Head 2 Toe Wellness Solutions

BENEFITS OF SLEEPING WITH A CONTOUR PILLOW

January 15, 2021By Rhiannon.lewis@perthphysio.com.au

Many people ask us about pillows and whether they should look to replacing theirs. My advice always starts with these questions…

Do you wake with neck pain or headaches?
Do you wake up during the night due to pain or being uncomfortable? Are you a restless sleeper?
Do you find it difficult getting comfortable to sleep?

If you answer YES to any of the above, reviewing your pillow would be a good place to start.

There are many advantages to a contour pillow but, like everything, they are not for everybody. We offer a money back guarantee on all of our pillow sales, providing the plastic protection is left on. It is advised that you have your pillow fitted by one of our therapists.

Our pillows come in 4 sizes and it is important that the pillow is the right fit for you. This is not a case of one size fits all.

Many may have tried a contour pillow in the past and found it wasn’t comfortable, but it may have actually simply been the wrong size!

Moving from a regular pillow to a contour pillow does take a little getting used to and we do advise trialing it over a few nights, especially if it means you wake without pain or headaches. Our pillows come in firm or soft, and again, it’s a matter of personal preference as to whether is one is more comfortable than the other, providing the fit is correct.

A contour pillow has many benefits for side and back sleepers, however I wouldn’t recommend them for tummy sleepers.

#1 Aligns the Back and Neck…
They are designed in a way to cradle your head and neck ensuring that your spine is properly aligned and supported, relieving muscles and key pressure areas.

#2 Improved Comfort…
They can improve your sleep resulting in a better restful night. A common cause of neck pain is having your neck twisted or bent over a pillow for a prolonged length of time.

#3 Reduce morning Pain and Headaches…
They are recognised to reduce the neck stiffness some of us suffer with in the mornings. By supporting/cradling the head, our neck muscles can relax which results in less tension headaches that may be familiar to you.

#4 Reduce Snoring…
I think the benefits maybe for you and your partner with this one!

#5 Reduces cost of treatments…
By treating the cause of your pain as well as the symptoms this will result in you needing less treatment.

If you want to know more about our pillows, ask your therapist at your next appointment.

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY & PHYSIOTHERAPY

January 15, 2021By Rhiannon.lewis@perthphysio.com.au

Occupation isn’t just your job/vocation, it’s the activities you wish to carry out. These can be tasks at work, home or for recreation. Hanging out the washing, vacuuming/mopping the house, playing the guitar, hiking with friends to name a few. When you think of Occupational Therapy think about us helping you complete the tasks you are required to do and love to do.

We get asked regularly what the difference is between a physiotherapist and an occupational therapist and to be fair in our team very little in the titles.

Physical – helping you move better

Occupational – enabling you to do what you want to do

However, when it comes to experience and skill set, each individual member of our team can offer you sometimes, something a little bit different. Our Physiotherapists and Occupational therapist will and can carry out a detailed assessment. Depending on the issues found they may treat you personally, refer you to someone better suited to help you within our team, or sometimes externally or they may treat you simultaneously using their individual skills resulting in quicker recovery.
Rest assured if you are not sure who best to see, our whole team are able to assess and advise at an initial appointment. Still not sure? We are happy to offer a 10-minute free consult to put your mind at ease. (Ask about this when calling to make an appointment).

Biljana as an Occupational therapist compliments our physiotherapists well. She draws on her 7 years’ experience as a remedial massage therapist and is exceptional at manual soft tissue therapy. Whether that is releasing tight knots in muscles, breaking down scar tissue post injury or surgery or mobilising the connective tissue that allows us to move freer her manual therapy when it comes to muscles, fascia, ligaments and tendons are second to none. Combine this with her training and experience in lymphatic drainage, a technique that is used commonly to help post-surgical cancer patients and those suffering with lymphoedema.

Biljana also uses laser therapy and Shockwave therapy (Balcatta clinic only) to increase healing and reduce pain of conditions such as tendonitis and bursitis.
When it comes to getting you functioning and moving well, reducing pain and continuing living the best live that you can we work as a team to offer you the best for your needs.

LOW LEVEL LASER THERAPY

January 15, 2021By Rhiannon.lewis@perthphysio.com.au

Low level laser therapy is a non-invasive, safe, evidence based and effective therapy tool for various conditions and symptoms including:
– Swellings due to lymphoedema, injuries or surgeries
– Fibrosis – fibrotic tissue and scarring
– Sprained and strained ligaments (ankles, knee…)
– Tendon injuries (Achilles tendon, rotator cuff tendons, patellar tendon, hamstring tendons…)
– Musculoskeletal soreness and pain
– Inflammations

There are many benefits of having low level laser therapy, including:
– Significantly shortened recovery time post injury with rapid reduction of swelling and inflammation
– Immediate reduction of pain due to the analgesic effect at the time of treatment

The Laser Therapy Unit used in our clinic is Class 1 lasers and therefore it is the safest for our clients and clinicians

Is Low Level Laser Therapy new?
No. Low level laser therapy was first introduced in Europe in 1960. Since then, low level laser therapy has been extensively researched in clinical trials and used effectively in clinical settings to reduce inflammation and swellings, alleviate pain and promote healing in a range of musculoskeletal pathologies and conditions.

How does it work?
Low level laser radiates infrared light at the site of application leading to tissue repair and healing, improved blood circulation bringing more oxygen to the tissue, improved cellular function and neural responses at the site of application.

DO YOU SLEEP WELL?

January 8, 2021By Rhiannon.lewis@perthphysio.com.au

We all know that good quality sleep at night is beneficial for our health and overall wellbeing.

Yet, we frequently hear from our clients that they are:
– Often waking up during the night due to pain or discomfort
– Having difficulties going back to sleep due to racing mind, uncomfortable positioning in a bed and overall discomfort
– Waking up in the morning tired and fatigued
= Experiencing stiffness in neck or tension headache after the poor night sleep
Poor sleep may increase the risk of developing chronic conditions. In addition, lack of quality sleep has a negative impact on your brain function and everyday performance.

Here are some ways that we can help you to get a better night’s sleep!

We can help you be active again so you can:
– Exercise on a regular basis
– Enjoy the great outdoors
– Pursue your interests and hobbies

We can help with a good night sleep:
– We recommend contour pillows sold in our clinic to support your head and neck
– We provide advice on optimum temperature, noise, and set up in your bedroom
– We can give you helpful ideas for the best night’s sleep!

We can help to reduce stress:
– Book a relaxing massage with our amazing team
– We can teach you deep breathing exercises
– Ideas on how to relax just before bedtime

Reduce screen time at least 1 hour before sleep time:
– Use apps to block blue light at night from your phone, laptop or tablet
– Turn your TV off
– Read a printed book instead of e-book before sleep

Ask our therapists to help you develop the strategy for the sleep that you dream of!

DRY NEEDLING… What is it All About?

May 18, 2018By admin

I bet we all know someone that says they’ve had dry needling; and I bet they all have a different opinion regarding whether it ‘works’ or whether it’s ‘painful’, among other things. But what actually is dry needling? And most importantly, can it help you?

Have you ever noticed those hard lumps under the skin and in your muscles, like little marbles or frozen peas? Sometimes they’re so firm that when you push on them, it can almost feel relieving. Sometimes pushing them can relieve a pain somewhere else. These ‘lumps’ are referred to as a knot in your muscle or a trigger point.

Where do knots come from and why do they keep coming back?

If you stop moving as you are right now, you may notice your posture. Are you reading this hunched over your laptop/iPad? Are you sitting on the couch with your shoulders up around your ears and staring at your phone? If the answer is yes, then you have your culprit. Knots, or myofascial trigger points, are formed when a muscle is overloaded, usually due to your body being in a poor position for a length of time. Repetitive movements, typing, texting… Sounding familiar? These can all result in trigger points, or knots, forming.

This loading or strain causes the muscles to overwork, and to fire repetitively without switching off or relaxing. The muscle fibers stay in a state of contraction, just as your forearm muscles would if you were holding a weight. This causes a reduction in blood flow to that area, which in turn triggers the release of sensitizing substances (chemicals) that affect the nerves responsible for transmitting pain messages. This can result in pain and weakness in the local area, as well as in other areas much farther away from the trigger point. This can explain why the area in which you feel pain is not where the problem is.

A lot of the knots you have may just be a result of your posture; at your desk for eight hours a day and then sitting slumped on the couch at night. Alternatively, they can be caused by an accident or an injury that has caused the muscle to spasm and contract. Our muscles don’t just decide to let go or release. They sometimes think they are helping to protect the injury when in fact they are probably contributing to it. Muscle contraction could also be a way of tricking you into feeling stronger – have you been working hard at the gym recently? Have you increased your training?

How will dry needling help me?

A trained therapist will insert a new, sterilized acupuncture needle directly into the knot in the muscle. It sounds a lot worse than it is! In fact, the needles are so thin you can hardly feel them. What you do feel, however, is the positive impact it will have in relaxing your muscles. The aim is to get a ‘twitch response’, whereby the muscle does a little ‘jump’ or spasm. You can usually feel a slight ache where the needle is, and sometimes in the other areas in which you have been experiencing pain. This twitch feels like a slight static shock; similar to the sensation of touching a car door, or taking off a woolen top. Several twitches may be felt depending on how tight the knot is. Generally the needle is left in anywhere from 20 seconds to several minutes.

The results of dry needling, when done properly, can be quite astounding. Tight muscles that have previously not responded to treatment can become soft and relaxed, sometimes after one needle. Depending on the severity of the knot, it can sometimes be a slightly achy experience. You may experience a ‘dead arm’, similar to muscle soreness after doing an intense gym workout. This can last for up to 48 hours – the trigger points aren’t going to give up without a fight! However, if you are open to temporary, slight discomfort, you will be rewarded with relaxed, knot–free muscles and a reduction in your movement restrictions and pain levels. If you are interested in experiencing the wonder and magic that is dry needling for yourself, give us a call today to see if this is something that could benefit you!