Category: Education

What they don’t tell you about working from home…safely

Working from home has many benefits. It gives you the flexibility to finish work tasks while also allowing you to do what you need at home: looking after kids, cleaning the house, errands and that home project you’ve put off.

I’m in pain!

But working from home also bring with it some difficulties. For one, not many people are equipped to have a good work set up at home. Most of the people that have come in for treatment, have reported of working from a laptop, sitting slouched on a couch. Some are sitting on a bar stool, working on the kitchen bench!

These aren’t the best position to work for long hours, because they put a lot of strain on your shoulder and neck. The tension builds up the longer you work in this position and can cause pain as well as headaches!
It is why a good work ergonomic is important! This will help to prevent you from suffering during this social distancing period.

So what can you do to help yourself?

Here are some quick tips:

1) Work with a desktop and a proper screen.

Laptops are convenient, but their setup is too low for long term use. Most of the time, you will realise that your head and neck is protruding forward. This is very bad for your body! If you don’t have a desktop or an extra screen, then you can prop the laptop up with some yellow pages book, then using another keyboard and mouse.

You can also get a proper laptop stand if you’d prefer.

2) Work on a desk, not on the couch or the bed.

Yes it is comfortable to lie back on the couch or roll around on the bed. But these are not the best place to do your work. Sitting on a proper desk with a proper chair will make your body thank you! It allows you to adjust your sitting position so that you put a lot less stress on your neck and shoulder, reducing the chance of you having pain down the track.

3) Doing stretches every now and then.

We’ve discussed this before in another blog, so head over to this link.

So you can see what we’re trying to do here. All of the above tips are to reduce the stress you put on your neck and shoulder. Capital Physiotherapy is still open, so feel free to come in for a consultation. We can provide you with a proper assessment and advice that will suit you. If you prefer, we also provide Telehealth consultation and we can also provide on the spot recommendations on what you can do to make sure your work station is the best it can be.

As more and more people in Australia or/and around the world are being told to work from home, we are starting to see the impact it had on people’s body with the incorrect home office set up.

Ergonomic is so vital to maintain good spinal health. Many people who have the incorrect set up will start to experience:

• neck and back pain
• headache
• hip pain
• shoulder pain

These issues should not be taken lightly as delay or no intervention could lead to long term pain and injuries.

The Seat

• seat depth should ideally provide a clearance of at least 5cm between edge of the seat and the back of the lower leg 
• adequate support whilst also not having a seat that is too large.
• knees and ankles are kept at approximately 90 degree angles.
• Arm rests should create forearm support whilst still allowing for neutral positioning of the shoulders, elbows and wrists at 90 degrees and allowing you to maintain correct upper back posture.

The Screen

• Top of the screen should be at eye level
• distance the screen should be placed from you is simply as far back as possible whilst being able to comfortably see the screen. 
• Duel screen-(directly side by side) with you eye line in the middle of the screens. The screens should then be positioned as far back as comfortable 

Keyboard and Mouse Position

• Key principles to remember are to lower the keyboard stilts to prevent excessive wrist extension 
• keyboard back enough on the desk to obtain adequate forearm support. 
• Mouse position is similar to keyboard
• try learning to use the mouse in the other hand. This can help to balance the work load between each arm. 

Work Station Desk

• adequate height in relation to the chair to maintain neutral positioning of the upper and lower limbs whilst at an adequate height to maintain posture and provide forearm support.  
• Desks are also recommended to be at least 90cm in depth 

Here at Capital Physiotherapy, we are offering Telehealth consultation service where an experience physiotherapist will have a look at your current home office set up and give you guidance and advice around the issues.

The consultation will involved:

• education on good home office set up
• modifying your current work set up as needed
• advice on reducing load on your spine and joints while working from home
• advice and education around your discomfort
• exercises given targeting any aches and pain that you may already start to notice due to working from home.

We encourage everyone who needs a home ergonomic assessment to book an initial extended Telehealth consultation so as our physiotherapist can fully understand your work and current home set up (assessment) prior to moving forward to improve your current work setting. Should you require ongoing/follow up consultation, your physiotherapist will be able to give you appropriate advice after the initial consultation.

Osteitis pubis is the inflammation of the pubic symphysis and surrounding muscle insertions. It is an overuse syndrome caused by repeated trauma, rather than a one-time specific incident that results in groin pain and can become chronic in nature. 

The main cause is from instability of the hip bones, especially at the pubic symphysis, and poor movement control between the lower back and the pelvis. This could be from uneven loading through the pelvis during activities like running and kicking sports. It is not uncommon for athletes to have experienced groin strains or low back pain in the past as well.

Signs and symptoms

• Ache in groin over time (one or both sides)
• May be felt in lower abdominals or front of hip
• Running, kicking, sit ups, change in direction can lead to pain onset
• Stiffness in groin
• Limping or a waddle type walk due to pain

Potential contributing factors to look out for

• Poor posture (foot and back)
• Inadequate training/warm up
• Muscle imbalance, tightness or weakness in lower limbs
• Inadequate rehab post previous adductor injury 
• Poor pelvic and core control and stability
• Changes in training routine (sudden increase or change in condition/surfaces)

Role of physiotherapy

Physiotherapy is able to give a full and proper assessment to determine what exactly is causing this condition, and to provide self-managing advice so that you can take control of your condition, especially controlling the inflammation prior to commencing a specialized exercise program that is suitable for you!

Rehabilitation with a tailored exercise program given by your physiotherapist is the best way of managing the symptoms and recovery. Physiotherapy is essential in not just fixing the acute issue, but also to prevent recurring injuries. A graduated specific program given by your physiotherapist for flexibility, core stability and strength is key in correcting movement technique and for safe and successful return to sports and daily activity without symptoms. 
If you have concerns about osteitis pubis or are already showing signs/symptoms regarding groin or inner thigh pain and want more information, come see us at Capital Physiotherapy for early management and rehab! We are conveniently located at South Yarra, Balwyn and Footscray. Contact us today via email info@capitalphysiotherap.com.au or call 0401 865 333.

Affecting between 5-10% of the population, Snapping hip (also known as dancer’s hip) is a condition where hip joint movement causes a snapping sensation that is either felt or heard (Musick and Varacallo, 2019). The snapping can be either painful or pain free and is often caused by overuse. People who perform repetitive extreme hip movements such as ballet dancers and weight lifters are most at risk.

Diagnosis of snapping hip can be performed in clinic and a physiotherapist will determine the structure responsible for the snapping sensation. The iliotibial band and the iliopsoas muscle group are the most common sources of the condition. 

The majority of snapping hip cases are pain free and do not require imminent intervention, however the snapping sensation can cause discomfort and become painful over time. The preferred treatment for snapping hip is rest and a return to activity with physiotherapy input (Jenkins, 2010). 

Once the structure responsible for the snapping has been identified, treatment for snapping hip generally involves stretching of the tight structures (Byrd, 2005) and eccentric strengthening (Brosseau et al., 2009). Once the stretching and strengthening of the related structures has been completed, a graduated return to activity can begin with an effort to avoid activities and movements which trigger the snapping.

If you think you may be suffering from snapping hip our friendly team at capital physiotherapy can complete a comprehensive assessment of your hip and design a targeted treatment plan to help you return to doing what you love.  We are conveniently located at South Yarra, Footscray, and Balwyn. You may call 0401 865 333 or drop an email at info@capitalphysiotherapy.com.au.

A hamstring strain is a tear in your hamstring muscle which runs down the back of your thigh. Often occurring during strenuous exercise or when the muscle is excessively lengthened, this is an injury which can take between 2 weeks to 6 months to recover from depending on the severity of the strain. 

The severity of the strain can be determined clinically by tenderness with contraction and palpation, often more a severe strain will also affect your ability to weight bear and walk with a normal gait. In some cases, an MRI or ultrasound may be used to better diagnose the severity of the strain.

Age, as well as having previously suffered a hamstring strain have been identified as risk factors for further hamstring strains (Freckleton and Pizzari, 2013).

Treatment for a Hamstring will often begin with managing the swelling and inflammation which will occur initially, before incorporating strengthening and stretching exercises and finally a graduated return to activity. The “L protocol” which involves three exercises with an emphasis on muscle loading while lengthening is one treatment approach which has shown to be effective. The protocol, which includes the “extender”, “glider” and “slider” was shown to allow athletes to return to sport in an average of 28 days compared to 51 days for those who completed a traditional hamstring rehabilitation (Askling, Tengvar and Thorstensson, 2013). 

If you think you may have suffered a hamstring strain, or would like to better prevent yourself from sustaining one in the future, our team at Capital Physiotherapy can design an effective treatment plan to keep you doing what you love. We are conveniently located at South Yarra, Footscray, and Hawthorn (Formerly in Balwyn). You may call 0401 865 333 or drop an email at info@capitalphysiotherapy.com.au.

Femoroacetabular impingement- what a mouthful! Really, it’s just a fancy name for when your leg bone or your femur impacts with your hip bone or your acetabular. This occurs because the hip bone or femur is an irregular shape and not smooth causing the joint to impinge. 

Normally your hip bone is the socket and your femur is the ball, fitting perfecting together. However, in individuals with FAI, because of the irregular shape the joint is no longer a perfect fit, causing pain when moving the hip.

People can have FAI all their life and not be symptomatic, however sometimes due to overuse or muscle in balance, symptoms start appearing. These can include hip and groin pain on certain movements as well as clicking, pinching and restricted range of movement. 

FAI can be diagnosed by a physiotherapist in conjunction with MRI images to confirm the type of FAI present and thus determine how to manage it. Sometimes it can be conservatively managed through rest, avoiding aggravating factors and hip strengthening to help support the joint. However, in other cases, surgery is needed to alter the shape of the joint and prevent any further complications from constant impinging. After surgery, a strengthening program prescribed by a physiotherapist is essential to return to sport and everyday activities.

Early diagnosis and intervention is the key, so book an appointment today at Capital Physiotherapy and we can have you back to doing what you love in no time! You may make an online booking or email us at info@capitalphysiotherapy.com.au.