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Tips for a Healthier Spine

12 TIPS FOR A HEALTHIER SPINE

1. Exercise Regularly
Regular exercise and strengthening activities will promote a healthier, stronger and more stable spine. Aim for a minimum 30 minutes of exercise daily. Exercise does not have to be overly strenuous to achieve significant benefits. An activity such as a walking can make a huge difference. Start any new exercise slowly to give your body a chance to build the strength and fitness.

2. Maintain Optimum Body Weight.
Excessive bodyweight exerts more stress and pressure on the spine, thereby increasing risk for abnormal and accelerated “wear and tear”. Excessive body weight also makes it harder to maintain the optimal body alignment, which can cause stiffness and pain in the spine.

Body mass index (BMI) is a simple index of weight-for-height that is commonly used to classify overweight and obesity in adults. It is defined as a person’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of his height in meters (kg/m2). It is a rough guide only and does not account for age / build etc.

The WHO (World Health Organisation) definition is:
a BMI greater than or equal to 25 is overweight
a BMI greater than or equal to 30 is obesity.

3. Maintain Good Posture
It is very important to maintain optimal posture in sitting, standing, walking etc. Poor postures such as slouching cause uneven pressure through the spine, increase stiffness and can accelerate degeneration of the spine. Poor postures are also commonly associated with soft tissue strains and nerve irritation such as sciatica in the spine.

4. Improve Core Strength
The deep abdominal muscles, pelvic floor and diaphragm help support the low back and pelvis. These muscles make up what is called your “core”. Strengthening the core will increase spinal stability and reduce the risk of injury. Taking this one step further, exercise such as pilates, which focuses on strengthening the postural muscles as well as the core will benefit your spine.

5. Take Breaks from Sustained Postures
Avoid sustained postures, your body is not designed to stay in the one position for long periods of time. During episodes of prolonged sitting or standing, such as at an office desk, periodically take a break. Aim to take a break every 30 minutes to stretch your arms, legs and back. It only needs to be for a few minutes and then resume your activity. Periodic stretching will help to keep you from feeling stiff and sore at the end of the day.

6. Maintain Flexibility
Regular activity and stretching helps maintain flexibility of the spine; flexibility enables you to maintain an optimal posture and even pressure through the spine. It also allows for normal, full range of movement of the spine.

7. Use Proper Lifting Techniques
Proper lifting technique will reduce the risk for spine injury. Keep the back straight and bend the knees and hips when lifting; this reduces stress on the back. Avoid lifting objects higher than your waist whenever possible. Face the object you wish to lift. When lifting hold the objects close to the body. Do not twist through you spine while lifting. When possible push rather than pull an object which is less stress on the back. Seek help lifting when necessary.

8. Invest in a Good Pillow and Mattress
The average individual spends approximately one third of life sleeping, therefore proper support of the spine and head during this period is important. There are different types of pillows and what feels the most comfortable to you is the best. A good mattress will support the spine and facilitate a better quality of sleep.

9. Invest in Good Chairs
We spend the majority of our lives in a sitting position. Chair design greatly influences sitting posture. Poor chairs contribute to chronic back problems; well- designed chairs promote better back health. Regardless of design it is very important that you aim to take breaks while sitting every 30 minutes.

10. Take Care with Strenuous Activities
When undertaking strenuous activities take care not to over do it. In particular take care with activities that you do not partake in regularly as your body is not conditioned for them. Common activities that cause injuries to the spine are gardening, moving house, shifting furniture etc.

11. Listen to Your Back
Avoid positions and activities which cause increased back pain including referred symptoms down your arms or legs. If back symptoms should persist or progress, see a physiotherapist. If you are performing an activity that causes back pain, think about what you can change to alleviate the pain. Your body will usually tell you what it needs if you take time to listen to it.

12. Learn to Relax
Learn to manage stress both on and off the job. This will help to reduce muscle tension and pain from those muscles. I think we can all relate to stress causing tension in our neck and shoulders.

IF BACK OR NECK SYMPTOMS PERSIST, SEE YOUR PHYSIOTHERAPIST OR DOCTOR.

Prevent a Knee Injury this Ski Season

With winter well & truly set in, it can only mean one thing…. NSW ski season begins.

Skiing allows us to let loose down the slopes at high speeds, enjoy the sights but most important of all leave the hussel and bussel of the city and have fun. But in saying that accidents can happen while you’re down there and unfortunately it may lead to an injury. As the winter rolls on we begin to see more and more skiing-related injuries & although some of these can be prevented through undergoing training in the summer months, whether it be Pilates or gym work for most of you; some injuries can be accidental and just plain unlucky.

Knee injuries to the ligaments that surround the knee account for a large proportion of the ski-related injuries that we see in the clinic; with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture being a common sight. Ski-related injuries can also include bone, muscle or cartilage damage. The repetitive twisting and turning of the knee while skiing as well as for some; the variety of ways to fall over and land on the knee could lead you to stress or strain the structures in and around the knee.

A recent visit to a prominent knee surgeon in Sydney who specialises in ACL’s, mentioned that a simple on-field warm-up program can reduce non-contact ACL injuries. Primarily it should be targeted at people who have undergone an ACL reconstruction in the past or those who compete in sports which are known to lead to significant knee injuries. He advocated for the “PEP Program” which stood for; Prevent injury Enhance Performance.

This program was developed in the USA through assessing and treating 1435 female NCAA student-athletes who had ruptured their ACL. The program has 5 principals involving a warm up, stretching, strengthening, plyometrics and agility drills. It was found that this program reduces non-contact ACL injuries by upwards of 70% and for those with a prior ACL injury; it reduces the risk of a recurrent non-contact injury by 5 times (Gilchrist 2008).

Before you head down to the slopes take a quick moment to look at the video, it runs for 4 minutes demonstrating each component of the program. It is a useful injury prevention tool for all those people young and old who will be venturing down to the snow this winter and with fingers crossed don’t come back into see us with a knee injury.

Happy Skiing!

Tips for recovery following the half-marathon

Tips for recovery after the SMH ½ Marathon

With the SMH ½ marathon this Sunday we thought it would be perfect timing to look at recovery

From the moment you cross the finish line the most critical period for avoiding injury and illness using correct recovery strategies begins…………

• Cool Down and Stretch

Keep moving at a low intensity for 10-15 minutes after exercise and then stretch out through the major muscle groups in your back, hips and legs.

After exercise you will often feel cold as your body continues to cool-down, make sure you have adequate clothing to layer up and keep warm.

• Replace Fluids

During an endurance event like a ½ marathon you will loose fluid even if you drink some fluid along the way.

Water or Sports drinks are both appropriate fluids to consume post exercise. Avoid caffeinated / alcoholic drinks.

It is possible though rare to overhydrate post exercise, coupled with low sodium this can cause a serious medical condition called hyponatremia. As a rule never consume more fluid then weight lost during exercise and make sure you eat a small amount of food as well to replenish sodium.

• Compression garments

Wear immediately after for up to 48 hours post exercise.

Gradient compression garments have been found to have many benefits both during and post exercise. Specifically in relation to post exercise recovery they have been found to increase venous return, reduce exercise induced muscle damage EIMD, accelerate recovery processes and accelerate lactic acid removal.

• Nutrition

Consumption of carbohydrates and protein post exercise is an essential part of muscle recovery.

Carbohydrates replenish your muscles depleted glycogen stores and protein assists muscle repair.

• Cold Water Therapy (Cryotherapy)

Ideally within 24 hours of completing the exercise, cryotherapy has been shown to reduce muscle soreness and aid recovery. If you’re not an elite athlete with access to ice baths, wading through the ocean or a non-heated pool are ideal methods.

• Active Recovery

Gentle exercise rather that complete rest has been found to increase muscle recovery and reduce muscle lactate. Aim for no more than 2 easy runs and gently cross-training for the week following the ½ marathon

It’s also important to allow your body time to recover, so make sure you reduce your normal training and take it easy for the entire week.

• Soft Tissue Massage

Massage improves circulation and decreases muscle tension post exercise. If you have a foam roller you can self-massage through your legs for free!

• Sleep

Adequate sleep the night following will aid muscle recovery. During sleep your body produces Growth Hormone (GH), which is largely responsible for tissue growth and repair.

www.skins.net

www.ausport.gov.au/ais

www.thecochranelibrary.com/details/file/1479305/CD008262.html

Advice for desk bound workers

A recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine investigated the risks of prolonged sitting.  The study followed over 220, 000 Australians who participated in the “45 and Up” study and correlated cause of death and time spent sitting.  They found people who sat for between 8 and 11 hours had an increase risk of death of 15% and those who sat for longer than 11 hours increased their risk of death by a whopping 40% (as compared to people who sat for only 4-8hrs/day).

Who would have thought sitting could be problematic, but the authors found the adverse effects of prolonged sitting mainly owing to reduced metabolic and vascular health.  The most amazing finding was that the increased risk of death was irrespective of physical activity.

So what does this mean for you?

• Most importantly try to sit less
• Get up from your desk every ½ -1 hour
• When answering the phone or reading the paper or email stand up at your desk
• Stand when on the bus or train

Recurrent hamstring injuries- what’s the best treatment?

Are you someone who frequently suffers from hamstring strains and tears?  It has been reported the incidence of recurrent hamstring injuries is between 13.9-63.3%.   So can you do something to prevent a recurrence?

A recent study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine reviewed all the research currently available on recurrent hamstring tears to establish the risk factors and appropriate rehabilitation program.

Although more research is needed on the topic the authors suggested patients with a previous ACL reconstruction, Grade I tear and larger injury volume size on MRI should be treated with caution when returning to sport.

Likewise patients at an increased risk of recurrent injury should incorporate an agility and stabilisation program in combination with strengthening and stretching the hamstring to reduce the risk of recurrence.

The attitude of rest and it will get better may not be the best.  To get the best treatment to prevent re-injury visit us for a comprehensive assessment and rehabilitation program.

de Visser, H., Reijman, M., Heijboer, M. & Bos, P. (2012). Risk factors of recurrent hamstring injuries: a systematic review. British Journal of Sports Medicine 46:124–130. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2011-090317