Benefits of Activity

Benefits of Activity - February 10, 2016

Written by Toni Teggin

In this day and age the benefits of activity cannot be underestimated. Ireland is fast becoming one of the most overweight nations in the world (OECD, 2014). This makes it all the more important to try to add as much activity to your day as possible. According to the HSE Irish adults need at least 30mins of moderate activity at least 5 days a week. Remember that every minute you spend being active adds up.

There are so many benefits of activity, some of which are listed below:

Increased energy levels: We can all feel worn out and exhausted sometimes. But being more active can help you gain more energy. Physical activity trains your cardiovascular system to work more efficiently. Having a more efficient heart and lungs will leave you with more energy for your daily activities.
Exercise helps control weight: When you exercise you burn calories, more intense activity will burn more calories. Getting the right balance of nutrition and exercise will help to either maintain weight, lose weight, or gain lean muscle. By simply being more active during the day you can increase your energy expenditure and burn more calories.
Prevents health conditions: Being active can help prevent a large number of health problems such as stroke, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, depression, high cholesterol, high blood pressure. Activity increases your ‘good’ cholesterol or HDL’s and decreases your unhealthy triglycerides. This allows your blood to flow more smoothly which in turn decreases your risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Improves mood: Activity stimulates production of chemicals in the brain that leave you feeling happier and more relaxed. If you’ve had a particularly stressful day then a burst of activity such as a brisk walk will leave you feeling more relaxed and better able to handle the stresses of the day.
Improved sleep: Being more active regularly can help you to fall asleep faster and deepen your sleep. You will fall asleep quicker, sleep better and wake up feeling refreshed. Make sure not to exercise too close to bed time as this may leave you feeling too energized to sleep.

Here at Archview Clinic we understand the importance of activity and offer a range of individual and group exercise options, including Pilates, flexibility, conditioning, core-strengthening, personal training.

See our timetable for more information!

Reflexology

Written by Susana Palazzotti

Here at Archview physiotherapy clinic, in addition to physiotherapy, we also offer a number of holistic therapies to help our clients to relax and look after their health in a more holistic way. One of these therapies on offer is Reflexology. Our massage therapist Susana Palazzotti gives more information.

Reflexology is a therapy that uses the feet, hands and ears to treat the whole body. Its main principle is that by massaging and applying pressure to parts of the feet known as reflex areas, other corresponding and connected areas of the body will feel the benefit. It can help to not only alleviate symptoms of pain and tension in the feet, but also has immediate effect on their nervous system and encourages general physical and psychological well-being. It is a very ancient practice. The Chinese have been using the application of pressure as a healing therapy over 5000 years. In ancient Egypt it was believed that the stimulation of specific areas of the hands and feet was able to invigorate the entire body. India, Japan and some Northern American natives used the same therapy.

Benefits of Reflexology:

Relaxes the body, providing a complete physical and mental relaxation
Can help with pain relief
Stimulates circulation
Aids the body in self-healing
Relieves stress
Encourages detoxification
Can help raise energy levels
Encourage overall wellbeing

Reflexology is not the same as the standard massage therapy. While massage focuses on relieving pain and muscle tension, reflexology works by manipulating pressure points that are in the feet, hands or ears. This technique is similar to acupuncture and acupressure.

At Archview clinic you can book a combination massage therapy and reflexology treatment with Susana Palazzotti or Anna Masternak. This is a 60 mins session combining traditional relaxation or deep tissue massage along with a reflexology treatment.

Healthy Body, Mind and Spirit

Healthy Body, Mind and Spirit - De-Stress, Written by Anna Masternak - January 27, 2016

Written by Anna Masternak.

Healthy Body, Mind and Spirit at Archview Physiotherapy.

In my previous post I outlined the multidisciplinary treatment approach used in Archview clinic to help resolve different health issues. In this post I would like to talk more about how we can help you to a healthy body, mind and spirit. It sounds like a complex topic but in reality these three aspects of the human body are really one.

By taking some very easy steps you can greatly improve the quality of your life.

At Archview clinic we offer a variety of treatment techniques and therapies which are beneficial to clients of differing ages, backgrounds, lifestyles and which help with a range of health complaints. The treatments and therapies on offer include Physiotherapy, dry needling, Pilates, personal training, postural classes, deep tissue massage, holistic massage, Indian head massage, reflexology, and pregnancy massage. Each session is designed to suit patient’s individual needs.

Sports people, such as runners, cyclists, tri-athletes, gym participants, golf players along with professionals working long hours in the office benefit from deep tissue and therapeutic massage. Many see the benefits and are aware that massage therapy can enhance their performance and help to prevent injuries.

Our modern lifestyle is extremely demanding and puts all of us under pressure, this can be very disturbing and cause muscular tension to build up. Long term stress contributes to headaches, insomnia, back pain, frustration, anxiety, depression and much more. Holistic Massage combined with Indian Head Massage and/or Reflexology is an excellent opportunity to chill out, slow down and relax. And it could be also a great gift for your loved ones.

Pregnancy Massage is great for both mum and her baby. There is lots of pressure both physical and mental during and after pregnancy. Due to hormonal and postural changes the body can suffer from muscular tension, stiffness in joints, swelling / oedema, back pain, cramps and spasms.

It is not only mother that benefits from treatment but baby as well. I witness the natal movements during my sessions, which is an amazing experience. Many mothers-to-be ask me if it safe to get a massage during pregnancy. YES, it is safe to have massage during a healthy pregnancy. If there are any concerns, we would always communicate with your GP.

As a massage therapist, I always highly recommend exercises and stretches. The human body is designed to move. Massage, as well as exercises support every single system of our body circulation, lymphatic drainage, hormonal system by boosting endorphins and dopamine – ”happy hormones”. It also improves posture, body awareness and ultimately self-confidence and clarity of mind. We offer both one-to-one and group exercise classes. Again these sessions are tailored to suit the individual’s needs.

Clinical Pilates is very popular in our practice. This is an excellent way of strengthening your core, improving posture and increasing flexibility. Our Pilates classes are small so that each participant receives individual attention.

Preventing Running Injuries

Preventing Running Injuries - Running injuries, Written by Daniel Quinn - January 22, 2016

Written by: Daniel Quinn, Chartered Physiotherapist

Running Injury Prevention

Running is a great form of exercise for staying healthy. It helps to lower the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, osteoporosis and decreases the risk of heart attacks. It helps to boost our immune systems, decreasing cholesterol levels, risk of blood clots and increases your lung function. Running also helps to maintain your weight, relieves stress and helps to manage any symptoms of depression and anxiety. Although running helps to improve your health, both mentally and physically, it does carry a risk of injuries.

The most common injuries for runners are:

Strained muscles
Sprained ankles
Patellofemoral Joint Pain (Pain at the front of the knee)
Meniscal injuries/tears
Plantarfascitis
Shin splints
Tendonitis
Repetitive strain injuries from biomechanical imbalances (suboptimal muscle strength or tight muscles)

These pains can prevent you from training, and in some cases it can prevent you from running all together. So it is important to avoid these injuries, or rehab them as soon as possible, to prevent them from impacting on your running performance. To keep yourself injury free there are a few steps to follow:

Always warm up
Stretch muscles in the lower body and back
Limit your training load to what is appropriate to your level, make sure you don’t over train.
Ensure that you are performing a running strength training program, this has been shown to be one of the most effective ways of preventing injuries in runners!
Take a Runners Pilates group class, these help to increase flexibility and strengthen specific muscles
If you are training for a difficult run, or stepping up a level and training harder than before consider having a sports massage or dry needling to release knots due to the hard training
Running technique assessments are also available to increase both your running performance and lower your risk of injury.

If you have any questions on prevention of running injury, contact Daniel Quinn or any of our Team on 01-4913228.

dlr Sports Partnership

Sponsors - January 17, 2016

Dun Laoghaire Rathdown (DLR) Sports Partnership

dlr Sports Partnership’s core objective is to increase participation in sports and physical activity for all those who live and work in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown.

5 quick facts about dlr SP…

We’re based in County Hall, Dún Laoghaire
We coordinate public events and programmes to support increased participation in sport and physical activity.
We have a Sports Inclusion Disability Officer (SIDO) who is solely dedicated to disability sports inclusion.
We provide training and education for sports volunteers.
We have 5 core target groups (women in sport, older adults, minority groups, people with disabilites, younger people)

Mount Pleasant LTC

Sponsors - January 17, 2016

Mount Pleasant LTC Dublin

Disc issues and Back pain

Disc Issue and Back Pain - #backpain, Written by Carol Hopkins - November 25, 2015

Many people suffer from backpain due to disc issues, these spinal disc problems are often misunderstood. This may be due to the many different issues that can occur to the disc. Along with the many different terms used to describe each of these issues, such as herniated disc, slipped disc, pinched nerve and bulging disc.

Carol Hopkins one of our physiotherapists aims to break down these issues and make them easier to understand and gain an insight into how these issues can be treated and managed.

What are discs and their function?

A disc is the structure which lies between each vertebrae. Each disc has a thick outer layer (annulus) which surrounds the soft gel-like centre (nucleus). These discs act like a cushion, absorbing shock between the vertebrae. The spinal canal, which contains the spinal nerves, lies directly behind the disc and body of the vertebrae.

Types of disc problems

A Degenerative disc – a disc that is described as being degenerative simply means that the disc shrinks and loses its height. This can cause the disc to bulge out into the spinal canal. The alignment of the spine may become altered and patient’s posture may also become altered.
A Bulging disc – this occurs when the disc becomes degenerative and starts to lose its height a bulge out into the spinal canal. In this instance the nucleus (inner portion) of the spinal disc remains contained within the annulus (outer portion). Nerve roots can also become pinched by the disc bulge and compress the nerve roots, or due to the loss of disc height.
A Herniated/Prolapsed/slipped disc (all three terms are often used to describe the same issue) – This is a condition whereby the annulus (outer portion) of the vertebral disc is torn, enabling the nucleus (inner portion) to herniate or leak through the fibres. This too can cause the nerve roots to become pinched.
Disc degeneration with osteophyte formation – Often bony spurs referred to as osteophytes grow in conjunction with degeneration of the disc. Osteophytes are an indicator that degeneration is occurring and are an enlargement of the normal bone structure.

Physiotherapy treatment for any of the above issues is hugely beneficial and often necessary. Treatment times differ from person to person and injury to injury. The treatments generally consist of a combination of manual therapy including, joint mobilisations, soft tissue/trigger point release, the McKenzie approach (mobilisation and exercises in lumbar spine extension), along with, advice and education on the condition, a home exercise programme and clinical Pilates. These will all help to improve and maintain range of movement as well as building strength and stability around the weakened areas.

Image of the spine with a number of disc issues

Multidisciplinary treatment approach

Multidisciplinary Treatment Approach - Written by Anna Masternak - November 18, 2015

“12-15% of Irish people suffer from Migraine – this means roughly half a million people suffer from migraine in Ireland.” – The Migraine Association of Ireland. Headaches affect 90% of people at some stage in their life. A multidisciplinary treatment approach can be very effective in treating headaches.

Being one of the Massage Therapists (Anna Masternak) in Archview Physiotherapy Clinic. I have noticed a great number of patients report suffering from headaches. It is a very interesting fact, that chronic headaches can develop at a very young age from activities as simple as carrying a heavy schoolbag, incorrect body position when using a PC or mobile phone, and poor posture. Stress is another very important factor in causing headaches and migraines.

Ciara Rowe (Physiotherapist) talks about the effects of dry needling for headaches in her blog “Physio for headaches”.

I would like to talk about the benefits of a multidisciplinary treatment approach to treating headaches. Here at Archview Physiotherapy Clinic, we take a multidisciplinary approach to treating the body. We do this by combining a number of different therapies that complement each other. After an initial assessment and detailed history is carried out, your therapist will recommend the best course of treatment. This treatment may include a combination of techniques drawn from physiotherapy, massage therapy, physical therapy, exercise therapy and Pilates. The recommended techniques will depend on your initial assessment but may include dry needling, mobilisations, trigger point therapy, myofascial release, deep tissue massage, relaxation techniques, spinal alignment, manipulations, muscle rebalancing, postural education and training.

This treatment approach is effective in treating not only headaches but many other conditions as well.

Team members putting jigsaw pieces together

woman at computer suffering from headache

Jaw Pain

Jaw pain - Jawpain - November 17, 2015

Jaw pain can often be caused by problems with the TMJ or (temporomandibular joint). The TMJ is a hinge joint that joins your jaw bone to the bones of your skull. The joint sits just in front of your ear and allows you to move your jaw up and down, and side to side, these movements are involved in talking, chewing and yawning.

Problems with the TMJ can be characterised by:

Pain in the jaw, face, ear, or neck typically when you chew, speak or try to open your mouth wide.
Jaws that ‘locks’ either open or closed.
Grating or popping sounds when opening and closing your mouth.
Feeling as though the upper and lower teeth are not fitting together properly.
Toothaches, headaches, dizziness, earaches, tinnitus and neck pain may also be associated with a problem in the TMJ.

In combination with management from your dentist, physiotherapy can provide relief from these symptoms. Often jaw pain or TMJ problems result from myofascial trigger points in the muscles surrounding the jaw. Trigger points develop when muscles are overloaded. This can result from misalignment of the jaw or issues such as grinding your teeth, eating crunchy food or even just from chewing gum.

In other cases trigger points and jaw pain can result from a trauma such as a car accident, direct blow to the face or a fall. Your physiotherapist will assess your condition by taking a detailed history of your problem carrying out a full assessment. If the muscles are found to be contributing to your pain then there are a number of techniques your physiotherapist may use including dry needling. Dry needling of the relevant muscles such as trapezius, masseter and temporalis may be suggested. This has been shown to be an effective treatment for jaw pain. Other contributing factors such as stiffness in the jaw or neck joints and issues with posture and motor control will also be assessed and treated as appropriate. In some cases referral to your dentist may be necessary to get the best results.

Glute medius and pelvic stability

Glute Medius and Pelvic Stability - Written by Toni Teggin - November 10, 2015

Glute medius is one of the three gluteus muscles. Its actions include abduction of the hip (bringing the leg away from the midline) and external rotation of the thigh. But it also plays a very important role in pelvic stability.

Whenever we have all of our weight on one foot, our glute medius contacts to make sure the pelvis stays stable. If glute medius is not working properly, the pelvis becomes unstable. The body will then compensate which can cause a range of muscle imbalances, which leads to dysfunction and pain.

Pelvic instability causes an increase in pressure at both the hip and the knee joint, this is repeated for every single step taken throughout the day. With an unstable pelvis there is a drop in the hip, this hip drop can have a knock on effect at the knee joint by causing a valgus force at the knee (the knee caves inwards). The pressure at these joints is increased further during running or jumping.

The body will often compensate for a weakness in glute medius by overworking the back muscles or hamstrings. These dysfunctions need to be corrected before glute medius can be properly strengthened.

A weakness or inhibition in glute medius can be the primary concern or may be secondary to another injury. Here at Archview Clinic our therapists will assess you to find the root cause of your pain, then work with you to treat and rehabilitate the body. We use a combination of manual therapies, dry needling, exercise rehabilitation, postural training and Pilates. Our aim is for you to achieve full function and to prevent the injury from reoccurring.

picture of functional glute medius and dysfunctional glute medius causing hip drop

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