Marion Physiotherapy - Blog

3 tips to help during these uncertain times

25/8/2021

If like us you are feeling a little helpless and overwhelmed with the state of the world right now, our Counsellor Dominie Nelson has shared 3 tips to keep in mind that you may find helpful.

Focus on the positive
It's true that WHATEVER WE FOCUS ON BECOMES BIGGER. Psychology once believed that being a positive or negative person was inherent in our nature. Not so! We can teach ourselves to find a positive in any situation. You've heard the saying - "every cloud has a silver lining". It's true! We can choose to focus on something that went well, or the memory of a moment that was a little better than the moment we're currently experiencing. Focusing on the positive must never be at the expense of acknowledging real pain, sadness, or difficulties, we do ourselves a disservice if we take a sunshine and roses approach to loss, struggle or pain. Give yourself credit for having the strength to go on, for setting and achieving a small goal (getting up, going for a walk, making someone else's day brighter). You deserve a brighter moment, allow yourself to find a flower, remember a friendship, or simply celebrate YOU.

5 simple exercises to help reduce injuries this season

25/1/2021

Injuries are an inevitable part of sport. However, a lot of the time, things can be put in place to reduce the chances of it happening. The big factor is making sure your body can deal with the demands of your sport. Give these exercises a go and you’ll give yourself a great shot at getting through this season injury free.

Jefferson Curl/Forward Roll Down – Really simple but fantastic for strengthening your low back. Starting without any weight, slowly curl your back and think about bringing your chest towards your belt line. Once comfortable can add a light weight, or perform off a block to reach further.

3 tips on returning to sport or the gym injury free after lockdown

28/5/2020

Looking to get back into sport or the gym but worried about getting injured? Here are 3 tips on returning to activity injury free after lockdown:

1. Start off with less than you think you can do.

It’s tempting to go back into our old routines straight away, but we’d be wise to start slow. Start at about 75% of what you think you could do. Do this amount/weight/speed for several days or sessions then increase by 5-10%. Repeat this several times if you feel you are going well, and work back to your previous level.

This process can be mentally frustrating, especially as most of us are all raring to go! However the short-term frustration is worth the long-term gains of appropriately building your body’s capacity back up, and not letting nagging injuries surface.

Overcoming Chronic Fatigue - there is hope!

12/5/2017

Most Chronic Fatigue/ME sufferers have tried countless different types of exercise programs and physical treatments only to find their condition gets worse. Applying new research understandings into the very complex interactions of biochemical, auto-immune and neuromuscular changes that occur with Chronic Fatigue is vital to helping our Chronic Fatigue clients improve their physical functioning and reduce their pain.

Senior Physiotherapist Julie Peacock, who has a special interest in Chronic Fatigue, does this through a thorough 1 hour assessment to assist clients to understand how the resulting changes in energy systems and muscular deconditioning affect each individual.

A personalised plan is created with the client with the aim of reducing pain and increasing movement with less effort, by releasing adverse mechanical nerve tension - a very common problem in clients with Chronic Fatigue. This is also done in conjunction with gentle hands on treatment to release tight joints, muscles and connective tissue structures. Furthermore, a very gentle staged movement and muscle reconditioning plan is developed.

This is based on the principles of energy conservation, avoiding core temperature increases and establishing safe baselines of activity, to avoid the common ‘kick back’ effect of exercise which can put people in bed for a week.

Meet Physiotherapist Tom!

31/3/2017

Why did you want to become a Physiotherapist?
I was always very keen on sports when I was growing up and sustained a fair share of injuries in the process. On each occasion I visited my physio for these injuries and was fascinated that he could do a few tests and tell me exactly what the problem was and how to fix it. It was the combination of the problem solving and sports that excited me initially and the more I learnt about physiotherapy the more I understood how big a difference they can make to peoples day to day lives. The desire to help people came naturally to me with my dad being a psychologist and my mother a nurse and so, with all these things together, it became clear to me physiotherapy was the career path I would pursue.

Favourite stretch? TFL (tensor fascia lata) stretch

Favourite song that picks you up? My happiness by Powderfinger

Be a smart shopper

17/1/2017

Do you find food labels confusing?
Do you want to make healthier choices when you shop?
Do you want to know what the real meaning of 'natural', 'organic', 'light', 'low GI' and 'Gluten Free' is?
Here are some quick tips to make your shopping easier!

Ingredient List:
All ingredients for food products are listed in order from largest to smallest by weight.

If fat, sugar, or salt are listed in the first three ingredients, the food is usually not a healthy choice.

Fats, sugars, and salt are often listed using various different names:

Other names for saturated fat: animal fat, beef fat, butter, milk solids, coconut oil / milk / cream, copha, cream, ghee, dripping, lard, suet, palm oil, sour cream, shortening

Eat right, future bright!

25/10/2016

We all know healthy eating will help us maintain a healthy weight, have the energy to live life to the full and reduce our risks of chronic diseases. However the number of choices on offer to eat and drink can be overwhelming. One of the most common questions I get asked in my clinic is ‘what are healthy foods and what are unhealthy foods?’

If we google ‘healthy foods’ or ‘healthy eating’ the results are endless, confusing and hard to put into practice. The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (AGHE) provides us with up-to-date advice about the kinds of foods and amounts we need to eat for optimal health and wellbeing.

Eat more nutritious foods
Healthy foods should be nutritious and contain many of the essential nutrients needed for optimal health such as vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, fibers, and so on. However to achieve and maintain a healthy weight, we only have limited ‘calorie budget’ to spend. The AGHE encourages us to choose food nutrient dense, but less energy dense.

3 facts you need to know about pain relief and Dry Needling

14/9/2016

Do you want to know how Dry Needling can help in breaking the pain cycle you are confronted with?
Do you experience pain caused by muscular disorders such as tension type headaches and migraines, low back pain, elbow pain, knee osteoarthritis, or shoulder conditions?
Is the pain you are encountering stopping you from participating in activities you want to be doing?

Dry Needling is a well researched and scientifically proven procedure used to specifically target trigger points in a muscle often caused by trauma, stress, repetitive work, immobilisation, fatigue and various other factors. Trigger points are hyperirritable areas in the muscle tissue and can lead to poor muscle function, and further tissue damage associated with increased pain.

Dry Needling involves the insertion of a thin sterile acupuncture like needle at these trigger points. The needles are removed once the trigger point is inactivated or reset. Subsequently, therapy should involve determining the cause of the trigger points and would be followed by exercises (including stretching) or ergonomic adjustments with the purpose to re-establish a painless, full range of motion, and avoid recurrences.

Meet Physiotherapist Lauren Edwards!

1/8/2016

Why did I want to become a physio?
When I was young I was always visiting the physiotherapist for different sporting injuries and I found it fascinating the way the physiotherapists were able to diagnose, treat and return me back to sport within such a short time frame. From then on I was interested to learn how to treat injuries and learn how to prevent them; the word I use to describe injury prevention is ‘Prehab’. As I learnt more about injury prevention I was then able to spend more time on the track and less time in the physiotherapist’s clinic. Reflecting back I am very appreciative of the education I received from my physiotherapists over the years as they helped shape me into the physiotherapist I am today.

What I love about physio:
I enjoy being able to help people, seeing them improve, becoming stronger and returning to pain free activities and returning to their normal abilities. Another great aspect about being a physiotherapist is you meet lots of different and interesting people with everyday being different and you are always challenged. I also enjoy how many different areas there are in physiotherapy; for example you can have the opportunity to travel with an elite sports team or instruct a Clinical Pilates class the next week. I love how there is so much variety and opportunity.

I love to travel. When I was 19, after I finished my first year of university, I decided to travel around the world on my own. I started in India and made my way across to Egypt, England, Europe, Canada and Hawaii. It was one of the best and most surreal experience I have ever had because I was able to see so many different sights, cultures and meet so many great people along the way. Two of my favourite places were Egypt and India as they are so different from Western society with their culture, food and historic landmarks. Visiting the Taj Mahal in India and the Pyramids and Valley of the Kings in Egypt were three highlights of my 12 week adventure. To see and stand in the tombs of famous Egyptian Pharaohs with their mummified bodies in perfect condition thousands of years later was simply fascinating and an amazing experience.

One of my passions is athletics. I have been competing as an athlete for the last 19 years at State and National levels, as well as being an active member of the West Beach Athletic Club. I have been lucky enough to travel the country competing in different state teams over the years, and have met lots of inspiring people along the way and been able to train and learn from Olympians and Commonwealth Games athlete representatives.

How to make the most of your massage

28/5/2016

Before you start your day, drink water. A simple suggestion but starting the rehydration of your muscles, and helping your body eliminate waste from your sleep over night is the best way to start your day. The more hydrated your muscles are, the more oxygenated blood can flow through them. Hydrated muscles generally recover better from manual therapy, including massage.

If it’s your first massage at the clinic make sure you allow time to complete some quick paperwork regarding your preferences, so you don’t feel stress or rushed prior to going through. This will also allow you time to use the bathroom before your massage so you are comfortable and not wanting your session to end before due time.

On your way to your appointment, think about what kind of massage you would like, what areas of your body you would like treated. If you have had massage before, was suitable or unsuitable? Think about how you might explain this to your therapist in case it has any impact on the treatment you are about to receive.

When speaking with your therapist, they may want a little bit of background information like injuries or trauma history.