Working from home? | Telehealth and Face-to-Face appointments available!

Are you working from home and need advice on your Workstation Setup? Ergonomic Workstation Assessments available at Valued Health Osteopathy! 

Valued Health Osteopathy

3/658 Centre Rd, Bentleigh East, 3165

Need a Treatment or Ergonomic Workstation Assessment? – Make an appointment today!

Are you now working from home? For so many of us at the moment, things have changed very drastically, very quickly!

This in itself can be a lot to handle, so firstly take a deep breath and then give yourselves a pat on the back for adapting so well!

The current COVID-19 climate has meant that a lot of people have started working from home. This hopefully brings along a few benefits, such as getting to spend more time with family members, less commute time, less distraction and of course less exposure to COVID-19!

However, I’m sure this has raised many issues for people as well. It was implemented so quickly that I’m sure many people have been caught unaware, and it always takes a bit of time to feel things out and figure out your new normal. It might also have brought to light how well equipped our workplaces are and how lucky we are!

At home, we most likely aren’t going to be lucky enough to have all the ‘bells and whistles’ at our disposal for our workplace set up, but you have to work with what you’ve got!

Some KEY things to remember with your workplace set up include: 

• Set up your screen so it is AT or 1/3 ABOVE your eye level.
• Have the back rest slightly reclined 10-20 degrees and allow it to support your whole spine.
• Keep the screen about an arm length from you.
• Have your forearms approximately horizontal with your forearm support, knees at right angles and your thighs about horizontal with the ground (used a footrest if your feet don’t touch the ground).
• Take a break for at least 1-2 minutes every 30 minutes of work and move your body however feels good! Without the distraction of working in an office, a lot of people seem to be getting caught up in their work. While its good to feel like you’re being productive, its possible that sitting for too long may lead to worse concentration levels as well as more musculoskeletal complaints.
• Don’t forget to give your eyes a break too! Digital eye strain can lead to dry/irritated eyes, blurry vision, eye watering and headaches among other things. A good guide to follow for this is the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes, take a 20 second break to look at objects around 20 feet from you (that’s around 6 meters for us metric users).
• Try to keep an ‘upright relaxed posture’ as discussed in our previous posture facts blog! Please check that out for some great information about posture and a quick body scan to help increase your awareness about how you carry yourself. If you missed it –https://valuedhealth.com.au/posture-7-surprising-facts/
• If you had previous ergonomic adjustments made to your workstation at your workplace, make sure you continue with them at home! (e.g. the use of an ergonomic mouse or keyboard)
• Check out these amazing handouts from our friends over at Corporate Work Health Australia for a quick and easy visual reminder of desk set up and some ideas for stretching.

As always, if you have any questions do not hesitate to contact one of our lovely reception staff or Osteopaths at the clinic on (03) 9570 9061 so we can help you Move, Grow and Thrive!

(03) 9570 9061

www.valuedhealth.com.au

You do not need a referral to see one of our friendly Osteopaths at Valued Health Osteopathy. We have a very good relationship with many surrounding doctors, other health practitioners and personal trainers in the local community of Bentleigh East , Bentleigh, Ormond, McKinnon, Oakleigh, Carnegie, Caulfield, Moorabbin, Murrumbeena, Brighton, Clayton and Clarinda.

Valued Health Osteopathy offers:

Osteopathy

Clinical Pilates

Exercise Rehabilitation

Strength & Conditioning

Valued Health Osteopathy is open 6 days a week with early morning and evening appointments. Move better with Osteopathy!

Valued Health Osteopathy is located at 3/658 Centre Road, Bentleigh East, Melbourne, Victoria, 3165.

Valued Health Osteopathy | Osteopathy Australia

Osteopath Bentleigh East, Osteopath Bentleigh, Osteopath Ormond, Osteopath McKinnon, Osteopath Moorabbin, Osteopath Murrumbeena, Osteopath Oakleigh, Osteopath Carnegie, Osteopath Caulfield, Osteopath Clayton, Osteopath Brighton and Osteopath Cheltenham, Osteopath Dingley, Osteopath Beaumaris, Osteopath Melbourne.

Posture Facts | Valued Health Osteopathy

Do you think about your posture??

We are here for your myth busting pleasure again at Valued Health Osteopathy and we are going to break down some old wives tales about posture for you.

Posture is NOT an evil word, and we don’t need to forget about it completely, but we may need to adapt some of our thought processes behind what it means and what we should aim for. Posture can tell us a lot about a person, it may indicate that the person is exhibiting protective mechanisms, apprehension, in a state of distress or reflecting the different moods we can experience and our behavioural responses to pain (1).

Despite the perpetuation of the belief that there is a ‘correct’ posture there is no strong evidence to support that avoiding any ‘incorrect’ postures can prevent low back pain, or that any single spinal curvature is strongly associated with pain (2).

When we are experiencing lower back pain, we are often told to ‘protect our spine’ by consciously activating our “core” muscles to maintain a “correct” posture. Although this isn’t necessarily the wrong thing to do, research is now indicating that people with lower back pain actually tend to bend their spine less and show more trunk muscle activity when forward bending and lifting anyway, which can contribute to a guarded way of moving and cause fear and lower self-efficacy in patients (3).

Unfortunately, there is no postural ‘one size fits all’ approach, as what is comfortable for me might not be comfortable for you. However, the benefit of this is, we all have the potential to explore our postures for ourselves and find what works best for us. It also enables us to realise that posture is really an ever-changing landscape and what works well for you, posture wise today, might change in the next week, month or year, but you can adapt to it!  Some great advice is to move in more ways, more often!

Another important thing to note, is that you can have an upright, relaxed posture. It might sound strange, but we don’t all have to try so hard to achieve something that might not be possible or ‘ideal’ for our bodies.

Here is a quick scan of your body you could try. As you sit here reading this article, I want you to bring your attention (without judgement) to your feet on the ground and notice where they are resting, notice your sit bones on your chair and if your weight is even between them, bring your attention to your upper back and neck and notice if you have hunched forwards towards the computer.

Now, sit up straight and pull your shoulders back and down. Notice how that feels, probably like a lot of hard work and maybe slightly uncomfortable?

Now, relax back into a natural posture for you and THIS time, think about attaching a big balloon filled with helium to the top of your head, and let the helium balloon take away some of the weight of your head on your neck and allow you to float up to a more upright position. Feels pretty different hey? This is a quick example of what a relaxed upright posture might feel like for you.

Awareness seems to be key with posture. If we can regularly notice how we are holding ourselves (in a non-judgmental way) throughout the day and think about moving around more and sitting in ways that might help us feel better, this could be a really positive change for our bodies. We may also need to shift our thinking towards ‘trusting your back’ whilst staying active (4) and building the confidence to move! You’ve got this!!

Surprising Facts About Posture… ‘Sit Up Straight’: Time to Re-evaluate – Infographic

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at the clinic on (03) 9570 9061 and speak to one of our friendly reception staff or Osteopaths so that we can help you to Move, Grow and Thrive.

(03) 9570 9061

www.valuedhealth.com.au

You do not need a referral to see one of our friendly Osteopaths at Valued Health Osteopathy. We have a very good relationship with many surrounding doctors, other health practitioners and personal trainers in the local community of Bentleigh East , Bentleigh, Ormond, McKinnon, Oakleigh, Carnegie, Caulfield, Moorabbin, Murrumbeena, Brighton, Clayton and Clarinda.

Valued Health Osteopathy offers:

Osteopathy

Clinical Pilates

Exercise Rehabilitation

Valued Health Osteopathy is open 6 days a week with early morning and evening appointments. Move better with Osteopathy!

Valued Health Osteopathy is located at 3/658 Centre Road, Bentleigh East, Melbourne, Victoria, 3165.

Valued Health Osteopathy | Osteopathy Australia

Osteopath Bentleigh East, Osteopath Bentleigh, Osteopath Ormond, Osteopath McKinnon, Osteopath Moorabbin, Osteopath Murrumbeena, Osteopath Oakleigh, Osteopath Carnegie, Osteopath Caulfield, Osteopath Clayton, Osteopath Brighton and Osteopath Cheltenham, Osteopath Dingley, Osteopath Beaumaris, Osteopath Melbourne.

1. Slater, Diane & Korakakis, Vasileios & O’Sullivan, Peter & Nolan, David & O’Sullivan, Kieran. (2019). “Sit Up Straight”: Time to Re-evaluate. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy. 49. 562-564. 10.2519/jospt.2019.0610.Wai  Eugene  MD,Dagenais  Simon  DC  PhD,Bishop  Paul  MD  PhD  DC,Kwon  Brian  MD  PhD  FRCSC, 126. Occupational Physical Activities in Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review with Critical Appraisal of Causal Relationships, Spine Journal, The, Volume 9, Issue 10, 2009, Pages 65S-66S, ISSN 1529-9430,http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.spinee.2009.08.154.
2. Geisser, Michael & Haig, Andrew & Wallbom, Agnes & Wiggert, Elizabeth. (2004). Pain-Related Fear, Lumbar Flexion, and Dynamic EMG Among Persons With Chronic Musculoskeletal Low Back Pain. The Clinical journal of pain. 20. 61-9. 10.1097/00002508-200403000-00001.Nolan, D., O’Sullivan, K., Stephenson, J., O’Sullivan, P., & Lucock, M. (2019). How do manual handling advisors and physiotherapists construct their back beliefs, and do safe lifting posture beliefs influence them? Musculoskeletal Science and Practice, 39, 101-106. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msksp.2018.11.009

Going on holidays? Exercises for travelling.

Holidays are almost upon us! Are you making the most of the time off by getting away? Here are my top tips and top exercises for travelling for keeping mobile and functioning well!

Christmas and New Year can be such a wonderful time, especially if you’re lucky enough to escape for a few days. However, for some patients, the idea of sitting in a car or a plane for long periods of time or sleeping in different beds can be a bit daunting. If you’re already seeing an Osteopath, they may provide you with some exercises for travelling, stretches or advice specifically for your complaint, otherwise you might find these tips beneficial.

1. If you’re going on a road trip take a little extra time out to make the most of the beautiful lookouts or the amazing towns along the way. Getting out of your car regularly gives you a chance to stretch your legs, move around, get the blood flowing and keeps you from stiffening up. You may find it also helps to keep you alert whilst driving!

2. Again, if you’re travelling by car, make some room to take your pillow or your travel pillow (it could even fit in your luggage if going by plane 😉) with you. Unfortunately, you can’t control the beds you will be sleeping on, but in my experience taking your pillow can make a huge difference. That way you know your head and neck will be nicely supported.

3. While you’re packing your pillow, why not take your favourite heat pack or hot water bottle just in case? It’s a handy thing to have if you find you get the odd ‘niggly’ pain here or there, or are a little apprehensive of how you might feel whilst you’re away and you usually respond well to the use of heat. If you are unsure if the place you will be staying at has a microwave, then the hot water bottle can be a safer bet, as most places have a kettle or access to hot water.

4. Move it or lose it – especially when on a long distance journey! Try and get up and move around as often as you can, this is particularly useful and necessary on those long haul flights. We generally advise most people to move around every 30-60 minutes if you’re not sleeping.

5. Dress comfortably – If you are on a long distance flight try and wear clothes that aren’t restricting your movement or your blood flow.

Some quick and easy exercises for travelling you might like to incorporate into your trip include:

• When you have stopped driving for a break, or when you get up to go to the bathroom on the plane, do a couple of walking lunges with alternating legs. Then when in the cubicle, do a few squats and a few calf raises. These are great exercises for travelling to get things moving when you have a bit more space!

  ---

• Otherwise, if you’re stuck sitting for a while you might want to try:
  • sitting up nice and tall and bringing your ear down to your shoulder to stretch your neck
  • roll your shoulders back a few times
  • introducing some rotation to your upper body by twisting your upper body and sliding your hands down your thighs
  • bringing your arms overhead and leaning from one side to the other to stretch your side body
  • alternating bringing one of your knees up and outwards a few times and doing some foot pumps

Keep an eye out for some quick videos on our social media to further demonstrate these stretches and exercises for travelling.

Happy holidays everyone! We hope these tips keep you moving, growing and thriving!

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact one of our reception staff or Osteopaths at the clinic on (03) 9570 9061.

(03) 9570 9061

www.valuedhealth.com.au

You do not need a referral to see one of our friendly Osteopaths at Valued Health Osteopathy. We have a very good relationship with many surrounding doctors, other health practitioners and personal trainers in the local community of Bentleigh East , Bentleigh, Ormond, McKinnon, Oakleigh, Carnegie, Caulfield, Moorabbin, Murrumbeena, Brighton, Clayton and Clarinda.

Valued Health Osteopathy offers:

Osteopathy

Clinical Pilates

Exercise Rehabilitation

Valued Health Osteopathy is open 6 days a week with early morning and evening appointments.

Valued Health Osteopathy is located at 3/658 Centre Road, Bentleigh East, Melbourne, Victoria, 3165.

Valued Health Osteopathy | Osteopathy Australia

Osteopath Bentleigh East, Osteopath Bentleigh, Osteopath Ormond, Osteopath McKinnon, Osteopath Moorabbin, Osteopath Murrumbeena, Osteopath Oakleigh, Osteopath Carnegie, Osteopath Caulfield, Osteopath Clayton, Osteopath Brighton and Osteopath Cheltenham, Osteopath Dingley, Osteopath Beaumaris, Osteopath Melbourne.