posture

Static vs dynamic stretching. What’s the difference and what should I be doing?

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When it comes to preparing your body for a workout, the notion of static stretching as a warm-up is facing a considerable challenge. Recent research is uncovering potential drawbacks, revealing that this traditional approach might not be the performance booster we once believed it to be. In fact, static stretching could have the counterintuitive effect of decreasing muscle power for hours post-stretch, potentially hindering your athletic performance.

The promise of injury prevention often associated with static stretching seems to fall short in the scientific realm. Studies are urging fitness enthusiasts to pivot toward dynamic exercises for a more effective warm-up routine. Dynamic exercises, such as proprioceptive training, strength workouts, and dynamic warm-ups, are emerging as champions in preserving performance levels and reducing the risk of injuries.

The shift from static to dynamic warm-ups has a growing evidence base. Dynamic exercises engage your muscles in a way that static stretching simply doesn’t. They prepare your body for the dynamic movements that lie ahead in your workout, enhancing flexibility, blood flow, and overall performance. As we bid adieu to the old-school static stretches, consider embracing a new era of warm-up routines that incorporate dynamic, agility, strength, and balance exercises for superior results.

So, before you settle into that long-held stretch pre-workout, take a moment to reassess. Your body might just thank you for the switch, unlocking a new realm of athletic potential and injury prevention. After all, in the dynamic world of fitness, adaptability is key. ????????

Shoulder posture and movement

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Physiotherapy shoulder newcastle

The shoulder blade is an attachment point which the rotator cuff muscles of the shoulder operate from. Its only bony connection to the body is via the collar bone which in turn connects to the sternum. Otherwise it is incredibly moved and controlled by muscles connecting from the trunk and neck.

The muscles that hold the shoulder blade in position are often affected by pain in the region and what is normally a coordinated movement becomes the opposite. Because it sits over the back where you cant see it you often don’t know its moving poorly but this is sometimes what can lead to persisting shoulder pain. If assistance to correct the movement improves pain then you need to start with scapula rehabilitation.

The very old fashioned advice of shoulders “back and down” is not good advice. In fact the starting posture for a lot of us needs to be more “up, back and hold” but that also depends on your posture. The most common movement dysfunction is when the shoulder drops forwards and down and the shoulder blade wings or lifts away from the body nearest to the spine.

There are good and bad ways to correct posture of the shoulder blade. We use a combination of key verbal instructions, hands on facilitation of position and movement, mirrors for visual feedback, and sometimes tape to assist the process. Static posture holds are the starting point with correcting poor movement of the shoulder blade but it also needs to be progressed to functional movements like reaching overhead to a cupboard in front.

Some people are able to get the shoulder blade posture and movement better quite quickly but others take some time and repeated practice to move better and reduce pain. If you aren’t sure of how to correct your shoulder posture or if you have shoulder pain then we would be happy to help you. If you have shoulder pain a carefully prescribed exercise program can help.

Physiotherapy gym exercise shoulder

Read more about movement control problems in the shoulder (dyskinesia).

Spinal pain treatment – move more often

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Back and neck pain treatment

NU Moves Physio leads the way in evidence based treatment. We are constantly looking to the latest evidence to help our clients move better and feel well. Being located at The University of Newcastle means a lot of our clients are academics, students and staff. A few areas we commonly treat are back and neck pain, which many people attribute to postural or sitting loads at work or while studying.

The scientific understanding of this problem has definitely evolved over the last few decades and has now changed significantly from the old adage of ‘sit up straight and don’t slouch’ to the ‘move more often’ advice. Move more means varying your postures and positions rather than having to sit up straight all the time. It might be that you need slouch a little if you have been upright for a while or sit back in your chair and use your backrest to sit up tall if you have been slouching. Stand desks are great to get you out of your chair but not for standing all day. A mixture of sitting and standing changes your posture which is best.

This is notably advice based on research for lower back pain. A common mistake leading to neck pain is reaching too far whilst at a computer.  Neck pain is often also related to the stress and tension that we carry in our shoulders. Again the best advice is often to get up and move more – go for a walk or do some exercise for 30 mins aiming for a daily basis. If you are too busy to walk that is often the problem that needs to be managed.

Professor Peter O’Sullivan leads the way in back pain research and advises ‘your best posture is your next posture’. Simple spinal pain treatment – move more often!

If you have neck pain or back pain at work or study, get moving and if pain holds you back then contact us on 0249216879 or admin@numovesphysiotherapy.com.au

Starting off 2018 Pain Free and Positive

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42345147 - side view of smiling business colleagues looking at each other

With 2018 under way and the upcoming uni semester fast approaching and workloads increasing, it is important to consider how to best maintain our health and bodies at home and at work. Particularly for those of us on campus working long hours at desks, computers and various projects, a large risk is the onset of neck pain. Not only is this uncomfortable, but impacts on our day to day routine and often effectiveness at the tasks so important to us.

As campus gets increasingly busy, it’s more important than ever to keep moving, and keep an eye on our work related postures. Although pain often follows trauma, it is often a consequence of remaining too long in one posture, whether this is sitting or standing. This may be seated at the computer desk, looking at our phones, or standing and chatting to colleagues. Chances of injury or pain is then increased with any kind of stress that may be experienced throughout the day.

As a university physiotherapy clinic that has been on campus for 14 years, NU Moves understands the workplace demands on staff, including the regular postural demands and time constraints. We are also familiar with treating a range of resulting issues such as neck, arm and lower back pain. Manual therapy or exercise prescription are extremely useful tools that our qualified physiotherapists can use to get you on track to moving well and feeling great. A great goal to aim for in terms of movement is 30 minutes a day, and 150 minutes a week, whether this is walking to lunch, your car, or to grab a coffee.

If you are experiencing pain at work, or wanting to maximise your health and movement, NU Moves Physio can help. With post graduate qualifications and experience in musculoskeletal assessment, manual therapy, exercise prescription and outstanding problem solving, out physiotherapists are here to help. One on one treatment sessions involve a thorough assessment to determine what is causing your pain, and a treatment plan explained in depth, so you know how to approach improving your health from your first appointment.

Have you got persistent neck pain

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Neck discomfort

The scalene muscles could be the culprit. There are 3 scalene muscles (anterior, middle and posterior) on each side of the neck. They primarily control the side tilting motion of the head but given they also attach to the first and second ribs, can assist with upper chest inspiration or shallow breathing.

At NU Moves Physio we find these muscles become overactive and painful with excess computer / screen use. If you then add stress the posterior scalene muscle in particular tightens further which has a flow on effect in how we move the neck and further increases pain. Sometimes the reported cause is sleeping awkwardly but often this is the trigger and the cause relates back to the extra muscle tension that you take to bed.

How to control it:
1. Deep tissue massage and myofascial releases combined with thoracic spine manual therapy works immediately in reducing tension and associated pain.
2. Try to diaphragm breathe – tummy breathe. Shallow breathing into the top of the chest uses the scalenes even more. Get more oxygen deeper into your lungs and give the scalenes a break.
3. Minimise the chin poked posture at the computer (too much laptop time)
4. Lastly the most common management strategy, getting active and away from the desk. Be careful if you are really tight and start with a low intensity cardio session again with a lower deeper breathing focus (e.g. go for a brisk walk). Upper body gym sessions or high intensity runs can sometimes increase the tension and discomfort when you are really tight.

If you need help with neck pain during busy times call us on 49216879. We will reduce pain and tension and help you get active.

Do you know how to correct your posture?

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correct postureMaster the simple things and you will get the best outcomes!
We all have our own unique postures – some with increased curves, others with reduced curves, and sometimes with sideways curves (scoliosis). Posture should also be considered relative to whether you are sitting, standing or dynamically moving. Achieving a biomechanically correct spinal posture is important for several reasons.

Firstly, in helping our clients we often find that achieving the correct posture can reduce pain and discomfort associated with sustained standing and sitting postures. For those who have to stand for long periods in retail or hospitality, an increased curve in the lower back can lead to pain. A simple correction is to lean up against the wall slide down to bend the knees slightly and flatten the lower back to the wall. If this eases the discomfort we need to focus on what creates this posture type – tight hip flexors, poor tone or weakness in the lower abdominals and gluteal (buttock) muscles.

Alternatively those who get discomfort in the lower back, mid back or neck with sitting at the computer, it often is associated with the ‘lazy, slouched posture’ where the curve in your lower back (normally known as a lordosis) is reversed and there is one arched curve (instead of two) from base of the spine to base of the neck. The head then protrudes forwards and the shoulders become rounded. Again a simple correction is pelvic tilting – rolling the pelvis forwards over your hip bones. Getting that lordosis curve back in the lower back will often reduce pain and allows for the mid back (thoracic spine) and neck posture to be corrected. You have to get a stable base to work from and slouched is not a stable base.

Secondly correct posture increases the efficiency and safety of how we move, for example with lifting. The squat lift (knees fully bent) or semi-squat lift (knees bent to 90 degrees) are both acceptable methods of lifting. If you keep your lower back straight and bend at the hips and knees it will engage the gluteal muscles and provide stability to the pelvis and lower back.

The big message, it is OK to relax your posture at times so long as it isn’t occasions such as when you are lifting loads or sitting for prolonged periods.

 

Ergonomics: Getting your study space right

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Ergonomics: Get Your Study Space Right

How do you sit at your computer? Does it ever lead to pain? If you study or work in an office, read on to learn how you can setup your workstation ergonomically. Ergonomics refers to the design or arrangement of a workstation to suit the user.

Commonly affected areas due to poor workstation setup are the shoulders and neck, wrist, and elbows. Practicing good ergonomics can reduce pain and discomfort.

5 Tips to Setup an Ergonomic Workstation

ergonomics_guide

  1. The chair should have a backrest (lumbar support).
  1. Adjust the chair height (desk should be at elbow level when sitting upright).
  1. Use a footstool if feet are off the ground.
  1. Adjust monitor so the top is at eye level.
  1. The keyboard and mouse need to be within reach, keeping elbows by your side. (Don’t reach out.)

  Laptops and tablets don’t allow for good ergonomics because they tend to pull your shoulders and neck downward. The keyboard and screen need to be separated. Get yourself a wireless keyboard and mouse and put the laptop up at the correct height (either on a docking station or even just a stack of books). This will help you maintain good posture.

Try not to sit at your computer desk for long periods of time. Setting up your workstation correctly takes only minutes to do, is not expensive, and means you’ll have a better study or work experience.