Initially you didn't believe chiropractic care was any good, but now you stand corrected.

Initially you didn’t believe chiropractic care was any good, but now you stand corrected

Too often, chiropractic care is still a shrouded mystery as there are misconceptions that perpetuate misinformation and downplay the benefit of chiropractic care. Patients often find our clinic as a result of a direct referral from a family member or friend, so it goes without saying that patients may feel anxious when entering our clinic, a little uncertain of what manual therapy is.

To add a little context, the word chiropractic is a combination of the two Greek words ‘cheir’ meaning to hand and ‘praktos’ meaning to done or done by hand. A very fitting name if you ask our very own Chris!

Chiropractic care focuses on your muscles, bones and joints. The care we provide in our clinic helps you to feel your best, as we work alongside you to prescribe a change in your lifestyle, exercises or provide chiropractic adjustments. The end goal is for you to get back on track and live your best life.

Things you should know about chiropractic care

Chiropractic care isn’t ‘new’

Chiropractic care dates back to ancient Egypt, however the first reported adjustment was performed in the late 1800s with a strong focus on massage and meridian therapies. Today, chiropractic care has evolved and adapted.

At Kinetic Healthcare, we provide a current and effective varied treatment approach that includes; movement assessment screens, manipulations, soft tissue releases, dry needling, bracing, taping and exercise prehabilitation and rehabilitation. 

By assessing movement and function, our care will be a beneficial tool towards preventing further injuries and can enhance one’s athletic performance.

Consistency is key

Usually, patients will seek our care when they are in a lot of pain. Like most treatments, chiropractic treatments won’t cure your body in just one or two sessions. We treat each client that walks through our door individually, as we know that each body will have a different healing capacity. 

Keeping in mind, we provide individualised rehabilitation programs and we encourage our clients to remain consistent in their exercises and movement to ensure we are on track with health goals. 

Regular tune up sessions are always helpful when staying on track with your health goals. A check in is ideal to remain focused on the improvement of lifestyle and ensuring your body is working and moving as naturally as possible.

The safest of the healthcare professions 

Chiropractic care is a safe healthcare method, and while you may experience some soreness after a session, there are no negative long term effects. Our clients leave the clinic pain free and with a feeling of instant rejuvenation.  

Our care is often known to be safe due to its non-invasive, drug free remedies. For the majority of our patients, it is often they will obtain immediate relief after chiropractic treatment. There are few cases where patients will experience mild aching, stiffness or soreness however this should cease 24 hours post treatment.

Chiropractic care is an essential health service. Book in an assessment today and we can put in place an individualised rehabilitation plan to keep you on track with your health goals.

Kinetic Healthcare’s Lockdown Health Tips

Now more than ever, practicing self care is essential when it comes to taking care of our physical and mental well being during these lockdowns. Focusing on what makes us feel nourished will ease feelings of stress and anxiety that we may be experiencing at the moment.

We have five important health tips that we feel should be implemented to your routines. 

Sleep routine

Maintain a healthy sleep routine, getting 7-9 hours of sleep every night. We encourage you to maintain your usual wake up and sleep times as best as possible to sustain your routine. 

Breathing and Gratitude

When feeling down or stressed, or just having a bad day, practicing breathing and gratitude exercises are a powerful exercise to get you back on track. Each day, we encourage you to write down or say aloud 3 things that you are grateful for and practice mindful breathing with 30 deep breaths when you wake up.

Exercise

Each day, get some sunshine and move! We encourage at least 30 minutes of exercise a day. This can be a walk around the block, a gym session or following an online dance video. Whatever it is, do something that keeps you moving and gets you away from the desk and lets out energy.

Make a call the old fashioned way

There are myriad ways to effectively communicate these days however the old fashioned way still proves best. Pick up the phone and call your family and friends rather than texting them, take the time to have a conversation and get sucked into those lengthy calls catching up. Calls are a great excuse to get you walking about too, we have all been there on the phone and taking a stroll. 

Random acts of kindness

Kindness promotes empathy and compassion. In these uncertain times, it is important that we practice kindness to release positivity into the current negative emotions we may be experiencing. We feel better and appreciative of the acts of kindness, which can encourage a ripple effect and call to others to do the same.

Chiropractic care is an essential health service. Book in an assessment today and we can put in place an individualised rehabilitation plan to keep you on track with your health goals.

Chiropractic care is still necessary even if you aren’t in pain

It is quite common to think that you must be experiencing pain in order to be assessed by a chiropractor, however there is so much for chiropractic care then just pain relief. Chiropractic care can prevent misalignments from becoming major issues later down the track. Consider these benefits when seeking chiropractic care, even without pain.

Reducing stress

During these uncertain times of lockdown, stress factors can be heightened. Chiropractic adjustments and care will assist you with your body’s response to the repercussions of work, family and friends or other stresses. Chiropractic care can help to decrease muscle tension, improve circulation and promote relaxation. 

Enhanced athletic performance

Regular chiropractic care not only addresses aches and pains, it will also enhance your athletic functionality with increased range of motion. Chiropractic care will help reduce inflammation, boost your immune system, reduce mental stress, enhance your pulmonary function, relieve tight muscles as well as increase your energy levels.

Reduce risk of injury 

Undergoing regular treatment will treat misalignments and areas of tightness before the possibility of a full-blown injury. When participating in regular rehabilitation, your range of movement does improve and assist with reducing the risk of injury.

Better posture

It goes without saying that chiropractic care assists with improving your posture. Our previous blogs speak about tech neck, which describes a forward head position where your jaw is pushing a further 2-3 inches than it naturally should, adding pressure to the cervical joints. Adjustments will realign your natural posture as well as encourage you to become habitual to sit or stand with balanced posture.

Chiropractic care isn’t just for when you are sore and stressed. Book an assessment today and we can assess where you are at with your posture and range of movement and put in place an individualised plan to allow you to stay on track with your health goals.

Training in the Winter Months

Don’t let the winter months stop you from your regular training routine! Your body counteracts the cold with an increased pulse rate, which will increase your energy consumption immensely and make your training more efficient. 

It is extremely important to train properly during winter to reduce the risk of injury or sickness.

Here are some helpful tips when you are training this winter!

Dress in layers

When you train in winter, it is best to dress in easy to remove layers. Your body temperature wil climatise appropriately to the weather and reduce your risk of injuring yourself. 

Take your time warming up

Your body is going to take a little longer to warm up in winter, and a cold start can increase the risk of injury. Training without warming up can lead to a shock to your muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints. Reduce your risk of injury by taking your time to warm up and stretch your body.

Don’t stay outside too long

It is always best to try and train at those times of the warmest and where you are  receiving the most sun if you are training outside. However, if you are training outside try to make sure you are regulating your body temperature following a training session to ensure your immune system is not vulnerable. 

Protect your skin

Despite the cold winds and weather, you still are at risk of sunburns! Even keeping your skin hydrated is extremely important, ensuring you are drinking at least 2 litres a day and applying lotion as necessary. 

Breathe right

If you have ever gotten your heart rate up when the temperatures are getting cold, you will know the feeling is different to working out in warmer temperatures. It can actually hurt to breathe because your body is reacting to the cold and dry air you are breathing. Your airway passages actually  become narrow in colder weather, making inhalation difficult. Thus it is important to ensure you are continuing to breathe through your nose and out through your mouth. Taking regular breaks to ensure you aren’t over exerting yourself.

If you are training this winter, ensure that you are using correct movement techniques. If things are not moving appropriately, it can lead to compensations elsewhere in the body which can increase risk of injury. We highly recommend coming in for an assessment if you are feeling unusual pain or if you are compensating due to pain, so we can help you avoid injuries.

Do you want to know more about what techniques or methods you should be using this winter? Book in an assessment and we can advise you what you should be doing during your winter workouts! 

Common Chiropractic Myths Busted

Chiropractic care has been a proven method to back pain and chronic conditions for many years. Methods in providing care have shifted over time and with the adaptation to modern technology, chiropractic care is rapidly becoming an alternative form of health care.

Despite this, too often there are myths that still surround our field of work and the viability of our care. So we are going to bust them for you.

Myth 1: Chiropractors just crack backs

Although cracking can be a part of your rehabilitation program, it is not the be-all-and-end-all solution to your pain, nor is it the only method we use in our clinic. Chiropractic care does focus on spinal manipulation where we have a deep understanding of how your spine and related structures are intrinsically connected to the functionality of your body. 

You may have heard us say how “everything is connected” in our bodies,  which yes, that is true! As an example, your pain may stem in your knee, however the root problem may originate in your hip. This can be the case for multiple patients. 

In addition to manipulation techniques, we also incorporate:

• Active Release Techniques

• Strengthening and conditioning exercises

• Mobilisation; gentle movement of your joint to increase range of motion

• Stretching and massage

• Lifestyle modification advice

• Adjustments of other joints around your body

So no, we do not just crack backs all day. We incorporate a plethora of techniques that will target your injury or pain.

Myth 2: There’s no proof that chiropractic care helps

Chiropractic care includes evidence based treatments for musculoskeletal pain. With that being said, our work is majorly based on evidence based treatments that have proven worthy to use on patients. 

We constantly stay updated with modern techniques that are integrated into practice and always ensure these methods have research to back it up. 

Chiropractic care isn’t just for those patients that are injured. Chiropractic care increases energy, vitality and helps to improve sleep. Receiving chiropractic care on a regular basis improves everyday movement and technique, reducing risk of injury.

Myth 3: Chiropractors just treat back pain

As the above information presents, we treat musculoskeletal pain, so beyond back pain, we assist with all body pain types. The benefits of chiropractic care extend beyond the back.

Although spinal manipulation is a regular treatment of chiropractic care, the body is intrinsically connected with the spine the centre of connection. 

As the back is a sensitive area, easily prone to injury, we take back pain very seriously at our clinic. We stress the importance of proper lifting techniques and advise appropriate movement techniques to reduce your risk of back pain.

Have we busted some myths for you?

We hope that busting these myths has helped your perspective of chiropractic care. We always provide treatments that are evidence based, appropriate to the patients and reduce the risk of injury.

Want to find out more about what chiropractic care can do for you and your health? Call our clinic today or book online to receive a thorough assessment of your movement and we can issue you an individualized rehabilitation program. 

Take you rehabilitation journey with Kinetic Healthcare and book our appointment today.

Choose stretching over stressing

Stretching is a form of physical exercise where we target specific muscles or tendons to deliberately flex or stretch to improve elasticity and achieve comfortable muscle tone. When you stretch, you increase your muscle control, flexibility and range of motion. 

Stretching keeps your muscles flexible, strong and healthy. When you maintain regular stretching, you also maintain a healthy range of motion in your joints. Without it, your muscles will shorten and become tight, reducing your range of motion and limiting its ability to perform at its best. You are at risk of joint pain, statins and muscle damage if avoided.

For those of you that are office workers, sitting at your desk for the majority of the day, results in tight hamstrings. That is why we always recommend regular breaks during your workday to avoid tight muscles. 

For those that are participating in regular sports or exercise sessions, avoiding stretching to then perform in strenuous activities can also cause damage to your muscles. Injured muscles may not be strong enough to support the joints, which can lead to joint injury. Stretching prior and post workout is best for optimal performance.

Regular stretching keeps muscles long and flexible, and your healthy muscles will help you with your balance.

The idea of daily stretching may not always be achievable. However, you do not need to stretch every muscle you have, every day. The critical areas are your lower extremities, your calves, hamstrings, hip flexors in the pelvic area and quadriceps in the front of the thigh. Focusing on these areas is a priority. Also, stretching your shoulders, neck and lower back are beneficial. Following a program of daily stretches at least three to four times a week will be great for you. Download our great (and free) e-book, which provides a range of releases and stretches to perform prior and post workout.

Stretching once today won’t magically give you the perfect flexibility and cure your pain. However, when you maintain a regular stretching routine and are committed to the process, you will begin to notice differences in your range of motion. 

Book an assessment with either Kirsten, Zac or Chris where you will be thoroughly assessed and guided to which stretches are best for your range of motion. You will receive an individualized treatment plan that will target injured areas or sore spots. 

Take your rehabilitation journey with Kinetic Healthcare and book your appointment today.

Maintaining Good Posture

Maintaining Good Posture

Having proper posture is essential for your spine health. Your good posture in sitting and standing leads to an improvement in blood flow and maintains great support for your muscles, ligaments and tendons as a result of having proper alignment.

So what is posture?

Posture is how you hold your body and there are two types.

1. Dynamic Posture is how you hold yourself when you are moving 

2. Static Posture is how you hold yourself when you are still or not moving

It is important to have good dynamic and static posture. The key to achieve this is to ensure you maintain the three natural curves of your spine, the neck, mid back and low back. 

Too often, we assess that posture is affecting a patient’s pain, hence we encourage proper technique and posture when performing daily tasks and when participating in physical activity.

Poor posture can affect many parts of your health, including;

• Misalign your musculoskeletal system

• Cause neck, shoulder and back pain due to being misaligned

• Decrease your flexibility or range of motion

• Affect how well your joints move 

• Makes it harder to digest food and breathe

Proper posture enables your muscles to coordinate efficiently, as your body is utilising less energy to perform this natural task when you are positioned in an unnatural stance. By doing so, you are eliminating muscle fatigue allowing you to perform tasks for longer.

Your correct posture aids in preventing back and muscular pain as you are standing with your spinal joints in place. With your aligned spinal joints, the possibility to injure is minimised as a result. Having correct posture decreases the abnormal wearing of joints as they are properly aligned.

Improve your posture starting now

Be mindful of your posture during your everyday tasks and exercise. Correct your posture when necessary to prevent increased risk of injury.   

Adjust your chair

For those who are sitting at a desk for the majority of the day, correctly adjusting your spine to support proper posture is increasingly important. The height and angle of your chair should allow your feet to be parallel to the floor, this is an integral part. Your feet must be grounded on the floor, raising or moving your feet to a different position will disrupt the alignment of proper posture. The backrest of your chair should be angled at 90-11 degrees to allow your shoulders and low back to comfortably rest against it.

Treat yourself to regular breaks

Ideally, you shouldn't be in the same position for more than 30 minutes. Yes, we understand that this may be inconvenient at times, especially during those long work meetings. However, your body was made to move and when it stops, it reduces normal functions. 

Our Narellan chiropractors can assess your posture and provide you an individualised treatment plan. Book with Kinetic Healthcare online or give us a call on (02) 4666 2796.

Beat the heat during your summer workouts

If your motivation to work out wavers when the temperature climbs, don’t throw in the towel just yet. Instead, prepare for the heat with a few extra precautions in place. 

Water intake

It goes without saying that water intake is important any time of year. In summer, don’t just drink when you are thirsty, drink regularly during the session. Regular water intake helps you regulate your body temperature. When you are low on fluids, fatigue can begin to set in and you will be unable to perform optimally. 

If you consume coffee or high caffeinated drinks prior to working out, these can act as a diuretic and cause you more fluid loss than normal. 

Wear Sunscreen and light-coloured clothes

Darker clothing attracts more sunlight, causing you to feel the heat quicker. Wearing lightweight light-coloured clothing is a great way to beat the heat when you are working out. Also wearing sunscreen with a high SPF is important, to decrease chances of sunburn and related issues. 

Schedule the right time

Picking the right time of day to workout is so important to beat the heat this summer. We suggest to not workout outdoors between 10am and 3pm, as that is when the heat is most intense. Early morning or late day workouts are the best times to beat the heat. 

Also avoid working out in direct sunlight. When possible, choose shady areas or covered outdoor areas when you workout this summer.

Recovery isn’t just water intake

High temperatures mean more sweat, which translates to major electrolyte loss. Recovery from this isn’t just an increased water intake. You need to focus on drinks that replace sodium but do your body a favour and not sip on artificial ingredients or added sugars. Choose to drink coconut water, cherry juice or chocolate milk (always look at the ingredients to ensure there are no added sugars).

Don’t overdo it

Don’t ignore your body when you begin to feel exhausted, or the heat is getting too much. Exercising in the heat and pushing yourself too hard is the easiest way to burn out and bring your fitness journey to a halt. 

If you are feeling tired, dizzy, nauseated or faint, listen to your body and stop. 

Prepare for your summer workouts with these tips! 

We want to wish everyone a great new year ahead, with a bright and healthy journey. Start the year off on the right foot with Kinetic Healthcare and book your appointment online or give us a call on (02) 4666 2796.

Tips to Stay on Track This Silly Season

Many can agree that the silly season is stressful! From planning catch ups to the endless menu you will be preparing for Christmas Day, the month of December can be hectic. One thing that we want you to remember this holiday season is to remain on track with your health goals.

Yes, that does include enjoying your Christmas meal and dessert!

With those hot summer days ahead, Kinetic Healthcare has some tips to help you stay on track!

1. Staying hydrated

This goes without saying during our intense summer weather. Your body will thank you for it. Drinking enough water each day is crucial in regulating your body temperature, keeping your joints lubricated as well as helping to improve sleep quality, cognition and mood.

2. Eating balanced meals 

We aren’t here to tell you to stray away from the dessert table, we all deserve cake after this year! When you eat balanced meals, you are giving your body the required energy and nutritional needs to function. When you don’t eat balanced meals, your metabolism will slow down and that dessert table may not be the best option. Ensure you are consuming enough nutrients to have the energy to be able to chase the kids around this Christmas season.

3. Move regularly

For many, the time off work may mean more sleep ins and skipping that early day work out. Which is not a bad thing, our bodies deserve a break. We always encourage you to keep moving, whether that be taking a walk around the block or taking a day trip to the beach. Keep your joints moving by completing little activities everyday to maintain your fitness levels.

4. Remember the buddy system

Social support is always best as it makes exercise fun. Arrange for you and a friend to go for walks, join classes or book a tennis court for a couple hours. The buddy system is a great way to enjoy the holiday season and a great motivator to keep on track.

5. Turn off your mind

The holidays are a great time to break away from the constant thoughts of work and family, and it is extremely important to take a moment to align your soul and body. Schedule a reminder daily to set aside time, even five minutes, to concentrate on your breathing and remaining zen within the stressful season.

Staying on track in the holiday season may not be the easiest, particularly with the constant events and interrupted schedule. Setting aside some time everyday will help you in remaining on track each day, where you are still achieving your goals during the hectic season.

Stay on track with Kinetic Healthcare and book your appointment soon to ensure you can come in before the end of year. 

We wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a safe start to the New Year! Bring on 2021!

Do you deskercise?

Calling all office workers chained to their desks from morning till night! You may not realise this, but your office job is very dangerous. Having a desk-bound lifestyle is directly linked to early death from a range of causes, including diabetes, heart conditions, mental health conditions, knee pain, low back pain and a lot of other pains. 

So what is a worker chained to their desk to do? 

Luckily, if you are cubicle-bound, deskercises are an amazing way to improve your overall fitness levels and heart health. No, they do not promise any Olympic medals or a six-pack, but they do improve your strength and burn a few calories.

Here are some deskercises you can do at your desk!

Cardio

• Tap into your inner Fred Astaire and speedily tap your toes on the floor under your desk

• A simple change to your routine that gets your heart pumping is taking the stairs instead of the elevator

• Take the long way back from the printer back to your desk and get those steps up

Leg and butt

• When waiting for your printing, do some calf raises. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and press up onto your toes

• Consider leg raisers whilst sitting at your desk. Whilst seated, straighten one or both legs and hold in place for five seconds, then lower to the ground, repeat this movement. 

• Challenge co-workers with the Wall Street Sit, sitting against the wall and holding for 60 seconds. For an extra challenge, take the right ankle and rest it over the left knee, then switch.

Core

• Practice perfect posture by ensuring your chair height allows your feet, hips and arms to be at a 90-degree angle to the floor.

• Take advantage of your swivel chair by sitting upright in your chair with your feet hovering over the floor. Hold onto the edge of your desk and use your core to swivel the chair side to side. 

Other activities

• You don’t need 20kg dumbbells to curl, a regular stapler will do! Take the stapler in one hand with your palm facing upwards, bending the elbow and curling the arm toward the chest.

• Casually lean against the wall waiting for the printer or your morning coffee. Lean into the wall only using your forearm, leaning as close to the wall as possible. 

• Test your shoulder strength by rolling the back of the shoulders until the shoulder blades are pinched together and hold for 10 seconds then release. Repeat this 12-15 times. Really challenge yourself by trying to hold a pencil there!

• If your cubicle is too small for regular pushups, wall pushups work just as fine. Lean against the wall with hands flat, arms parallel to the ground and bend the elbows to bring the body toward the wall. 

It is so important for those of you that are bound to your desk to set aside regular breaks from your workspace. Set your reminder now to deskercise!