So you’ve decided to get a massage – but what type do you need? Whilst both relaxation and remedial massage are beneficial for your body, selecting the right style for your requirements could help you reach your desired outcome faster. You may need treatment for chronic pain, have a niggling sore spot you just can’t shake, or be seeking an opportunity to de-stress and relax. Read on for a brief explanation of the key differences between remedial and relaxation massage therapy to help you decide what type is best suited for you.

RELAXATION MASSAGE

A Relaxation (or Swedish) massage consists of gentle flowing strokes to help de-stress and loosen up your body. It is a pain-free way of rewarding yourself to an hour of time out from the stress of daily life. This treatment is designed to soothe and relax, not to relieve chronic pain or other underlying ailments. While a relaxation massage is not aimed at alleviating aches and pains, there are benefits to having regular relaxation massages. Gentle massage stimulates sensory nerve endings in the skin, which cause the brain to release endorphins, helping to improve stress-related symptoms.

REMEDIAL MASSAGE

If you have particular muscle tension or chronic pain, a remedial massage may be for you. Your remedial massage therapist will assess where you need treatment, based on where you are feeling tension, current sports or exercise programs you may be involved in, and work related issues that may all be contributing to the cause of your pain.

Remedial Massage works holistically to find the cause of your symptoms. Some of the key benefits include:

• stimulation to the blood supply allowing toxins in the muscles to be removed
• calming of the peripheral nervous system to ease pain and discomfort
• toning and relaxing of muscles to improve joint mobility.

Remedial massage can be used on its own or as part of a combined physio and Pilates plan and can help speed up recovery from injury, as well as prevent problems from recurring. It is ideal to counteract the effects of sitting at work all day and helps to keep your body in balance. To book a massage appointment with Currambine Massage Therapy, located at Live Well Currambine, call us on 9304 1000.

If you are troubled by numbness, pins and needles or pain in the wrist or hand, often worse at night or first thing in the morning, you could be suffering from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. This is a common condition and often responds well to physiotherapy treatment.

What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

The carpal tunnel is a small passage way between the bones and connective tissue in your wrist, through which tendons, nerves and blood vessels pass to your hand. The base of the tunnel is formed by several small bones in your wrist, known as your carpal bones. The roof is formed by connective tissue particularly your transverse carpal ligament. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome occurs when the median nerve is compressed as it passes through the tunnel. The nerve is responsible for supplying sensation and motor control to parts of the hand and therefore these are often affected. What are the symptoms?

Common symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome include:

• Numbness or pins and needles in the hand, often worse at night or first thing in the morning
• Pain in the wrist or hand, particularly at night
• Shooting pain from the wrist
• Referred pain into the forearm or arm
• Weakness and loss of motor function in the hand
• The little finger and half of the fourth finger are unaffected
• Symptoms aggravated by prolonged or repetitive flexion of the wrist

What causes Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

• Arthritis – especially rheumatoid arthritis, can cause inflammation and swelling which restrict the carpal tunnel
• Pregnancy – hormones causing general fluid retention, which can compress the median nerve.
• Wrist fracture – bone fragments can irritate the connective tissue or reduce the amount of space in the carpal tunnel
• Congenital factors – smaller carpal tunnel size
• Flexor tendons – damage or irritation to the tendons that pass through the tunnel can result in swelling and inflammation of the tendons, which can compress the median nerve. This usually occurs due to overuse of the forearm flexors, however it may also occur as a result of trauma

What are the treatment options?

Surgery is an option for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome however physiotherapy treatment is also known to be effective and is often recommended prior to surgical intervention. Treatment methods include:

• Deep tissue massage and acupuncture to release tight flexor muscles
• Carpal bone mobilisations to open the carpal tunnel
• Flexor retinaculum and tendon stretches
• Ultrasound to reduce inflammation and improve extensibility
• Nerve and tendon gliding exercises to ensure full unrestricted nerve movement
• Assessment and elimination of the cervicothoracic spine or shoulder as referral sources
• Night bracing or splinting to avoid carpal tunnel compression when sleeping
• Kinesio Taping to reduce flexor tendon tension and carpal tunnel compression
• Eccentric wrist flexor strengthening program
• Strengthening for posture, grip, fine motor skills and hand dexterity
• Ergonomic assessment to reduce contributing factors
• Activity modification of any aggravating duties

Poor mobility, alignment or stability in the spine or shoulder blade can result in poor core mechanics and increased loading of the peripheral arm muscles. This can often be evident in patients who have recurring Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. It is important to strengthen not only the forearm flexors but also the core scapular, trunk and cervical musculature. Live Well’s physiotherapists are experienced in treating Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and have had great success in helping many people avoid surgery. Contact us today to find out how we can help you.

Does your job require you to sit at a desk? Do you feel achy and sore at the end of work? Are you often wriggling around at work to find a more comfortable position? Well here’s a few tips and tricks to help your posture while you’re at your desk.

1. Set up for success

 – adjust your seat height to allow your feet to be flat and your forearms horizontal, resting at the height of your desk. (Hint: you may need a foot stool if your desk is too high) This helps to avoid working in a shrugged or hunched over position.

2. Screen height

 – line up the top of your screen at eye level to reduce excessive pressure on your neck when working on the computer.

3. Keep things close

 – your regular use items such as the mouse, phone, pens, sticky notes should all be within arm’s reach to avoid overstraining repetitively throughout the day.

4. Stand up every half hour

 – keep the blood pumping and stimulate the joints! Our bodies are made to move! So it’s not surprising that you feel stiff and sore after sitting in one spot for hours on end each day. Here are 5 easy to do exercises to keep mobile and help your posture in the comfort of your office chair.

1. Pelvic Tilts

 – Roll your pelvis forward until you’re sitting upright then scoop your pelvis under to slump back into your chair. For extra control try to keep your ribs still while your pelvis and lower back moves.

2. Thoracic Rotations 

– Sitting with your hands across your chest, gently rotate your upper body all the way to your left and then to your right. Add in a deep breath at the end of each rotation to open up the ribs!

3. Scapula Retraction

 – Gently bring your shoulder blades together at the back and feel the chest opening up. Think wide collar bones! Hold for 5 seconds before relaxing.

4. Cervical Rotations

 – Sitting up tall, look over your left shoulder, followed by the right. Try to look further around with each attempt!

5. Chin Tucks

 – Sitting up tall, tuck your chin in (to make a double chin) and hold for 5 seconds before relaxing. Your gaze should stay horizontal as you stretch your upper neck! Repeat each movement 10 times. If you’ve enjoyed these tips and exercises or want to find out more about improving your specific posture, get in touch with us today to start the process of becoming a healthier you!

Did you know that an estimated 70-90% of people will suffer from lower back pain in some form at some point in their lives? We’ve put together a series of stretches and exercises that you can use to help prevent this happening to you. First lets start with some stretches:

Knee rolls

Lie on your back with your knees bent, gently roll your knees to one side then draw back to the centre and alternate sides. Repeat 10 times on each side.

Knees to chest

Step 1: Lie on your back and hug one knee to your chest. Hold 10 seconds. Repeat 5 times for each leg. Step 2: Lie on your back and hug both knees to your chest.  Hold 30 seconds. Repeat 5 times.

Lumbar rotation

Lie on your back with your legs straight and arms out to the side.  Bend one knee and rotate through your trunk as that leg crosses over the other and gently apply pressure down with your hand.  Turn your head in the opposite direction.  Your other shoulder should not lift off the ground. Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat 5 times each side.

Child’s Pose

Start on your hands and knees.  Keep your hands on the ground as you sink your bottom down onto your heels. Hold for 30 seconds. Cat stretches

Start position: 

On your hands and knees.

Exhale:

 Tuck your head and tail bone under and lift up through your back.

Inhale:

 Curl back down and arch your back as you stick your tail bone out and look up. Repeat 10 times. Now for some exercises:

Basic Core Contraction

Rest your hands on your lower abdominals

Exhale: 

Lift pelvic floor and draw in deep abdominals. You should feel your lower abdominals drawing gently away from your fingers

Inhale:  

Hold

Exhale: 

Relax Repeat 10 times. Leg lifts

Inhale:

  Slowly lift one leg off the ground holding your knee at 90º, while keeping the other leg and hip still.

Exhale:

 Deepen core contraction and slowly lower leg to starting position. Repeat 10 times on each side, alternating sides. Pelvic tuck and curl

Exhale:

 Set pelvic floor/deep abdominals and gently contract the muscles in your bottom as you tuck your tail bone under and then curl up through your back, one vertebra at a time.

Inhale:

  Hold

Exhale: 

Slowly curl back down one vertebra at a time, untuck your tail bone and relax the muscles in your bottom.        Repeat 10 times.

Clinical Pilates – The Little Known Secret And How It Stopped Me From “Falling Apart”

I have finally discovered my ideal form of exercise. I do it lying down! Too good to be true? It is every bit true and it’s fun. I signed up for Clinical Pilates and here is the story, of how I discovered that it’s a thing. Gym Memberships Do Not Work For Me I’ve never been sporty. I hated Phys. Ed. at school. Even my young and handsome 21 year old PE teacher was not enough to inspire teenage me to love any form of team sport. The only thing I didn’t mind was volleyball. I was actually reasonably good at it too. I loved jazz ballet and aerobics when they were popular and available activities in my community.  I love going for beach walks to keep fit. I have also been known to take out the occasional gym membership but they have rarely  worked for me. Of course, I discovered that they probably would have worked if I had bothered to go. I thought you just had to join the gym to get fit!  Kidding aside, you would think that I would learn. I usually start with a three-month membership.  It’s a test I set myself to see if I’ll go. I do. Five times a week! Then I join for twelve months and never go again! I’ve always been obsessive about exercise. I obsessively did it or I obsessively didn’t do it. I Was Falling Apart – The Suddenness of My Down Hill Slide For quite a long time, I began the downhill slide into feeling physically ancient without realising it. By that I mean, my lower back started to ache, my hips started to hurt when I walked for any distance, and I just felt like I was falling apart. The pain I was feeling put me off doing any form of exercise. When I stopped exercising I started feeling low. It was the middle of winter, this year and I couldn’t or wouldn’t go for beach walks, so I gradually felt worse and worse. Eventually, I reached the point where I had just had enough. My self-talk kicked in and I reminded myself of the benefits exercise provides for fixing bad moods, so I went along to the gym that my oldest daughter goes to, and did a trial Konga class. I enjoyed it, it reminded me of Aerobics classes, so I signed up for a twelve-month membership! Of course I did! You already know what happens next. The third time I went, I couldn’t hear the instructions above the music because this particular instructor didn’t like using a microphone.  There were too many people there and there were a couple of women – a mother and daughter – who were aggressively competing for my space. I walked out half way through the class. I never went back. . I was aching constantly and so in a concerted effort to get fit and overcome all of these negative feelings, I decided to try a Pump Class instead. I yanked up the weights during my second class, and I think that was the straw that broke the camel’s back. My already persistently achy neck and shoulders were now extremely painful. I couldn’t turn my head normally and my shoulders hurt. I woke up in the mornings in pain! A lot. I had to find a physiotherapist and book an appointment. And Just Like Magic A friend recommended Amy, one of the Principal physiotherapists at Live Well, and so I went for a series of appointments until I no longer felt excruciating pain anymore. Each time resulted in a marked improvement. I do of course know that physiotherapy is a science based practice, but, for me,  it was pure magic. I began to combine this treatment with remedial massage, and these two treatments helped immensely.  I now wonder what planet I was on. People must know about this stuff, but clearly I missed the memo on this one! I had to come to terms with the fact that I now needed to develop some core strength, flexibility and tone, in order to avoid continuing and indefinite treatment. Clinical Pilates room at Live Well – the equipment supports the body and resistance is controlled by machines not body weight. Clinical Pilates Versus Mat Pilates Before I started, I had heard of Pilates, but had no idea of the difference between Mat Pilates and Clinical Pilates. Since I have been telling others about my Clinical Pilates sessions, I’ve found that many people don’t know either. Clinical Pilates, like Mat Pilates, focuses on core stability as well as improving posture, strength and flexibility. The major difference is that Clinical Pilates is an individualised programme that is designed to target specific injuries. A consultation with a physiotherapist is necessary so that key issues can be identified and carefully chosen exercises can be applied to each patient. Exercises are performed using reformers and other smaller equipment. Mat Pilates exercises utilise body weight to create resistance and all exercises are performed on a mat using smaller equipment. The sessions that I attend have a maximum of three people to one physiotherapist who carefully instructs and supervises to ensure that each person makes optimal gains and minimises the possibility of any aggravation to their injuries or weak areas. Even though many of the exercises I have in my plan, are performed lying down, I can’t be lazy at my Clinical Pilates sessions. Unlike Mat Pilates, which is a more generic and larger group form of Pilates, I have a scheduled appointment, so I have to go. There is nowhere to hide in the room where I do Pilates! It’s a cosy size and the attention is personal. It might look, to the fly on the wall, like a slow and leisurely range of exercises, but the next day, I definitely know that my body has been challenged to strengthen and tone. One of the great things about Clinical Pilates is that, depending on your health fund, rebates are possible. I have recently begun to incorporate Clinical Pilates with group yoga at the gym I bought a membership for, and these together with beach walking, have created an enjoyable exercise regime that makes me feel so much better. My sleep has improved, and I no longer ache in the mornings when I get out of bed. So if you’re achy like I was, I’d highly recommend giving Clinical Pilates a go. Article written by Andrea, My House Near the Beach

Often we hear the words “switch on your core”, “use your core”, “make sure you have a strong core”…. but what exactly is our ‘core’? Why is it important? And how can we make sure it’s working?   What is my core? Your core is like a cylinder which sits around the pelvis and mid-section of your body. The sides of the cylinder are made up of several muscles including the pelvic floor, transversus abdominis and the diaphragm. These muscles help protect your spine, ensure optimal load bearing during day to day activities, prevent incontinence and also give your body a stable base on which to move. Imagine trying to catch a ball if you are standing on a wobble board. It would be pretty tricky!! If you’re core is unstable, just like a wobble board, it makes it really difficult to move your limbs effectively.   Why is our core so important? Without a properly functioning core, injury, aches, pains and underperformance can occur more frequently. Core strengthening exercises can help us to:

• Reduce the risk of injury
• Promote healing times and reduce pain
• Assists athletes with better performance
• Improve posture, and;
• Improve balance

Whether your goal is to reduce your back pain, improve your fitness levels or enhance your sports performance, learning to incorporate core training exercises into your workouts will ensure you are on the right track.   So I do sit-ups… Does that work my core? There’s more to core training than abdominal work! The abdominal muscles make up the front of the cylinder, all of the muscles that make up your core need to be working together efficiently and in balance. Abdominal workouts often target the outer muscle layers such as the rectus abdominus (that 6 pack layer), but the core goes much deeper than that. Often targeting the outside too much can actually lead to weakness in the deeper abdominal layers which work to help protect the spine.   How do I strengthen my core? At Live Well Physio, our highly trained physiotherapists and Pilates instructors are equipped with a huge repertoire of quality exercises to help strengthen your core, depending on what your needs are. If we believe your core is not functioning effectively, we will complete a postural examination and use Realtime ultrasound (RTU) to assess the individual muscles that make up your core. We also use RTU to ensure you know how to correctly engage these muscles, and then carry this across into more functional exercises and positions. Exercises can then be prescribed to suit your individual needs. Alternatively, both our Mat and Clinical Pilates classes can be undertaken – where one of the main principles is core strengthening. Get in touch with us today for your core assessment and get on the right track to a better, healthier you!

When it comes to exercising after having a baby, there are a few things to consider before launching back into your favourite exercise routines of old. During pregnancy and birth your body goes through a major transformation (which is simply amazing!) but can also impact your lower back, pelvic floor and abdominal muscles. The pressure and position of the baby can affect your posture, placing extra load on the lower back and weakening your pelvic floor and core abdominal muscles. In addition, the hormone Relaxin is released to allow the pelvis to widen to make room for your baby. Relaxin increases the laxity of your ligaments, reducing the stability around your back and pelvis. After having your baby, it is important to focus on core and postural exercises which will improve your posture and enhance the stability around the pelvis to reduce the risk of lower back pain. The key is to build the strength in these muscles before getting back into high impact or heavy resistance-based exercises.   Otherwise the muscles will continue to weaken, increasing the chance of incontinence (leakage), prolapse and back pain. Some women may also get a separation in the “6 pack” abdominal muscles, known as the rectus abdominals. Specific exercises can help draw these muscles back together and retrain the core to work efficiently.

So what exercise is safe to start with?

During the first six weeks, reintroduce exercise gently. This is your time to get to know your baby and settle in to this new life together. We recommend that you focus on pelvic floor and core abdominal exercises to rebuild their strength. Walking is also an excellent form of exercise during this period and a lovely way to get some fresh air with your newborn. After your six week check-up, if you’ve been given the all clear, it may be time to recommence a more significant level of exercise. Choose exercises such as low impact aerobics, light resistance, water aerobics and walking, gradually increasing the intensity and weights over time.  It is still important to avoid loaded abdominal exercises, deep squats or lunges, heavy weights, breath holding during exercises or high impact such as running and jumping as these increase load on the pelvic floor. After three months, provided your pelvic floor and core abdominal muscles are back to full strength you can return to high impact activity and abdominal exercises. Exercise can bring many benefits to your life as a new mum. You can improve your fitness, strength and flexibility. It also helps to enhance your mental health and wellbeing, maintain a healthy weight and improve your self-image. So it’s important to do what you can to re-acquaint yourself with exercise after baby is born. Just remember to go slowly and build up gradually, to avoid injuries and other setbacks. Live Well have an experienced Women’s Health team who can assist with pelvic floor, rectus diastasis and other post pregnancy problems. We also offer Mums and Bubs Pilates and Cardio classes, to help you get back into the swing of things. Simply call us for more information.

Getting enough sleep is an essential ingredient to staying healthy and happy. Sleep deprivation causes disruption to our circadian rhythms. These are the patterns of being tired and awake driven by our internal body clock, influenced by light and darkness – humans tending to sleep at night and awake in morning light. Circadian rhythm disruption (even for just a few days) can affect our health and wellbeing. Here are some great tips we discovered from FoodMatters which you can implement at home, to help you switch off and get a good night’s sleep:

• Exercise: Studies have found moderate bouts of exercise lead to improvement in the following night’s sleep. Even just a short amount, such as just 10 minutes each day of yoga or light exercise, will make a big difference when it comes to increasing the quality of sleep.
• Darkness: Modern electrical lighting has been found to disrupt the body clock, sending signals to your brain that indicate it is time to be alert. Blue lights from computer and smartphone screens are particularly stimulating, so it is wise to avoid switch off for a period of time before bedtime. If you find it difficult to do this, there are computer programs available that can adjust the colour of your computer’s display to adapt to the time of day, warm at night (reducing stimulating blue light) and like sunlight during the day.
• Reserve your bed for sleeping: Designating the bed as a space for rest only will assist in the wind-down process. Avoid overly mentally stimulating tasks in this space, such as work or using technology, to help the brain kick into sleep mode. No more Facebook in bed!
• Establish a bedtime routine and go to bed as early as possible: Sticking to a similar bedtime and waking time each day has been found to assist natural circadian rhythms and make it easier to go to sleep deeply and wake more easily.
• Mindfulness meditation: The calming of nerves and reduced anxiety that often follows meditation assists psychological and physiological preparation for sleep. Some useful meditations can be found here to help you quiet your mind and prepare for quality sleep.
• Diet: Diet and nutrition can affect your sleep quality. Along with reducing or avoiding overconsumption of alcohol, nicotine and caffeine, reach for protein-rich foods. Most protein-rich foods are a common source of tryptophan, which is an amino acid that helps to promote sleep.
• Drink a ‘sleepy tea’ as part of your wind down routine before bed: Tea ingredients such as chamomile, lemon balm and passionflower have been found to improve sleep through helping us to regulate nerves, calming us from stress and anxiety.

You should also be aware of some of the most common sleep disruptors found to negatively impact on sleep:

• Noise
• Stress
• Alcohol
• Nicotine
• Caffeine

Read the full article on FoodMatters here to find out more.

Young woman on field under sunset light Have you ever heard the expression "a smile can go a long way"? Smiling at others can not only impact their day, but make a huge difference to your own physical and mental wellbeing. When we smile, our body reacts by releasing endorphins which can help us to relax, destress and provide pain relief. When our facial muscles relax into a smile they can calm the nervous system and make us appear more friendly, trustworthy and empathetic. In comparison, when we frown our body responds with tightened muscles, increased sweating and a faster heart rate. Even if you don’t feel like smiling, doing it anyway will force your body to respond in a positive way, producing all the benefits of a smile. Have you ever tried to not return the smile from another person? It’s almost impossible as our body reacts naturally. A quick two second smile to another human being can produce a mini relationship and make you both feel good!