Drysdale Clinic
63 High Street, Drysdale
(03) 5253 2345
Portarlington Clinic
2/3 Rajah Court, Portarlington
(03) 5253 2345
Pilates + Yoga
6D, 35-37 Murradoc Rd Drysdale
(03) 5253 2345

Category: Exercises

Peninsula OsteopathyExercises
By Belinda Kelly Exercises, Hips, Sporting

3 Tips to Get You Started on Your Running Journey

The coronavirus pandemic of 2020 has changed our lives dramatically. It has stopped us from seeing friends and family, made us change our hygiene habits (maybe for the better?) and significantly changed our routines and day-to-day existence.

With gyms closed and outdoor activities limited, I wanted a easy, quick and affordable way to fit exercise into my day.

And so like that, I took up running!

Now I am no expert, that is one thing I am sure of, but I can definitely impart some tips and tricks that I have put in place to keep me motivated and committed to the cause, because to be honest, running in itself is pretty boring.

What keeps me coming back is the post-run endorphin hit that you get with any exercise, what a great way to start the day!

For all the beginner runners out there, this is what I have incorporated to keep me going.

Set Goals

Probably the easiest and most effective tip towards achieving your goals is to create them in the first place! Too many times I have seen clients and patients (and of course me personally!) start exercise classes or rehabilitation programs with vague and ambiguous end points.

“Get fit”, “get stronger”, “improve flexibility”, “increase my core strength” are some common ones that get bandied around. The problem with these is that they aren’t specific enough.

One great way to create clarity with goal setting is to use the S.M.A.R.T acronym. SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-orientated. If we take running as our example to create a SMART goal, it might look something like this:

I want to run 21kms continuously, by the start of next year (6months time).

This goal is specific (21kms continuously), it is measurable (we can track progress via measuring Km’s ran), it is achievable (yours may be different based off your level of fitness/experience), it is relevant and has a date attached to it. From this we can work backwards and put a plan in place to reach this goal.

Track your progress

There is now an abundance of ways that we can do this with modern technology – from phone apps all the way up to top of the range wearable watches. If you are a beginner like me, using a phone app would be the best place to start. I have been using the RunKeeper app from Asics. It’s free and has all the features needed to give you the right amount of information and feedback.

Measuring and tracking your progress over time creates buy-in, tells you how you are tracking towards your goals and can create that little extra bit of incentive to stay with the process when the last thing you feel like doing is going out and exercising.

On the flip side, try not to get too bogged down on the day-to-day progress and running times/splits/Km’s ran. Being sick, tired, fatigued from work, dehydrated, stressed etc. are all factors that can influence your run. As long as the overall trend is a positive one, it’s ok to feel crappy from time to time.

Injury Prevention – Warm-up, work on your weaknesses & manage loads

Avoiding any significant disruptions or prolonged time-off from running is going give you the best chance at reaching your goals. As an Osteopath, I could write a whole blog post on this topic alone! (Maybe I will?).

Injury prevention doesn’t mean spending every other day in the gym or getting weekly massages – as nice as that may be!

There are a few simple strategies that you can do to limit your chance of getting hurt:

Warm-up

A 5-10minute warm-up prior to going for your run may help to limit the chance of an injury occurring in the first place or speed-up your recovery post-run. Your warm-up should consist of some flexibility-based and strength-based movements that target all the parts of the body that you will be using during the run. Common stretches and exercises in a warm include dynamic stretching (think leg swings, trunk twists etc.), strength-based exercises (squats, lunges, single leg exercises) and neuromuscular exercises (high knees, butt flicks, grapevines etc.).

Make your legs and trunk resilient and adaptable

Another way to prevent injuries from slowing you down is to build your bodies capacity to be resilient against running, this can be done by increasing the strength in your leg and trunk muscles. Going through a systematic and thorough musculoskeletal assessment with your trusted health professional will help identify areas of weakness and then will allow you to put in place strategies to adjust accordingly. At Peninsula Osteopathy & Allied Health, a common running assessment may include things like testing the range-of-motion and strength in your ankles, knees, hips and spine. From this we can then give you exercises and hands-on treatment to improve these deficits.

Manage your loads

I.e don’t do too much but don’t do too little. Maybe the biggest cause of injuries in any training program is increasing your loads too quickly. This is because your body doesn’t have the capacity to deal with the loads and stresses you are putting it under. Again, another topic that we could dive deeply into with various guidelines and protocols, but for beginner runners (like me) splitting your running program into 2 week blocks and not increasing your overall running load by more than approximately 10% each block can limit the chance of any flare-ups. A multitude of factors can contribute to overall ‘load’; running distance, speed, elevation and amount of rest can all be altered to make runs easier or more difficult. Tracking your progress via an app or watch gives you more data to make informed decisions and prevent any excessive fluctuations in load.

Should you have any questions or wish to know more about a warm-up or how to reduce your chance of injury during running, give the clinic a call to speak to one of our experienced Osteopaths, Myotherapists or Exercise Physiologists on 5253 2345.

By Belinda Kelly Exercises, Uncategorised, Work Injury

Tradie Tips

Are you a Tradie? Here are 5 tips to help you manage your aches and pains

Tradies are some of the most likely members of our community to be injured at work. The most likely injuries to occur to tradespeople are low back injuries, neck/shoulder injuries and elbow injuries.
Prevention is the best form of treatment. Here are a few things for tradies to be aware of in the coming months, to help prevent injuries in the workplace.

Warm-up

A lot of trades require heavy, repetitive lifting and other activities. This can put strain on the muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints of the body. It is absolutely vital that you take the necessary steps to prepare your body for the days work ahead. Some simple stretching and movement allows your soft tissues to warm up, which can decrease the risk of muscular injury.

Lift with your legs

Low back injuries are very common amongst tradespeople. This can often be associated with heavy lifting and poor lifting posture. When lifting something heavy, remember these few steps to help avoid the risk of a back injury.
– Keep your knees and hips bent.
– Keep your back as straight as possible.
– Hold the load as close to your torso as possible- closest to your centre of gravity!
– Use your gluteus and quad muscles as your main lifting muscles. These are the largest muscles in your body for a reason, so make sure you use them!
– Get somebody to help you! Assess the load, and if it is too heavy to lift on your own, make sure you ask someone to help you

Take regular breaks

Trade related work such as using power tools, overstretching your back and heavy lifting can take a serious toll on your body. It is vitally important that you take the necessary time to have a rest and a stretch ever 1-2 hours for 10-15 minutes. This will help reduce the risk of an injury, as it gives muscles, ligaments and joints time to recuperate after long periods of activity

Exercise

Although most trades work hard during the day, it is important to exercise regularly throughout the week also. Something as simple as going for a walk, or some basic resistance training can greatly reduce the chance of a workplace injury.

Don’t ignore injuries

Treatment and management of workplace related injuries can significantly reduce the effect they have on your body, and your business. Feel free to contact Peninsula Osteopathy + Allied Health to make an appointment and see what Osteopathy, Myotherapy or Exercise Physiology can do for you! Call us on 5253 2345, or book online at www.peninsulaosteopathy.com.au.

Correct lifting posture

1. approach the load- feet should be shoulder-width apart
2. bend your knees and hips
3. keep the load close to your torso
4. use your quads and glutes to drive yourself up

By Gemma Percy Acute, Chronic, Exercises, Hips, Uncategorised

3 TOP TIPS FOR YOUR HIPS

Hip Anatomy and Impingement syndrome:

The hip joint forms a solid connection between the lower limb and pelvic girdle, thus meaning it is designed for stability and weight-bearing rather than to offer a large range of mobility. The joint is a ball and socket joint formed between the thigh-bone (Femur) and the pelvis (acetabulum) and gains its stability from large supporting ligaments and muscles.

In the healthy hip joint the femoral head is able to glide smoothly within the socket of the acetabulum however this can be impaired in patients who suffer from femoral acetabula impingement syndrome (FAI). Hip impingement or FAI is a condition in which the structure of the hip joint become modified causing an impaired capability of the femoral head to move freely and smoothly within its socket. Typically this will present as stiffness or tightness of the thigh, hip or groin, poor ability to flex the hip past a right angle and pain in the groin or front of the hip when flexing the knee towards the chest, running/cycling or sitting for periods of time.

FAI commonly arises from high impact sports or exercises that involve a large amount of jumping, changing direction and recurrent movement of the hip joint outside its normal range (such as football, dancing and golf) placing excessive and abnormal load through the hip joint. The stress of ongoing excessive load can lead to either a thickening of the femoral neck (CAM lesion) or deepening of the hip socket (PINCER lesion), or a combination of both which over time can result in damage to the cartilage of the hip joint.

In other cases FAI can be present from birth and be largely asymptomatic until later in life.

What are my treatment options?

In some cases surgical intervention may be required for successful treatment of FAI however there are many conservative measures that can be taken to improve hip functionality and reduce symptoms associated with FAI.
Osteopathic treatment may be able to assist in reducing symptoms of FAI. It is not uncommon with FAI for the muscles of the hip, pelvis and lower back to become tight acting on further limiting the range of motion available at the hip joint. Treatment of soft tissue massage and muscle stretching techniques can be used to help relax and lengthen these muscles, assist in reducing inflammation and ultimately reducing pain.

Exercise based rehab focused around promoting hip mobility may also assist in the ongoing management and reduction of symptoms – Here we have provided you with 3 of our favorite at home stretches and exercises to give a try!

1. Kneeling hip flexor stretch

2. Pelvic bridges

3. Hip adduction stretch (Frog stretch)

If you are currently suffering from hip or groin pain and would like further personalised advice on treatment and management options feel free to contact the clinic today to discuss whether Osteopathy or Exercise Physiology may be able to get you back into what you love doing!

By Belinda Kelly Acute, Exercises, Headaches

A Real Pain in the Neck – 3 strategies to help ease your neck pain

Neck pain can be bloody debilitating. It affects our concentration, our mood, our movement and more. It can also be really frustrating and stressful too, especially if its more intense and not common for you.

Many different things can be the cause of your neck pain, from more benign causes like a joint sprain or muscle strain to more sinister causes like an irritation to the nerves or structures further up in the skull.

A thorough assessment by your healthcare professional (Osteopath!) can determine the cause of your neck pain and if it is neuro-musculoskeletal in origin.

If so, there are 3 things that we tell all of our patients that can be of benefit:

Keep moving!

In almost all cases, movement is THE most important factor in your recovery. Our spine and all the joints and muscles that surround it are made to move. Limiting or restricting movement can lead to your pain worsening and even make it hang around for longer than it needs to. Check out our instagram page for my favourite exercise to keep you neck healthy with movement!

Manage your stress

Stress in any form can heighten and worsen any musculoskeletal pain that we have. How often have you found that when we are stressed that all our old aches and pains tend to flare up? Always at the worst possible times! Of course it is never as easy as it sounds, but putting into place some simple strategies like taking deep breaths, taking adequate breaks or trying some mindfulness activities are easier short-term strategies that you can try to help limit stress and its influence on your pain.

Get some good sleep

Again another thing that’s easier said than done! Sleep is so important in recovery and helps the body recharge and regenerate and return to health. Making sure you are off devices at least an hour beforehand, making sure you are comfortable and if necessary, speaking to a pharmacist or to your doctor about some medications to help with the pain in the short-term throughout the day and to aid in your sleep.

By Belinda Kelly Acute, Chronic, Exercises, Sporting

Is your low back holding you back? Here’s how to manage it!

Managing your low back pain

Most of us have had some sort of low back pain before. From a minor ache and tightness that resolves in a couple of days to more intense, sharp pain that can take a little bit longer and be much more intimidating and frightening!

Regardless of the severity and the duration, there are a few things you can do to make sure that the pain doesn’t linger and affect your life anymore than it has to.

These are some tips we end up saying to the majority of people who present to us with various types of low back pain.

But of course, if there are more serious symptoms like pins and needles, numbness and weakness in your legs then it is important you seek a healthcare professionals opinion.

Keep moving and stay at work

This is probably the most important thing that you can do. Movement is the best medicine for any episode of low back pain. Go for gentle walks and do some gentle stretches. Keep that back moving. Also returning to work and if needed, returning with modified duties improves your chance of recovery and decreases how long your low back pain will hang around for. Some activities may need to be modified to make them easier for you to do and your healthcare professional can help you with this.

Use heat, not ice

A lot of confusion about whether to use heat or ice exists in the community. Of course it depends on the type of your back injury, but generally in acute back injuries or in back injuries that have lasted a long time there is unlikely to be much inflammation, so icing the affected area is unlikely to help. Using heat instead can help relax and decrease the tension in those tight back muscles and help you feel and move better.

Hands-on treatment can help

Your healthcare professional (osteopath etc.) can give you information on what is happening, why you are in pain, recognise if something more sinister is going on and educate you on what you should and shouldn’t do. They can also help relieve some of those aches and pains and give you stretches and exercises to help keep you moving.

Some medications may help, but try conservative treatment first

A great adjunct to movement and hands-on treatment is the addition of certain medications. Speak to your doctor or pharmacist about what may be suitable for you, dependent on your past medical history and complaints. This may not be a long-term option so it is important that medication is used in conjunction with some of the other strategies we have mentioned above.

Stay positive

Above all else, stay positive. Most episodes of more acute low back pain settle within a few weeks and rarely have a longer lasting impact on your quality of life. Keep moving, modify a few things and let the body do its job. Our bodies are amazing at healing themselves and some things just take time.

For personalised advice regarding your low back pain come in and see one of the PO+AH team to help you on your recovery.

By Belinda Kelly Exercises

5 Things A Exercise Physiologist Can Do To Help Arthritis In Your Knee

‘Degeneration of the knee’, ‘wear and tear’ and ‘bone on bone’ are common terms that people will use to describe knee arthritis. Knee arthritis may present as pain and stiffness in the knee joint that occurs generally in the morning, after sitting for a long period of time or when you are doing exercises such as walking or kneeling, it may also include pain or swelling at the joint. This can be quite debilitating, as it often means that movements that require bending the knee can be painful, such as cleaning the house, gardening or bending down to play with the grand children.

Knee arthritis is caused by cartilage loss in the joint space, which leads to remodelling of the bones and weakness in the surrounding muscles. It is a very common condition and its prevalence increases with age, occurring more in women than in men. Risk factors for development include obesity, prior knee injury or surgery and excessive bending and lifting motions with poor technique. Although surgery is a common form of treatment, there are much less invasive ways to treat and live with your arthritis without having surgery.

Danielle, our Exercise Physiologist, explains 5 things that you can do to help improve arthritis and decrease knee related pain:

1. Exercise!

Whilst it probably doesn’t seem like something that you want to do at the time, the best way to improve your knee pain is to strengthen the muscles around it. Increasing muscle strength is going to provide support around the knee joint for you to be able to do movements safely and without pain. Strength training doesn’t mean that you’re going to be lifting massive weights and putting a lot of stress through your body, instead it means that we’ll be working within pain free ranges and finding exercises that don’t leave you feeling worse than when you came in. We will also aim to strengthen muscles in other body parts to help support the knee and take the stress off the joint.

2. Give you management strategies for at home!

Some movements may be painful to complete, however there are ways that you are able to move that will protect the joint and avoid pain. This may involve using larger body parts to alter weight distribution during tasks or changing the way an activity is done to avoid pain.

3. Help you to understand pain and degeneration!

Degeneration is a scary word, but occurs in nearly every person and is believed to start as early as in your 20’s. However, this does not mean that every person will experience pain from their degeneration. Pain is a natural response that tells your body when it is in danger, hence why there may be pain when you are bending due to the loss of cartilage. This should be listened to, but also shouldn’t stop you from doing activities that you enjoy. If you enjoy gardening but get pain after kneeling for an hour, take plenty of rests in between to avoid the build of pain so that you can keep doing activities you love.

4. Teach you about pacing strategies!

Pacing strategies involve including rest periods into daily activities to avoid painful symptoms and avoiding the activity all together. Pacing strategies work the best when they are pre-planned – that is knowing how long it takes for a task to become painful and having a rest before this occurs, rather than waiting for the onset of pain to rest. This also means that if you’re having a ‘good day’ where there is no pain, still stick to the pacing schedule and not over-doing a painful activity.

5. Help you prepare for surgery to make recovery easier!

I did previously say that surgery is not the only option for treatment – however you may prefer to get surgery or have your doctor tell you that this is the only option. In which case, doing ‘pre-hab’ and working with an Exercise Physiologist prior to having surgery to increase the strength in the surrounding muscles will help your rehabilitation post-surgery. Patients who have increased strength in their knee often find that their recovery time is shorter and they are able to return to full function.

By Belinda Kelly Exercises

Break Those Barriers To Exercise In Older Adults: Exercise Right Week 2019

There is no doubting the effect and the importance of exercise for us as we age. The physical, mental and social benefits involved are enormous in helping older adults maintain their independence and a high quality of life.

As we age, our muscles can decrease in size and strength, our balance can decrease, our flexibility can reduce and our cardiovascular fitness can decrease. As well as this, our cognitive function and memory can decline. However, we cannot use our age as an excuse for these things happening. All of these things can be improved or maintained by exercising regularly. Even with this in mind, some people still find exercise challenging to regularly partake in. There are many different barriers that older adults seem to have when it comes to participating in exercise, but here are 6 of the most common barriers and ways to overcome them.

1. Discomfort and Pain

You may experience joint pain, back pain or even chest pain with exercise, which may make you apprehensive about continuing to exercise. Excessive weight may also make it uncomfortable both physically and emotionally to participate in exercise and group classes.

Solution: Exercise can be a great way to actually alleviate specific types of pain. If you are having pain when exercising, it is recommended to visit an exercise physiologist so they can assess you and provide you with the exact type of exercise to do to avoid this pain or make it better. There are also many alternative options of exercise if you are finding one type is causing you pain. For example, sufferers of osteoarthritic pain often find they can manage their pain through exercising in water, with hydrotherapy and water aerobics activities. The warm water and low impact create a much more comfortable environment. It is also always important to know that no one should ever feel uncomfortable in choosing to participate to exercise. No matter what age, gender or size you are, people will admire and appreciate the time and effort you are putting in to look after your health.

2. Fear of Injury

You may be concerned about hurting yourself or having a nasty fall whilst you are exercising, which may put you off exercising altogether.

Solution: With the appropriate supervision and programming, exercise should always be a safe option for people of any age. If you are worried about injuring yourself whilst exercising, you should consult an exercise physiologist to prescribe you a safe and achievable program you can work from. It is important that if you are exercising for the first time in a while, that you take it slow and aim to gradually progress. Balance and strength training are also great in improving mobility and decreasing falls risk.

3. Expense and Accessibility

Gyms, classes and exercise equipment can be costly and hard to get to for those retired or on an aged pension.

Solution: There are many cheap or free options to consider when you are looking to exercise. Walking, bodyweight resistance exercise, playgrounds, use of furniture at home and free community exercise groups (walking groups, ParkRun) are all very accessible. Local community health centres also offer very cheap supervised exercise classes, as well as Medicare rebated allied health consultations, some of which can be bulk billed. Incidental exercise such as gardening, cleaning and walking around town also contribute to your overall physical activity levels.

4. Lack of Time

You may find you have people to care for, jobs or other commitments and don’t have enough time during the week to set aside for exercise.

Solution: Try to sit down and look through your weekly commitments. Work out how much time you have available to do things around those commitments, then aim to fit in at least 15-20 minutes of exercise a day or most days. Utilise incidental activity as much as possible – park further away from work, walk to the shops, gardening, take the stairs instead of the lift. Incorporate family and friends into your exercise – instead of going for coffee, go for a walk. Instead of drinking a few beers with mates, have a hit of golf/tennis. Small changes to these habits make a large difference to your overall energy expenditure.

5. Isolation

Older adults may find that they don’t have anyone to exercise with as they may have retired and relocated, lost their spouse or their partner is not able to exercise at the same intensity as them. This may decrease their motivation to exercise.

Solution: There are often walking groups run by local community centres or allied health clinics that anyone can join at a cheap price or free. Community health centres also offer supervised exercise classes, as do private allied health clinics. These are great places to meet like-minded people of a similar age striving towards the same goal. Practitioners such as exercise physiologists are also great people to help motivate you and create realistic goals for you to achieve.

6. Unsure Of What Exercise To Do

Often people are more than willing to exercise, but are unsure where to start and what exercise is best for them.

Solution: The best way to find out what type of exercise is best for you is by visiting an exercise physiologist! They will provide you with a thorough assessment of your physical capacity, then prescribe a specific exercise program for you, which will be reviewed and progressed regularly to keep you on track. There are also many apps that can assist you in choosing the correct exercise, including Daily Workouts Fitness Trainer.

If you are still struggling to overcome barriers to exercise and can’t quite the motivation to get out and get active, come see our exercise physiologist Jack for a comprehensive assessment and individualised exercise program today!

By Belinda Kelly Exercises, Sporting

Ankle Sprains: 3 Exercises You Have To Do

The ankle sprain, one of the most common lower limb sporting injuries we see. Typically characterised by pain on the side of the ankle (outside usually, but can also occur on the inside), swelling, bruising and an altered gait. Most are the result of the person landing with the ankle rolled in or out.

Depending on the severity of the sprain also determines how long it will take for the ligaments to heal. On the lesser end of the spectrum, milder sprains generally take 2-3 weeks to heal whereas more severe sprains can take up to 6 weeks or more! It is important to get your ankle injury assessed by a healthcare professional so that you can get information on your particular case.

After the initial stages of the ankle injury, performing some basic rehabilitation exercises can shorten your recovery period and also lessen the chance of re-injuring your ankle.

Our Exercise Physiologist Jack and one of our Osteopaths Mitch have put together a few videos on some basic ankle rehab exercises you can do to help you return to your chosen sport sooner – click on the links below for some examples!

Ankle Mobility Exercises

Following and ankle sprain, range of motion in the ankle is generally lost, so it is important to regain this in order to decrease your risk of re-injury. Gentle range-of-motion exercises like the ones shown below should do the trick. Start by trying to bring your toes closer towards you, then try and point the toes away. Another great one is to start making mini-circles with your ankle and increase the size of the circle as tolerable.
Ankle mobility exercises

Improve Your Balance

Proprioception or balance is one of the first things we lose when spraining any ligament so this is another important aspect to address in rehabilitation. Progress from both legs to single leg (the side that is injured) as tolerable and add in some movement to make it even more challenging!
Single leg balance progressions

Get Some Strength Back

It’s highly likely that you’ve been hobbling around for a couple of weeks, so getting some strength back into the affected leg will again limit the chance of re-injury. Gentle isometric contractions (like pushing into the floor) and some heel raises can all help strengthening the muscles surrounding the lower leg.
Seated PF isometric and heel raise (ankle strengthening exercises)

Please contact the clinic to get your ankle assessed or if you require any further information.