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.

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.

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.