Level Two, 377 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
(03) 9670 9607
I am often asked which pillows are the best for your neck and often hear of
people spending ridiculous amounts of money on a pillow. Sometimes in excess
of $200-$300 and that the person is still experiencing neck pain and headaches,
and in some cases are worse off then before.
I myself have fallen to the wrath of a pillow salesman and spent over $100 on a
pillow that left me worse off then my previous pillow, to which I started using
again shortly after… End result: $100 pillow sits in the cupboard and $5 pillow
serves me well.
When choosing a pillow I strongly advise not to take advice from someone
without a background in allied health. The main reason being that no one else
has sufficient training in anatomy and ergonomics with practice in a clinical
setting. After all, you wouldn't want a chef to do your plumbing...
When purchasing a pillow we normally have head support in mind, this should
not be the aim. Ideally we want to support the neck to ensure we maintain spinal
integrity.
What does this mean? ...Well it means that rolling up a towel, putting it in a
pillowcase, and placing it under your neck will often serve you better than the
most expensive pillows on the market.
In regards to shape, cylinders or pillows with figure 8 shapes are the best option
for neck support.
One other common error is assuming that by changing beds you will enjoy a
better nights sleep. Often it is our muscles that are sore and stiff causing
discomfort during the night. This is more the result of tension than a bad bed. I
want you to think back to a time when you were so tired a bed of rocks would
have been comfortable (happens to us all after an unusually long day or night, or
after a long flight).
A great way to combat this is to get active! Get your blood moving around your
body efficiently so it helps relieve soft tissue tension. It is surprising to know that
the human body, depending on an individual’s size, only contains roughly 4-5
liters of blood. This is enough to fill one leg up to the knee, if you removed all of
the bones and soft tissues. With this in mind, it takes quite a bit of effort to
ensure that all of your muscles are sufficiently nourished with blood. Constant
light movements throughout the day, such as shoulder rolls and stretching, will
help with circulation and improve the tension the levels of tension you
experience.
When you are seeking a new bed or pillow, speak to your physiotherapist,
chiropractor or osteopath. Often store clerks will want to make a sale on an
expensive pillow or bed, and don't know anything about human anatomy or
ergonomics. Keep your posture in mind and try to keep active!
I hope this has saved you some money on an overpriced pillow!
Matt Mahon
Owner at Mind Over Muscle
Myotherapist
Generally speaking, it is difficult for a health professional to define the role of another health professional without having been trained in the field. The information displayed in this article should not be considered complete and if you would like more detailed information with regards to Chiropractors or Osteopaths,
please consult with one of those professionals directly.
This is a very common question. As a Physiotherapist, I am often confused with a Chiropractor or even sometimes an Osteopath. However, there is a difference in the training acquired by all three of these professions. Despite this, however, I would argue that any great Chiropractor, Osteopath or Physiotherapist would implement a very similar treatment program for any one person and their injury.
Traditionally, Chiropractic therapy was derived from Osteopathy. In fact the first Chiropractor was a student of the founder of Osteopathy. Therefore these two professions are very closely linked.
Chiropractors focus largely on the relationship between the spine and pelvis and any disorder that can arise from malalignment and pressure placed on the nervous system and how this can affect the function of the body. Chiropractors believe that any vertebral malalignment causes compression on nerves and therefore can refer symptoms and problems in the surrounding tissues and even further down into the limbs. Chiropractic therapy is more often than not centered on regular spinal manipulation so as to correct any spinal disorder. These sessions are often quick and regular and a set number of sessions are often discussed initially.
Osteopathy, similar to Chiropractic therapy, is a holistic manual therapy that focuses on any acute or chronic condition that ails the body, in particular the musculoskeletal and visceral systems. Osteopaths mainly focus on the underlying cause of the injury, taking all relevant factors into consideration, including the body as a whole and the patient's lifestyle. Osteopaths adopt gentle and effective treatment techniques aimed at addressing any bio-mechanical dysfunction, including stretching, joint mobilisation, massage and sometimes manipulation. These sessions are often longer with more of a focus on muscular health and joint movement.
Physiotherapy is a more common practice, as their scope broadens to not only private practice but also in the public and private hospital system. Physiotherapists often focus on mobility and joint function, adopting similar treatment modalities as Osteopaths but also incorporating electrical therapy such as TENS and Ultrasound when appropriate. A Physiotherapist will also focus largely on exercise programs both at home and in a specially designed physiotherapy gym (often referred to as Clinical Pilates).
A physiotherapists treatment approach encompasses two angles; a focus on correcting any abnormality whether it be an acute injury, chronic injury, postural or gait abnormality, and the prevention of recurrence by a tailored exercise regime.
Although these three health professionals may differ on paper, the end game and ultimate focus of all three professionals is consistent. Therefore, as a patient, your choice of which professional to see should be centered on your expectations and
what you would like to achieve.
For more information on each of these professionals, please refer to the links below:
Physiotherapy: http://www.physiotherapy.asn.au/
Osteopathy: http://www.osteopathic.com.au/
Chiropractic: www.chiropractors.asn.au/
Tim Thomas
Chief Physiotherapist
Mind Over Muscle
www.mindovermuscle.com.au
Booking a massage can often be a daunting task. There is no shortage of massage therapists or clinics, but it is hard to know where your money will be well spent. There are a few clues to picking the right massage therapist or clinic to suit your needs. Read on below.
You don't have to travel far to hear a 'bad' massage experience. I, myself, have encountered many complaints from clients feeling less than desired after a massage treatment from other therapists. The two most common complaints are 'a hard massage that left me feeling sore for weeks' or 'a massage that was nothing more than a skin rub'.
One of the best ways to pick a winner is to first think about what you want out of the massage. Do you want to escape and feel relaxed? Are you looking to improve your vitality? Are you seeking pain relief from a specific problem or chronic condition? Do you want to increase your range of movement or enhance your sporting performance? As you can see, massage has many different benefits on our health and wellbeing. However these benefits may require a different approach and sometimes a different therapist.
Once you have decided on what you want, start looking on Google. A good approach is to read the reviews that people have left on the Google Place Pages. These reviews can give you a good insight into the quality of the therapist or clinic. Be wary however, reviews which consist of nonsensical sentences with repetition of key search terms (eg. massage, Melbourne, remedial, relaxation, etc.) may not be genuine reviews but part of an online guerrilla marketing strategy used by the therapist or clinic. Also, consider that the best massage therapists may not necessarily be the best at advertising or marketing. So don't limit your search to the first page of your Google search results.
Have a look at their website. Websites can give you plenty of information, eg. location, operating hours, services or treatments provided, cost, etc. But have a look closer. There are themes within a website which can give you an idea of what needs they are looking to meet. For example, if there are pictures of waterfalls, flowers, candles, calming and relaxing tones, this is the place for your relaxation massage. Avoid this clinic at all cost if you are looking for a sports massage, you most definitely will not get a sports massage treatment from this clinic. And vice versa; if you are looking for remedial massage for injuries, rehabilitation or sports performance, go with the website with pictures of the human body and written in scientific, factual language.
The massage industry is incredibly tough and competitive. Having worked in the industry since 2005, it really is the support of clients that keeps good massage therapists afloat. So how do you support? Besides seeing your therapist regularly and giving them your praise, spread the word amongst family, friends and the world. Write a review and press the Google +1 button to recommend their webpage.
Regardless of what your needs are from massage, there are a variety of therapists and clinics out there. The challenge is finding the right one for you. Hopefully, these clues have transformed your daunting task of booking a massage to a much more rewarding experience. Massage is one of the best tools we have to improve our health and wellbeing, and it disheartens me to hear about negative massage experiences. My hope is to reconnect your health with all of the benefits of massage therapy.
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