“Headaches: A new cure.”

Headaches can be one of the most frustrating and debilitating types of pain. They can be unbearably intense, and can last for hours, days or even weeks. What causes these awful pains?

Headaches have six main varieties.

1. Viral headaches, such as those associated with the ‘flu.
2. Headaches from ‘nasty’ causes, such as tumours or brain haemorrhage. These types of pains are usually prolonged and severe, and thankfully, they are rare.
3. Drug induced headaches. This group includes the common hangover.
4. Vascular headaches – migraines. This type of pain is usually associated with vomiting and blurred vision. Although migraines are commonly diagnosed, recent studies have shown that they are often neck-related headaches.
5. Stress headaches, and …
6. … neck-related headaches. Although they appear to be unrelated, these two types of headaches often overlap. Sometimes, emotional stress or poor postures tighten the muscles in the upper back and neck. These muscles then pull on the neck joints, which become inflamed and subsequently refer pain into the head.

A headache can be a real pain in the neck….

Other causes of neck-related headaches include poor posture, an unsuitable pillow or mattress, previous neck injuries, muscular imbalances or spinal degeneration.

What can be done? Plenty. Obviously, the first step is to exclude the first three causes above. Then, it is a matter of correcting the faults in your neck. By loosening the joints in your neck and stretching tight muscles, physio can usually relieve the pain of a headache quite quickly. Then, by strengthening the muscles and paying some more attention to postural problems, the problem can usually be resolved. Permanently.

Wouldn’t that be nice!

• Read more about headaches at http://www.physioworks.com.au/Injuries-Conditions/Regions/headache-migraine or visit is at
• http://www.physioworks.com.au/Bulimba/bulimba.htm or
• http://www.physioworks.com.au/Mansfield/mansfield.htm

“10 tips for pain-free gardening”

Spending some time working around your house and garden is not only recreation, but is also very good exercise. However, this type of physical work can lead to aches and pains if you don’t look after yourself properly. Below are ten tips for healthy house work and gardening’s.

1. Perform five minutes of stretching before starting any heavy or highly repetitive jobs.
2. Clear the work area of obstacles—a loose lying rake, for example—before you starts.
3. Vary your activities so that your joints and muscles have a relative rest every half an hour or so.
4. When performing tasks at ground level such as weeding, kneel on all fours rather than bending.
5. When shovelling, pivot on your feet to change direction rather than twisting from the waist.
6. Try to lift using a sound technique, especially if the item is heavy or awkward. And remember, even a small weed can be very ’heavy’ if it’s firmly rooted into the ground.
7. Use a wheelbarrow in preference to carrying. Position the weight as far forward as possible.
8. Store heavy or frequently used items at waistheight.
9. If your pain worsens the longer you work, then take a break. Do something different.
10. Relax and take your time!

If you find that your body aches after housework or gardening, please contact us and we’ll help you out. In the meantime, enjoy your house and garden!

To read more about any injury, please see www.physioworks.com.au , or contact us via http://www.physioworks.com.au/Bulimba/bulimba.htm or http://www.physioworks.com.au/Mansfield/mansfield.htm

“How long until I can return to sport?”

One of the most frequently asked questions of a physio is “how long before I can return to sport?” This question does not have a simple answer, as many variables are involved. However, one sports physiotherapy study provided some interesting facts on recovery time.

The researchers studied injuries to the main thigh muscle, the quadriceps. After examining a wide range of signs and symptoms, they developed a mathematical formula that can predict recovery time. A simplified summary of the main parts of the equation is as follows.

• Start with four days.

• Add an extra day for every 20 degrees of knee stiffness.

• Add a few extra days if your quadriceps muscle is in spasm.

• Add a further day for every extra centimetre of thigh swelling.

• Subtract 3 days if you were able to continue playing following the injury.

• Each day that you delay seeking physiotherapy treatment adds further to your recovery time.

A typical quadricep muscle tear

Obviously, these results can only be strictly applied to thigh muscle injuries. However, at least they show some of the main features to examine when trying to predict the injury rehabilitation period. What’s more, the study highlighted that any delay in seeking treatment prolongs the recovery time. The underlying message is that if you want faster, safer and more efficient healing of any sports injury, then start the right treatment without delay!

For more information on muscle starins, please see http://www.physioworks.com.au/Injuries-Conditions/Regions/muscle-pain-injury-strain-tear-pulled-muscle

Visit us at http://www.physioworks.com.au/Bulimba/bulimba.htm or http://www.physioworks.com.au/Mansfield/mansfield.htm