The simple answer - YES Physiotherapy is proven to be effective in the management of chronic conditions. Physiotherapy is an invaluable treatment solution for a wide range of Musculoskeletal conditions - Osteoarthritis, Neck Pain, Back Pain to name just a few. The team at TOTAL Physiotherapy are passionate about helping people to overcome their injuries or medical conditions which is why we are proud to accept and process Medicare Rebatable Physiotherapy Consultations. How does it work? Prior to being able to claim Medicare rebates for Physiotherapy; You will need to have what is deemed a ..read more

By Gabrielle Blomson, APA Physiotherapist at Total Physiotherapy What is it? Scoliosis is an abnormal lateral curvature of the spine. It is most often diagnosed in childhood or early adolescence, where there are growth spurts. It affects 2-4% of adolescents. There are two types of scoliosis: structural and functional. Structural scoliosis is where the spine has a physical curve. Functional scoliosis is when the spine appears to be curved, but the apparent curvature is actually the result of an irregularity elsewhere in the body (different leg lengths, muscle imbalance and posture). S ..read more

Pelvic Floor & Pregnancy Series  By Hannah Topp APA Physiotherapist – BSc Exercise Science (Sport Practice), Master of Physiotherapy, former elite international powerlifter What is the pelvic floor?  The pelvic floor is a layer of muscles covering the bottom of the pelvis that support the internal organs (bowel, bladder and uterus). The muscles run like a hammock from the pelvis to the tailbone and side to side.  Pelvic floor muscles help with bladder and bowel control, passing urine and faeces, sexual function and support you through pregnancy and childbirth.  What ca ..read more

With Sydney’s Irish contingent returning to preseason training and games over the last couple of weeks I thought it might be a good time to touch on some sport specific injury prevention advice for the season ahead.   Injuries are unfortunately something that anyone who plays sport will likely have to deal with at some time or another. This is particularly true of contact sports like Gaelic Games. It would be great to say that there was a strategy that we could put in place that would be effective in preventing injuries from happening but given the wonderfully unpredictable nature of ..read more

Quick Summary for those who don’t have the time to read: Check out the image below it explains the basics of the theory of fear-avoidance behaviour and how it can affect your recovery. Fear can be affecting your behaviour in small ways which could be hindering/slowing your recovery. Self-awareness of your own understanding of pain and how you deal with is important to reflect on to be able to alter it. Talk to your physio for any concerns throughout your entire rehab not just in the first appointment- rehab concerns, time frames, normal pain ranges or just to check your understa ..read more

Why is stretching not relieving my tight muscles?  Well first, we have to ask what we mean by tight. Is there an actual limitation in range of movement associated with reduced muscle length? Or do we have this feeling of tension despite our range of movement being really good? Think being able to easily touch the floor despite your hamstrings feeling tighter than that friend who never buys a drink on a night out. A feeling of tightness doesn’t always mean that the muscle length is inadequate. It is very common for people to experience this feeling of tension when in fact thei ..read more

There are many reasons to squat – to get stronger, to help increase muscle mass, athletic performance or to just keep moving functionally. The squat is one of the most beneficial exercises and you squat throughout your life stages, from playing when you’re a baby to when you sit on the toilet at age 99! When looking at the squat, I find the most important components to look at are: Foot and toe position, breathing and bracing, beginning the squat, the bottom of the squat and standing up in the squat. In this blog, I break down these components which will hopefully help you improve some aspec ..read more

With a significant increase in our time spent at home, our screen time, for some people, can almost be unbroken. So what does this mean for our necks? Well, as you see in the image below, our neck position whilst using our phones or computers differs significantly from our normal standing posture. Our skulls are actually quite heavy and our neck flexor and extensor muscles aren’t that large (smaller muscles fatigue faster). When smaller muscles fatigue, they often recruit larger muscles, which can take more load, typically in these flexed neck postures, this will be your upper back muscles li ..read more

During my time as a Physio I have seen a huge increase in the number of people presenting with neck related issues. This has accelerated recently with the changes occurring due to our lovely friend - COVID-19. This includes: Working from home resulting in increased screen time, use of mobile phone and virtual meetings. These extended periods in front of a screen and reduction in physical interactions in the workplace mean we do not move our neck as much on a daily basis. Increased use of mobile phones and tablets - this was already occurring but I believe has accelerated as we t ..read more

Are you breastfeeding?  Photo by bulatovic/iStock / Getty Images Nearly 1 in 5 breast-feeding women are affected by mastitis. Mastitis is an inflammatory condition of the breast that usually presents with redness, pain, fever and feeling unwell. Milk ducts that carry milk from the breast to the nipple can become blocked, leading to Mastitis. The build up of milk behind the blockage leads to a small lump that can be tender and red.  We can help! At Total Physiotherapy, our Women’s Health physiotherapist will take a detailed history and assess the affected breast to determine the bes ..read more