NERANG PHYSIOTHERAPY

A common question I get asked is‘What causes cramps?’. You can getmany answers to this from lack ofMagnesium, tight muscles,dehydration and many more.

The interesting thing I havenoticed over the years is thatcramps commonly occur at 2different times. Most crampepisodes occur at night or firstthing in the morning and the othertime is after excessive physicalactivity/sports.

This led me to look into crampingand why it occurs at these times,and I realised at both of theseoccasions the blood flow to the legsor wherever the cramps areoccurring is at its slowest.

Having worked with the Sympathet-ic nervous system for many years it

seemed to make sense that crampswere caused by poor blood flow tothe muscles and soft tissues.

At night the blood flow ratenaturally slows as we rest, but if thenervous system is under-function-ing, then the rate may be slowerthan normal at rest. This will lead toreduced oxygen, hydration andnutrients (including Magnesium),resulting in cramps.

After exercise, where the nervoussystem has been greatlychallenged, it will be tired and thusnot have the best control of bloodflow rate. Combine this withdehydration from insufficient fluidintake and cramps will occur.

So in conclusion, I believe crampsare a result of poor blood flow,dehydration and lack of nutrients.Correcting these will stop crampsfrom occurring.

Treatment for the blood flowcontrol is unique to Nerang Physio-therapy but essential for recovery.

GENERAL NEWS

8/5-7 Lavelle Street, Nerang, Queensland, 4211 Tel: (07) 5596 4711Web: www.nerangphysio.com Email: nerangphysiotherapy@onthenet.com.au

The difference is obviousDecember

2016

Peter Mitchell

Less than a month toChristmas so we arewishing you all a verymerry festive seasonand safe journeys if youare travelling anywhereduring the holidays.We look forward tobeing able to help yougain optimum health in2017.

CrampsWhat causes them?

Rotator cuff strains

One of the most commonshoulder injuries in ourmodern world is therotator cuff strain.

The tricky thing about thisstrain is that it does nothave to come from anydirect injury or stress tothe shoulder, but candevelop over time.

The end result of either adirect stress or slowoveruse is usually tears ofsome of the muscles ofthe rotator cuff,(commonly Infraspinatus),swelling of what is calleda bursa, (a sack of fluidprotecting tendons frombeing damaged againstbone) and pain andswelling.

Treatment for this shouldentail three main areas,blood flow control, softtissue release and oncethe range of motion isimproved and pain levelsare down, musclestrengthening exercisescan be given.

This is our uniqueapproach and shows avery high success levelwith most rotator cuffinjuries.

BRAIN TEASERS OF THEMONTH

Answer:

He was the lighthouse keeper.

Peter Mitchell Nerang Physiotherapy 5596 4711

Once again, because wespend a lot of time in chairsfrom such an early age wedevelop tightness in themuscles that cross the front ofthe hips.

The most common one ofthese is the Psoas musclewhich is attached to the lowerspine on both sides and thengoes forward and down overthe front of the lower pelvis toattach to the inside front ofthe leg in the groin area.

When tight this muscle willcause back pain as well assome front thigh pain. Tostretch this muscle, get downon one knee with the otherleg resting on the foot (seepic). Keep the back straight.

Move the front leg forward sothe foot is just ahead of theknee. Then slowly lungeforward until you feel theslightest of stretch sensationin the front of the back leg.Don’t go any further than thisfirst sign of stretch as you willrisk over-stretching and thusfurther tightening.

Hold this position until youfeel the sense of stretch haseased, it could take up to 3minutes. Then slowly releaseand repeat on the other side,switching legs. Do this at leastonce a day.

Have a laugh

The science is clear and powerful: Cutting back on fructose willhelp maintain a healthy weight and control various conditions ofmetabolic syndrome, such as high blood pressure and elevatedblood sugars - in turn lowering your risk of heart disease, diabetesand other health concerns. So watch out for over-indulging in fruitjuices, and soft drinks full of High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)!!!

There was once a recluse who never lefthis home. The only time anyone evervisited him was when his food andsupplies were delivered, but they nevercame inside. Then, one storm winternight when an icy gale was blowing, hehad a nervous breakdown. He wentupstairs, turned off all the lights andwent to bed. Next morning, he hadcaused the deaths of several hundredpeople. How? (Answer below)

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Recovering from nerve damage

Most nerves leading to the armsand legs are designed in such away as to protect the muscles atthe expense of sensation. Anerve is comprised of an outerlayer of nerves controllingsensation and an inner layercontrolling muscles.

During early compressionsensory nerves are affectedresulting in tingling, numbness orpain. Further compression thenirritates the muscular nervesleading to weakness.

Recovery, therefore, is inreverse. As pressure is eased offa nerve, muscle strength returnsfirst, then sensation changesrecover, often from the peripherytowards the centre. These aretypical pathways of injury andrecovery the body will take.