Our bodies are designed to have load or force put through them; muscles, joints, tendons and ligaments all get stronger from loading them. What our bodies don’t like is having too much load put through them too quickly. This is why most resolutions fail as people go too hard too early and burn out or get injured.

Your osteo is a great person to talk to regarding this as they will know great exercises that can help with your general health that will also minimise injury risk, they can help with progression as you get stronger, and hands on treatment can help with the aches and pains that often come in those early stages of increased exercise.

This year don’t do your resolution alone, come in, get some help, and make sure that 2020 is the year that you kick your health into gear for good!

Ben Van Der Westhuizen, Osteopath

So what is your pelvic floor?

The pelvic floor is a group of muscles that lie on the inside of the pelvis, and as the name may suggest, forms a base or floor for your body to put force through.

People having a weak pelvic floor seems to be becoming more common and can lead to symptoms such as: urinary incontinence, pelvic instability, recurring lower back pain and lack of general strength, among other things.

Having a weak pelvic floor is similar to walking on soft sand, your body doesn’t have a firm base to push off and so can end up either struggling to keep up, or overloading as other areas try to compensate.

If you want to learn more about your pelvic floor, how it may be affecting your lifestyle and how to keep it healthy, then come and talk to one of the osteos at Blackburn Osteopathy as we each have a wealth of knowledge on how it works and how to engage it.

1) Yes’s: Very slowly and gently using your neck, look up as far as comfortable, then  equally gently look down as if you are nodding your head, repeat this for about ten reps which should take around 60 seconds.

2) No’s: Similar to yes’s, but focusing on rotation, gently turn your head to the left, then gently to the right as if shaking your head to say no to someone. Repeat for 10 reps slowly.

3) Circles: start by gently looking down, then slowly bring your head to the side as if bringing your right ear to your right shoulder, from there tilt your head back as if looking straight up, next move your head to the left so that your left ear is near you left shoulder, and finally look back down. These movements should take your head through a full circle of motions, do 5-10 reps of these alternating which way the circles go for 1-2 minutes.

These exercises won’t fix neck pain but are a great way to encourage movement and may reduce symptoms that are associated with joint restriction.

Dr Ben Van Der Westhuizen, Osteopath

Sarah enjoys helping rowers recover from injuries faster and stronger than ever before with a holistic approach looking at rowing technique in the boat, rehabilitation exercises and strength in the gym. Seeing her rowers back on the water racing again is something Sarah finds extremely rewarding. This season will mark a decade of Sarah competing at Head of the School Girls regatta which is the biggest female regatta in the southern hemisphere taking place on the Barwon river every March. You will catch her cycling alongside the Barwon river with as many crews as possible cheering them on to victory!

Blackburn Osteopathy

Sarah was recently lucky enough to escape to the beautiful Noosa sunshine for some R & R with a side of adventure. Not one to laze around on the beach all day, Sarah took the opportunity to wake up early each morning with the sun (no day light savings here!) and start the day with a trail run in Tewantin national park or a paddle down the Noosa river. Her long runs always included a swim in the ocean to cool off, followed by a delicious breakfast of course! As an avoid foodie Sarah enjoyed locating the best eats in town. Freshwater barramundi was a regular for dinner which is caught fresh each morning and brought straight to the Noosa Seafood market. Sarah highly recommends taking a country drive to the lovely community market in Eumundi for fabulous shopping and fresh produce.

An afternoon walk was a regular feature on Sarah’s trip to soak up nature and the glorious views of the coast seen when walking from Noosa main beach to Hells gate. One fine morning Sarah chose what she thought was a lovely walk however was in for a real challenge when she realised, she had to crawl up a very step Mount Cooroora to see views across the hinterlands all the way to the water. After her 2-hour hike she was informed the winners of a running race called King of the Mountain complete the return journey in just under 30 minutes! When a more relaxing activity was needed, a pilates class looking over the Noosa river was a great way Sarah winded down from a day of exploring.

Sarah Cust, Osteopath

The plank is a great starting exercise in a home core strength routine.  You can do it anywhere, without equipment, and there are variations to make it easier (start on knees) or harder (for example, using therabands or adding movement of limbs) if necessary.

Most people have heard of or done the plank at some stage in their exercising life.  Many of them though, have either not done or not heard of the side plank or the reverse plank.

Whilst all of the plank exercises will target a variety of muscles, if you think of them as mostly targeting the surface of the body closest to the ground, you can appreciate that by adding the reverse and side plank (both sides) you will be activating muscles around the entire cylinder (or core) rather than just one small area.

So, if you think you’d like to strengthen more of the muscles involved in your “core”, I’d recommend you add the reverse and side planks to your routine today.  And remember, you’re better holding a straight plank position for shorter periods than doing a “saggy” plank for longer!

PLANK VARIATIONS

Reverse Plank

Side Plank

Dr Brad Robinson, Osteopath

Avoiding injury during preseason

One of the most common injuries we see during the preseason is an ankle sprain. This generally occurs through stretching the ligament on the side of your ankle beyond capacity.  This can be due to a sudden change in position with foot planted or, more commonly, through falling under your feet.  Risks for an ankle sprain may involve poor flexibility, strength imbalances, inadequate warm up, previous injury and poor shoe-ware.  (And lets not forget re-learning to keep your eyes peeled for an incoming side swipe or tackle!)

To help decrease your chances of sprain, don’t roll into training and instantly punt the footy as hard as possible – what a shock to your body! Instead, ensure you begin with a dynamic (movement based) warm up and gradually ease into training, particularly in that first session.

As the weather gets warmer our ovals dry out and become very firm, adding extra impact through our ankles, knees and beyond. Be sure to ask Santa for some new sneakers this Christmas – supportive shoe ware with plenty of cushioning will be ideal to take away some of the impact of that dry oval.  And, of course finishing up with your warm down and static/stationary stretching to avoid falling victim of the dreaded “DOMS“ (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness).

An Osteopath can help you identify and manage strength imbalances, poor flexibility and other contributing factors in a thorough case history and physical examination. Should you have susceptibility / recurring ankle strain history, book in for a personally tailored strength and conditioning programme to get you ready for the oncoming season!  See your Osteopath at Blackburn Osteopathy for more information, strengthening programmes and injury prevention advice!

We now know that the immune system and the nervous system ‘talk’, which was a preposterous suggestion merely even a few years ago. An example of this is the effect of chronic stress.  This produces increased amounts of cortisol, which produces inflammation in the body, which causes disease.

How many people living in Melbourne are causing their own disease from working too hard, being too stressed??!!  Its  a rhetorical question but is worth pondering…And how much does relieving your pain help to reduce ‘stress’ in your body, and help reduce disease processes? Your Blackburn Osteopaths at Blackburn Osteopathy are very intrigued by this……

https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/books/cure-review-jo-marchants-fascinating-exploration-of-evolving-human-science-20160129-gmgq7c.html

We encourage you to read the article</a>, and the book sounds like a ripper, we are certainly going to buy it!

Shane Heslop, Osteopath

Common symptoms of OA include;

• Joint stiffness
• Pain with movement
• Joint swelling
• Joint instability
• Muscle weakness
• Decreased range of motion
• Sounds within the joint

There are many misconceptions about OA which I will try to clarify here.

Myth: Osteoarthritis is a normal part of aging. OA is certainly more common with age but it is not everyone’s destiny. Younger people can also suffer from OA. It is not normal “wear and tear” of a joint.

Myth: Exercise will increase pain. Appropriate exercise will help with joint range of motion, muscle strength and can help with weight management. All of which will improve pain levels.

Myth: Your parents had so you will have it. There is a genetic link in developing OA but there are many other risk factors associated with OA.

Myth: Osteoarthritis affects men and women the same: Women are twice as likely to develop OA.

If you are suffering from OA or have any questions please ask the osteopaths at Blackburn Osteopathy as they all have great knowledge and experience in managing OA.

Our resident extreme sports loving Osteopath Bret Murray is all too familiar with whiplash, having experienced it many times at the hands of mountain bike riding, snow skiing and water skiing. At Blackburn Osteopathy we see many varied causes of whiplash. You wouldn’t believe how many adults that get whiplash from jumping on trampolines.

What makes whiplash injuries unique it that they involve tension and compression type injuries to both sides of the neck. In a car accident if a person is hit from behind, the head will move backwards causing stretching at the front and compression at the back, it will then “whip” forwards causing stretching at the back and compression at the front.

The symptoms of whiplash can vary greatly. Typically people will experience greater pain the day following an incident and the neck will feel tender, bruised and weak.

The osteopaths at Blackburn Osteopathy have great experience treating whiplash and they can also help with rehabilitation exercises to make sure your neck is strong, functioning well and not at greater risk of reinjury.

Bret Murray, Osteopath