Poor ergonomics causes a lot of musculoskeletal injuries like back pain, neck and shoulder pain, RSI, carpal tunnel syndrome, headaches and eye strain. It also causes people to fatigue quicker, makes them irritable and generally less productive. So how should your children they set up their desk, chair and computer?

The chair should be adjustable so their feet touch the floor (or a footrest) and they are at a good height relative to the desk. The desk should not be too high so they are reaching, or too low so they …

In last weeks post I talked about the 3 most common causes of back pain in schoolkids. First on the list was a heavy backpack, which is defined as a backpack weighing more than 10% of the child’s body weight. Previous studies using MRI scans have shown that when the weight of the backpack gets much above this, the discs start to become compressed, and the spine starts to curve, probably because the children were trying to find a comfortable position. The danger here is that in addition to the compression, …

I’m going to write a series of articles about common issues your children might face at school this year. Hopefully having this information at the start of the year will set them up with good habits now and prevent problems that tend to build up over the course of the year.
The first thing I want to bring to your attention are the most common causes of back pain in children. According to a 2011 study, there are 3 things that affect kids the most:

A heavy schoolbag (weighing more than 10% …

Had the most amazing trip to Costa Rica!!! It is absolutely beautiful as you can see in the pictures on my facebook page. The beaches are great but the real gold is around the mountains, rainforests and volcanoes! The scenery and wildlife there is out of this world. Look forward to catching up with you all and sharing stories – hope you all had a great holiday period as well!

Hola Amigos! And Feliz Navidad! Let me wish you all a wonderful festive season, safe travels if you are going away, fun and happiness with your loved ones, and a bit of time off so you can recover from a massive year and prepare for the one ahead.
If you need anything fixed up before the end of the year it’s best to call ASAP – I am still working all of next week but spots are running out fast.
I am going on my Honeymoon (at last!!!), leaving December 23rd and …

Inspired by all those reality TV home renovation shows, we have decided to give the clinic a bit of a makeover! For a couple of weeks in late October we will be rolling up our sleeves and getting the grout out which means a few changes in working hours over that time.
Call us on the usual number – 9389 6344 to make appointments. We will be working from pretty much the same address in the clinic next door to us on level 8. You will be given directions when you …

A recent analysis of the impact of falls has revealed some pretty scary statistics. According to the review, 5% of people who break their hip in a fall die when in hospital, and 25% die within a year as a result of the disability it causes.
Further to this, more than 10% go on to be admitted to aged care facilities. And you don’t need to be old to suffer these effects; the study found that more than a third of people aged 50 never regain their full mobility. One quote …

The answer is probably yes! According to a recent article on the Sydney Morning Herald website, “Millions of Australians are taking too many painkillers”. And some of these medications have quite serious side effects. Here are a few key quotes from the article:

“taking higher doses of something like ibuprofen or aspirin, you’re at a higher risk of gastric bleeds, stomach ulcers and bad indigestion”
“Paracetamol is actually really toxic once you get to certain doses, affecting people’s livers in ways that are not easily reversible, and people can die.”
“Ibuprofen-codeine tablets, such as Nurofen …

You probably heard the reports last week that are being described as the biggest breakthrough for pregnancy nutrition since folate. I found a very informative summary of the latest news on the ABC health website which I thought I would share. Here are the key findings and a link to the article:
What defects does the study propose can be avoided by boosting your B3 intake?
The study found that multiple miscarriages, heart, kidney and spinal defects could be avoided by boosting vitamin B3.
Does this mean older women may be able to fall pregnant …

A new study has looked at whether getting a steroid injection for osteoarthritis (OA) in the knee is beneficial. This is a reasonably common procedure for OA and is often used to see if surgery can be put off.
In the study, a group of people aged 45 and over were given injections every 3 months for 2 years. There were 2 groups; 1 was given a steroid, the other given a placebo. In the group given steroid injections, the researchers found that not only did it not help with pain, it …