Our theme for this week is sprains and strains! Watch to hear our practice principal talk about the healing phases of injury, how we can help in our Rehab Room and why RICE is no longer the treatment form of choice! #wellnessembodiedcairns #cairnsphysio Questions? For further information or to book visit our website www.wellnessembodiedcairns.com or call 42319777  

What if developing better breathing habits was just as important as developing better eating habits for your fitness and performance? Maybe it is!  It may seem simple, but developing better breathing practices during exercise can have a significant impact on your fitness. All of our muscles require oxygen to function. Getting oxygen into the blood is easy, simply take a breath, however getting oxygen from the blood to where it needs to go (the working muscles) is a little more complex. It requires some help from Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and this is where developing better breathing habits becomes important. We

We recently had a competitive swimmer through the doors of Wellness Embodied who was struggling with persistent shoulder pain. This patient had seen two other physiotherapists who treated her shoulder locally with mild improvement, but the pain kept coming back when she returned to swimming. On assessment we did find a local impingement at the shoulder, but as the patient reported other physios found and treated the shoulder we decided to look for the root cause. The shoulder is a complex joint with many moving parts and relies on part on good mobility through the neck and upper back. A

What is a muscle strain? In short, it is the overstretching or tearing of muscle fibres. The majority of muscle strains occur for one of two reasons: either the muscle has been stretched beyond its capacity or it has beena forced to contract too strongly. The severity of injury can range from only a few muscle fibres that are damaged, and the muscle continues to function, through to complete tears where the muscle may be unable to function.  How do I know if I have strained a muscle? Symptoms include: Pain and tenderness in the muscle, especially after physical activity

We often put all our effort into training. Increasing distance, decreasing time, more intensity, faster splits. But how much effort are you putting into recovery? In fact, some research points to your ability to recover as just as important as your ability to train. If you don’t recover optimally, you are starting behind the 8 ball with your next training session. When we run / swim / walk / lift / exercise there is a response at the tissue level and at the system level. Micro-trauma to muscle tissue, buildup of waste products, decreased circulation, increased muscle tension, nervous system

We have all heard of ‘core stability’. Perhaps a term that is now overused and brings up images of planks and balancing on exercise balls. The stability of the ‘core’ is very important, however what is less targeted but just as important is stability at our joints. The body always has a want and need for stability at its joints, proximally (hips and shoulders) more than distally (knees and elbows) because if you don’t have control at the hips and shoulders, you are fighting a losing battle trying to stabilise the distal joints. Muscular control is a crucial component of

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