First, let’s start with what a scar is. A scar is a visible mark that is left on your skin after some form of laceration, abrasion, or incision. Scar tissue is formed during a wound's healing stage when the body produces collagen fibres to close and heal the wound. These fibres often do not grow in a unilateral direction, creating a discoloured and uneven texture at times. Most times, a scab will form over the wound opening to protect the body from infection. Once healed, the scab will dissipate and fall away, revealing your newly formed scar. The term collagen is often referring to a group of ..read more

Bursa are small fluid-filled flattened sacs. They are a bit like two thin sheets of plastic wrap with a drop of water between them. When rubbed, the opposing sides of the sac gently slide back and forth over each other. For this reason, they appear throughout the body between structures that are predisposed to friction and subsequent wear. Bursa are therefore commonly seen between tendon and tendon, tendon and bone, and skin and bone. There are two sorts of bursa. The first type is an anatomical bursa. These are bursa that you are born with and placed throughout the body where mother nature ha ..read more

In March 2020, Remedial Massage Therapists were stood down, due to the global pandemic that is COVID 19, or Coronavirus. This lasted close to seven weeks, whilst our Country tried to understand and manage the situation. At the time, I thought to myself, eventually, people are going to need us. Since my return in May 2020, I have seen an increase in clients who report high levels of stress, anxiety and not the best mental health but I also get the comments of “I feel like with everything that’s going on I really need to start looking after myself”. The isolation has also added to the stresses ..read more

Updated 2nd May 2022 in accordance with updated government guidelines. Mandurah & Pinjarra Clinics We have taken strong, proactive measures to ensure that a visit to 4 Life is safe. This requires our patients, staff and leadership to all come together to minimise our impact on others. In late April 2022 the Western Australian Government has implemented COVID transition directions which commenced on 29 April 2022, so our policies have been updated. There continues to be sustained community transmission of COVID-19. Please read through the lower sections to see all of the efforts being made ..read more

Sports massage is a specific type of massage that treats and prevents sports injuries. It works by stretching and stimulating tight muscles and improving the condition of soft tissue. It helps reduce the stress and tension that can build up in the body from exercise or strenuous activities and correct soft tissue muscle imbalances and aids in recovery and prevent injury. Any injury or condition that can reduce an athlete’s performance has serious effects on their careers on and off the field. Regular sports massage help reduce the risk of injury, and prevention of re – injury. Having massage ..read more

Cancer treatment and recovery may be a difficult and tiring time with most sufferers reducing their physical activity in the effort to rest more. Physical activity is often placed on the back burner with cancer patients often lacking in motivation and believing that exercise will increase their fatigue and other symptoms. However, rest isn’t always the answer and research has proved that exercise can be beneficial for most patients both during and after cancer treatment. After all, physical inactivity has unwanted side effects of its own. These include fatigue, muscle wastage, weight gain and ..read more

A neuroma is a benign growth of nerve tissue in the forefoot between the metatarsal bones. It is caused by forces that pinch the relevant branch of the nerve, usually as it passes the narrow gap between the metatarsal heads. The classic symptoms of this condition can include pain in the forefoot, usually in the bottom of the ball of the feet, though it can be felt on top too; with intermittent shooting pains into the affected toes. Burning and tingling, as well as sensations of numbness, are often reported. This nerve in question is caused to grow by any force that places too much friction or ..read more

In-growing toenails (onychocryptosis) are a common condition affecting around 1 in 20 people with the big toe being the most prevalent location. In-growing toenails are characterized by the nail edge cutting into the skin (paronychium) at either edge of the nail. The cause of ingrown toenails is vast; however, two common causes include improperly cutting the toenails and tight-fitting shoes. Other causes include deformities of the big toe such as bunions, having the second toe longer than the first toe, fungal nail infections and abnormally shaped nail plate or nail bed. Other less common caus ..read more

The heel (or rearfoot) is a complex structure made up of the calcaneus (heel bone) and talus bones. Under the heel, the most superficial (closest to the skin) structure is the heel fat pad. Unlike fat stored across the rest of the body, this structure is adapted to dissipate pressure points from the heel bone when standing and walking. To further aid in pressure reduction a bursa (fluid-filled sack) is also located deep in the fat pad. Occasionally, this fat pad can become atrophied (smaller) due to normal aging processes, excessive use of locally injected corticosteroids and increased body ma ..read more

Injuries to the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) are relatively common knee injuries among athletes. They occur most frequently in those who play sports involving pivoting (e.g. football, basketball, netball, soccer). They can range from mild (such as small tears/sprains) to severe (when the ligament is completely torn). Both contact and non-contact injuries can occur, although non-contact tears and ruptures are most common. Females tend to have a higher incidence rate of ACL injury than males, that being between 2.4 and 9.7 times higher in female athletes competing in similar activities. Toda ..read more