June is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month and we should all know what the symptoms are and embrace a ‘bowel-healthy’ lifestyle!   Why should you care? Australia has one of the highest rates of bowel cancer in the world. Being young does not make you immune to bowel cancer and 1 in 13 Australians will develop the disease in their lifetime with 10% of those being under 50 years of age. Bowel cancer in people under age 50 is being diagnosed at later stages, indicating the trend in young onset bowel cancer is not due to earlier detection. 99% of bowel

We often get asked in practice if dry needling is the same as acupuncture. Although the same fine needles are used to elicit a change or reaction within the body, there are some key differences between the two.   What is dry needling and how does this differ to acupuncture? Dry needling involves inserting sterile needles into trigger points within the muscle. Trigger points are taut bands of muscle which can cause and contribute to pain within the body. Inserting the needle into these trigger points will elicite a local ‘twitch’ response, allowing the muscle to then relax and begin

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

What and where is Tibialis Anterior? It is a muscle located in our shin, right next to the tibia bone. It is an important muscle because it is responsible for bringing our foot up (dorsiflexion) and help us for our walking. What is tibialis anterior tendinopathy? And what are the symptoms? Tibialis anterior tendinopathy is an overuse injury of the tibialis anterior muscle. If we use the tibialis anterior muscle beyond its capability, the tendon may start to get some micro injuries, and gradually become a tendinopathy. Generally, at the beginning phase, patients with tibialis anterior tendinopathy will only experience

Do you know what patellofemoral pain (PFP) is? It is a common condition, and studies have suggested that 25% of people suffer from PFP at some point in their lives, and 2.5 million runners experience PFP in a year. PFP is usually caused by malalignment of the knee-cap and the distal end of the thigh bone, which the knee cap glides on to when we move our legs. It is similar to a train on its track. The knee-cap is the train and the femur (thigh bone) is the track. If they are not aligned properly, the soft tissue underneath

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

Ever get stiff and sore at your desk during the day!?   Follow along with our Cairns Physiotherapist Maigi as she leads you through a series of desk based stretches to keep the niggles at bay. If you are suffering from any desk bound aches and pains in your office or need guidance with your workstation ergonomics please contact our clinic on 42319777, email admin@wellnessembodiedcairns.com or visit our online booking page here 

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! On this weeks Facebook Live video, our Cairns Paediatric Physiotherapist Maigi is talking about kids lower limb development and common causes for parental concerns. If you have any concerns about your child’s development, we can help! Call 42319777 to book an appointment, or visit our online booking page  

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!   In this weeks Wellness Embodied Live, our Cairns Physiotherapist Alyza talks about exercise during pregnancy. If you or a loved one is pregnant and would like some guidance on exercising safely, please contact our Cairns clinic on 42319777 or visit our online booking page

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

The physio’s at Wellness Embodied have a new tool to play with! Our new MAT developed by Movement Assessment Technology, improves the ease of completing a whole body assessment, and allows us to really nut out why you may be experiencing pain. This tool is great for assessing a whole variety of tasks such as: Single leg balance and stability Range of motion of the ankle, knee, hip, back and upper body Jump and hop tests Core balance and stability General and endurance based strength Our physiotherapist Alyza is currently completing her Level One MAT course, and is already implementing

Wellness Embodied Live is our free Weekly Facebook live series for people in isolation, or those who are keen to learn and improve their health. Videos will be available to watch online on our Facebook page or on our Youtube channel  This week, Practice Principal Suzanne Rath will share some insights from her recently completed training on Nutrition for musculoskeletal complaints- assisting you to improve your healing! You can view it here on our youtube page! We stock a large range of BioCeuticals products in our Cairns City Clinic, pop in to take a look, we can even set you

One of the most commonly prescribed supplements by physios is Magnesium. In this post we examine: What is it good for, why you need a practitioner grade product and how to know you may be deficient. Magnesium is an important macromineral, which plays a role in over 300 enzymatic reactions- including the metabolism of vitamin D. Studies have shown beneficial effects on anxiety and stress, as well as positive relationships with physical function in older adults (along with zinc, selenium and iron). Low magnesium intake is associated in epidemiological studies with high blood pressure, osteoporosis and type 2 diabetes. Magnesium levels are

Lisa came into the clinic 15 months post-partum with a new incidence of thoracic pain concentrated on the left side of her spine. Being the mum of a 15 month old toddler, and having recently returned to work, Lisa was constantly on the go and performing a lot of manual handling tasks. During questioning, we were unable to pinpoint any specific trauma or incident that caused Lisa’s pain, it just seemed to appear suddenly and randomly! However, further questioning into the way Lisa performs her manual handling tasks showed that she was constantly carrying her child on one side, lifting

Are you suffering from back pain and struggling to manage it? Do you find that your back pain is stopping you from living your best life? Would you like to learn more about how you can improve your lifestyle over a few short sessions? Then get in contact with one of the team from Wellness Embodied Cairns to secure your spot in our eight week Better Back Program designed to support you through the rehabilitation of lower back pain, and provide you with the strategies you need to manage at home whilst living an active and healthy lifestyle. The eight

According to the Australian Government Department of Health more than 60% of men and 70% of women don’t get enough magnesium every day. What is magnesium and why is it important? Magnesium is an essential mineral and plays a role in over 300 enzymatic reactions within the body, including the metabolism of food, creation of important fatty acids and proteins, and nerve communication. Magnesium is essential for healthy muscles, nerves, bones and even blood sugar levels. It has been shown that people who have high levels of magnesium in their diets have a lower risk of a heart attack, stroke

We listen. We investigate. We communicate. We look through a different lens.  We treat the person and not the symptom.  At Wellness Embodied we pride ourselves on going the extra mile for our patients. We don’t have a one size fits all approach, because we know that doesn’t work. Every person that walks through our doors is different. They have a different body, a different history, a different story. This means they will have a different presentation and a different response to treatment. Treating every person with back pain the same way simply doesn’t work, because back pain is often

Most of us know the benefits of physical activity such as walking, swimming, running, cycling (cardiovascular fitness). But strength training shouldn’t be forgotten in our exercise programs, especially as we age. Not only does physical activity have a vast array of general health benefits (heart health, weight control, bone density maintenance) but is also a key factor in improving memory, reducing depression and alleviating stress. Now walking for 30 minutes a day definitely has its benefits, but is it enough to provide lasting changes, and can including strength training help increase the benefits? A recent review of research articles found