What is hypermobility? Hypermobility is defined as having an unusually or abnormally large range of movement in a joint or joints. It is effectively the opposite of stiffness (hypomobility). A lot of people come to see us because of stiffness, so the thought of hypermobility may sound pretty good, but it comes with it's own host of challenges. Too much movement can be just as problematic as not enough movement!
Is stretching good or bad? Whether stretching is appropriate for you depends on two factors- what type of stretching and when are you doing it?
Most people know that their back has discs, but what and where they are is often missed! Our spine is made up of 33 vertebrae which run from the tail bone to the top of the neck. Each vertebrae is shaped differently to allow for different movements. These regions all work together to help us to move in our daily lives. Like all the other joints in our body, each vertebrae is strongly wrapped in a complex system of soft tissues such as ligaments, tendons and muscles. In addition to all these structures, there is an intervertebral disc which sits in between each vertebrae.
In the first part we learnt what a concussion was, in this part we will tell you how to treat yourself in the first 24hours to a week and beyond, and how your local Osteopath can help. The first rule of a concussion is: if in any doubt or any unusual symptoms appear head to the emergency room at a hospital or to your local general practitioner as soon as possible. This may involve an ambulance, but you can always call Nurse On Call on 1300 60 60 24 to check, which is available 24/7. Due to the neurological impact of a concussion the first thing to do is to limit sensory inputs such as light, sound and proprioception or reaction time. Take the patient to a dimly lit room, with minimal noise (no TV, or lots of talking) and lay them down with a slightly elevated head.
You have heard the term, know the stories, heard the warnings and seen them occur on the sporting field, but what actually is a concussion? Concussions are defined as a brain injury caused by a blow to the head or a violent shaking of the head and/or body. This does not mean you need to lose consciousness for a concussion to occur. The initial injury itself is to the brain and is due to the brain being pushed against the inside of the skull, some describe it as a bruising of the brain due to the impact. As well as the impact force, different speeds in which the different parts of the brain move can stretch and tear tissue due to the shearing force which can also injure the nerve tissue.
There’s a lot of change throughout pregnancy but let’s talk about those relating to our musculoskeletal system! Often in conversation it appears that pain is almost expected during pregnancy and women just put up with it. Although pain is common, a lot of the time it may be managed. Keep in mind this is unique to the individual and doesn’t include the delivery process. The point is, there’s potential ways to manage or improve pain whilst pregnant and even postpartum and Osteo is one option!
Pain and Suffering – they go hand in hand, right? I was pondering something that two very clever colleagues of mine had been discussing (Lissanthea Taylor and Prof Jess Lionne – Lissanthea is a pain guru and someone who I have the absolute pleasure doing some work for and learning from, and can be found on twitter here: @Lissanthea) Pain can range from annoying to debilitating, and has the potential to interfere with most, if not all, facets of our life.
Tendinitis is when a tendon becomes irritated and inflamed. Our Osteos can diagnose your tendon pain, help you to understand where it is at in the healing process, treat it with appropriate manual therapy or dry needling, and advise you and supervise you with appropriate rehabilitation exercises.
Why do we hurt when it gets cold? Does the cold weather "get into our bones"? Or does winter stir up arthritis? In this blog we explore reasons that you might feel more stiff and sore in the colder months!
Low back pain is one of the most common, debilitating and costly conditions in our society. An osteopath will explain to you why your pain is present, assist to relieve it with manual therapy and identify any barriers to your recovery. During a consultation with an osteopath, your practitioner will first discuss your case and thoroughly assess your condition.