Do you have pain in your neck that sometimes radiates into your shoulder, shoulder blade or mid back? This pain could be due to irritation of the joints in the spinal joints of the neck, called cervical facet joints.  It is estimated that 26-65% of neck complaints may have a cervical facet component. What is cervical facet pain?  A facet is a synovial joint between the top of one vertebra and the bottom of the vertebra directly above it.  There are two in each spinal segment, one on the right, one on the left, and they assist in transferring weight and guiding movement in the ..read more

We know that sleep is such an important aspect to living a healthy life. Poor sleep, in fact, has a detrimental effect on pain outcomes, with the potential to prolong and intensify the pain experience from an injury – both short and long term.  Approximately 40% of Australians don’t get enough sleep on a regular basis. The Benefits of Quality Sleep Photo by Alexandra Gorn on Unsplash An improved sleep experience may contribute to healthier, happier lives, and one factor capable of improving sleep, is exercise. As an osteopath, sleep and exercise are two areas we work with just about e ..read more

Ever had that stubborn shoulder pain that just won’t quit? Or found that you simply can’t perform overhead tasks because your shoulder is too weak? Maybe the pain kicks in when you lift your arm to the side? It seems likely you’re suffering from a subacromial impingement, also sometimes referred to as shoulder impingement. Let’s understand what’s happening with your shoulder and, crucially, what the osteopaths at Pakenham Osteopathy can do to help. Anatomy of the Shoulder The glenohumeral joint (or shoulder joint to its friends) is quite the complex setup. The humerus (arm bone), scapula ..read more

Calf strains or tears can strike anyone however the highest risk group are older runners and older men in particular. They can range in severity from very mild to very painful sudden pain. Anatomy of the calf  Calf muscle strains are common amongst runners and those involved in sports with running or jumping movements.  The ‘calf’ consists of two primary muscles: The gastrocnemius and the soleus. The soleus is located slightly lower, however both muscles attach to your heel and perform the planting action of your foot. These muscles provide up to 60% of our force production when we r ..read more

Sore knees or tenderness around your kneecap? If you’re a physically active person experiencing knee pain, you might have something called patellofemoral pain syndrome.  Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS), AKA Runner’s knee is a condition that causes pain just behind the knee cap. Being quite a common problem amongst physically active individuals – particularly young adults and females – it is often worsened with activities that put more stress on the knee joint such as running, jumping, or going up and down stairs. PFPS can exist in non-athletes also.  Causes of PFPS  Let’s di ..read more

Have you ever wondered if dry needling is something that could benefit you? Are you unsure on what the process of dry needling is and what it does for your body? Let us explain… What is dry needling?  Dry Needling involves penetration of specific sites of the body with a very thin ‘dry needle’ (meaning there is no contents inside of the needle). This results in stimulation of the surrounding tissues, leading to a healing response.  When we break the skin, a small inflammatory response is created, stimulating the body to heal itself by first releasing a chemical called histamine. This ..read more

Whether you consider yourself an athlete or just love your social sport (like me), everyone can be at risk of developing injuries during exercise.  Anyone participating in regular training and/or competition enjoys when their body is working near capacity, so let’s talk about what can be done to help this.  How May Osteopathy Help?  Osteopaths work with athletes in many ways to assist with recovery and repair of the body, while maintaining and increasing sporting performance. Sports injuries that osteopaths see can range from impact injuries in sports such as ..read more

Prolonged sitting can result in negative impacts on our physical health. It has been proven that sitting for long periods day after day can lead to neck and back pain, poor mobility, and poor posture. Your daily sitting tally doesn’t only include work, but also sitting down to eat meals at home, and the countless hours seated while watching TV, studying, or reading. This blog will explore the threat of sitting for too long and provide you with some handy tips on how to reduce sitting in your daily life. Before I dive into the dangers of prolonged sitting, I want to share some of my favourite ..read more

Having played footy ever since I was an Auskicker at 5 years of age, I considered myself pretty lucky to have made it to my early 20’s without ever experiencing a major injury.  Last year, my luck eventually ran out when I suffered a mid-season injury during a footy game.  The Injury With 20 minutes left in the game, a couple of opposition players landed awkwardly on my ankle in a tackle. I heard a snap, and my ankle felt like it collapsed underneath me, leaving me with instant pain. Being stubborn and wanting to soldier on, I tried to walk but couldn’t make it further than one step ..read more

Nothing gets our blood boiling like sitting at a standstill in traffic! But even worse than that is if an impatient driver decides to ram up the back of you, causing your head to bounce off the head rest like a pin ball machine. Ouch… I know! What is Whiplash Associated Disorder? This is known as whiplash, or as the medical term states; Whiplash Associated Disorder (WAD). Essentially, this is when your neck whips back and forth suddenly, usually because of an unexpected event such as a car crash. What many people may not realise is that the pain may not manifest straight away.  After a tr ..read more