Our Physiotherapy Blog.
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New signage for the i30 26 June 2020
Thanks to Mid West Signs for completing the signage on our new work vehicle. You might see the little zippy i30 (which we purchased from Tony Leahey Hyundai) around town as we provide Physiotherapy home visits for our Elderly, NDIS and private clients.
We highly recommend Mid West Signs for all your signage needs, and Tony Leahey Motor Group if you are thinking of buying a new or used car. Both great LOCAL businesses to work with!
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World Continence Week 15-22 June 2020
This year the theme for the week is "Invest in Continence". Did you know that incontinence is one of the leading reasons for Australian seniors being admitted to residential aged care?
During the week we will be posting useful information in our facebook VIP group and in this blog - so stay tuned for some interesting continence information.
5 Healthy Habits for Continence (From the Continence Foundation of Australia)
Habit 1 – Stay ActivePhysical activity is beneficial for overall health – and that includes bladder and bowel function! Aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity per day. This doesn’t have to be all at once. Activities like gardening, cleaning, playing with the grandkids, and taking the stairs all add up.
Habit 2 – Eat WellFibre in your diet will help improve bowel function and avoid constipation. Fibre is found in foods such as multi grain or whole grain breads, cereal products, fruit, vegetables, legumes, and nuts and seeds. Aim to eat two servings of fruit, five servings of vegetables and five servings of cereals and breads each day.
Habit 3 – Get enough fluids and drink wellIt’s important to increase fluids when you increase fibre in your diet. Drinking plenty of water and staying hydrated helps maintain digestive health. Drinks that contain caffeine, cola and alcohol can irritate your bladder, so water is the best choice.
Habit 4 – Exercise your pelvic floorHaving a strong pelvic floor is your insurance against incontinence. You can train your pelvic floor anytime, anywhere, no matter what sex, gender, age or fitness level you are. Try to do your pelvic floor muscles exercises every day, three times a day. See a continence health professional to learn how.
Habit 5 – Practice good toilet habitsDon't get into the habit of going to the toilet 'just in case’. If you keep emptying your bladder 'just in case' too often, then the bladder may never fill up properly, and shrink a bit. This may give the feeling of needing to go to the toilet more frequently (urge incontinence).
Pelvic Floor Exercises
Pelvic Floor Exercises help to improve and maintain the strength of the pelvic floor muscles. This will improve and maintain continence, and can improve symptoms of pelvic pain and prolapse.Read below for the description on how to exercise for females.To exercise your pelvic floor - sometimes it is easier to start in a lying position so there is no 'weight' on the pelvic floor muscles. Imagine the muscles you would use if you had to ‘hold on’ from doing a wee, or were trying not to pass wind, or were trying to hold onto a tampon as it were being pulled out – these are all the pelvic floor muscles.Squeeze these muscles strongly. When you are doing the squeeze correctly you should feel the muscles ‘lift’, and when you relax you should feel them drop back down.Make sure you are contracting all parts of the muscle, around the urethra, vagina and anus.Hold this squeeze as long as you can – if you lose the strong squeeze stop and rest. Start by holding for 2-3 seconds (or as long as you can). Gradually work up to holding for ten seconds.Repeat as many times as you can. If you lose the strong squeeze stop and rest. Work up to ten repetitions.During the day carry this routine out at least five times.Make sure you keep all other muscles relaxed (back, stomach, legs) and keep breathing during the exercise (don’t hold your breath).It is also important to include fast, strong pelvic floor contractions, this action is necessary for retraining the muscle to contract quickly when you cough, laugh or sneeze.Do 10 quick strong squeezes, then rest.Try to do at least 5 sets of exercises each day at home.
Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI)
SUI happens when the pressure inside the abdomen increases and the pelvic floor muscles are not strong enough to prevent urine leaking out. Examples of this might include when you cough, sneeze, laugh or jump.It is NOT a 'normal part of life' or 'something I need to live with because I've had a baby'.80% of SUI can be cured with a pelvic floor exercise program. For this to be successful you need to ensure you are doing the exercises correctly, and that you are doing them enough to result in an increase in strength. A continence Physiotherapist can help guide you through a program to improve your pelvic floor.
Over Active Bladder (OAB)OAB is when the bladder muscle is trying to contract to push out the urine when you are not ready (ie not sitting on the toilet). It is also known as urgency.Common symptoms include suddenly needing to rush to the toilet, passing small amounts of urine, going to the toilet a lot during the day, and having certain 'triggers' which set off the urgency (eg arriving home and putting the key in the door).Sometimes OAB also presents with stress urinary incontinence.OAB is treatable, and there are strategies you can use to overcome the urgency. If you are suffering from OAB, you can book an appointment with Erica (for females) or Chris (for males).
BedwettingBedwetting can occur at any stage of life, however it is more common during childhood.There are several causes of bedwetting, and the key to managing this correctly is having a thorough assessment to ascertain the reason behind the problem. This can then lead to the correct treatment which improves chances of a good outcome.Whatever your age, the sooner you seek help the better. Treatments are always evolving so if you have previously tried strategies which didn't work it is worth making an appointment to see if any other treatment options may be suitable.Erica has completed the Paediatric Continence course which includes management of Bedwetting.
Treating Kristy's Elbow Pain - 21 May 2020
Today Kristy came to work and mentioned a sore elbow. Chris decided to help out and treat her. Erica decided to video / photograph the process and make it into a short clip. What Chris did for Kristy doesn't cover the full range of treament options available, so we also added in a few for demonstration. Watch the video, which is on our Facebook group "Orange Family Physiotherapy VIP group" for an example of what might happen during a treatment session. She's feeling better by the way, just in case you were wondering.....
Working From Home - Erica Eccleston - 1 May 2020
Working from home?It's a good idea to get your desk set up well.Try these tips:Face your screen directly, with feet on the floor, hips and knees at a 90 degree angle.Top of the screen at eye height (use a laptop stand or a few books).Use an external mouse / keyboard close to you so you don't have to reach to them.Elbows by your side and forearms supported by the desk.Every 20 minutes stand up and walk around, lift your arms above your head a few times, stretch your neck side to side.... generally a little bit of movement regularly will stop your postural muscles fatiguing and issues from creeping in.And of course if you have tried the above and it's not helping, we are here to help with sorting out any aches and pains from poor home office set up.Take care everyone and keep well.
9 Facts about Osteoporosis - Conor Petersen, 2nd year Physiotherapy Student
1. Losing bone density is a normal part of aging. After the age of 40, we begin to slowly lose bone density. For women, reduced levels of estrogen after menopause can accelerate bone density loss.2. Gender, ethnicity and body size can raise your risk for osteoporosis.The following factors can increase your risk of developing osteoporosis:- Aged 50 or over- Female gender- Having a low body weight - Family history of osteoporosis 3. Men get osteoporosis later than women.Men have a 10 year head start over women in terms of their bone health. This is because men generally have a greater bone density going into middle age and their rate of bone density loss is more gradual. 4. Osteoporosis increases your risk of fractures. Due to weaker bones, people with osteoporosis are more prone to bone fractures. In 2016-17, there were 7,382 hospitalisations for people over the age of 50 that had osteoporosis. 5. Osteoporosis screening is recommended for older adults.It is recommended that individuals that do not have risk factors for osteoporosis should start their first bone density screen at age 65. Individuals who have already had bone fractures or have other risk factors should screen for osteoporosis earlier. 6. The most important goal when you have osteoporosis is to prevent fractures.Strategies that will help prevent fractures include: - Stay as strong as possible by exercising and doing weight bearing exercises Use assistive devices (e.g. cane or walker)- Prevent slips by wearing rubber- soled shoes- Use runners on slippery floors- Use handrails on stairs 7. Calcium and Vitamin D are key for Bone health. Calcium can be obtained by food sources such as dairy, leafy green vegetables, canned sardines, salmon and foods with added calcium. Vitamin D is also vital as it helps the body to absorb calcium and can be obtained by sunlight or through taking tablets.8. Osteoporosis treatments include medications and physiotherapy. There are two types of medications that can assist in osteoporosis. Antiresorptive medication slows bone loss and anabolic medication increases the rate of bone formation. Physiotherapy plays a large role in managing osteoporosis by strengthening muscles and bone through exercises, and increasing balance skills decreasing the chance of falls and injury. 9. Leading a healthy lifestyle helps keep your bones strong.Combining healthy eating with physical exercise can assist in maintaining strong bones, improving balance and posture and strengthening muscles. It is also important to limit alcohol consumption and avoid smoking cigarettes.
Hip Pain - 29 Oct 2018
Do you suffer from hip pain? Check out our three video series we have uploaded onto facebook, outlining strength exercises, treatment strategies and stretches for hip pain.www.facebook.com/OrangeFamilyPhysiotherapy
Putting Things Off - Chris Frith - 20 Aug 2018
Do you put things off?Our physiotherapist, Chris Frith, sure does!Throughout his entire university course, and since graduating, he has experienced a persistent problem with his vision! Specifically reading off lecture boards, computer screens or projector presentations. This would often leave him with an awful headache and sore eyes.After 5 years of complaining, he finally saw an optometrist and was prescribed glasses, and now his only complaint is not getting his eyes tested sooner!There are a lot of people like Chris, who put up with niggling issues or discomfort daily. Back pain and foot pain are common complaints. The good news is; physiotherapy can help with these problems. So if you have pain, discomfort or difficulty with daily activities, don’t ‘put if off’. Book in to see Erica or Chris today!