Working from Home? 5 Simple Tips To Keep You Pain Free During This Time

The Do’s and Don’ts of Working from Home

Many of us have recently found ourselves working from home. This sudden change to your work environment may lead to aches and pains that affect your work productivity and general health and well-being. So, what exactly should you be doing to stay healthy and injury-free whilst working from home?

At Maroubra Road Physiotherapy, we have put together 5 simple tips to keep you productive and pain-free during this time:

1. Get the Right Set-Up

An essential part of working from home is ensuring you have a good workstation. This should start by designating a space for your work (not the couch!) to set up a desk and chair. Make sure your desk and chair are set up properly with the computer monitor at eye level, keyboard close to your body and you have a supportive chair at the right height. These tips may sound simple, but too often we fall into the trap of working on the couch which may lead to increased strain on your neck, shoulders and back.

2. Take a Break

When working from home, it is important to take regular breaks throughout the day. Taking a short break to get up and move is beneficial for not only your body but also your mind, as it helps to increase concentration and memory. Before you start work for the day you should aim to set specific times to have a break. This may be a 5-10minute break after every 45-60minutes. Setting an alarm can help to avoid forgetting to take rests and can keep you pain-free.

So plan ahead and move often!

3. Bend and Move

Prolonged desk work may lead to your neck and back feeling tight and stiff. To counter this, we encourage you to complete simple stretches for your neck, chest and upper back. These stretches can be completed at your desk or on the floor and can be incorporated into your work breaks. If you’re unsure of just what stretches you should be doing, follow our Facebook & Instagram account for some ideas or come into the clinic to see one of our physiotherapists for help.

Remember ‘Motion is Lotion!’

4. Stay Strong

With the recent closure of gyms, it is important to maintain your strength when working from home. Strengthening the muscles around your upper back, neck and shoulders can help to maintain a good posture and may reduce pain related to desk work. This can be done with simple home exercises using minimal equipment such as resistance bands, dumbbells or even your bodyweight. For some tips about which home strength exercises are suitable for you, contact the clinic for a consultation or follow our Instagram account for some ideas to get you started.

5. Seek Help!

Lastly, during this difficult time it is important to reach out and seek help if you are in pain. Back and neck pain related to working from home and stress can have a significant impact on your productivity, sleep and general mood.  Here at Maroubra Road Physiotherapy, we are open for business as usual. So, make sure to contact the clinic and book in for a thorough assessment and treatment with one of our Physiotherapists.

We will get through this together!

Tips for staying active and healthy this winter

Exercise during winter can sometimes feel like a chore. It may be easier to reach out of your doona and hit the snooze button on your phone, right?

However, the benefits you can gain from hauling your sorry self into regular exercise during winter far outweigh the downsides. Exercise improves muscle mass and decreases body fat. Also, a flood of endorphins elevate your mood and give you a feeling of well-being. This has flow-on effects in how you perform in your workplace, your home life and in daily activities.

Listen to your body

Winter often brings with it an increased vulnerability to a cold or flu. If you are feeling ‘under the weather’ with aches, body pains and a fever, it’s best to visit your GP. Or alternately to cease your regular exercise until you feel better.

How to stay motivated

Although people tend to associate winter with increased weight gain, one US study found otherwise. Research showed that there was only a small correlation between reduced physical activity, colder weather and weight gain. Although that’s no reason to start eating unhealthily or to cease exercise. Keeping the right balance is what will keep you healthy, fit and happy during the short days and long nights.  

1. Stay hydrated

The air during winter can be dry, cold and harsh. Although because it’s cold we often won’t feel as thirsty as we would in hot weather. Dehydration can affect the functionality and lubrication of muscles and joints, making you more susceptible to injury. So always remember to keep drinking plenty of water during winter. We recommend approximately eight glasses per day.   

2. Workout with friends

It’s easier to get out of bed for a jog or to attend netball when you know you have friends counting on your participation.  

3. Plan and prepare

As the old saying goes: ‘failing to plan is planning to fail’. It’s much easier to stay motivated to exercise when you have your running shoes, yoga mat or workout gear ready for you in the morning. Also consider moving your regular outdoor workout to the early evening after work, when the cold isn’t as intense compared to the early morning.

4. Set achievable goals

Instead of saying: ‘I want to enter into an Iron Man Competition by summer’. Or, ‘I want to lose 20 kilos by the summer’, keep your goals for exercise realistic, specific and measurable. A better goal could be: ‘I want to take the dog for a 40 minute walk every other day’. Or, ‘I want to take the stairs up to my office every morning’. Then set a recurring calendar item on your phone to remind yourself.

5. Choose the right exercise for you

The kind of exercise that’s right for you will be a combination of several factors. It will involve an activity you enjoy, along with an exercise that’s within your current physical capabilities. This is the magical recipe that will keep you interested in the long term. If you absolutely love dancing, but you feel obligated to continue jogging in order to stay fit, then you have it back to front! Make it easier by doing physical activities that you genuinely enjoy.

6. Seek professional guidance

The team at Maroubra Road Physiotherapy will be able to advise you on the best form of exercise to match your current fitness levels, lifestyle, health and physical capabilities.

How to warm up properly before exercise

A warm-up is essential before any workout. However it’s even more critical when exercising outdoors in winter.  If you decide to brave the cold, ensure that you give your body extra time to warm up and get your heart and lungs pumping. Warm-ups are vital because they reduce the risk of injury and prepare your body for higher intensity exercise. A warm-up will progress in intensity and should last about ten minutes in duration.

Your warm-up should be specific to each sport and training session because different muscle groups need to be activated. For example a warm up prior to cardio training will be slightly different to a warm-up before a weights session.

Warm-up for a cardio session

• A one kilometer walk.
• Hip openers, leg swings, A-march, B-march, walking lunges, squats.  
• Single leg hops, bounding, run throughs.

Warm-up for a weights session

• For a lower limb focused weights or strengthening session, you should focus on your lower body for your warm up. Include weighted squats and lunges, air squats, glute bridges, skipping and leg swings (forwards and backwards).
• For a weights or strengthening session that is focused on the upper body, you should warm up these muscles. Start with shoulder presses, rows and bench pressing. Then try out arm swings (forwards and backwards), theraband activation of rotator cuff muscles, and theraband rows.

For more information on warming-up effectively, speak with one of the friendly expert team at Maroubra Road Physiotherapy.

How to stay consistent with your training during winter

According to experts from Mississippi State University, you have three ways you can stay warm over the winter. You can either modify your food intake, your activity level or your clothing.

Experts from Exercise and Sports Science Australia take a broad view of what constitutes as exercise. Their tips for successfully maintaining training and exercise regimen during winter are simply summed up in two words – move more!

Move more

People who maintain healthy exercise habits during winter are those who are always doing something. They could be walking up six flights of stairs instead of taking the lift. They could be taking the dog for a walk in the evenings. Or having a lunch time walking meeting. If you take every opportunity to move your body during winter, it will reward you with increased flexibility, fitness and strength. The important thing is to keep on moving every day for at least 30 minutes per day.

Commit yourself to an exercise class

Another way of staying consistent with your exercise during winter is to commit to a dedicated exercise class. Maroubra Road Physiotherapy have several classes a week that are run by experts in exercise physiology and physiotherapy. These classes will help you to gain or maintain your strength, conditioning and flexibility.

Balance and Conditioning classes

This progressive class is especially designed for people with balance issues due to general deconditioning from age or injury. The classes are taught by a physiotherapist who specialises in movement and rehabilitation.

When:           Select a time that suits you.

Tuesday 2.30 pm

Friday 11.00 am

Cost:              Check with your health fund if you may be eligible for cover.

$25 per session.

New patients. $80 for an initial 30 minute screening to evaluate your current fitness level, goals and any pre-existing medical conditions. This also includes one free trial class.

Who:              Anyone is welcome, however spots are limited. Please register your interest by calling 02 9314 3888.

Where:          Maroubra Road Physiotherapy. Shop 4-5, 16 Maroubra Road, Maroubra, 2035.

Core Strengthening Classes

Whether you are suffering from pain or wanting to prevent injury – this class will engage your core and create body awareness and progressively build strength required for optimal function.

When:           Select a time that suits you.

Tuesday 3.15 pm

Wednesday 6.00 pm  

Friday 11.45 am

Cost:              Check with your health fund if you may be eligible for cover.

$25 per session.

New patients. $80 for an initial 30 minute screening to evaluate your current fitness level, goals and any pre-existing medical conditions. This also includes one free trial class.

Who:              Anyone is welcome, however spots are limited. Please register your interest by calling 02 9314 3888.

Where:          Maroubra Road Physiotherapy. Shop 4-5, 16 Maroubra Road, Maroubra, 2035.

Maroubra Road Physiotherapy treat people at all stages of their lives and for all kinds of reasons with our caring, experienced and professional team. Book an appointment today on (02) 9314 3888

References

The Conversation, (2019) It’s cold! An exercise physiologist explains how to keep your body feeling warm. Dr John Eric Smith. Assistant Professor, Exercise Physiology. Mississippi State University

NHS (2018) A Guide to Exercising During Winter

University of Massachusetts Medical School (2006) Seasonal variation in food intake, physical activity, and body weight in a predominantly overweight population. Y Ma et. al.

Exercise and Sports Science Australia (2018) 15 Exercise Habits You Need

Happy Mother’s Day! Tips for mums to stay pain-free

Happy mother’s day! Tips for mums to stay pain-free

Mother’s Day is coming up and that means a lot of cake, cups of tea in bed and other delights. Hopefully, you can get the morning off on this special day! For all mums, the journey of motherhood can sometimes be daunting. There is a lot of information to consume about how to care for your baby as they turn into a child, a teen and eventually an adult. But what about caring for all of those niggling aches and pains that you experience ? This Mother’s Day, honour and cherish yourself with these helpful hints and tips for avoiding common ‘mum’ pains in the body.

Where is the pain coming from?

Pain can either be localised to a specific area of the body or referred from another part of the body. Pain in the abdominal region or pelvis are quite common in the weeks after childbirth, but also at other times during motherhood.  

Strengthening weakened pelvic floor muscles

The pelvic floor muscles extend like an elastic band or a hammock between your hip bones and spine and encompass ligaments and nerves. Essentially they keep your abdominal organs in place. Giving birth can often weaken pelvic floor muscles. Although women of all ages and stages of life can have a weakened pelvic floor.  This can also be caused by hormonal changes during menopause and gaining weight.

But it’s not all doom and gloom! There are many therapeutic treatments out there to help strengthen your pelvic floor. Common interventions include manual therapy, massage or a therapeutic exercise prescription such as clinical Pilate’s classes. The friendly and highly experienced team at Maroubra Road Physiotherapy will be able to help you to reduce pain and restore function to body.

What are Kegel Exercises?

Kegel exercises are also known as pelvic floor exercises. They were invented back in the 1940’s by a gynaecologist named Dr Kegel. Women of all ages are encouraged to try Kegel exercises. The exercises are great for recovering from childbirth, as well as for dealing with hormonal changes to the body during menopause.

A Kegel exercise to try

The great thing about Kegel exercises or pelvic floor exercises is that you can do them almost anywhere and nobody will even know!

Exercise: cat cow squeeze

Step 1:

Kneel on your hands and knees on the ground. As you would for a cat-cow position in yoga.

Step 2:

Close your eyes, imagine what muscles you would tighten to stop yourself from passing urine.   

Step 3:

Now that you can feel your pelvic floor muscles working, tighten them and hold for three to five seconds. By doing this, you should feel your pelvic floor muscles ‘lift up’ inside you and feel a definite ‘let go’ as the muscles relax.

If you can hold longer (but no more than a maximum of eight seconds), then do so. Repeat up to ten times or until you feel your pelvic floor muscles fatigue. Rest for a few seconds in between each squeeze.

In order to keep your pelvic girdle strong and to prevent pelvic pain it’s recommended to exercise your pelvic floor regularly. If you do have questions about your pelvic floor muscles, or pelvic pain you should make an appointment to see Maroubra Road Physio’s team of physiotherapists. Our friendly and highly experienced team offer assistance with ante-natal and post-natal physiotherapy.   

Post-partum back pain

Back pain during pregnancy is a common occurrence. Generally though, you should be experiencing less and less pain in the months following delivery, as your body heals itself. If you have persistent back pain, you may need to seek help from a physiotherapist.  

Gentle exercise

When you have gotten the OK from your physiotherapist you can gradually start doing exercises to strengthen your back and abdominal muscles. Walking, gentle stretching and gentle yoga are often recommended. Just be sure to avoid extreme positions or overstretching. Listen closely to your body for any signs of pain or discomfort and stop immediately if you experience this.

Correct body posture post-partum

Adopting the correct body posture while breast-feeding or feeding your baby with a bottle will help with back pain. Ensure that you use plenty of pillows to support your back. Adopt a position where you sit up straight with your back erect and supported to avoid straining your back. Try out different positions when breastfeeding. If you have tense or sore shoulders or upper back, a side-lying position for breastfeeding might be the most comfortable for you.

Remember that when picking up a baby or any other heavy object, you should bend from the knees in a crouching position rather than bend from the waist or hips. The latter method puts a lot of pressure on your spine and leads to pain.  

Sacroiliac and lumbosacral pain

The biological necessity for rapid growth during pregnancy causes a lot of changes to your body as a mum.

These changes include fluid retention, weight gain, changes to your centre of gravity, ligament laxity and overstretching your postural muscles. Sacroiliac and lumbosacral problems are experienced by many women in months after delivery. But if the problems persist for 12-18 months after giving birth then you can try some physiotherapy and self-care solutions to resolve this.

Causes of sacroiliac and lumbosacral pain

The release of a hormone called relaxin during pregnancy causes the ligaments in your pelvis to loosen. This means your body is more easily able to accommodate the growth of the baby. Although it does lead to instability of the pelvic joints, also known as the sacroiliac joints. The weight gain that naturally occurs during pregnancy also places an additional load onto the pelvic joints and lower back making them more susceptible to injury.

Pain is often felt in the buttocks near the tail-bone and lower back. Pain can also radiate to the front of the pelvis, hips and thighs.

One or both legs may feel weak and you may feel less able to bear weight.  When walking, turning in bed, bending forwards to pick up your baby or attempting to breastfeed you may be experiencing pain.

Self-help for sacroiliac pain

Here are some easy at-home tips for preventing sacroiliac pain:

• Avoid being in positions where your body weight is unevenly distributed between each leg.
• Change your position in bed by first sitting up right, then turning around.
• Sit down when you put on your socks or shoes.
• If walking is particularly painful, try using a pelvic support belt until the pain subsides.
• Try contracting the muscles in your abdomen prior to exerting yourself through movement.

Physiotherapy treatments for sacroiliac and lumbosacral pain

The team at Maroubra Road Physiotherapy will employ a range of treatments and provide advice on many ways the pain can be alleviated. You may receive education on movement patterns and positions to avoid.   Often the gentle mobilisation of stiff joints in the hip, back and pelvis, which may be contributing to this pain, may help. Soft tissue release techniques will help to relieve pain in the strained muscles.

Don’t forget to take care of yourself  

Here’s a good excuse to get some alone time in the first few months. A soak in a warm bathtub will really ease muscle aches and pain, improve your mood and energy levels. Remember that it’s Mother’s Day coming up. That means you’re allowed to schedule in some much needed ‘me’ time. From everyone at Maroubra Road Physiotherapy, we hope you have a great Mother’s Day and a great year ahead.

If you enjoyed this article, please share it with a woman you love, whether it’s your own mum, a friend or someone else. And if you would like to know more about overcoming musculoskeletal pain, then give the friendly and professional team at Maroubra Road Physiotherapy a call on (02) 9314 3888.

References

Department of Health, Australian Government (2017) Physiotherapy advice after childbirth.

The Conversation (2019) Are Kegel Exercises Actually Good For You? Melissa Kang, University of Technology, Sydney.

Regional Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine (1997) Myofascial pain syndrome and trigger-point management Dr Stephanie Han et. al.

South Australian Government (2018) Pelvic Floor Exercises After Giving Birth

The Royal Women’s Hospital, Melbourne. Pelvic Floor Exercises.

Cochrane Database System Review (2015) “Interventions for preventing and treating low-back and pelvic pain during pregnancy. Liddle S.D., and Pennick V.

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders (2016) “Predictors and consequences of long-term pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain: a longitudinal follow-up study” Elden H., Gutke A., Kjellby-Wendt G., et al.

Six tips for avoiding injuries during the silly season

During Christmas, a cocktail of stress, excitement and tiredness can take hold. In this environment, accidents can easily happen. However with some careful planning, many accidents can be avoided. In this guide by Maroubra Road Physiotherapy, our expert physiotherapy team will talk you through some smart solutions for the silly season.

1. Give gifts that encourage physical activity

According to the 2018 Active Kids Australia Healthy Report Card, only 13% of children (aged 15-17 years old); along with 23-64% of primary school aged children did an hour of muscle and bone strengthening activities each day.

This is concerning because it shows that kids are more excited by stationary, gaming and computer-based activities. No surprises there! To remedy this, we recommend buying sports-related gifts this Christmas and involving the whole family in fun backyard sports challenges.  This can often be a fun way to inspire the kids.

2. Kids need adequate protective gear for sports  

There’s nothing wrong with letting your children loose for a bit of rough and tumble play. Although it’s important to mitigate against accident risks too. If you bought your child a bike, skateboard, or a pair of rollerblades for Christmas, then It’s always a good idea to invest in a helmet, along with protective knee and elbow pads to protect them on their roving adventures.

3. Taking a break from sport over Christmas

If you regularly play sport and stop training over the Christmas break, your body will lose strength and muscle condition. This may result in a higher risk of sports-related injuries when you return to training.

It would not be wise to go straight into your regular boxing, weight-lifting, cardio or running program after the Christmas break. Your unprepared body may have other ideas and may protest in the form of a sprain, strain or sporting injury.

Instead of allowing your body to lose muscle condition and strength over Christmas, you could substitute the gym with going for daily walks or swimming in the ocean. When you return to your workout program after Christmas, you could try a gradually tapered training program that increases in intensity over a number of weeks to avoid injury and get you back to your original fitness levels.

Also, don’t forget about warming up and cooling down with each workout to prevent injury as well. For more advice on sports injuries, speak with the team at Maroubra Road Physiotherapy.

4. Be mindful of your alcohol consumption

Alcohol is usually the chief mischief-maker and reason for many people’s Boxing Day regrets.

One 2018 study by Monash University in Melbourne analysed eight hospital Emergency Rooms across Australia and New Zealand. The study screened nearly 8,500 patients seen over a seven day period in December 2014.  Of these, 801 presentations in the ER (or 9.5%) were identified as being alcohol-related. These people went a bit overboard on the partying and as a result their decision-making, motor coordination and cognitive ability was impaired, resulting in accidents and injuries.

5. Avoid Kitchen calamities

Boiling water, sharp knives and heavy objects can make your kitchen a hazardous place during the Christmas period. It’s always a good idea to keep the kids out of the kitchen and to avoid having alcohol yourself until you’ve finished with cooking. Also it’s wise to clean up spills as they occur to avoid slips and falls.

6. Don’t ignore pain

According to the Australian Pain Management Association, If you have problems with chronic pain, then Christmas can sometimes be a rather intense and demanding time. You might be expected to pitch in with tasks like shopping, cooking or preparing meals.

Remember to ask your family members and friends for help with these daily tasks. Also,  you should ask for their understanding if you’re experiencing pain. Remember to do your stretching exercises. Often these gentle movements will lessen the pain. For a detailed and personalised stretching program that will help you with chronic pain, you can speak with us  at Maroubra Road Physiotherapy.

Over the years we have seen many different Christmas related injuries at Maroubra Road Physiotherapy, from drunken falls down the stairs, to daring dad’s trying out their kid’s skateboards and falling off. If you would like some advice on managing pain or injury during Christmas, please give us a call today on (02) 9314 3888.