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Knee & Ankle Pain Coming From Your Hips!?

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Hip Pain & Low Back Pain

You may experience knee or foot pain without remembering that you have injured it. Well, it might be coming from the joint above or below!

Our body is connected in a way that one joint may have an effect on the other if dysfunction arises and joints are not moving properly as it should.

Here is a scenario, you have a muscle spasm in your low back and you are leaning towards one side when you walk. What that ultimately does is putting more weight on one knee when you limp.

Now, muscles adapt to new movements fairly quickly. A week of limping may be enough to allow the knee muscles to work differently and puts different pressure onto the knee joint itself. As time goes by long after your back spasm recovers, you may notice that you get the occasional knee soreness and that might be because your joints and muscles are just used to move in the improper way.   

Conversely, if you have a history of multiple ankle injuries and the ligaments are weaker, this may affect the way you walk and in turn, affect your pelvic alignment!

Whatever it is, having a check-up from a qualified chiropractor can help you understand your biomechanics better and improve your overall function sooner.

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Spring Has Sprung!

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Spring 2024

Finally, the warmer weather is here, and it’s time to shake off the winter stiffness! As we transition from the colder months into the bright, refreshing days of spring, our bodies need a little extra care to adjust. After spending months in hibernation mode, wrapped in blankets, spending more time indoors, and moving less, many of us feel tense, achy, and a bit sluggish.

Now is the perfect time to take action. Spring represents renewal and fresh starts, and your health should be no exception. Here’s why you should include chiropractic care in your spring wellness routine and how it can help you feel recharged for the season ahead.

Revitalise Your Body After Winter’s Rest

During the winter months, we often adopt sedentary habits—sitting more, exercising less, and spending less time outdoors. This inactivity can lead to stiffness, poor posture, and even misalignment in your spine. Chiropractic adjustments help correct these misalignments, restoring your body’s natural balance and promoting better mobility.

Prepare For Springtime Activities

Spring brings more opportunities for outdoor activities, whether it’s gardening, hiking, running, or spring cleaning. But if your body isn’t prepared for this sudden increase in physical activity, you might find yourself dealing with discomfort or injury. Chiropractic care ensures your body is in optimal condition before you hit the trails or start moving furniture.

Renew Your Energy and Well-being

Winter can drain not just your physical energy, but your mental and emotional well-being as well. Chiropractic care is about more than just pain relief—it can also enhance your overall sense of wellness. Regular chiropractic adjustments help reduce stress, improve sleep, and promote better mental clarity by improving blood flow and nervous system function.

Chiropractic adjustments increase flexibility, reduce muscle tension, and improve joint health, helping you avoid injuries as you jump into your favourite spring activities. By taking care of your spine and nervous system, you’re making sure your body is primed to handle the extra movement and excitement of the season

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We Are Here To Support Your Spine!

Chiro Support For Better Spinal Health

Did you know that at any given moment, an estimated 540 million people suffer from lower back pain globally? Or that four million Australians suffer from back problems every year? It is a concerning statistic and one of epidemic proportions.

Every year, we celebrate World Spine Day to raise awareness of spinal disorders globally and improve access to quality spinal healthcare. This is a call to action for Australians to prioritise their spinal health across all aspects of their daily lives. Whether in the workplace, at home or at school, fostering daily positive spinal habits is critical to supporting the spine at every phase of life.

Our overarching goal is to raise awareness about the pivotal role chiropractic care plays in preventing and treating spinal disorders and, most importantly, empower YOU to take charge of your spinal health
and wellbeing.

It is crucial that people of all backgrounds and communities understand the importance of staying mobile, keeping active, regularly stretching and refraining from overloading their spines with excessive weight or strain.

Incorporating regular stretching exercises into your daily routines is an easy and time-efficient way to improve your spinal health immediately! The Straighten Up app offers a fantastic 3-minute exercise program featuring stretches that can help you stay aligned and reduce the risk of spinal issues.

Lastly, Chiropractors can assist you in resetting and refocusing on your spinal health, leading to improved overall wellbeing and long-term spinal health benefits.

Give us a call today at (03) 9302 1023 to embark on your wellness journey.

**Link to straighten up app: https://www.chiro.org.au/resources/health-initiatives-resources/straighten-up/

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Mill Park Chiropractic Clinic Opening January 3rd! 2025

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Mill Park Chiropractic Clinic

The Melbourne Chiropractor Mill Park provides specialised techniques to help with all types of musculoskeletal problems. With a team of 10+ and expanding to 5 clinics across Melbourne’s North in the last 3 years our chiropractors have seen first hand what it takes to deal with all types of complaints/bodily issues. Our team pride themselves to be able to not only help with symptomatic pain but also long term longevity and postural correction by pointing out areas of postural neglect that can easily lead to a healthier spine!

Our assortment of chiropractors are thankfully not governed by a one size fits all approach meaning that our chiropractors in Mill Park have the ability to treat people from all ages. Specifically Paediatric care and Pregnancy chiropractic care. This is a great specialisation to have especially in the growing area of Mill Park and surrounding suburbs with new families who want to not only achieve better health but also ensure their children are not suffering from common things such as bedwetting, colic and reflux!

All our clinics in the north including Fawkner, Broadmeadows and Westmeadows have experienced chiropractors willing to help also for the time being! The clinics currently offer chiropractic services which also include modalities such as dry needling, cupping, sports taping, trigger point therapy, Stretching and exercise prescription.

Our clinics also accept referrals from GP’s for chiropractic services. If you are given a CDM or EPC plan you are eligible for up to 5 chiropractic visits per year!

What Can Chiropractic Help With?

Both our Westmeadows Chiropractors and Broadmeadows Chiropractors can help you with various conditions including:

What Can You Expect On Your First Visit To Our Clinic?

First Visit or First Treatment at either of our Mill Park or other health clinics includes a case history, posture scan, movement analysis, pain assessment, orthopaedic testing and a full body treatment.
Referral for X-ray imaging (if required) is bulk-billed through Medicare.

Our Mill Park Clinic

Our Mill Park Clinic is spacious and easily accessible by car, bus and train. 5 Onsite Parking spots available with wheelchair accessibility! Being in a growth corridor our clinic also caters for surrounding suburbs such as Epping, Wollert, Plenty, Reservoir and Thomastown!

What Can Our Team Do To Help?

Depending on the severity of the injury or area of concern our practitioners in our Broadmeadows, Westmeadows, Fawkner and Mill Park Clinics will treat accordingly to your complaint. Treatments that may be provided but are not limited to include:

  • Spinal manipulation, Activator Methods, Drop Piece, SOT and other adjustive techniques can help alleviate joints that have restriction such as spinal segments and joints.
  • PNF/PIR/prescribed stretching – Stretching has shown to reduce pain, improve functionality of the wrist and hand also maintains strength and improves patients in both long and short-term outcomes.
  • Remedial Massage, Trigger point therapy or use of handheld massager – Have shown to decrease pain/tenderness, enhance both range of motion and quality of life and influence flexibility.
  • Advice on daily living activities/diet – This enables advice on how to change to make healthy actions into habits and may offer a valuable alternative with potential for long-term   impact.
  • Prescribed exercises – produce more beneficial outcomes in terms of increased strength, improved function and reduced pain scores.
  • Dry Needling or Cupping to the surrounding musculature to help decrease tension and inflammation around the area of the hand and forearm.

BOOK NOW

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Chiropractic Care & The Elderly!

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Elderly Chiropractic Care


We are noticing more and more older adults seeking chiropractic care. Recent data shows that at 30 June 2020, there were an estimated 4.2 million Australians aged 65 and over! Some of the common
symptoms older people suffer from are decreased flexibility, poor balance, numbness and tingling and conditions like degeneration, brittle bones (osteoporosis) and arthritis. This brings us to the discussion on how Chiropractic care can enhance the lives of elderly patients:

  1. Pain relief
    Back pain is one of the most common conditions elderly people seek treatment for. This is often a result of degeneration or a possible spinal compression fracture. As we age, bone density decreases, which can
    make one more prone to fractures in the course of everyday tasks. If your spine or joints are not aligned, it places increased pressure on the vertebrae and joints that can potentially increases your risk of a fracture. Gentle spinal manipulation and mobilization can help ease the pain from degeneration by relieving pressure from these joints.
  2. Flexibility and range of motion
    Inflexibility due to stiff joints or tight muscles can be common with arthritis and degeneration. Helping them maintain flexibility and range of motion in the joints through Chiropractic care will allow them to
    stay active and independent for longer. This translates into better quality of life!
  3. Quality of Life
    With confidence and joy to perform daily tasks and hobbies without aches and pains, one will more likely engage better with family and in the community. Thus, improving one’s mental and social wellbeing.
  4. Balance and coordination
    There are small receptors in the neck that help your brain understand where your arms and legs are functioning in space. As we age, these receptors might not function as efficiently as before. This could
    lead to more falls, poor balance and coordination or even difficulty walking. Chiropractic care can help improve this communication in the spine and stimulate these receptors better.
  5. Overall health
    When your spine is properly aligned, it allows the brain to communicate more effectively with all parts of your body decreasing unwanted stress. This allows the nervous system to continue monitoring and repairing the body when needed.

In short, there is no age limit on chiropractic! Our chiropractors are trained in various techniques and familiar with the evidence to confidently help spines of all ages.

Give us a call at 03 9302 1023 if you know someone who would benefit from chiropractic care. We want to see you live life without limits!

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Dealing With Burnout! Signs and Solutions

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Burnout


Dealing with burnout is important for mental and physical health. Burnout is a term used for a state of exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress!
Some signs to look out for can include:

Physical

  • Chronic fatigue and exhaustion
  • Headaches or muscle pain
  • Change in sleep habits
  • Frequent illness
    Emotional
  • Feelings of hopelessness and being overwhelmed
  • Mood swings and increased irritability
  • Feeling detached or isolated
    Behavioural
  • Reduced productivity or increased procrastination
  • Withdrawal from responsibilities and social situations
    Cognitive
  • Difficulty making decisions
  • Forgetfulness and decreased attention span
  • Negative attitude
  • Loss of motivation

If this is something you feel like you may be struggling with it is important to have conversations with people you trust or speak to your health practitioner.

Some ways to manage burnout

  1. Prioritize self-care by taking regular breaks throughout the day to recharge. Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep each night and engage in physical activity to boost mood and energy levels.
  2. Set boundaries between work and your personal time to ensure you have downtime.
  3. Develop healthy coping mechanisms such as practicing mindfulness and engaging in hobbies or activities you enjoy and find fulfilling.
  4. Connect with friends and family to share your thoughts and feelings.
  5. Take time to rest. Whether that is a well needed holiday or a short break to disconnect and recharge.
  6. Consider professional help from a therapist or a counsellor to work through your feelings and help develop coping mechanisms.
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Stay Healthy This Winter 2024!

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Winter 2024


We all know the cold winter days can be tough on our bodies, so here are a few things we can all do to stay feeling good throughout these months!

  1. Regular exercise can help our bodies a lot! We should aim for 30 minutes of exercise (such as walking, swimming, cycling or anything else you enjoy) 5 days a week!
  2. Adequate sleep aiming for 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night can help us feel rested and ready to take on the day ahead. It can also help to repair and strengthen our immune system.
  3. Stress management practicing mindfulness can help to reduce stress levels.
    Practicing yoga, breathing exercises or meditation are all great ways things to try.
  4. A balanced diet can help to keep our bodies functioning at their best. It is important to include a variety of fruits and vegetables as well as proteins, grains and healthy fats.
  5. Hydration is important for a strong immune system. Adults should aim from around 2.4 to 3 litres of water per day.
  6. Vitamins can be very beneficial in a multitude of ways. Certain vitamins can be extra beneficial in the colder months of the year such as vitamin D (comes directly from the sun but can also be found in fatty fish, fortified dairy, and eggs) and zinc (found in meat, shellfish, legumes, seeds, and nuts).

Consult your health practitioner for further advice or if you have any questions.

You can also check out our 100’s of previous blogs to understand and better educate yourself in ways that can help you achieve not only a healthier lifestyle but better productivity day to day!

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Have You Missed The Boat For Better Posture?

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Posture Correction


Have you ever thought that as an adult, you have left it to late to improve your posture? That your rounded shoulders and a hunched stance are set in stone and you just have to live with it? There is a good chance you can still stand up taller again. Keeping a good posture is not as hard as you may think. It is often a matter of changing your habits and activities, along with maintaining good mobility and the strengthening of certain groups of muscles.

Why should you change your posture?
We are looking at the big picture here.

Our spine has its neutral lordotic and kyphotic curve so that our centre of gravity remains midline and the weight of our head is evenly distributed down the spine. Muscles surrounding the neutral spine then function synergistically to maintain the upright stance and prevent muscles or joints from being overstretched.

However, when our spine begins to change its neutral curve due to poor posture or habits, muscles will also function differently as a result of compensation. This is when one may experience chronic tightness and discomfort in those groups of muscles.
Due to the tightness of the muscles at the front of the chest, some people may have trouble taking a deep breath due to the lack of mobility of the rib cage. These postural muscle imbalances may also put people at higher risks of joint sprains and muscles strains due to the excessive stress on the spine.


What can you do now to help with poor posture?
Better awareness of your body position is the first step.
Being careful of how you are looking down at your mobile phones or computer screens is a good way to start. Look into your sleeping posture too, as lack of support in your mattress or pillow might cause strains overnight. Pay attention to one sided activity in your daily life (eg. Leaning on the arm rest while driving, carrying toddlers on one hip or holding up a phone between your shoulder and ears). Little things like that may gradually become a habit and tension will keep building into the muscles and joints.

Other than that, Chiropractors are excellent in helping posture dysfunction. By restoring movements to the restricted joints in the spine, you are giving your spine the chance to be more upright. With better
position of the spine and joints, you are engaging the proper group of muscles during sports or your usual workouts and exercises which can then reduce the risks of injuries. Postural rehab exercises can also help you maintain better posture in a long run.

Reach out today if you notice your posture needs attention, and your future self will thank you for it!

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Working from Home! -Tips From A Chiropractor

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Desk Work

In today’s digital age, working from home has become the new norm for many professionals. While this shift offers numerous benefits like flexibility and comfort, it can also lead to physical strain, particularly on your spine and overall musculoskeletal system. As a chiropractor, I’ve seen an increase in patients experiencing back pain, neck stiffness, and other discomforts related to working from home. Here are some essential tips to help you maintain your spinal health and overall well-being while working from home.

  1. Ergonomic Work Set Up

An ergonomic workspace is crucial to prevent strain on your body. Ensure your chair supports the natural curve of your spine. Your feet should rest flat on the floor, and your knees should be at a 90-degree angle. Your computer screen should be at eye level to avoid straining your neck.

  1.  Mind Your Posture

Maintaining good posture is key. Sit up straight with your shoulders relaxed but not slouched. Keep your back aligned against the chair and avoid leaning forward or hunching over your desk. Regularly check your posture throughout the day. You can remind yourself by putting a colored dot on your hand, each time you see it, you’ll remember to check your posture!

  1. Practice Eye Care

Staring at a computer screen for long hours can strain your eyes. Follow the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break and look at something 20 feet away. This practice helps reduce eye strain and maintain good eye health.

  1. Incorporate Movement into Your Day

In addition to regular breaks, incorporate movement into your daily routine. Consider a standing desk or a convertible desk that allows you to alternate between sitting and standing. Short walks, light exercises, or even a few minutes of yoga can help keep your body active and reduce stress.

  1. Stay Hydrated

Drinking plenty of water is essential for maintaining good health and keeping your muscles hydrated and flexible. Dehydration can lead to muscle cramps and increased tension. Keep a water bottle at your desk and sip regularly throughout the day.

Working from home doesn’t have to mean compromising your health. By setting up an ergonomic workspace, maintaining good posture, and incorporating regular breaks and movement into your day, you can prevent discomfort and maintain your spinal health. 

In addition, regular chiropractic visits can help ensure your spine stays healthy and can prevent potential issues before they become significant problems!

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Top Mattress Advice From Chiropractors!

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Correct Mattress For Posture


Most chiropractors agree that traditional mattresses should be replaced every 5-10 years. However, choosing an expensive new bed that you will be sleeping on for the next several years can be stressful, especially if you have no idea where to start. To make things more complicated, we acknowledge that there is no single style of mattress that works for everyone.

Valuable tips to help you choose one that works for you!
FIRMNESS:
 We recommend a medium to firm mattress; however, this ultimately comes down to your personal preference.
 Choose a firmness that keeps your spine in a neutral position. Have someone snap a picture, then assess how you line up in your habitual sleep position.
 Back sleepers typically prefer a firmer mattress, while side sleepers may desire a little more cushioning.

 When in doubt, go with the firmer option – you can always soften a mattress with a topper, but
you can never firm up a soft mattress.
 Spring mattress can help distribute force better if you have a sleep partner.
 Latex mattresses are not the best for hot sleepers.
 Or just consider a separately adjustable bed if your sleep partner prefers a different mattress style.

MATTRESS TOPPERS:
 A topper can help dissipate pressure points on your hips and shoulders, but it is not advisable go too thick with a built-in topper; it will be like fusing a cheap mattress onto your good one. You can always add (or replace) an additional aftermarket topper if needed.
 If you are considering a coil spring mattress, choose one that you can flip. Built-in mattress toppers usually cannot allow that.

ASSESSMENT:
 When mattress shopping, wear comfortable clothes and lie down on several beds to see which one feels best.
 Do not judge something by the first few seconds of comfort. Lay on it for at least 10-15 minutes.
 Opt for vendor that offers a trial period of up to 60 days or with a reasonable return or exchange policy. However, bear in mind that anything new can be uncomfortable at first.
 Give a new mattress at least a few break-in nights before you abandon it (it takes 3 weeks to 3 months to get used to a new mattress, so be patient).
 If you noticed your mattress sags or is more than 7-10 years, that is a sign to change it!

COST:
 You spend one-third of your life on a mattress, we wouldn’t recommend to skimp on that investment.
 Conversely, the most expensive is not always the best!

Still unsure about what is out there in the market? Here is a good resource for mattress reviews https://bedbuyer.com.au (even from Chiropractors!)

Looking for the right pillow? Click on the following link to choose the right one for you today! https://themelbournechiropractor.com.au/blog/pillow-talk-choosing-the-right-one/