Scars are naturally formed following a surgery or injury as a part of the healing process in the body. Sometimes, scar tissue may cause ongoing pain, limit the range of motion in joints, and restrict the person’s overall daily functioning.

One of the common examples is a scar tissue formation following a hip or knee replacement surgery or carpal tunnel surgery limiting the range of motion and entrapping oedema. 

New and old scars can be treated with the aim to improve tissue mobility, increase range of motion, reduce pain, and improve overall appearance.

The management of scar tissue is determined by several factors including the scar maturation phase; type, shape and sensitivity of scar; and the distance between the scar tissue and underlying and nearby tissues such as tendons, muscles, and ligaments.

Following the comprehensive assessment of the client and client’s scar tissue, our therapists will recommend the best course of treatment for scar management. Various treatment approaches may be used including:

Scar massage: a specific type of massage that promotes healing, helps with scar tissue mobilization, reduces the tightness and improves the tissue flexibility, and helps with desensitization of the affected area.

Shockwave therapy: a high energy sound wave based therapy that reduces pain, promotes normal healing by increasing micro circulation, and improves tissue mobility.

Low level laser therapy: a light based therapy that reduces the pain, swelling and inflammation, promotes healing process and decreases fibrotic tissue and scarring.

Stretching and flexibility exercises: a specific stretching exercise programs to improve joint mobility and tissue flexibility.

Compression therapy: used to prevents overgrowth of scar tissue, promotes quality of scar, and improves scar appearance

Self-management techniques: education on self-massage, skin management, desensitization, use of silicone gel sheet, compressions, etc.

The benefits of scar treatment using various therapeutic modalities are many including faster recovery,  long-lasting pain relief, improvement and activation of surrounding muscles, alteration of persistent numbness and altered sensation, improvement of tissue mobility, improvement in function, etc.

If you are experiencing pain and functional limitations due to scars, either new or old, ask our therapists for the available treatment options.

Pilates was originally developed in the 1920’s by a man named Joseph Pilates.
It is a form of exercise that aims to develop and strengthen deep postural ‘core’ muscles for stability while improving postural alignment, flexibility, and balance. It is a full body workout that typically focuses on ‘core’/ trunk muscle groups however is not restricted to any specific body part. In Pilates, the focus is not on how many repetitions or sets that can be completed but on technique and movement control while performing these exercises.

Who does Pilates benefit?

Pilates is low impact and versatile to various population groups with its many different exercise variations. It can be adapted for gentle strengthening and stability for seniors or it can be progressed to provide a seasoned athlete with a challenging workout. It is important to let our instructors know if you have any previous injuries or conditions or even if you have goals you are aiming to achieve. This allows us to better tailor your programs to your specific needs.

It is also beneficial for the treatment and management of:

– Chronic pain at neck, lower back
– Pre and post-operative rehabilitation for hips, knees and shoulders
– Arthritic joints

However, Pilates is not cardiac based and should not be the only exercise used if you’re trying to achieve steady weight loss.

Types of Pilates

The two Pilates types are Matwork and Equipment-based.
Pilates at our clinic is predominantly equipment-based and makes use of various equipment including the Reformer, Trapeze Table and extras including straps, fitballs, resistance bands, etc to complete exercises. Home exercises may be given that does not require the use of equipment and these are generally Matwork pilates exercises.

For more information or to make a booking for 1:1 Pilates or a group class, contact us at 9207 1594

Have you ever been shown an image such as an X-ray, MRI or ultrasound and then saw a scary broken down knee or spine or shoulder in the absence of any trauma? And then you were told this was badly “degenerated”, “damaged”, or there was a “bulge”, or “bone on bone” in your body which is immediately assumed as the source of your pain?

Well we now know this to be a myth as there has been countless studies showing that there is a poor-correlations between the extent of “abnormalities” shown on your imaging and the presence of your pain and disability levels. Also, a lot of these image findings are very common in people without pain or loss of function and simply represents normal age-related changes like our wrinkles!

Imaging are not consistent and can often change. There are also times when repeated scans show little to no changes but yet their symptoms have improved or resolved – so we can’t even say these “abnormal” structures are the source of your pain with any certainties.

So, don’t rely only on the scan which is one small piece of the puzzle – as there is always going to be other contributing factors going on that forms the bigger picture in causing your pain, which our qualified clinicians can investigate for you and develop a tailored plan with you so that you can get back to the life you want again!

Scans are still very important and should still be done but only for a very minority of people where something more serious or sinister possibly could be going on such as a fracture.

Speak to one of our clinicians if you are concerned about whether you need a scan or not or if you want to know how your scan is linked to your pain.

Remedial Massage can help in injury recovery, injury prevention and general health and wellbeing. There are three different types of massage you can expect to be used when booking a remedial massage treatment. They are deep tissues release, trigger point release and myofascial release, all of which work on different layers and structures.

Deep tissue release involves deep and slow strokes and pressure. Usually used for strains and sport injury to reduce the muscle tension and guarding. It’s not just about the pressure nor the pain, in fact if it’s too uncomfortable you and your muscles won’t relax, and we won’t get the result we are looking for. Our massage therapists will work with you to find the correct pressure to start with and will increase the pressure through the treatment session as your muscles relax. This is great for any long-standing pain that you may have been suffering.

Trigger point release is used to release the ‘knots’ in your muscles. Sometimes they feel like hard lumps or marbles. When pressed on they may refer pain, these structures may be what is causing you the pain or discomfort. For example, trigger points around the top of the shoulders commonly give headaches, trigger points in the front of your thigh could be giving you knee pain and sciatic pain is commonly aggravated by a trigger point in your bottom. Where you experience the pain may not be where it is coming from. This type of massage does need a firm pressure to elicit the tight structures.

Myofascial release is slower and gentle. The aim is not to create pain and it works on the connective tissue. This helps with joint stiffness and can improve movement and conditions that are in more of the painful stage. This is also more beneficial if the goal is to get you and your body to relax.

In a treatment session, your massage therapist will normally mix 2-3 different type of massage techniques to achieve your goals and to have the best benefit for you. The session is tailored for you and your goals, so a quick assessment is always carried out first.

Do you have a good night’s sleep?

Having a good night’s sleep is essential for our overall health and wellbeing. It is the time when your body repairs itself and your mind consolidates all information received during the day.

However, when you do not get enough quality sleep due to stress, pain, illness or other interruptions and factors, you are waking up feeling tired, your energy level is at minimum and you feel sleepy and exhausted during the day.

The lack of good quality sleep may have serious impact on your mental and physical health and affect your ability to manage everyday challenges. The lack of sleep may also lead to weight gain and memory problems.

Did you know that massage therapy can significantly improve the quality of the sleep and help you to overcome sleep disorders?

Having regular massages will relax your body and mind. Massage therapy is known to improve quality of sleep by:

⦁ Reducing stress and anxiety
⦁ Calming down nervous system
⦁ Relieving pain
⦁ Enhancing blood circulation
⦁ Stimulating lymphatic, immune system
⦁ Decreasing muscle tension

Massage therapy is one of the oldest therapeutic modalities that can be beneficial for all aged groups, from children to older adults. It is a safe, healthy and drug free modality that can promote a good quality sleep and help your body to restore and rejuvenate after the good night sleep.

Our therapists are available and happy to answer any questions you may have about achieving a good quality sleep. Book your session today and feel amazing tomorrow.