Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is one of the ways you can monitor your health and empower yourself. What is it? ~ Simply put, it’s a measurement of how quickly our body can shift between parasympathetic (a relaxed, calm, sleepy, slower digestive state) and sympathetic (an excited, adrenaline based, fearful, faster state) nervous states. If you’re training, stressed, starting to feel a little off, or want a spur to begin better breathing practices, checking out HRV is a great place to start! Most people understand the concept of heart rate and can make a stab at taking their own pulse (the

Are you worried we’ll tell you to stop exercising after a concussion? One of the main barriers we hear from athletes against seeking help post concussion is, ‘I want to play in the Grand final/ compete in 2 weeks’ BEST PRACTICE concussion management is to obtain a baseline test at the beginning of season (so that when you sustain a concussion, we’re comparing your performance to your normal- as well as dealing with any niggling issues BEFORE the season begins… ), plus to see a practitioner with knowledge of all facets of concussion management WITHIN THE FIRST 48 HOURS POST

Diet is an often overlooked part of concussion management, as well as health in general. We’ve heard that your gut is a second brain. At Wellness Embodied Cairns, we’re lucky enough to have a Physiotherapist who is also a degree qualified naturopath- working out of our Scott Street clinic. Part of our CCMI concussion injury management protocol is to provide nutrition advice. BUT- what impact would it have on your sporting performance, as well as your recovery, if your nutrition was optimised BEFORE sustaining an injury? Check out our Wellness Embodied Cairns physiotherapy video discussing this here. For further information

Did you know that studies have shown that approximately 10% of people who participate in contact sports will sustain a concussion at some point during their career? If you have a team of 15 players, it is likely that one or more will have already sustained a concussion at some point during their contact sport career.   So, why is this important?   Left untreated and unmanaged, concussions can lead to a whole range of chronic health issues such as headaches, neck pain, dizziness, and fatigue, just to name a few. Returning to play to soon, is one of the

Our fortnightly Facebook Wellness Embodied live videos are back! We are going live on Facebook every fortnight on Thursdays at 1:00pm (Cairns time) Tune in on Facebook to watch us live!   Here is Clara our Cairns Complete Concussion Management Inc certified physiotherapist chatting about Post Concussion Syndrome characteristics and management.   If you or a loved one has sustained a concussion, it is best to book an appointment with us as soon as possible, at least within the 24 hour period following so we can get working on getting you back to work and play as soon as possible!

Our fortnightly Facebook Wellness Embodied live videos are back! We are going live on Facebook every fortnight on Thursdays at 1:00pm (Cairns time) Tune in on Facebook to watch us live! Here are the last 2 fortnights of our Wellness Embodied Live –  First up is Clara, our Complete Concussion Management Inc certified physiotherapist chatting about introduction to Head Concussion. Next up is Concussion Management Protocol – What to expect on the first appointment after sustaining a concussion and how physiotherapy can help. Led by our Complete Concussion Management Inc Physiotherapist Alyza Brown. If you or a loved one has

RECOMMENDATIONS: 1. Light physical activity each day in the first 5 days, provided it: –Does not exacerbate symptoms –Does not put you at risk for hitting your head 2. Light cognitive activity for the first 2-3 days: -Screens ok, cognitive activity ok -Do whatever doesn’t provoke your symptoms too much and DO NOT do anything which places you at risk of hitting your head 3. Driving protocol: DO NOT DRIVE FOR THE FIRST 48 HS Stage 1–Riding in a car as a passenger. If your symptoms do not increase for 24 hours, you can move to stage 2 Stage 2–Driving around neighbourhood with

POST CONCUSSION SYNDROME (PCS)  What is it? It is a group of symptoms following a direct blow to the head, face or neck or by an indirect impulsive force transmitted to the head. If after the concussion, symptoms are prolonged for longer than 10 days, we call it Post Concussion Syndrome. 5 Main Causes of PCS & how we are going to tackle each one: –Blood Flow : We will assess your cardiovascular system to find your ideal level to exercise at. This will help to provide your brain with enough blood flow to heal, without exacerbating your symptoms. –Metabolic/Inflammatory: We will provide you