These include diabetes, heart conditions, mental health conditions, knee pain, low back pain, neck pain and pretty much EVERY SINGLE OTHER pain. It is such a problem in the modern world, that some refer to it as the new smoking.

For most of us, some sitting is unavoidable. We sit at work, during our commute, and then at home. Here are 6 ways you can help counteract the detrimental effects of sitting on your health.

#1: Get up from your desk every 30 minutes

It is being stuck in the same position for too long that is the real danger. We know that being in the same position for longer than 30 minutes causes your muscles, ligaments and other connective tissues to shorten and tighten. Therefore, the real answer, as simple as it is, is to MOVE MORE!

Interestingly, the research has shown that the positive effects of exercise do not cancel out the detrimental effects of sitting all day. In other words, going to the gym 1-hour per day, whilst good and recommended, does not cancel out the negative effects of sitting for 8-hours per day. People need both exercise and incidental exercise: as well as going to the gym, people also need to make sure they are moving throughout the working day. Make sure you get up and move at least every 30 minutes for maximum benefit.

#2: Stretch the muscles that get tight from sitting

If you are sat all day, make sure you regularly stretch out the muscles that tighten up. If they spend hours in a shortened position, you want to lengthen them whenever you get the opportunity. Remember, a muscle that can’t relax can’t generate any power. We see this in the weekend warriors who sit all week and then expect to be able to sprint across the football pitch, run without injuries or play netball without hurting their ankles and knees. Sitting shortens your hamstrings; tight hamstrings can’t generate power. It’s no wonder that hamstring strains and tears are one of the most common injuries amongst weekend warriors. However, this rule applies to all muscles in the body.

Muscles that regularly tighten up with sitting include the neck, the low back and the hips. If you are prone to a tight neck and shoulders, make sure you stretch out your upper trapezius, levator scapulae (shoulder blade muscles) and pectoralis major (chest muscles). If you are prone to a tight lower back or hips, make sure you stretch your hip flexors and low back. If you are prone to a tight mid back, make sure you work on your thoracic rotation. If you don’t know how to stretch these muscles, Google it. There are a million options online.

#3: Strengthen the muscles that get weak from being in a seated position

I know how much you love sitting on that foam roller or spikey ball for 30 minutes every night, however only stretching/massaging/foam rolling/releasing is not going to cut it. You are not getting better as quickly as you could because you’re not actually working on STRENGTHENING the muscles that are weak. You need to get STRONGER. Yes, it inherently takes more effort to do your strengthening exercises than just going for a massage. However, the pay offs are definitely worth it.

Great places to start are working on strengthening your shoulder retractors, glutes and hamstrings. If you sit curled over a computer all day, train the opposite! Work on hip and mid back extension to straighten you back up.

#4: Work on your mental health and resilience to stress

If you still believe that mind and body are separate, you are not up to date with Western medicine. When you are stressed, you store tension in your body. It’s that simple. High levels of stress, lack of support from supervisors or the fact that you just downright dislike your job are all known risk factors for musculoskeletal conditions. Therefore, if you get pain whilst at work, make sure you are addressing the mental components of pain. This means working on managing your stress and becoming creative about figuring out solutions for addressing those aspects of work you are unhappy with. It doesn’t mean you need to retire now and move to a monastery. Stress is not inherently bad; most people thrive off some level of stress. However everyone can improve how they react to stress in their lives. More often than not, it is interpersonal and requires courageous communication. If it means a tough conversation with a co-worker or boss, do it. Your physical health as well as your mental health will be better for it.

#5: If you do have to sit, make sure it’s ergonomically set-up

Look, we’re realists. We get that some sitting is unavoidable; we all need to make money. However if you do have to sit, make sure your workstation is ergonomically designed (oh, and by the way, most car seats and the couch at home are not ergonomically ideal). The computer should be at eye level, the table at a comfortable arm level and your chair should be able to get you right in close to the computer. Monitors are better than laptops. A sit-stand desk is even better and something we encourage a lot of employees to get. Find out your workplace’s policy about getting one. We regularly write letters to employers on behalf of our clients. It doesn’t require standing all day; it is more about having the option to vary movement. Even if you sit perfectly all day, you are still sitting and that is still detrimental. How you sit is not as important as making sure you simply move more.

#6: Get assessed.

If you are an office worker and you do suffer from pain or stiffness, get professionally assessed. Nothing beats getting individual advice and having support from a professional who can design a plan that is tailored specifically to you and your body. You can do all the Google exercises in the world, but that doesn’t mean that they are the most appropriate ones for YOU. Respect yourself enough to get educated about what is going on and understand what your body is trying to tell you when something hurts.

At Kinetic Healthcare, we are always here to help. We are located both in the Sydney CBD and Narellan. Call us now on 8091 6745 or visit our website www.kinetichealthcare.com.au to book an appointment with one of our rehab experts.

Adductor Magnus

The adductor magnus is both an adductor and a hamstring muscle.

The adductor magnus is the largest adductor muscle on the inside of the thigh.  Yet we really shouldn’t think of it as one muscle at all.  It has TWO parts, originating from two different origins, supplied by two different nerves and providing two different functions*. It is most commonly known as a powerful adductor muscle, pulling the leg back into midline from an abducted position. 

However, what we often don’t talk about is its role as a hamstring muscle.

The second portion of the adductor magnus originates from the ischial tuberosity, alongside the hamstring muscles: biceps femoris (long head), semimembranosus and semitendinosus.  This portion of the adductor magnus is supplied by the sciatic nerve, the same nerve that supplies the hamstring muscles (as compared to the pubofemoral portion, which is supplied by the obturator nerve).  What fires together, works together.  It then inserts into the lower part of the thigh bone, where it blends into the MCL (medial collateral ligament).

So what does this all mean?

Your adductor magnus is a hip extensor, just like hamstrings, particularly when the hip is in a flexed position! In a position of hip flexion, it is a more powerful hip extensor than glutes or hamstrings, which tend to increase activation as the hip approaches neutral and the extended position.  This may be why you feel your adductors fire off to get you out of a deep squat position.  It is the ONLY adductor muscle that is also a hip extensor; the rest flex the hip.  

Your adductors may be tight if you aren’t using your glutes properly, just like we see a lot of hamstring tension for the same reason.  Perhaps what you need to release isn’t your hamstrings, but your adductor magnus! Perhaps adductor magnus tension should be assessed in conjunction with these muscles too! If your straight leg raise is limited, perhaps it’s because of your adductor magnus being tight.  Assess here before you just start torturing those other hamstrings with the roller.

If you have a history of MCL sprains or tears, perhaps you should also check this muscle for dysfunction, given its fascial connection with the longest portion of adductor magnus.  It may affect your ability to stabilize yourself on one leg.  That’s sort of important for any running or jumping sport.

Stop thinking it’s always hamstrings.  It’s not.  Sometimes it’s the hamstring portion of an adductor muscle.  Respect the anatomy and start assessing better.   

* Some would even divide it further into THREE parts: the middle and distal parts both innervated by the sciatic nerve as opposed to the upper part innervated by the obturator nerve.  The middle part attaches to the linea aspera (back of the femur) where it BECOMES the short head of biceps femoris- hence the connection as the 4th hamstring muscle.  The longest portion blends into MCL at the knee.        

Image courtesy of: anatomytrains.com

2 Ways to tell your pain is not from your shoulder

If only we had a $1 every time someone came in and told us of their pain in the back of their shoulder. You know the spot, right in between your spine and shoulder blade. You have may have even tried to get a ball or someone’s thumb and place it directly on that spot. Sure, it may have changed but our question to you is ‘for how long’?

A lot of the time the site of pain is not necessarily the problematic area. This is, as one of our famous lecturers from university would say, ‘ A trap for you young players’.

So how can you definitively, no questions asked, with certainty say that is not the problem? Well let’s dig a little deeper and ask you a few more questions.

1. Do you sometimes get a referral to the side of your arm or shoulder?

2. Are you more aware of the symptoms in the evening, do you get occasional pin and needles to your fingers? More so, do you feel the need to bring your arm overhead to reduce those symptoms?

If you answered yes to any of those questions then we can tell you that is not coming from your shoulder blade but ‘potentially’ from your neck. We say potentially as there are other co-factors that need to be ruled out but it is a common area. This is where it now gets interesting, as we like to dig a little deeper. Why is your neck compensating, which other areas of your body not playing nice that may be affecting your neck. Again, treating the site of pain will not give you long-term relief.

Where to from here?

Go see a therapist that does a thorough history, examination and has a good knack in understanding in human movement. Thankfully we at Kinetic Healthcare, tick all three of those boxes. Not only are we good at assessing human movement we obsess over it. Think of us as being Sherlock Holmes for your bodies pain.

Do yourself and your body a favour and book an appointment below or call the clinic directly on (02) 8091 6745

Hip impingement. What is it and how do you fix it?

Hip impingement

Hip impingement pain is something that has been coming into clinic a lot lately, so we just wanted to break it down a little bit.

Hip impingement is when the ball joint of the femur (leg bone) “pinches” against the socket joint of the acetabulum (pelvis bone).  This can happen for a few reasons.  Anatomically, there are a few variations of shape of the ball or the socket joint that can predispose people to increased pinching in the hips.  We call these abnormalities cam or pincer or mixed impingement types and they can be easily diagnosed on xray or MRI scan.  They can be due to hip issues at birth, previous injuries or altered biomechanics of the hip over time.     

However, if it is not genetic, it is acquired, meaning that the extra bone formation is produced over time as you learnt to walk and loaded that hip joint.  If it is acquired and you believe in epigenetics, then movement patterns and movement quality are of utmost importance to address.

A hip becomes compressed for a number of reasons.  Tightness through the hip flexors or the hip capsule can cause hip compression.  It can also occur due to tightness through the ‘short hip external rotators’ (we usually blame the piriformis but there are actually 6 different muscles here that could all be contributing).  These short hip external rotators run from the pelvis to the thigh bone and cup it like a hammock.  Therefore, when they are tight they wedge the thighbone up into its socket, causing a compressed, impinged hip.  Both of these are tightened up with prolonged sitting, which is why sitting is like smoking for your hip health. 

They may also be overworking if other muscles aren’t doing their job properly.  Very often, we find that either the lower abdominals or the gluteus maximus will be inhibited.  If the lower abdominals are inhibited, then the hip is not able to move freely, as it does not have a stable pelvis to move on, and so the low back becomes unstable whilst the hip tightens up even further.  This is why, in so many patients with low back pain, their hips also need to be addressed.  Clinically, this presents as a lack of core stability of the lower abdominals with extremely tight hip flexors and quads, also known as ‘quad dominance’. 

If the gluteus maximus is underactive, then the short hip external rotators or hamstrings will try and take over to produce hip extension and become extremely tight.  Ever done a glute bridge and cramped in the hamstring? Yeah, your hamstring is doing the work for two people because your gluteus maximus isn’t doing enough!  This is why so many people with hip issues have extremely tight hamstrings and piriformis muscles.  And as said before, tightening through the hip rotators only compounds the issue as it compresses the hip even further into the socket.

There is LOADS we can do to decompress that hip without needing surgery. Even big scary labral tears and bony impingements do NOT always need to be treated surgically.  There’s a reason why hip replacements and knee replacements STILL need to be replaced after a few years: they rarely fix the underlying issue.  They are a band-aid solution to give some relief for a few years.  Even if the joint is never completely repaired on imaging, that doesn’t mean that it has to be painful.  Studies have shown that nearly ¾ of the population will have hip conditions on imaging and yet have ZERO pain. 

We believe function is MUCH more important than structure.  The ability to differentiate hip movement from pelvis and low back movement is extremely difficult but crucial to rehabilitating anyone with hip impingement. 

At Kinetic Healthcare, our Chiropractors from our CBD and Narellan practice may also look at how your shoulders are functioning.  This is because the opposite shoulder may also be driving your hip issue.  A tight pec on the left will mess up your hips on the right, as the oblique sling (the muscle chain connecting one hip to the opposite shoulder) loses its ability to lengthen through the abdominals, and the shoulder and hip are pulled towards one another.  This is why so often patients will have a sore right hip and left shoulder or vice versa AT THE SAME TIME.  Fixing your shoulder first may be crucial to fixing your hip. 

You do NOT have to live with hip pain.  Don’t wait.  Come get assessed.  Fix it before it leads to a low back issue, a knee issue, a foot issue or a shoulder issue.  Figure out what needs to be done and then stick to the plan.  Our team of Chiropractors from our CBD and Narellan office are only too happy to help

Feel better. Move better. Perform.

Mike

My Own Marathon Journey

So I’ve just got back from New York where I did the TCS New York City marathon with a group of 45 amazing everyday athletes. 

It was an incredible experience.  It felt like half of New York showed up on the day to help get us over the line.  Yet, for me, getting there was definitely not a smooth journey.

My training was interrupted majorly back in June when I fractured my foot- a left second metatarsal fracture.  It’s something as practitioners we don’t talk enough about, but yes, we also get injured.     

The healing process was slow going.  I hobbled around on it for 2 weeks in denial, even though I KNEW it was broken.  Talk about human nature at it’s finest.  Eventually I admitted I had to face the fact and get an x-ray, which confirmed my suspicion.

The moon boot felt incredibly restrictive, particularly for someone like myself who spends the majority of my time in a no drop, minimal sole lift, flexible barefoot shoe.  There was definitely a lesson in there on the effects of a functional long leg on the rest of the body (yes, those extra few centimetres on one side of the body can give you low back pain, shoulder pain, neck pain). 

Even in the boot, it was painful for another 3-4 weeks and being on my feet all day meant that it was probably getting way more loading than it should have.  After one month I decided that it wasn’t healing as fast as it should, and so I regressed onto crutches when not at work.  Two weeks of that and it finally felt like it was beginning to make progress.

All in all, it took over 9 weeks to get out of the boot.  I would play in and out of my barefoot shoes, even though at the end of a long day my foot would be painful.  It infuriated me- I was the barefoot guy, I had to wear barefoot shoes! I didn’t want to drive more compensation into the system by wearing regular shoes aka foot coffins.  I didn’t “identify” with them anymore.  It took 9 weeks to let go of my barefoot shoes for a time and move into something with a bit more cushioning. They felt more comfortable (read: I felt less vulnerable) in them, and that was as good a reason as any.

It took me 10 weeks to ask for help.  To let go of my ego enough to admit that I couldn’t do this on my own, that I needed someone to keep me accountable.  I felt like I could go for a run, but I also knew I wasn’t ready.  I hadn’t earnt the right to return to running just yet.  I had my shit to work on.   

Seeking help was a HUGE turning point in my recovery, both physiologically and psychologically.  I was able to begin loading it again.  It finally felt like I was making progress, that New York was back on track.

Of course, it wasn’t all smooth sailing from there.  There was the rehab, the daily exercises, working on my breathing, my pelvic control, my hip control, my foot control.  And then the gradual reloading of the foot and ankle.  I had only four long runs before New York and the furthest I’d ran was 26km.  I boarded that plane not really knowing 100% how I would fare on the day.  Yet I did it.  And not only did I finish, but I ran a 20 minute personal best.

I have learnt a lot about myself on this journey.  Not just about the training errors that I made, but more so throughout the process of rehabilitation.

Firstly, healing is not served by the ego: it is hindered by it.  My healing was massively slowed down by my ego.  My ego that denied I was injured in the first place.  My ego that I didn’t need to ask anyone for help.  My ego that I only wore minimalist shoes, even when I could FEEL they weren’t appropriate at that time (thankfully, I’m back in them now!).  My ego that I’m a runner, always been a runner, and running a marathon is a piece of cake.

I remember experiencing this weird dichotomy between practitioner me and patient me.  It was so easy to objectify my injury and my experience, to turn it into just another clinical scenario.  Talking with colleagues, that is exactly what it would become: we would discuss healing time frames, bone remodeling, loading rates, biomechanics and nutritional supplementation.  On one hand, this was extremely helpful, as it allowed me to get spaciousness from my injuries and know that they were only temporary, that there was a natural healing progression that would occur.

Yet, on the other hand, on some level, it fell short.  It didn’t capture how angry I felt that I was injured.  I was pissed!

But I think there was a lesson in that I needed to learn: caring too much is not a problem.  It’s a sign of your aliveness.  You ARE supposed to care A LOT when you have an injury.  It’s about caring A LOT, but not drowning in it.  If I could say one thing to people who are looking for a health practitioner to help them on their journey, it would be to choose one that isn’t afraid to speak clinical truths but who can do that from a place of compassion and empathy that does not dismiss your experience.  I for one am extremely grateful to be surrounded by such intelligent and caring healthcare practitioners.   

People get obsessed with a particular movement practice.  On one hand, that’s great, but when you have an injury, you realize that a movement practice is also only human (by the way, so is programming; the perfect training program doesn’t exist- it needs to be adaptable to the athlete).  No singular practice is the answer to all your problems forevermore.  When you’re injured, you either realize that or you go crazy with pent up energy you do not have alternate means to expel.  

We are born to run.  It is innate to all of us and for that it is as human as it gets.  On one hand, it is the perfect movement practice, on the other, it is as flawed as all of us.  It was a powerful acceptance for me that running wasn’t the answer to all my problems.  I had shit to work on- places to explore physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Most importantly, I had to realize that I needed to slow myself down and give myself permission to heal.  I had to let go of the rigidity that I wore as a sort of dysfunctional, brittle armour and soften; let go of Yang and rediscover Yin.  Everyone just sees the glory of crossing the finish line, but that is not the home of healing and repair.  Healing originates from a place of stillness, quiet and isolation.

It’s even trickier training with a group.  For me, the training FOMO became very real, and it began to feel like I was falling behind the others in the progress I was making.  It was important for me to remember everyone was on their own journey.  I was putting so much pressure on myself to just get better as quickly as possible without fully accepting my current situation.  There was a lot of anxiety.  Yet, I realized, my job was actually quite simple: all I had to do was to ask myself, every single day, what it was I could do for my body in that moment to maximize its capacity to heal.  In my opinion, I don’t believe most people slow down enough, even when they’re injured, to fully realize their healing potential.  It’s about acceptance of the situation whilst rejecting notions of helplessness and permanency.          

I always thought that the idea was to end suffering as quickly as possible.  Now, I realize, any injury is an opportunity, a lesson.  It’s there to teach you something about your self.  I do not promote pointless suffering (usually the suffering that we layer on top of the suffering because of our conditioning- the “Everyone will be so disappointed in me if I am not performing at my peak”; “I’m a failure because I have this injury”; “There must be something deeply wrong with me because no one else seems to be struggling with their training” kind of self-talk) but at the very least I encourage people to explore it enough, walk up stream with it enough, to investigate from where its flow originates.  .  At the very least, it’s a lesson in getting comfortable with being uncomfortable.  That, to me, is the role of a healthcare practitioner: not to take your suffering away, but to help you navigate through it.

People who do TED talks make it sound like they were broken but now they’re fixed- that they’re fully realized and that they have the answer.  What a load of crap.  I’ve injured so many things.  But in many ways, each one has taught me something that has made me a better practitioner and a more empathetic human.  They are part of the process.  When it comes to health, there is no ‘end point’, no magic finish line.  The patients who get the most out of care are the ones who realize that it’s an ongoing exploration.  Injuries will come and go and with each day you are a different person to the person you were the day before based on the choices you’ve made up to that point.     

Everyone is on their own journey, myself included.  All I can do is love each and everyone for the journey that they are on; love them as subjects of their OWN lives.  And they don’t need to be on board with any kind of agenda, including the ones I set for them.  There’s not much more really I can offer than to walk with them as little or as much as they want me to.  To wear my mistakes and give them hope that we can all still kick ass not in spite of but BECAUSE of these messes. 

I’m not the same runner I was 6 months ago.But I now know why it is I run: that feeling of flight.I just need to remember to come ground myself occasionally too.

6 Tips to Fix Your Running Issues

Running season is upon us.  For most of us, that means getting those running shoes back on our feet and battling the cold, dark mornings to get outside and get those legs pumping.

But, for a lot of us, it also means those old aches and pains may begin to get a bit niggly again.

Running injuries are EXTREMELY common- far more common than we would like.  Research suggests that up to 90% of recreational runners will get an injury at some stage.

If you do get injured, it’s not the end of the world.  Follow these 6 simple steps to get back on track quick-smart and then perform at your peak.

1.      Get professionally assessed!

Pain should never be ignored.  It is the body’s way of telling you something is up: that if you continue doing what you’re doing you may hurt yourself. 

Pain is an opportunity.  It is a chance to understand your body better and then improve how you move and function.  We have never had a patient who didn’t learn something about themselves from their experience with us.  True injury prevention is about understanding why it occurred in the first place.  Very often most people simply don’t know what they don’t know. 

So don’t just push through pain.  Enroll into pain school at Kinetic Healthcare and embark on a journey of self-improvement.

Call 9232 5277 or book online at www.kinetichealthcare.com.au

2.      Fix your running technique

If running is the cause of your injuries, it only makes sense to get your running technique assessed. 

Something we see a lot at Kinetic is people who over-stride.  Over-striding is when you land with your foot too far away from your centre of mass.  This is commonly associated with heel striking, increased tibial angle and knee locking, which are associated with injuries throughout the body, as well as decreased energy efficiency. 

At Kinetic, we use motion capture video analysis to film and assess our runners’ technique, breaking it down from foot strike through to mid-stance and toe off.  This allows us to identify key running technique issues that may be predisposing someone to injury.  We pride ourselves on treating not just pain, but the CAUSE of pain.  If you’re not looking at HOW you are running, you are missing half the picture.

Call 9232 5277 or book a running technique assessment at www.kinetichealthcare.com.au

3.      Back off the training load

Up to 85% of running injuries are due to training errors.  These most commonly occur because people have increased their running intensity or duration too quickly for their body to accommodate.  Remember the 10-30% rule!

At Kinetic, we will ALWAYS ask you about your training load because it is an integral part of getting you back to running pain-free as well as understanding why you got injured in the first place.

4.      Avoid running down hill

When you run down hill, you are more likely to over-stride.  This causes increased forces to be attenuated by your body when you run.  Thus, if you are managing an injury, avoid running down hill for some time.

5.      Vary the terrain

The body is adaptable and resilient.  It loves variation.  Varying the terrains you are running on may help better manage the loads from the ground up when you run.  Therefore, get off the concrete for a bit and try running on the grass.

6.      Mix up your training

You don’t become a great runner from ONLY running.  You become a great runner from having a well-structured, specific training program, of which running training is one part. 

All runners should be doing strength and conditioning.  It is associated with injury prevention as well as improved performance.  From our perspective, we have never rehabilitated an injury without some form of exercise prescription. 

If running training is more of what you want, try running in the pool.  It is just like running on the ground, but the idea is to run through the water, focusing on keeping your shoulders above the level of water.  This is a great way to still get all the training benefits of running training without the impact of running on solid ground.

So there you have it.  Here are lots of practical ways you can get out of injury quick-smart and remain that way.  After all, it is the smart runner who stays injury-free.

If you have any questions, feel free to get in contact with us! Email mike@kinetichealthcare.com.au or book in for a consultation at www.kinetichealthcare.com.au or by phoning 9232 5277. 

Alternative Foot Solutions are Sydney podiatrists, providing treatment for bunions, heel pain & plantar fasciitis and other foot related conditions from their 2 clinics in Sydney CBD and Manly Vale. AFS provide freedom from foot pain without the need for surgery, drugs or orthotics through gentle hands on manipulation that addresses the underlying cause of your condition.

Kinetic Healthcare are Sydney chiropractors that provide treatment for conditions such as back and neck pain, shoulder pain, knee pain and ankle pain. They have two convenient locations, within the CBD and Narellan. They strive to find the underlying problem not just treating the symptoms.  

Runners knee. What is it? How to go about fixing it!

Considered by many as a great recreational activity with the added health benefits, running is a common activity that is performed by many different individuals from all walks of life. However it is not as simple as putting one foot in front of the other at a quickened pace.

Different mechanics of your body need to work in conjunction, if not it can lead to injury, a prime example being your knee.

Runners knee (patellar femoral pain syndrome) is a pain that is commonly found around one’s kneecap. Often it is attributed to an over use injury and as mentioned previously, the inability for the body to perform a specific task at a specific moment. The common culprit is an inability for the quadriceps muscle (rectus femoris) to activate when it need to. This then leads to overuse of the tendon that attaches to the top of the kneecap, resulting in pain. Other signs that you have runners knee is pain going up or down stairs and the inability to weight bare on the affected side.

So what can you do about it? Rest is not best nor is avoiding the issue as you are only avoiding the movement that is not working correctly in the first place. A strengthening program focused on improving quadriceps strength would be recommended. Getting an accurate diagnosis but most importantly, working out where in your biomechanics is not performing optimally would be high on the priority list.

At Kinetic Healthcare our team of sports chiropractors constantly see individuals with runners knee and affiliated knee pain issues. With many misconceptions out there on knee pain, both in the assessment and treatment of it, we wanted to bring out a product that was informative, accurate and to the point.

‘The 5 Steps to annihilating knee pain’ e-book is a step by guide on how to help you with your road to recovery from knee pain.

We hope you enjoy it as much as we did putting together

Yours in health 

The Kinetic Healthcare Team

A shoulder to cry on or a shoulder that cries? Understanding and overcoming shoulder pain.

While the proverbial ‘pain in the neck’ gets plenty of publicity, our experience here at Kinetic Healthcare is that pain in the shoulder is just as hard to bear. When youv’e hurt your shoulder,  so many of life’s daily activities become painful: getting dressed, picking up a bag or your children, gardening, driving,  even lying in bed.

The shoulder is a jointwhich is made up of thecollarbone (clavicle),  the shoulder blade (scapula) and the arm bone (humerus). Held together by muscles, ligaments, and tendons, the shoulder must be both mobile enough to undertake a large range of movements while also being stable enough to enable you to push, pull and lift. And here’s the rub: because achievinga balance between movement and stability is a delicate business, the shoulder experiencesa high incidence of problems.

The majority of shoulder injuries arise from damage to the soft tissue surrounding the joint.  Many individuals experience problems with tears and inflammation of the shoulder muscles (rotator cuff), caused by ageing, sports injuries,  trauma or repeated use.  Pain surrounding the shoulder blade is often linked to long periods of sitting at a computer, where poor posture puts additional strain on the shoulder and shoulder blade muscles. Other issue include dislocations, ‘frozen shoulder’ and complications arising from arthritis. Tendonitisand inflammation of the bursa – fluid filled sac that protects the shoulder -  are also responsible for the debilitating pain and loss of movement associated with shoulder injury.


If you are one of the many individuals who suffer from shoulder problems,  here are four vital steps to help heal your shoulder:

1. Avoid aggravating the problem : If there are activitiesthat make your shoulder hurt,  like working at the computer,  lifting weights or raising your arms,  then try to reduce these actions as much as possible.

2.  Take action against inflammation :  In addition to resting the region,  it may help to regularly ice the affected shoulder regionfor 20 minutes at a time. Anti-inflammatory medication may also help as a short term optionfor reducing the swelling.

3. Work on flexibility and strength. If you have reduced flexibility in your shoulder area, your shoulder capsule is placed under extra pressure. Consult your healthcare practitioner about ways in which you can increase flexibility and strength in your shoulder. It’s important that you balance any resistance training with a thorough mobility routine, focusing on your neck, chest and muscles in your back.

4. Care for your shoulders There are lots of ways you can reduce the load your shoulders bear on a daily basis. Try to carry only the bare essentials and practice good posture when you sit at the computer. Consider whether the pillow you are using offers enough support to your neck and shoulder region. Lastly, avoid long drives where possible, as extensive periods with arms outstretched on the steering wheel can be a source of strain.

Shoulder pain can take a long time to heal but the good news is you are not alone.  Here at Kinetic Healthcare, we are serious about sharing the load, and our team of health professionals are qualified to diagnose and developa personalised recovery plan for your specific shoulder injury.

Call us on (02)9262 6473 or click the link below today!

The team at Kinetic Healthcare

Do you have Tech neck?

I've got a really important question for you - how much time do you spend texting, emailing from your phone or smart device, flicking through social media, or just generally looking down at your smart devices?

If your answer was a lot, or more than you should and you are suffering from acute neck pain you may be experiencing Tech Neck. Tech Neck is a repetitive strain injury and one that is seen in a growing number of patients.

An increasing number of teens and adolescents are experiencing aggravating muscle pain in their necks, shoulders and occasionally their lower backs. This causes them to be in a lot of pain and they often experience headaches as a result of hunching over their smart devices.

Keep reading…

I'm going to tell you how to reduce the risk of Tech Neck so you can be pain free, whilst enjoying your smart devices and correcting your posture – all at the same time!

So why does it happen?
 

Looking down and dropping your head forward changes the natural curve of your spine and neck. Repetitive misalignment causes muscles to strain and cause wear and tear on the structures of your neck.
 

What can you do if you are already showing the signs and symptoms of Tech Neck?
 

The first and best thing you can do is improve your posture. What we recommend is using these two simple prevention rules:

1. Look forward! Don't tilt your chin down to look at your smart devices, try moving the device up towards eye level, just like your desktop screen should be.
2. Straighten on up! If your posture isn't perfect, try doing shoulder extensions. Arch your neck and upper back backward, pulling your shoulders into alignment under your ears. This simple stretch can alleviate stress and muscle pain

If you are experiencing any symptoms of Tech Neck, the next step is to book in for an assessment to really get to the root of the problem.  We can recommend a series of exercises to help strengthen both your neck and back muscles and devise a treatment plan if needed.

If Tech Neck is preventing you from performing the activities you enjoy or if you believe the way you are using your phone places you at risk of developing neck pain in the future, please call Kinetic Healthcare on (02) 9262 6473 for an appointment.
 

Speak Soon

The team at Kinetic Healthcare

Debunking the top 5 Chiropractic myths

The most common statement I hear from patients is “I never knew that chiropractors do this”. Unfortunately, for the most part, the perception of Chiropractic is not well understood and because of this it causes many misconceptions, fears and ill-informed advice. As a proud sports chiropractor I believe the best way to dispel these fears is via education.

1.  Chiropractors only treat the spine – While we specialize in treating back and neck pain, we have a thorough understanding of the whole mechanics of how the human bodies works. Treating injuries involving the upper body, lower body and even jaw is one of the many things we do.

2.  Chiropractic is unsafe – Like any medical intervention has its own risks, adjustments/manipulations/western acupuncture also have their risks albeit small. The key is in making sure your chiropractor takes a thorough history to fully appreciate what is going on with you. Then they can make a sound decision which technique (soft tissue, manipulation, acupuncture) will be the most safe and effective or if you need to be referred to another practitioner.

3.  Once you see a chiropractor you have to see them forever – Absolutely not. Our primary objective is to get you back doing what you love to do – fast. If people wish to continue treatment to allow their bodies perform at their best that is totally up to them.

4.  I have been told by previous chiropractors, physiotherapists and osteopaths to stop my training or exercise - The question I always ask these people is why? Squats, deadlifts or running did not cause your pain although it may hurt when doing it. More so, it is your body telling you something, somewhere is not working correctly and it is your practitioner’s job to fix it. The only way to do that is to test the waters.

5.  Chiropractors only use ‘adjustments/manipulations’ as treatment’- Traditionally this is how Chiropractic was first founded, nowadays many Chiropractors utilize many varied treatment approaches. At Kinetic Healthcare we utilize Active release technique A.R.T (soft tissue technique), dry needling/western acupuncture, exercise rehabilitation, and many others to deal with your bodily complaints.

If you would like to finally resolve your body pain we would love to help you.

We at Kinetic Healthcare are offering all Alternative foot solution clients a free movement assessment for the next month. Bookings are strictly limited to the first 10 people (Please mention at the time of booking).

To make an appointment contact the clinic on (02)9262-6473 or www.kinetichealthcare.com.au