The forward head posture... How do we fix it?

Forward head posture, not only an aesthetic issue, but a mechanical issue. Which is renowned for causing numerous issues with the human body. 

Did you know? For every inch of forward head posture, the weight of the head on the spine increases by an additional 10 pounds. 

There is a large increase in the amount of people suffering from forward head posture, partly due to society's addiction of mobile phones and prolonged sitting. 

The increased weight, as much as 30 pounds in some cases, causes numerous effects to the body. 

Forward head posture can result in a 30% reduction of vital lung capacity, primarily due to the loss of cervical lordosis (the spinal curve), causing a weakness to a variety of muscles, one of which has the job of lifting the first rib during inhalation. 

Finally, 90% of the brains energy output is used to relate the physical body to gravity, this emphasises the importance of working WITH gravity, and NOT AGAINST it. The more of the brains energy output that is used to regulate posture, results in less being used for other functions such as metabolism, thinking, immune function and many more!

How do we fix it?

Very easy, balance out the muscular tone in your neck and upper back muscles, while increasing the strength of the muscles which have not been able to be utilised. 

Does this apply to you? Contact us for an initial assessment for a member of our team to work the magic! 

The importance of movement...

This image encapsulates what we try to achieve with Physiotherapy. The majority of aches and pain are down to poor movement control, and Thomas Myers has summed this up perfectly. 

 Just because someone can perform a movement quickly, which in turn reduces control and introduces factors such as momentum, does not mean they can complete the same activity with CONTROL...

“You would be surprised what the human body can achieve with just a small amount of movement correction...”

Pain, the multifactorial approach...

Pain, the theory behind what escalates and produces pain is forever changing. But this pie chart lists a few of the common ones now identified by the latest pain research. 

The main point to take away from this, treat the body as a whole and understand that there are many factors influencing and/or limiting your physical potential! 

As Physiotherapists, we are trained to ask the right questions to get to the root cause of your pain, be that physical or otherwise. 

 

Physiotherapy, just sports injuries? I think not!

Do you think all us Physiotherapists do is massage and treat sports people? Please watch this fantastic video demonstrating the enormous effects Physiotherapists can have on people and their lives. 

Some people assume all we do is treat sports injuries, in fact, Physiotherapists treat a wide plethora of issues from stroke rehabilitation, amputee rehabilitation, elderly mobility and a vast variety of neurological and respiratory disorders. 

For more information, don't hesitate to get in touch! 

Disabled Father Does The Most Unbelieveable Thing

Posted by Answers Parenting on Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Knee pain? Try these must do key exercises!

A recent article formulated by Lack and others, suggested and proved the effect that poor hip function has in relation to knee pain. The study showed, completion of the exercises provided here equated to severely reduced pain at a one year follow up. 

Here at Catalyst Physiotherapy, we adapt our techniques and clinical reasoning dependent on the latest research! 

If you have these symptoms, see how we can help you today! 

Reference: Lack et al. (2015) Proximal muscle rehabilitation is effective for patellofemoral pain: A systematic review with meta-analysis. 


Biggest perk of the human body, we ARE adaptable

Fitness, the definition of fitness is the body's ability to adapt to the demands placed upon it. This being said, FITNESS becomes a fundamental role for rehabilitation and should be one of the keystones of all health professionals armory. 

Being able to elicit physiological changes by just completing some basic exercise demonstrates its importance. These changes consist of mass, strength, central nervous system adaptations and many more! 

These changes should insure the importance of exercise as a major pillar of any health professionals plan with a client. 

“We are adaptable, all it takes is that first step to change...”

Luke Shaw, the 'ins and outs'

Manchester United left back Luke Shaw suffered a double leg fracture as his team took on PSV Eindhoven in their Champion’s League match last week. Mexican centre-back Hector Moreno went in hard on a reckless challenge and took out the leg of Shaw, taking him to the ground. He was writhing in pain and it appeared that his lower leg was essentially snapped in half.

He soon underwent surgery to repair the double fracture, which was a clean break of both bones. A then underwent a second surgery a few days later because doctors were concerned about infection. He has since traveled back to Manchester to begin the long six-month rehab process. Manager Louis Van Gaal is staying positive and hopes to have his defender back before the end of the season.

The loss of Shaw is a huge loss for Manchester United. They will not have to move some people around and see who else might be a fit for their back line. Daley Blind could take his place out wide, or Rojo could slide in and take Shaw’s spot. Shaw has been a strong starter for his team and brought energy and pace to his side of the field. They are optimistic he will fully recover in six months and have a long career ahead of him.

Here’s a look at the lower leg bones. You will notice there is no fracture to the tibia or fibula.