Do you have Tech neck?

I've got a really important question for you - how much time do you spend texting, emailing from your phone or smart device, flicking through social media, or just generally looking down at your smart devices?

If your answer was a lot, or more than you should and you are suffering from acute neck pain you may be experiencing Tech Neck. Tech Neck is a repetitive strain injury and one that is seen in a growing number of patients.

An increasing number of teens and adolescents are experiencing aggravating muscle pain in their necks, shoulders and occasionally their lower backs. This causes them to be in a lot of pain and they often experience headaches as a result of hunching over their smart devices.

Keep reading…

I'm going to tell you how to reduce the risk of Tech Neck so you can be pain free, whilst enjoying your smart devices and correcting your posture – all at the same time!

So why does it happen?
 

Looking down and dropping your head forward changes the natural curve of your spine and neck. Repetitive misalignment causes muscles to strain and cause wear and tear on the structures of your neck.
 

What can you do if you are already showing the signs and symptoms of Tech Neck?
 

The first and best thing you can do is improve your posture. What we recommend is using these two simple prevention rules:

1. Look forward! Don't tilt your chin down to look at your smart devices, try moving the device up towards eye level, just like your desktop screen should be.
2. Straighten on up! If your posture isn't perfect, try doing shoulder extensions. Arch your neck and upper back backward, pulling your shoulders into alignment under your ears. This simple stretch can alleviate stress and muscle pain

If you are experiencing any symptoms of Tech Neck, the next step is to book in for an assessment to really get to the root of the problem.  We can recommend a series of exercises to help strengthen both your neck and back muscles and devise a treatment plan if needed.

If Tech Neck is preventing you from performing the activities you enjoy or if you believe the way you are using your phone places you at risk of developing neck pain in the future, please call Kinetic Healthcare on (02) 9262 6473 for an appointment.
 

Speak Soon

The team at Kinetic Healthcare

Debunking the top 5 Chiropractic myths

The most common statement I hear from patients is “I never knew that chiropractors do this”. Unfortunately, for the most part, the perception of Chiropractic is not well understood and because of this it causes many misconceptions, fears and ill-informed advice. As a proud sports chiropractor I believe the best way to dispel these fears is via education.

1.  Chiropractors only treat the spine – While we specialize in treating back and neck pain, we have a thorough understanding of the whole mechanics of how the human bodies works. Treating injuries involving the upper body, lower body and even jaw is one of the many things we do.

2.  Chiropractic is unsafe – Like any medical intervention has its own risks, adjustments/manipulations/western acupuncture also have their risks albeit small. The key is in making sure your chiropractor takes a thorough history to fully appreciate what is going on with you. Then they can make a sound decision which technique (soft tissue, manipulation, acupuncture) will be the most safe and effective or if you need to be referred to another practitioner.

3.  Once you see a chiropractor you have to see them forever – Absolutely not. Our primary objective is to get you back doing what you love to do – fast. If people wish to continue treatment to allow their bodies perform at their best that is totally up to them.

4.  I have been told by previous chiropractors, physiotherapists and osteopaths to stop my training or exercise - The question I always ask these people is why? Squats, deadlifts or running did not cause your pain although it may hurt when doing it. More so, it is your body telling you something, somewhere is not working correctly and it is your practitioner’s job to fix it. The only way to do that is to test the waters.

5.  Chiropractors only use ‘adjustments/manipulations’ as treatment’- Traditionally this is how Chiropractic was first founded, nowadays many Chiropractors utilize many varied treatment approaches. At Kinetic Healthcare we utilize Active release technique A.R.T (soft tissue technique), dry needling/western acupuncture, exercise rehabilitation, and many others to deal with your bodily complaints.

If you would like to finally resolve your body pain we would love to help you.

We at Kinetic Healthcare are offering all Alternative foot solution clients a free movement assessment for the next month. Bookings are strictly limited to the first 10 people (Please mention at the time of booking).

To make an appointment contact the clinic on (02)9262-6473 or www.kinetichealthcare.com.au 

Should I crack my own back?

The reasons for cracking one’s own back are many. Some do it for pain relief, others cause they simply like it. However the question we really must answer is should you really be doing it yourself?

Mobility or an increase in ones movement is an essential aspect in maintaining a healthy functioning body. However, what if the joint that you are moving is already too mobile otherwise known as ‘unstable’? Well, continually ‘cracking that segment will make it more loose.

Imagine a hinge on a door that is a bit wobbly, you go tighten the screws that are already tight but ignore the loose ones. Over time that hinge, like your back will become unstable and come of from the frame. Our bodies on the other hand, will develop wear and tear such joint arthritis, disc degeneration or look for stability further up or down the chain in our bodies.

While it is important to get the ‘right’ joint moving by a qualified health profession, it is also important to work out why the joint was tightening up or compensating in the first place.

Getting a thorugh history and finding a health professional with an appreciation of how the body functions is always crucial.

Take home message.

Stop cracking your back. Find out the real reason why it got stiff in the first place. 

Click the below link to book and online appointment today to get your body sorted. 

3 reasons why you need to stop clenching your jaw

I’m sure you are guilty of this.

You have deadlines to meet, busy work/life schedules and feel like that you have no time on your hands. Your stress levels start to creep up and you begin to clench your jaw. I mean really clench your jaw. Soon enough you may begin to develop headaches, neck pain and that annoying click in your jaw. On the other side of the coin, you notice that you are favouring one side of your body more than the other and 6 months down the track you develop low back pain that has been diagnosed as a disc issue.  

What’s the go? Your jaw (temporamandibular joint TMJ) is one of the most sensory innervated structures in your body. In plain English, it tells your body where it is in space. ‘Where the head goes the body will follow’. With his in mind, if your jaw dysfunction due to over clenching/grinding causes you to stick out your jaw more, it will shift your body forward switching off the chain of muscles in your back. Conversely if you jaw deviates to one side it will make you favour more that side you are deviating to, switching off the other side of your body.

It is not your jaws fault, it just think it is giving you the best chance in stabilising your body. Doing endless amount of  activation for your glutes or ‘core’ will be an absolute waste of time if your jaw is trying to do all the work.

Know where your jaw is positioned.

Think your jaw is the culprit to your body woes?

Book Online below and finally get your body issues sorted. 

3 reasons why Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is not due to your wrist

Do symptoms like pins and needles in your index, middle and part of your ring finger bother you, more so at night? Do you find them coming on whilst sitting at work typing or riding your road bike with your wrists resting on the handlebars?

You may have what is commonly referred to as ‘Carpal tunnel syndrome’ (CTS). Typically the diagnosis is based on the premise that the median nerve that causes the pins and needles gets trapped/restricted in the carpal tunnel. Traditional treatment typically involves splinting/wrist bracing, corticosteroid injections and extreme cases surgery.

However the question begs to be asked, is the problem actually in the wrist? There are three reasons why CTS may not be due to your wrist. If we look at where the median nerves runs through, one can appreciate that it actually can get entrapped in the following areas other than your wrist.

1.     Neck

2.     Armpit

3.     Forearm muscles

 If whatever reason the muscles in that region gets restricted, it can effect how well that nerve can slide causing it to get irritated and inflamed. The end result is your pins and needles.

While it is beneficial to work out the areas that have tightened up, just as importantly you need to know why it happened in the first place. The big players are things like poor posture, dysfunctional breathing patterns and old injuries that were treated correctly.

Active Release Technique (ART) is one of the techniques used at Kinetic Healthcare to effectively treat the soft tissue injuries that lead to carpal tunnel syndrome. Neurokineteic Therapy (NKT) is an alternative technique that is utilised to address where the compensations in the body lie.  Stop wasting doing the same things over and over and expecting different results. Book online below to finally sort your  carpal tunnel syndrome.