Blog Page – Page 6 – Precision Health Spine and Sports Clinic

06SepSeptember 6, 2018

Live long!

Once upon a time living to 100 was a rare thing. These days, however, it is becoming more and more common. In 1976 there were 300 Australians over 100. Last year there were nearly 5000! It’s easy to put this amazing increase down to the wonders of modern medicine. After all, we keep inventing cures for anything that ails you. But actually, there is a lot more to it than that.

So, since estimates suggest there will be 2 million centenarians worldwide by 2050, what characteristic do you need to have to be in the fastest growing age bracket in the world?

Research suggests that up to 30% of your likelihood of living long is down to genetics – if your parents and grandparents did it, you may well do it too. So that leaves 70% up for grabs. Of course, there are the advances in medical science – both preventions and cures - that are not only prolonging our lives, but keeping us healthier for much longer. That accounts for some of it.

However, recent studies have shown something that you might not consider. Your personality has a lot to do with it! I remember as a kid my mum saying of a particularly grouchy old relative “he’s too cranky to die”. In actual fact, it seems, the reverse is true.

Studies by Keio University in Japan and UNSW’s Centre for Healthy Brain Aging suggest that your personality has a lot to do with your chances of living to a ripe old age. Traits that many Centenarians have in common are friendliness, happiness, kindness and compassion, making them people who are generally good to be around. Perhaps the most important trait, however, is resilience. It seems we keep coming back to this one – remember our blog from August – Resilience? In that blog we talked about the importance of resilience in our communities. But resilience as a personal trait, it turns out, is an important indicator in our ability to ‘live long’.

So, is resilience an inherent trait, or can we learn to develop it? Well, yes. To both. Some people are born with naturally positive, resilient characters. Others have to work on it. So, if you need to work on your resilience, how do you actually go about doing that?

There are a few key things that you can do to help build your resilience:

Focus on what you can control, not what you can’t. This will help you feel more confident and empowered. There will always be aspects of life that we just can’t control, so let that go and focus on what you can control.
Learn from your mistakes. We all make them. So look at them as opportunities for growth, not a negative reflection of your worth.
Have goals. And commit to them. Not just at work but personally – in your family life, friendships and personal interests.
Maintain a positive attitude towards the future – think about the good things ahead.
Work on your relationships. Solid support networks in both your personal and professional life are very important in maintaining resilience.
Avoid thinking of yourself as a victim. Take responsibility if you need to, then move on. And as we said earlier, if you can’t control it, don’t let it control you.

If that’s what you should do, are there things that you shouldn’t do? Of course!

Try not to see setbacks or mistakes as permanent. Everything is temporary, even the worst mistakes.
Don’t let problems in one area of your life ‘bleed’ into another. If things aren’t great at home, don’t take it to work with you. And vice versa. Try and compartmentalize problems.
Don’t take it personally. Easier said than done, but try and recognize the circumstances, rather than always blaming yourself when things don’t work out.
Don’t worry about what other people think. This can be a fine line. Strong relationships are important, but always remain true to yourself.

All this has a cumulative effect. If you develop your resilience, you will be happier. If you are happier, you will be more friendly, kind and compassionate. So you can see how it works….

Now, we wouldn’t be an allied health clinic if we didn’t mention that keeping yourself fit and active and aiming for a healthy diet is important too. So remember the regular exercise, plenty of sleep and healthy diet mantra while developing all these wonderful personality traits.

Before you know it, you’ll be getting your letter from the Queen and attempting to blow out 100 blazing candles!

By admintips, wellbeing0 Comments

04SepSeptember 4, 2018

Are Chilblains the bane of your existence?

What are chilblains?

Chilblains are small, itchy reddish purple patches, like blisters, on the skin, which can be very painful. Generally, they occur on the extremities – toes, fingers, even ears and noses. When more severe, these patches can swell and sometimes cause splitting and cracking of the skin, leading to infection. If left untreated, these infections can become ulcerated. This condition is sometimes called Pernio, Perniosis or Cold-Induced Vascular Disorder.

A condition related to chilblains is Raynauds Phenomena, which has many similarities to chilblains.

Causes

The main cause for chilblains is cold weather. When we become cold the blood vessels close to the skin constrict to concentrate blood and body heat in the areas of the vital organs. This constriction starves the extremities of blood. When the extremities are later warmed – for instance if we come inside from the cold – the constricted blood vessels expand too quickly. This can cause blood to leak into nearby tissue, creating a chilblain.

Less common causes for chilblains are:

Poor circulation. If your circulation is already sluggish or compromised by an underlying condition such as diabetes or lupus, chilblains will commonly arise.

Tight or ill fitting shoes. Shoes which constrict the flow of blood to the foot because they are too tight, or pinch in specific places, can cause chilblains to develop.

Anyone can suffer from chilblains, however the people most at risk of chilblains are the elderly, people with underlying medical conditions, smokers, people who are underweight, and those with a sedentary lifestyle. Women are also more prone to the problem than men.

Symptoms

As we said earlier, chilblains are red/purple, itch, painful and sometimes swollen patches on the skin. There is usually itching, and often a burning sensation. Blisters often develop and the skin splits and cracks.

Most often, chilblains occur on the toes and feet. However, your hands, ears and nose may also be affected.

Treatment

If you regularly suffer from chilblains, or if the skin has split or cracked, it is important to see a Podiatrist for assessment. They will be able to make recommendations on treatment and prevention, and to manage any underlying or secondary conditions related to the chilblains, like ulcerations. This is especially important if you suffer from diabetes.
Soothing lotions will reduce the itch. It is important not to scratch as this will increase the likelihood of the skin cracking. Witch hazel or calamine lotion are often good
Keep the affected skin supple with rich lotions like lanolin to avoid cracking
Vicks or Antiflamme will increase the circulation in the area
Look for wool or cotton socks as the natural fibers will not irritate the skin

Prevention

When you are outdoors in very cold weather, make sure both your body and your extremities are kept warm. Warm shoes and socks and gloves are essential as well as hats, coats and scarves. Aim for layers, which will trap the warmth, rather than one bulky layer
When you come in from the cold, don’t be tempted to reheat your extremities too quickly. There may be no better feeling than warming your hands over a roaring fire, but aim for a slower warming. Run your hands and feet under warm - not hot – water and allow them to warm slowly. Sudden, extreme changes in temperature will exacerbate the problem
Make sure your shoes are comfortable and well fitted to avoid pinching
Keep up a routine of exercise to ensure your circulation is good

Raynauds Phenomena

This condition has some similarities to Chilblains in that it is related to restricted blood flow to the extremities. In the case of Raynauds, blood flow to the extremities is restricted or interrupted by a constriction of the blood vessels called a vasospasm. Triggers for this can be cold or emotional stress.

Unlike the red/purple patches of chilblains, when blood flow is constricted in Raynauds Phenomena, the skin turns white, feels icy cold and sometimes even develops a blue tinge.

There are two types of Raynauds:

- Primary, where there is generally little pain. Primary Raynauds exists on its own and has no underlying condition

- Secondary, where the sufferer may experience pain, tingling and numbness for minutes or hours. Secondary Raynauds is related to underlying conditions such as arthritis or an auto-immune disease

When a Raynauds vasospasm is over it may take some time for circulation to be restored, and you may experience throbbing and redness in the area.

Raynauds is caused by a range of conditions and environmental factors such as arthritis, atherosclerosis, lupus, smoking and some medications, such as beta blockers.

Prevention and treatment for Raynauds is much the same as with chilblains. However, if you suffer from Raynauds it is important to keep warm as much as possible and avoid triggers like nicotine and caffeine. It is also important to try and manage emotional stress.

If you are suffering from chilblains, or think you may have Raynauds Phenomena, call our Hills district clinic on 9639 7337 to make an appointment for an assessment and treatment to with our Podiatrist.

By adminpodiatry0 Comments

30AugAugust 30, 2018

Have you lost your groove?

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome sounds pretty scary. In fact, it is one of the most common knee complaints – up to 25% of the population will suffer from it at onetime or another. Sometimes called Runners Knee, and even Theatre Knee, you don’t need to be a runner or a theatre-goer to suffer from it.

What is it?

As we bend our knee, the kneecap glides up and down the ‘femoral groove’, which is an indentation on the femur (thigh bone). This movement creates pressure between the kneecap and the groove. If your kneecap jumps out of this track, or misaligns, it rubs against the femur and the pressure is increased even further.

Misalignment can be caused by trauma, muscle imbalance or biomechanical problems.

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PPS) often occurs in adolescence as the long bones of the thigh grow faster that the muscles, causing the muscles to tighten and pull the kneecap out of alignment.

Causes

The most common causes of PPS are muscular imbalance and biomechanical:

Muscular Imbalance – weakness in your Vastus Medialis Oblique (VMO) muscle, which pulls your kneecap up and inwards creates an imbalance with the Vastus Lateralis, which pulls up and outwards

Biomechanical – poor foot posture and poor control of hip and buttock muscles

Trauma such as a direct fall on the knee can also cause PPS.

Sports that require running and jumping can exacerbate this condition – netball, tennis, volleyball and basketball to name just a few.

Symptoms

Generally with PPS there will be a gradual onset of pain, starting with pain on weight bearing activity, like jumping or squatting, and developing through pain on walking until there is even pain when resting.

The pain can be sharp and sudden or dull and continuous. You may feel or hear grinding or popping and there may be swelling.

And if you were wondering where the term “Theatre Knee” came from here it is. It can be painful to sit with the knee bent for extended periods – as you do at the theatre.

Treatment

As with many conditions, the first port of call is to reduce pain and inflammation – so back to the RICER (link) principles that we mentioned in an earlier blog. Light massage and chiropractic treatment including taping and dry needling will help with the pain an inflammation, as will anti-inflammatories.

Once the pain and inflammation has settled, a structured approach to Rehabilitation is required. It is likely this will include both a Chiropractor and a Podiatrist. The aim will be to normalize the movement of your kneecap within the femoral groove.

Your chiropractor will assess the strength and balance of your hip, thigh and quad muscles and develop a treatment plan that includes:

Exercises that stretch the thigh, hamstring and calf muscles to reduce tension on the joint
Exercises to strengthen and balance the muscles, particularly the quads
Specific exercises that address speed, power and agility depending upon the needs of your activities or sports

Your Podiatrist will review your foot posture and gait to determine whether orthotics are required. Shoe selection will also be considered, based on your foot posture and activities.

Return to sporting activities should begin slowly, with low impact sports like swimming and cycling. Your Chiropractor will let you know when you can return to your normal sports.

If you are suffering from knee pain, contact our clinic on 9639 7337 to make an appointment for an assessment. The sooner you get treatment, the sooner you will be back in the groove!

By adminchiro, podiatry0 Comments

28AugAugust 28, 2018

Give me 1 Good Reason

It’s hard to believe, but this is our 100^th blog post! We originally started the blog posts to provide our patients and the wider community with information and knowledge on conditions and treatments related to the services we offer. Sometimes we stray into lifestyle and general interest topics, just to keep ourselves and our readers on our toes, but generally, we stick to Chiropractic, Podiatric, Massage and Traditional Chinese Medicine related topics.

When I sat down to write this post I thought about all the posts that had gone before. What would be a good way to mark our 100^th blog? Do I review our best and worst? Most popular? Most controversial? It seemed important to mark the occasion somehow.

What about 100 reasons to visit Precision Health Spine & Sports Clinic? What a great idea! I sat down and thought about it. Came up with loads of reasons why you should visit our Clinic. But the more reasons I came up with, the more I realized there is really only one reason you should come to Precision Health Spine & Sports Clinic – we are very, very good at what we do. So, here is the Top 100 Reasons to visit us:

We are very good at what we do

2-100. See Above

Since this turned out to be a very short blog – I thought I might as well have a look at our Top 5 blog posts anyway. We have covered everything from the very serious, in blogs like Performance Enhancement – Worth the Risk?, to the fun of the Secret Life of Coffee, and the important issues like Putting your High Heels On. But our Top 5 most popular topics have been:

You might like to take this opportunity to delve back into the depths of history if you missed them. Or catch up on any others that might interest you.

Finally, we would like to take this opportunity to thank our patients and friends for their support over the past 100 blogs. Since we began writing the clinic has changed a great deal. Some staff have moved on, and some new staff have come on board. What has not changed is our commitment to being the best allied health clinic in the Hills District. Whether it’s Chiropractic, Remedial or Sports Massage, Podiatry or Traditional Chinese Medicine you are looking for, Precision Health Spine & Sports Clinic has a highly qualified, experienced professional to help you. Call our Baulkham Hills Clinic on 9639 7337 to make an appointment.

By adminacupuncture, chiro, massage, podiatry, wellbeing0 Comments

23AugAugust 23, 2018

Peripheral Neuropathy

We have talked in the past about the the central nervous system in “You’ve got a Nerve”. In that blog we touched briefly on the Autonomic and Peripheral Nervous Systems. Sometimes, one or more of the nerves in the Peripheral Nervous System are damaged, and this condition is known as Peripheral Neuropathy. There are many potential causes, and the symptoms vary depending on the location and number of nerves affected.

Peripheral Neuropathy is the result of damage to your peripheral nerves and can affect one nerve (mononeuropathy), multiple nerves in more than one location (multiple mononeuropathy) or many nerves (polyneuropathy). Generally, it is the hands and feet that are affected by this condition.

Causes

There are a wide range of possible causes for Peripheral Neuropathy. Damage to the nerves may be caused by trauma such as an accident or injury, by pressure such as wearing a cast or brace, or by repetitive activities such as typing.

Environmental factors may include exposure to toxic substances like heavy metals, alcoholism, and vitamin deficiencies, particularly vitamins B, E and Niacin. Some medications – like chemotherapy – can also cause peripheral neuropathy.

Infections, tumors, bone marrow disorders and a range of auto-immune diseases like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis can also be responsible. Inherited disorders such as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease are also linked to peripheral neuropathy Perhaps the single most common cause of peripheral neuropathy is Diabetes.

Symptoms

Every nerve in your body has a specific function, so symptoms will be dependent upon which nerves are affected. In the hands and feet, these are likely to be the sensor nerves (feeling temperature, pain and touch) and the motor nerves (controlling muscle movement). Symptoms might include:

numbness or tingling in your hands and feet, even spreading up your arms and legs
Extreme sensitivity to touch
Pain – which may be burning, freezing, sharp, throbbing or jabbing
Lack of co-ordination – falling, difficulty in picking things up
Weakness – lack of strength in feet and hands

When Peripheral Neuropathy is present, complications can arise from the lack of strength and sensation in your hands and feet:

You may not feel injuries like burns or cuts. This can lead to infections, particularly in your feet where you may not see them.
You may have trouble with your balance if you do not have good feeling in your feet, particularly on uneven ground. You may even have trouble driving, as your sensitivity to the accelerator and the brake may be limited.
Weakness in your hands may cause clumsiness, affecting your fine motor skills and reducing your ability to lift anything with weight, like a kettle or saucepan.

Treatment

Initially, it is important to address the underlying cause of potential Peripheral Neuropathy before it begins to affect your nerves if at all possible. Managing conditions like Diabetes will help reduce the likelihood of developing this condition.

Maintaining a healthy diet, avoiding smoking and alcohol and getting sufficient exercise will all help in both managing the underlying condition and reducing the impact of Peripheral Neuropathy.

Treatment options to manage the symptoms may include using a TENS Machine (Transcutaneous Nerve Stimulation), casts, splints or orthotics, acupuncture, massage and chiropractic treatment.

If Peripheral Neuropathy is affecting your feet and legs, it is vital to make regular visits to a Podiatrist who will help you manage any motor issues and ensure your feet are free of secondary injuries and infections.

If you have been experiencing any numbness, tingling, pain or weakness and your hands, feet, arms or legs call our Baulkham Hills Clinic today on 9639 7337 to make an appointment to discuss your symptoms and treatment.

By adminacupuncture, chiro, podiatry, wellbeing0 Comments

21AugAugust 21, 2018

Make the most of your Massage

When our patients come out of a massage we often hear “I wish I could have one every week!”. Whilst we are more than happy to see out patients every week for a massage, it does get difficult for them to find in the time – not to mention it would get pretty expensive.

So how do you feel like you have had a massage when you haven’t? Well, you can’t really. But there are some things you can do to extend the therapeutic benefits of your massage, which is almost the next best thing.

Drinking

No, sorry. Not wine or beer. Or even coffee. WATER. Drink plenty of water before and after your massage. Massaging helps release toxins from your muscles, which then move into the lymphatic system. The best way to keep them moving all the way through is with water. 8 glasses if you can.

Stretching

Massage heats up your muscles much as a warm-up would. So right after a massage is a good time to do some stretching exercises. You will achieve a nice deep, effective stretch, and help continue that relaxed feel a massage provides.

Moving

Sometimes muscles feel stiff and sore after a massage. Light exercise, like walking, can help alleviate both by keeping the joints mobile and the blood flowing.

Soaking

A good old-fashioned Epsom Salts bath can do wonders after a deep tissue massage! Watch the temperature (not too hot), especially if you have a specific injury with swelling or inflammation. And whilst I would love to be able to say try a nice glass of wine – no. Stick to water!

Rolling

If you have a particular area or muscle that gives you trouble, talk to your therapist about whether a foam roller, or even a tennis ball, could help keep the area loose between appointments.

Sitting

Many of our aches and pains come from poor posture, or poor movement practice during work or sport. The days following a massage are a good time to try and change some of these bad habits. Talk to your therapist about what you might be doing wrong, and how you can improve it.

Scheduling

Here’s the good news! Put another massage on the horizon. Something to look forward to. Talk to your therapist about how often you should have a massage, and book a few up in advance. Not only will it help you get the time and day that’s most convenient for you, but it will make sure you don’t let important self-care slip through the cracks.

At Precision Health Spine & Sports Clinic we have three highly qualified Remedial Massage Therapists who provide Sports, Remedial, Swedish, Pregnancy and Injury massage. We service the Baulkham Hills, Castle Hill and the wider Hills District. If you would like to book a massage, call the clinic on 9639 7337.

By adminmassage0 Comments

16AugAugust 16, 2018

How long is this going to take?

King Julian might not have been talking about healing when he uttered the immortal line “How long is this going to take?” in Madagascar, but anyone who has had a soft tissue injury will surely have wondered the very same thing. Not to mention wondering why their Chiropractor wants them to keep coming back, even when they ‘feel better’.

The answer is both simple and complicated. Not all soft tissue injuries are created equal. Different tissues in the body heal at different rates. And those rates differ for every person, depending on the severity of the injury, your level of fitness, age, your individual body chemistry and the presence of other health conditions. So, the answer to the question is – as long as it takes.

What Happens During Healing?
The process of healing happens broadly in three phases:

Acute Inflammation – at the onset of the injury there is pain, swelling, heat and redness. This is caused by the release of chemicals required for the healing process. During this process damaged cells are broken down ready to be replaced with new ones. Collagen synthesis decreases, and the number of inflammatory cells increases.
Repair – As the number of inflammatory cells decreases, collagen fiber production increases. New collagen fibers are laid down in an unstructured pattern, which is not as strong or flexible as normal tissue.
Remodeling – in the final stage of healing, the collagen fibers begin to align more normally and tissues begin to regain their original strength, allowing the tissues to accommodate increased loads until eventually normal function is restored.

Muscles

Muscles are made up of soft, elastic tissue containing protein filaments of actin and mosin. Muscles generally have a good blood supply, which is essential for healing.

Muscle strains can be divided into three categories:

Grade 1 – is a mild strain and will usually heal within 3-6 weeks

Grade 2 – is more severe and will take weeks to months to heal

Grade 3 – is a full thickness tear or rupture, and will often require surgery. Healing time for this type of injury can be many months

Tendons & Ligaments

Tendons attach muscles to bones, whereas ligaments attach bone to bone. Tendons and ligaments have a much lower blood supply than muscles, which is one of the reasons they heal much slower. They are also much denser tissue, made up mostly of collagen fibers and fibroblasts, which synthesise extracellular matrix and collagen. Ligaments are generally more elastic than tendons. Consequently, damage to a tendon or ligament will heal much more slowly than damage to a muscle.

Grade 1 – should heal in 2-8 weeks

Grade 2 - healing may take between 2 and 6 months

Grade 3 – 6-12 months healing likely

Tear/Rupture – will require surgery and take a minimum of 4 months, up to over 12 months to fully repair

Of course, this is assuming the appropriate treatment for the injury is being received.

What can you do to speed things up?

There are a few key things you can do to speed up your recovery:

Seek immediate first aid treatment when you are injured – proper management of an injury can make a big difference to your recovery.
Ensure you seek treatment as soon as possible. The sooner your rehab starts, the sooner you will be back to normal.
Follow orders! Your Chiropractor will provide you with advice, a treatment plan, and possibly exercises. Stick to them! The advice you are given is designed to get you back to normal in the optimum time, so listen to the experts. And if this means sitting out a few games or races – just do it. You will be happy you did in the end.
Eat well. In the early stages Turmeric and Curcumin will help with inflammation. Vitamin C will help with collagen production, flush lactic acid from your muscles, and zinc helps with wound healing.
Be patient. It will take as long as it takes.

So, next time you injure yourself and your Chiropractor suggests a treatment, rehab and exercise approach, try and stick to it. Otherwise how long it will take will be much, much longer than you might like.

If you have an injury, call our Baulkham Hills Clinic on 9639 7337 to make an appointment for assessment and treatment by our experienced Sports Chiropractor.

By adminchiro, wellbeing0 Comments

14AugAugust 14, 2018

Joint Hypermobility Syndrome

We’ve all seen those people who can touch their forearm with their thumb, or bend their fingers right back. People often call this ‘double jointed’. But what it is, in fact, is hypermobility.

What is Hypermobility?

Hypermobility can affect any joint in the body, and is caused by abnormal collagen content in the fibres of the ligaments, causing an increase in elasticity. It is generally an inherited trait, and is more frequent in women than men. Where there is hypermobility in multiple joints, accompanied by joint and muscle pain, and sometimes fatigue, the condition is referred to as Joint Hypermobility Syndrome.

There is no prevention or cure available, although generally as we age joints and ligaments become less flexible and mobile, so the condition can reduce. Knee, ankle and shoulder joints are most likely to be affected, and osteoarthritis can develop as a result of weakened joints.

Joint Hypermobility Syndrome is often present with other syndromes such as Down or Marfan Syndromes.

The Beighton Score

Hypermobility is diagnosed using the Beighton Score. Here’s how to check if you might have the condition

For every on of the things below you can do, give yourself one point. Can you:

Bend your knee backwards
Bend an elbow backwards
Bend a thumb backwards onto your forearm
Bend a little finger back more than 90 degrees
Put your hands flat on the floor with your knees straight

If you scored 4 points, you are likely to be hypermobile. If you scored 4 points, and experience joint or muscle pain regularly, you could have Joint Hypermobility Syndrome

Symptoms

Often there are no symptoms – other than your ability to move your body in ways others can’t. However, people with Hypermobility are at much higher risk of injury of sprains, strains, subluxation (where a joint slips out slightly) and dislocation (where a joint slips out completely). Recovery from injury can also take longer where Hypermobility is present due to the reduced amount of collagen in the ligament fibres.

Sufferers of generalized Hypermobility might also find they have trouble with balance and co-ordination. And of course, this compounds the tendency towards sprains and strains.

Hypermobility can also affect the arches of your feet, causing them to flatten.

Treatment

Possibly the most important aspect of managing and treating Hypermobility is preventative. Maintaining strength in the muscles around the joints will reduce the likelihood of injury.

If pain is present, there are a number of things that can be done:

Take anti-inflammatories to ensure the tissues around the joints remain healthy
Warm baths and heat packs will reduce pain
Use heat-rub creams like arnica to reduce any pain and swelling
Regular chiropractic treatment to ensure proper alignment, and keep the muscles strong
Visit a Podiatrist to ensure your foot arches are supported correctly
Regular massage to improve blood flow in the muscles
Strengthening and balancing exercises – it is very important to keep the muscles strong, particularly the core, and those around the affected joint. This will help avoid injury.

Do’s and Don’ts

Low impact exercise – yoga is great, but care should be taken not to overextend joints
Maintain a healthy weight
Take care choosing shoes – if you have flat feet consider orthotics
Make regular visits to the Chiropractor to ensure your joints are as healthy as possible
Have a Podiatrist check out your feet to ensure your arches are up tot the task, and consider orthotics if they are not

Don’t

Do high impact exercise
Overexercise
Be tempted to overextend your joints as a party trick or whilst doing yoga

If you think you may have Hypermobile joints or Joint Hypermobility Syndrome, call our Baulkham Hills clinic on 9639 7337 to have a full assessment and treatment plan developed by our experienced Chiropractor.

By adminchiro, podiatry0 Comments

09AugAugust 9, 2018

I love a Sunburnt Country*

the second driest continent on earth…

Sadly, the famous poem by Dorothea Mackellar extolling the harshness of Australia’s landscape is all too accurate. Australia is, in fact, the second driest continent on earth – following Antarctica. Droughts seem to be a common occurrence, but many farmers are saying this is the worst drought since 1902.

This week, 100% of NSW, nearly 60% of Queensland and large parts of northern Victoria have been declared to be in drought. The Autumn rainfall for 2018 was the second lowest since recording began in 1900, following a record breaking year of heat in 2016/17.

Farmers right down the eastern seaboard are having to hand feed their stock with hay and grain because there is no grass left. And that feed is having to come from South Australia. Some experts believe that by December, even that will be difficult as stocks of feed dwindle.

This may seem like a country problem, but when we consider that 93% of our food is grown by Australian farmers, not to mention wool and cotton for our clothing, it is an everybody problem. If it were a flood or fire - a natural disaster - the government would be stepping in with massive aid packages. But what could be a more natural disaster on the second driest continent on earth that drought? And whilst the government is starting to come up with packages, the problem is now so widespread that this just won't be enough.

One organization that has been helping farmers in drought since 2013 is Buy A Bale. Since its inception it has delivered over 160,000 bales of hay to farmers – and stock – in need. Since starting with hay bales, the organization has now joined with Rural Aid and expanded to include gift cards to help feed the farmers and their families, and two innovative programmes – Farm Army and Farm Rescue.

The Farm Army programme is for people who would like to volunteer their time helping farmers. This is particularly aimed at tradies. It can often be difficult for farmers to get tradies in remote and rural areas and this initiative helps farmers keep their farms operational.

Farm Rescue is a little like the reality tv shows you sometimes see. You can volunteer your time to join a team helping out a farmer with whatever needs doing – hand feeding stock, mending fences, repairing buildings or equipment.

At Precision Health Spine and Sports Clinic we would like to do our part to support the farmers. We invite all our patients to please consider making a gold coin donation when you next visit the clinic. We will match dollar for dollar every donation by a patient. We would love to raise enough for at least 5 large bales of hay, so please be generous.

And if, over the coming weeks, you have an appointment on a Monday or Thursday you may be lucky enough to stumble upon a Bake Sale to help the cause. And who can resist a cupcake or a home made toffee…

So next time you visit the Clinic, have some coins ready to give those who keep this country fed a helping hand until this ‘opal-hearted country, a wilful, lavish land*’ sees fit to rain on them again.

* I love A Sunburnt Country by Dorothea Mackellar

By adminwellbeing0 Comments

07AugAugust 7, 2018

A bit about Bursitis

Bursitis is a common and painful condition. It is caused by the inflammation or irritation of the bursa. Hmm. So what is a bursa?

What is a Bursa?

We all have around 160 bursa in our bodies. They are tiny sacs filled with fluid called synovial fluid, which is rich in collagen and proteins. These sacs of fluid provide cushioning in areas of friction – for instance in moving joints.

What is Bursitis?

Bursitis is the inflammation or irritation of one or more of the Bursa in a particular joint. Generally, the joints most affected are the shoulder, elbow, hip, knee and heel. Sometimes these sacks may also become infected, and this is known as Septic Bursitis, which is more common in bursa close to the skin, or in those with suppressed immune systems or diabetes.

Causes

There are essentially three types of causes for Bursitis:

Chronic – this is where a regular, repetitive movement causes damage over time. This could be throwing a ball, typing, or kneeling for long periods. This is known as a Repetitive Motion Disorder.

Acute – where an accident like a blow or a fall damage the bursa

Medical – where another medical condition, such as rheumatoid arthritis, gout or diabetes causes irritation to the bursa

Symptoms

If Bursitis is developing you will notice pain and tenderness around the affected area, which likely becomes worse with movement, and at night. There may be swelling, redness and heat. Often, the joint becomes difficult to move and range of motion is reduced. In the case of Septic Bursitis you may also experience a mild to moderate fever.

Treatment

Treatment of Bursitis will involve both management of the symptoms and addressing the cause. First and foremost, you must rest the affected joint in order to allow the bursa time to heal. If your Bursitis has been caused by repetitive movement – like golf, tennis, gardening or typing, it is important to stop the activity at least until you see some improvement.

Management of the pain will include ice, to reduce inflammation, compression and elevation where possible, and anti-inflammatory medications. Your chiropractor will recommend some gentle stretching exercises, and use dry needling to help with the pain an inflammation. Soft tissue work will assist with returning the joint to better range of motion, and also with decreasing inflammation. Once the condition has stabilized remedial massage may also be recommended.

Particularly in the case of Chronic Bursitis, it is recommended that you maintain a regular schedule of treatment with a chiropractor in order to keep the condition manageable.

If there is an infection in the bursa, you will likely need antibiotics, and the affected bursa may need to be drained with a needle.

If you think you may have Bursitis, call our Baulkham Hills Clinic on 9639 7337 to see our chiropractor for a diagnosis and to discuss treatment.

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