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

Neck pain is one of the most debilitating types of pain we see at our Cairns physiotherapy clinic. There are multiple factors that contribute to neck pain, including sleeping posture. Poor neck posture may not just lead to neck pain but also headache, shoulder pain and even jaw pain! A suitable and supportive pillow is essential for our sleeping quality and keeping our neck pain-free! Different people have slightly different types and curvatures of cervical spine, and different necks require different types of pillow. Here at Wellness Embodied Cairns, we recommend the Denton’s pillow and we stock these at both

Last week was Tinnitus Awareness Week in Australia, so lets learn a little bit about the condition. Tinnitus is an often distressing condition where the sufferer experiences suffering in one or both ears. It can be present along with vertigo, can be exacerbated by allergies or other factors and is often constant. At Wellness Embodied, we see a number of clients with tinnitus as a ‘side symptom’- particularly in our clients with headaches and vertigo/ vestibular conditions. We often find that once the clients neck, or vestibular dysfunction is treated, their tinnitus is much lessened, or in some cases goes

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!

Muscle performance or muscle strength is “the ability of a muscle to produce force, regardless of the action,load, or intensity. For the neck muscles to control the head (which can weigh an average of 4.5kg), they must first have sufficient strength. There are many reasons why you may have less neck extensor muscle strength, like if you suffer from whiplash, road traffic accident, headaches, etc. This type of training has been shown to improve the neck pain symptoms and we find that they give excellent results to our patients! So we have created a video to show you how to do them correctly.

In simple terms, concussion is a disturbance of brain functioning caused by direct or indirect force to the head. You do NOT have to lose consciousness to suffer a concussion, and it can commonly occur outside of sport. The brain can move within the skull, and if a sudden blow or movement occurs, the brain can knock against the skull, causing swelling and sometimes bleeding.  The brain is a highly sensitive structure and even a small insult can cause a variety of neurological symptoms. Concussion generally occurs from a mild blow to the head, either with or without loss of

At our Cairns city physiotherapy clinic, we help a lot of clients with whiplash and other complex pain conditions, especially those who are under Workcover or Compulsory Third Party insurance. Whiplash is something which can cause a lot of anxiety in sufferers, especially when they don’t fully understand it. We’ve written this blog post to help you understand whiplash and the role of expert physiotherapy treatment for whiplash and similar issues (including post-concussion syndrome).     Whiplash is a bony or soft tissue injury which results from an acceleration-deceleration mechanism of energy transfer to the neck. It is the most common injury associated with motor vehicle accidents, affecting up

Michael came in to see us last week due to persistent shoulder pain. His personal trainer had given him a few exercises but the pain wasn’t going away. His GP suggested he take panadol and ibuprofen and lay off the exercises for a week, but still no improvement. On assessment we did find his shoulder to be restricted, but also found we were able to reproduce his pain with specific neck movements. We treated Michael’s neck, restoring pain free range of motion, and provided him with postural advice, and his shoulder pain subsided. Did you know the neck can refer

The Deep Neck Flexors (DNFs) are a group of muscles located deep in the neck and provide stability and support for the head and neck. Poor posture over a long period of time can weaken the DNFs and result in a ‘forward head posture’. People with a history of neck or upper back injury, such as whiplash, can show great improvement in pain and function if they strengthen these muscles. At Wellness Embodied we utilise pressure biofeedback and laser retraining to assist our patients in restoring normal neck mechanics, joint position sense and postural awareness. Our You Tube Channel, Wellness

At Wellness Embodied we stock a selection of rehab equipment and supplies to help make your return to a pain-free life simpler and quicker! One such item, which has been flying off the shelves, is the Posture Medic. Just $50, it can be worn over or under clothes and also doubles as an excellent tool for stretching and strengthening exercises. It comes with a comprehensive information booklet and since it’s made by Rocktape, you know it will be good quality. Call us today to find out more or drop into our practice at 53 Sheridan Street, Cairns.

When we look at physio treatment for pain in the head or neck, one of the things that sets us apart as physiotherapists is our skilled assessment and rehabilitation of muscle issues. Muscle imbalances can often lead to rotation or misalignment of vertebrae of the spine- if we fail to correct the muscle weaknesses, the problem will just keep recurring. Physiotherapy for head and neck pain at our clinics in Cairns often involves use of the biofeedback machine as an education, assessment and training tool. In this video, Suzanne, practice principal of Wellness Embodied Cairns, shows how the pressure biofeedback

These will seem a bit strange at first! But I give these ‘union jack’ exercises to lots of patients with neck pain, headaches and other strength deficits. Some of the main reasons why the deep neck flexors (stabilising neck muscles) can become weak include forward head postures, pain and whiplash. These simple eye movement exercises work because they activate the same nerves that supply the deep neck muscles. As with any exercises, they should never be done to the point of any pain. The head shouldn’t move and your neck should be as relaxed as possible. The only side effects I