Basically, there is a lot of overlap between our professions. However, although Osteopaths, Chiropractors and Physiotherapists are very similar, they are each derived from independent schools of thought and their approach to patient treatment differs.
Each profession is trying to achieve the same goals by treating joints and musculoskeletal problems to increase movement and strength, decrease pain and help return you to function, but use slightly different techniques. Read more for a brief outline on the focus each profession bases their techniques and treatments. Are you the type of person who likes a regular massage? Maybe you get treated now and then for your birthday or you give yourself a treat. Maybe you’ve never had one and wonder what it entails or are unsure of which one is actually right for you.
Two of the most common forms of massage therapy are Swedish Massage and Remedial Massage and each have their own benefits. If you are already familiar with Mat Pilates, which you will know is a floor based exercise program, you will discover that Reformer Pilates is quite different.
Using a ‘reformer machine,’ resistance is added to Pilates exercises via the use of weighted springs and pulleys, which form part of the machine and is generally more dynamic and intense than a mat Pilates workout. Judging by the number of times I get asked this, there seems there to be a lot of confusion and possible misinformation out there about this very question! To answer this question, some more information about the injury needs to be known, initially about the type of pain that it is present.
.A common complaint from surfing is the dreaded shoulder pain.
Too much paddling? injured rotator cuff? getting old???? Check out the link for a video below with a couple of tips to prevent the pain before it happens so you can paddle harder and pain free for longer. Click here: 2 tips to prevent shoulder pain when paddling New To Pilates?Pilates is a complete exercise method, developed by German-born Joseph Pilates who believed mental and physical health were closely connected and is suitable for people of all ages and levels of ability and fitness. Pilates is based on eight principles: relaxation, alignment, control, precision, routine, breathing, centering, and flowing movement, helping you develop an awareness of how your body works. It focuses on building your body's core strength (back, abdominal and pelvic muscles) through a series of low repetition, low impact stretching and conditioning exercises. Exercises can be done on a mat without special equipment. Ten Reasons To Give It A Go!1. Improved posture
Your spine supports the weight of your body and allows your body to move with ease and comfort. That's the theory anyway. But in practice, hours spent sitting in front of a computer screen or slumped in front of a TV means that the spine's natural S shape is lost, resulting in back pain and rounded shoulders. Pilates helps to re-align the spine and with that comes better posture. 2. Relief from back pain As mentioned above, a great deal of lower back pain comes from poor posture and our daily mistreatment of our spines. By re-aligning your spine and improving your posture, lower back pain can often be eliminated entirely. 3. A good night's sleep Ask anyone to name three things essential for life and you will be told, water, air and food. Few people will mention sleep and yet it too is essential to life. Based on a national survey of insomnia symptoms, research has estimated that 13.0% of New Zealanders aged 20–59 yrs are affected by at least one symptom of insomnia. Pilates can help stretch muscles, releasing tension and pain, and it can also help trigger natural sleep responses. 4. Increase your strength and stamina without adding muscle bulk Pilates helps increase both your strength and stamina without adding unwanted bulk because it focuses on developing your "core" muscles - muscles found in your abdominal and pelvic regions as well as in your back. By toning and stretching these muscles, and by correcting your posture, your natural strength and stamina will improve in leaps and bounds. 5. Pilates can help prevent osteoporosis In New Zealand, osteoporosis affects approximately 50% of women and 30% of men over the age of 60 years, with bones (and particularly those of the spine, wrist and hips) becoming thin and weak and susceptible to fractures. By promoting good posture and balance, pilates can actively help you avoid becoming one of those people. 6. A great way to relax and beat stress Pilates is a gentle form of exercise that literally re-introduces you to your own body. And the better you understand your body and how it works, the easier it will be for you to release tension, relax and beats the stresses and strains of modern life. 7. Help with prevention of incontinence Urinary incontinence is very common in women. Research information shows that 17% of adult women have bothersome urinary incontinence. A common cause of this type of incontinence in women is pregnancy, where the pelvic floor muscles can be weakened, but as we get older muscles in the pelvic area can weaken too. Pilates will help you strengthen your pelvic floor muscles, thereby curing what can be a very distressing problem for sufferers. 8. Improve your balance and co-ordination Pilates helps improve your balance and co-ordination by realigning your spine and strengthening your "core" muscles. Better balance and co-ordination means fewer injuries - hence Pilates' growing popularity among professional sports people - from dancers to rugby players. 9.Helps aid recovery after injury - and prevent injury recurring Because of its low impact nature, Pilates is widely recognised as being beneficial to people who are recovering from certain types of injury including whiplash and a wide range of sporting injuries. Indeed, many of the injuries that sports people are afflicted with can be avoided - and pilates can play a big part in ensuring correct body movement and core body strength leads to fewer such injuries. 10. No pain plenty gain! In most gyms you will hear the mantra "no pain, no gain", but you won't hear it repeated in a Pilates studio. Pilates is a gentle non-aerobic form of exercise that will tone and strengthen your muscles and transform poor posture without stressing the joints or the heart. More than half a million New Zealanders will be affected by arthritis at some time in their life. There is currently no cure for arthritis, but there are effective treatments. Physiotherapy treatment is one. Appropriate exercise is another. Exercise and arthritisResearch has found that sedentary individuals with arthritis (both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis) who exercised twice a week for an hour experienced significant declines in pain and fatigue and improved their ability to manage their arthritis. Most people with arthritis don’t exercise because they’re in pain – not realizing that exercise is a powerful and effective pain reliever. It eases inflammation, improves energy and promotes the flow of feel-good, pain-relieving chemicals like endorphins. How Your Physiotherapist Can Help YouYour physiotherapist can work with you to develop an exercise plan that's right for you. This may involve some strengthening and stretching exercises. It'll also include general activities such as walking, swimming or whatever you enjoy that's beneficial to you. Your physio will help you get the right balance between activity and rest so you keep active without feeling undue pain. Exercises you can tryYou might like to try these exercises produced in an e-book by Physiotherapy NZ in partnership with Arthritis NZ. It provides simple exercises that you can do while sitting, standing or lying in bed that can be fitted into your daily routine. Most exercises in the guide are stretches to help you get the basics right. There are also a few to help you improve strength. If you are unsure which type of exercise is best for you, we recommend you consult your health professional before beginning. At NorthWest Physio + we can give you advice and support to manage your arthritis symptoms. Give us a call on 09 412 2945 to make an appointment. People are living longer so it is important to stay healthy and active to ward off and reduce the physical and mental signs of ageing in order to enjoy those extended years. As we age our body inevitably goes through many physical changes. These natural age related changes include reduced bone density, reduced muscle strength, increased body fat, poorer coordination and stiffer joints. These normal effects of ageing can affect mobility and balance making older people more susceptible to falls and break bones. Older people also become more prone to illness such as heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, arthritis and lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. All of this can have a big impact on their daily lives and reduce their independence. For example elderly people often feel that they are not as quick and steady on their feet as they used to be and find that stairs are more difficult. This can then affect their ability to get out and about, which can lead to reduced independence. However, we do not have to accept this as an inevitable part of ageing. While physiotherapy cannot stop ageing it can help to reduce the impact that it has on our bodies and our lives. Physiotherapists are trained to identify physical and other factors that prevent people from being as active and independent as they can be, and then find ways of overcoming them. This makes physiotherapists ideally placed to help older people stay as active as they can be. In fact physiotherapy has been shown to improve many of the factors associated with ageing including strength, balance, coordination, flexibility and pain levels. Physiotherapy has been proven by research to help older adults to maintain their health, well-being, functional ability and independence. Physiotherapists can provide advice on how to safely exercise. Studies have shown that older adults who engage in regular physical activity gain many benefits including improved balance, strength, coordination, motor control, flexibility, endurance and even memory. Exercise can also help to reduce the risk and impact of illnesses that are more likely to affect older people. Research also shows how effective physiotherapists are at treating and preventing joint problems, balance disorders, risk of falls, strength decline and reducing high blood pressure and obesity. If you decide that you could benefit from physiotherapy your physiotherapist should start by carrying out a detailed assessment to determine the specific areas that may be having an impact on you. This assessment would typically include looking at your strength, range of movement, balance and walking. Together you and your physiotherapist will set specific goals to help you address the areas that are difficult for you. They will then use this information to design a tailor made programme. Physiotherapy interventions that are proven to be effective for older people include stretching and strengthening exercise programmes and practicing activities that challenge balance. Your physiotherapist will work with you to ensure that you can remain as independent as possible. Give us a call at NorthWest Physio + on 09 412 2945 and ask how we can help you. Also, check out this link to get some tips on staying active, maintaining flexibility and reducing the risk of falls.
Low back pain is a common condition that affects 80% of people at some time in their lives. This means that you are highly likely to have an episode of low back pain at some stage in your life. Low back pain is also a condition that we call episodic - meaning it can come and go through out your life. We also know that only 1% of low back pain is caused by serious pathology, so although painful and often debilitating, most episodes of low back pain will usually settle over time with the correct treatment and advice. Below is a video from Professor Peter O'Sullivan, separating the facts from the fiction about low back pain. Professor Peter O'Sullivan is a world leader in research on low back pain and this video along with other great information around low back pain can be found on his website www.pain-ed.com. |
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