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Massage – Get in touch with its many benefits.

Posted on October 28, 2016April 4, 2024 by admin

Massage: Get in touch with its many benefits

Massage can be a powerful tool to help you take charge of your health and well-being.

As a healing tool, massage has been around for thousands of years in many cultures. Touching is a natural human reaction to pain and stress, and for conveying compassion and support.

Think of the last time you bumped your head or had a sore calf. What did you do? Rubbed it, right?

The same was true of our earliest ancestors. Healers throughout time and throughout the world have instinctually and independently developed a wide range of therapeutic techniques using touch. Many are still in use today, and with good reason.

We now have scientific proof of the benefits of massage – benefits ranging from treating chronic diseases and injuries to alleviating the growing tensions of our modern lifestyles.

Having a massage does more than just relax your body and mind – there are specific physiological and psychological changes which occur, even more so when massage is utilised as a preventative, frequent therapy and not simply mere luxury.

Massage not only feels good, but it can cure what ails you.

You don’t need any special preparation for massage. Before a massage therapy session starts, your massage therapist will ask you about any symptoms, your medical history and what you’re hoping to get out of massage. Your massage therapist will explain the kind of massage and techniques he or she will use.

The Consequences of Stress

Experts estimate that 80 percent to 90 percent of disease is stress-related. Massage and bodywork is there to combat that frightening number by helping us remember what it means to relax. The physical changes massage brings to your body can have a positive effect in many areas of your life. Besides increasing relaxation and decreasing anxiety, massage lowers your blood pressure, increases circulation, improves recovery from injury, helps you to sleep better and can increase your concentration. It reduces fatigue and gives you more energy to handle stressful situations.

Massage is a perfect medicine for good health. It’s undoubtedly a wonderful thing when your therapist begins unwinding those stress-tightened muscles, and your day’s troubles begin to fade away. But the greatest thing is to know this “medicine” only gets better with frequency.

Why not pamper yourself, come and book in with one of our amazing Myotherapists at Glenferrie Sports and Spinal Clinic inside Hawthorn Aquatic and Leisure Centre.

Glenferrie Sports and Spinal Clinic is located in Hawthorn. Situated conveniently near public transport and with convenient parking it is central to Camberwell, Kew, Richmond, Toorak and Malvern.

For appointments call 03 9815 2555, or book online here

Fatigue VS Energy

Posted on October 14, 2016April 4, 2024 by admin

What Drives Fatigue?

Did you know that only 3% of people demonstrate pathology as the cause of fatigue? Since it is not often the driver, natural health Practitioners can help to alleviate fatigue by looking at other possible functional causes – nutrition, mitochondrial health, detoxification, thyroid, stress and immune support. By targeting these causes, Natural Health Care Practitioners can often help optimise your energy levels and improve your quality of life.

Mitochondrial Health

Ninety per cent (90%) of cellular energy is generated in the mitochondria. Mitochondria are ‘cellular powerhouses’. These subunits within the cells are the major site of ATP (pure Energy!) production, via the metabolic pathways of the Krebs Cycle (also known as the Citric Acid Cycle), the Electron Transport Chain, and Oxidative Phosphorylation. All cell function and physiology depends on efficient production of ATP by these metabolic pathways.

Adequate Nutrition

Low dietary intake of iron, carnitine, lipoic acid, coenzyme Q10, magnesium and B vitamins can all contribute to reduced energy production.

Thyroid Function

The thyroid sets the pace for the body’s metabolic rate and is closely related to energy production. Supporting normal, healthy thyroid function is important in maintaining optimal health. There are many factors that can affect thyroid health and these should be identified and addressed individually.

Detoxification

Toxicity from the external environment and lifestyle factors can contribute to fatigue. For example, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) causes the ecology of the small intestine to be overrun with external ‘bad’ bacteria that can contribute to leaky gut and associated symptoms, including fatigue. Detoxification programs and antimicrobial formulas can help to improve this and improve energy levels. Increased oxidative stress caused by toxicity can also reduce mitochondrial function, impairing ATP production.

Stress Management

Over-action of the Stress Response System (SRS) may result in fatigue and deplete magnesium levels.
Stress management and magnesium supplementation play an important role in improving energy, since magnesium is required for cellular energy production.

Immune support

In people who are experiencing prolonged fatigue, it is important to assess and support immune function.
Chronic or recurring infections can cause fatigue, possibly due to the inflammatory affects on the mitochondria.

Anna Boetto is a Qualified Nutritionist at Glenferrie Sports and Spinal Clinic inside Hawthorn Aquatic and Leisure Centre at the Health Suites, who can help guide specific Treatment Protocols and give you further advice on a range of conditions.

Aged Care Nutrition

Posted on September 20, 2016April 4, 2024 by admin

Aged care nutrition importance

Nutrition in ageing population is just as important as in the younger community. Adequate nutrition is integral in aged care to ensure maintaining good health, muscle and bone strength.

Evidence shows that elderly people are more susceptible to being malnourished due to factors (nutritional and non-nutritional) inherent with ageing.

Factors include: chewing/swallowing difficulties, inability to feed oneself, decreased appetite, illness and psychological factors.

It has previously been estimated through a study targeting malnutrition and nutrition issues in aged care facilities found that 43.1% of those studied were moderately malnourished and 6.4% were severely malnourished.

How do we improve elderly nutrition?

To prevent this it is important to understand that as we get older our appetites and lifestyles change, which affects our nutrition and the foods we eat.

A decreased/reduced appetite or reduced ability source and buy healthy foods can mean that many older people are not enough nutrition from essential vitamins, minerals and fibre.

This can lead to deficiencies, general un-wellness and exacerbate or poorly effect chronic disease. It is important to maximise nutrition by consuming a diet comprised of meals and snacks rich with vitamin and minerals that aims to meet nutritional requirements present in the elderly population. Particular attention to be paid to calcium, protein, salt, energy and fluid.

To check your own or your family member’s risk of malnutrition, and ensure they are nutritionally adequate please contact your accredited practicing dietitian/nutritionist. They will be able to assist in menu planning, strategies to achieve nutritional adequacy in consideration of factors that may be preventing adequate intake.

What’s your Gut feeling?

Posted on September 16, 2016April 4, 2024 by admin

Chances are, it’s not all in your head, and the way you’re feeling … well it’s your gut telling you – something is not right.

Gut issues are not fun, I know, I’ve been there. So often though, we try to get the answers from Dr. Google. Don’t get me wrong, we can find some pretty good information there, but how do you know if it’s the right piece of advice for you?

It’s worth your piece of mind and health to find to the cause of your discomfort and finding out how to Repair your gut to start back on the path to good health is important because like Hippocrates, the founder of modern medicine, said –

“All disease begins in the gut”

so you’ve been experiencing things like …

Food intolerances or food sensitivities,
Constipation or Diarrhoea (or both!),
feeling Bloated,
Fatigue,
Anxiety or mild Depression,
Overweight,
Skin problems like Eczema or Acne,
Muscle or Joint Aches,
frequent Colds,
Hay-fever, Sinus or even
Thyroid issues

You could have Intestinal Hyperpermeability, or more simply put, a Leaky Gut.

What is Leaky Gut?

It’s when your intestines lose their net-like integrity and the small gaps that allow for the absorption of nutrients, get bigger; allowing larger molecules to get through – like gluten and casein. These molecules enter the bloodstream, re-circulate and cause inflammation, sometimes in joints and sometimes in specific organs. This sets up a source of inflammation systemically throughout the body and can cause immune system activation, which left unresolved, can be the source of a downward health spiral.

80% of your immune system is located in your gut. If leaky gut isn’t fixed it can cause immune issues like auto-immune disease and food sensitivities.

So you want to get to the cause of it all, right?

But how do you know if it’s your gut bugs that are off balance? or whether you have a case of SIBO? or gut inflammation or chronic infection? if you’re eating the wrong food? if it’s stress that’s churning down on your ability to digest? or your neurotransmitters are out of whack?

Your body is a whole system – what affects one part will in time, affect another. The bottom line here is, the longer you ignore your body, the more complicated things become.

The Warning signs that you might have Leaky Gut.

Any one of these issues means you have some form of Leaky Gut.

Food sensitivities or food allergies e.g consume dairy and your nose runs a bit, or issues with gluten.
Any type of gas or bloating, cramping or digestive problems
Any type of IBS, chronic constipation or chronic diarrhoea, or Inflammatory Bowel disease such as Crohns or Ulcerative Colitis.
Autoimmune disease. The tight junctions of the gut lining opens up and holes are created to let certain things like gluten and casein – things that shouldn’t be allowed, to get through to the bloodstream causing inflammation of the whole body. Left unchecked for a long time, the body’s autoimmune response kicks in and you can develop issues such as rheumatoid arthritis or even Grave’s disease, Hashimotos, Lupus, Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue.
Thyroid and Adrenal issues, Hashimotos or Adrenal fatigue –
Joint Pain or Rheumatoid Arthritis
Malabsorption issues – any nutrient deficiencies – you may be getting enough but may not be absorbing enough. You aren’t what you eat – you are what you absorb. If you are deficient in B12, iron, Magnesium or Zinc – it is a warning signs for leaky gut. You may not be digesting food properly and so it’s not being broken down properly in order to absorb it.
Skin issues, acne, eczema, psoriasis, rashes or rosacea.
Mood issues – anxiety, depression, bipolar, behavioral issues.

How do I treat it?

If you have answered YES to any of these, you are probably in some stage of Leaky Gut Syndrome.

You’ll want to start a program immediately changing your diet and lifestyle, and supplement regimen to help repair your leaky gut.

It’s more than a just a Gut Feeling: Your Overall Health from absorbing your nutrients to How Well Your Immune System Works.

… is determined by Your Gut Health.

Get more tips from Anna, our Holistic Nutritionist at GSSC

The practice of Holistic Nutritional Medicine – is not a Band-Aid approach – It’s getting to the cause of symptoms that helps you back to health.

Glenferrie Sports and Spinal Clinic is located in Hawthorn. Situated conveniently near public transport and with convenient parking it is central to Camberwell, Kew, Richmond, Toorak and Malvern.

For appointments call 03 9815 2555, or book online here

Portion Perfection

Posted on August 17, 2016April 4, 2024 by admin

So you think you are on track with nutrition and still not losing weight? Time to assess those portion sizes! It is very easy to overconsume even healthy essential foods in the diet. Some common healthy foods that are over-consumed leading to excessive energy intake include: meat, nuts and dairy.

Red Meat:

Red meat is a fantastic source of protein as well as zinc and iron however it is easy to overconsume and choose the wrong cuts.

A healthy portion would be a small steak the size of the palm or around 120g, this contains approximately 650kJ.

However the usual Australian serving size of steak is around 300g , which would be approximately 1600kJ.

Aim to choose a lean steak the size and thickness of the palm to ensure good intake of protein but also micronutrients such as iron without overconsuming.

Nuts:

Nuts can be a perfect snack option, this is because they contain good amounts of protein, natural fat, and micronutrients like vitamin B, selenium and calcium. They are also a great source of fibre and will keep you satisfied. The problem is that nuts are very easy to over-eat!

A suitable portion size for nuts would be a small handful, around 10-12 nuts or around 30g.

A usual portion size for nuts would be around 3 handfuls or 100g, this represents around 1800kJ, the equivalent of 4.5 tim tams!

Aim to choose an unsalted mixed nut selection keeping portion sizes to a small handful.

Dairy:

Dairy is important to include in a healthy balanced diet to ensure adequate calcium, as well as being a good source of protein and containing over 10 essential nutrients. Most people need between 2-3 serves of dairy, however a serve is very easy to overconsume. Overcomsumption of dairy foods can lead to a high intake of energy (calories/kilojoules) as well as high intakes of saturated fat. 1 serve of dairy is between 500-600kJ and consists of:

250ml Milk
2 slices (40g) of hard cheese
¾ cup or 200g of yoghurt

Commonly consumed serves of dairy include:

4 slices of full fat hard cheese =80g =1352kJ of energy and around 19g of saturated fat.

Sleeping Positions and how they affect the body.

Posted on August 9, 2016April 4, 2024 by admin

People often complain of pain in various body parts when they wake in the morning. Common culprits are the neck, shoulder, lower back and hips. Often these morning aches can be attributed to how we have slept during the night, and can be fairly simply addressed.

best-and-worst-sleeping-positions-for-chronic-pain

Are you a front sleeper?

Sleeping on your front puts a lot of stress through the neck and often results in difficulty and discomfort in turning your head in the morning. Simply needing to breathe means front sleepers will always have their head turned one way or the other. Considering the amount of time you’re asleep that’s a big ask of your neck!

Front-sleeping is usually considered the least-desirable option due to the effect it has on the neck. As in intermediate step, you could try placing a pillow under your chest to take some of the pressure off your neck. But the best thing in this situation is to try and train yourself to sleep in a different position (on either your side or back).

Are you a side sleeper?

Sleeping on your side is a better option than front-sleeping, and is usually much better for your neck. A good contour pillow (ask at Sustain Health if you need one!) is especially helpful to give side-sleepers adequate neck support. Side-sleepers waking with shoulder pain may benefit from placing an extra pillow underneath their torso (just under the armpit). This creates a channel for your lower arm to rest it. If you’re a side-sleeper that wakes with lower back or hip pain try sleeping with a pillow between your knees to take some of the weight off your pelvis and lumbar spine.

Are you a back sleeper?

Sleeping on your back is ideal, so great work if that’s you! The most common complaint from people sleeping on their back is pain or tension in the lower back. This is usually caused by tight psoas muscles. Try putting a pillow underneath your knees to take some strain out of the lower back.

Should you be experiencing any of the above and find that these measures don’t resolve the situation, massage may help to treat your symptoms. An assessment of your sleeping position can be beneficial also.

Glenferrie Sports and Spinal Clinic is located in Hawthorn. Situated conveniently near public transport and with convenient parking it is central to Camberwell, Kew, Richmond, Toorak and Malvern.

For appointments call 03 9815 2555, or book online here

Heathy Food Ideas

Posted on July 19, 2016April 4, 2024 by admin

It can be confusing and complicating when trying to plan what a day of healthy eating should look like. Here is a quick run-down of the five main food groups, the recommended serves per day and what a serve might look like. For more information on personalised daily requirements, meal planning and nutrition advice see your Accredited Practising Dietitian.

Vegetables: Aim for 5 serves per day. Serve is:

Fruit: Aim for 2 serves of fruit per day. Serve is:

Low GI grains: Aim for 4 serves per day. Serve is:

Milk/yoghurt/cheese or alternatives: Aim for 2-3 serves per day. Serve is:

Meat/Poultry/Fish/Eggs/Tofu etc: Aim for 1-3 serves per day. Serve is:

Note: These recommendations are for general purposes only and vary with age, sex and metabolic demands. For more information on individual requirements please consult with a dietitian.

No Excuses!

Posted on March 14, 2016April 4, 2024 by admin

It constantly amazes me how we can spend hundreds on haircuts, nights out and clothes, however when it comes to our health we often use the excuse of not enough time or money.

When we should be investing into our health, we prioritise in other areas.

We are then faced with living with discomfort, or greater expense as the issue becomes more complex.

I am guilty of this as much as anyone (bit like the plumber with leaky taps!). I found myself reminiscing over the weekend about how I miss cycling, how I am a better person when I ride, and the obvious health benefits it gives me.

So as of today I am back on the trainer with the goal of getting back on the bike.

Do you have an injury that has been niggling for some time now?

Headaches that are becoming more frequent?

Or are you just not sure how to commence a new health regime?

Don’t be like the herd, take the first step to being a better and healthier you.

The staff at Glenferrie Sports and Spinal Clinic are ready to assist your new pathway.

Glenferrie Sports and Spinal Clinic is located in Hawthorn. Situated conveniently near public transport and with convenient parking it is central to Camberwell, Kew, Richmond, Toorak and Malvern.

For appointments call 03 9815 2555, or book online here

Anna Boetto; Chinese Medicine

Posted on December 16, 2015April 4, 2024 by admin

Live around Hawthorn? Want more from your Workout? Not getting quite the results you’re after with your gym routine? Are you getting enough protein? Can you Carb it up? How’s your hydration? What about recovery?

Our Chinese Medicine Practitioner provides practical and up to date information for improving energy levels, getting toned or bulking up, preparing for specific events or assisting with getting on the right track by fuelling correctly for your chosen sport from recreational to elite level.

Next to the DEXA scan we use one of the best available Bio-Impedance Analysers to monitor and assess your body composition to improve health and performance.

… select your Sports Nutrition Programme.

Sports Performance and Recovery

Active Nutrition

Body Composition

Weight management

Make an appointment to see our Chinese Medicine Doctor Anna Boetto to tailor a nutrition programme to suit your needs.

Glenferrie Sports and Spinal Clinic is located in Hawthorn. Situated conveniently near public transport and with convenient parking it is central to Camberwell, Kew, Richmond, Toorak and Malvern.

For appointments call 03 9815 2555, or book online here

STAND UP…MOVE MORE…MORE OFTEN!

Posted on November 16, 2015April 4, 2024 by admin

As you’re reading this article, STAND UP!!!

The time to get moving is NOW!

You need to Stand up and Move more Often.

According to a recent study released by Medibank Private, in many office based jobs, 77% of the working day is spent sitting.

Couple this with the time we spend driving to and from work, time spent watching television or on the computer at home at night, and it is clear that we have a big problem!

Neville Owen, Professor of Health Behaviour at the University of Queensland indicates that in three or four generations, we’ve gone, for most people, from pretty uniform activity – standing, lifting, doing – to sitting tapping or sitting staring.

Essentially, Australia has become a nation of sitters!

We’ve long known that prolonged sitting can contribute to the development of a range of muscle and joint problems, in particular lower back pain.

A growing body of research is now emerging linking prolonged sitting with a number of chronic health conditions including obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease and diabetes.

In 2013 alone, more than 7000 deaths occurred in Australia from obesity-related illness. Indeed, Australia’s biggest killer isn’t road trauma. It’s not snakes, spiders, sharks or crocodiles.
According to the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA), surprisingly, it’s SITTING.

Interestingly and of most concern is research that tells us that even if you exercise regularly outside of work hours, sitting for prolonged periods of time during the day has detrimental effects on your health.

Being at work all day doesn’t mean that you can’t squeeze some physical activity in to keep you healthy.

Standing up more frequently is a great start. Research indicates that the muscle activity needed for standing and other simple movement triggers important processes related to the breakdown of fats and sugars within the body.

When you sit, these processes stall — and your health risks increase. When you’re standing or actively moving, you kick the processes back into action.

Put simply, stand up, move more, more often.

Standing every 20-30 minutes, and taking any opportunity you get to move, will have positive health benefits, both now, and in the years to come.

How do I stand more?

Some simple tips to get you standing and moving more often include:

Stand up when making or taking phone calls.
Take the stairs instead of the lift, even if you just walk a couple of floors and use a different lift.
Take a water break every hour and walk to the kitchen.
Arrange stand up meetings.
Leave your desk at lunchtime and enjoy a short stroll and some fresh air.
If you drive to work, park further away from your office and walk.

Glenferrie Sports and Spinal Clinic is located in Hawthorn. Situated conveniently near public transport and with convenient parking it is central to Camberwell, Kew, Richmond, Toorak and Malvern.
For appointments call 03 9815 2555, or book online here

Massage: Get in touch with its many benefits

The Consequences of Stress

What Drives Fatigue?

Mitochondrial Health

Adequate Nutrition

Thyroid Function

Detoxification

Stress Management

Immune support

Aged care nutrition importance

How do we improve elderly nutrition?

“All disease begins in the gut”

What is Leaky Gut?

So you want to get to the cause of it all, right?

The Warning signs that you might have Leaky Gut.

How do I treat it?

Red Meat:

Nuts:

Dairy:

Are you a front sleeper?

Are you a side sleeper?

Are you a back sleeper?

Essentially, Australia has become a nation of sitters!

How do I stand more?

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