Author: Prue Eddie

“How did you do it?”

That’s the first question everyone keeps asking when they see me in my moonboot, followed by what’s wrong?!

Given my love of adventurous activities, especially scuba diving, it would be easy to think that breaking the bottom of my leg, close to the ankle must be as a result of one of the external pastimes.

Wrong!  It was something simple, so easy anyone could do it and it could happen to you.

I tripped on the front door ledge walking into my house.

The crazy thing is, I didn’t even fall over, just landed with a hard thud.

It hurt immediately and heard a crunch, but thought it would be possible to just walk it off.

In this case, that was a bad idea.

What not to do!

      1. Don’t try and walk it off when you don’t know what’s going on.

        Yes, that sounds like incredibly simple advice, but honestly, if it happened to me, it could happen to you too.

      2. Ignore the pain and pretend it isn’t happening.

        This is a recipe for disaster and can lead you to causing further injury by doing things that would not be recommended.

      3. Take anti-inflammatories and assume it will get better.

        You may be surprised to learn, that over the counter anti-inflammatory medication has been shown in research trials to slow down healing time.

        The inflammatory response in the early phase of an injury helps the tissue to repair and we don’t want to take this opportunity away from the body.

      4. Wear unsupportive footwear.

        Your shoes do matter.  If you are gripping to hold sandals, thongs, or other alternatives onto your foot, you will use additional muscles to keep it on your foot.

        This in turn can lead you to using your foot incorrectly and may cause you more problems down the road.

      5. Don’t strap it.

        Using a compression stocking, strap or garment can be really helpful.

        Not only will it help it to feel more supported, it will encourage the bodies own natural drainage process and potentially limit internal bruising.

What to do for your ankle injury

      1. Try a compression sock

        If you’re confused about what strapping technique to use or worried you are using the wrong bandage, use a knee-high compression sock instead.

        In fact, this is what I used for the first 6 weeks following my injury, the whole time I was in the moon boot.

        In fact, I really think this was the cheapest and simplest piece of advice I could give you.

        Seriously click the link for my best compression sock choice here.  Please note, we would never recommend a product unless we thought it was great, but as an amazon affiliate, we may receive a small gratuity for qualifying purchases.

      2. Try arnica cream

        What I love about arnica cream, is that it is simple to use and traditionally has been used to support the healing of bruising and swelling.

        The one we recommend is Warbotanicals arnica cream, it does on well and smells great, which is why we stock it at the clinic.

      3. Get professional advice

        Did you know it can take months to fully recover from something as simple as an ankle sprain?

        Yes seriously, as the ligaments are stretched, it alters the balance receptors in the foot and where your body will position itself in space.

        As I’m currently only 6 weeks into my healing phase, I anticipate another 2-3 months until I achieve a full recovery.

      4. Don’t believe it will only be 6 weeks

        Bone takes 6 weeks to repair and many ligament and other soft tissue injuries can appear healthy on a scan at this length of time.

        However, what a scan can not determine is the strength, balance, fitness, range of motion, and feedback you are getting from the injury site.

      5. Complete your rehab

        This is so often overlooked and now that my pain is reducing, it would be easy for my motivation to drop off.

        But thankfully I have a wonderful Osteopath taking charge of my program and know the benefits of sticking to the management plan in order to get better.

        If you have any questions about what to do for your leg or ankle injury, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.

        We know what you’re going through and how painful your ankle sprain or break can be.

     
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What a year 2020 has been.

We thought it would be nice to share with you some highlights of 2020 and a Christmas message from Prue.

The year started off hot and smokey, with many of our patients being stranded in various locations around the East Coast of Australia amongst the bushfire situation.

While we were not directly impacted, our Koru community rallied to help in any way possible.  

This evolved into an overnight trip down to East Gippsland to drop off 2 full carloads of donations to the animal relief centers.  

The volunteers were working tirelessly and on little sleep and were so incredibly grateful for all of your generosity.

We then traveled to Swan Reach Base Camp to give our time and osteopathic care to weary CFA, DSE, and Army personnel.

While we were a little concerned it may be emotionally taxing, the whole experience was incredibly uplifting and it was great to play a very small part to support the people who were risking everything on the front line.

This experience has been one of the most rewarding of my osteopathic career, even though I hope that it won’t need to be repeated.

Shortly after our return, our attention was directed towards covid related preparation and planning.

Prior to any lockdowns, we were already researching and contemplating all the “what if” scenarios.

We were lucky to have ordered toilet paper, hand sanitizer, gloves, and masks prior to these becoming hot and out of stock items.

This was a blessing, as we were able to continue practicing as per usual, just with additional PPE, while other clinics were scrambling to source the required kit.

Plus we were able to give out emergency rolls of toilet paper to very grateful recipients!

Amongst all this, Courtney married her great love Phil in a beautiful and intimate ceremony and reception in central Melbourne and got to enjoy an international honeymoon, that only weeks later would have been impossible.

Very soon after, the true realities of covid could not be ignored.

Some of our Koru patients ended up in the covid ward at Box Hill hospital, as well as Prue’s mum (who never actually had the virus).

All of this, prior to the first lockdown!

From there, more PPE, changing rules, prescreening, and temperature checks all were implemented.

Many of you experienced your first telehealth appointments and some people liked them so much, we are still doing them now at the end of the year.

Then following DHHS guidelines, we had to restrict who was allowed to come in for treatment and put in emergency only protocols. 

It is the hardest thing we have ever done.

Our team cried, along with some of our patients, who were upset and struggling over the phone.

As things started to open up, we saw more muscle spasms, pain associated with inactivity and sitting, migraines, anxiety-induced tension, digestive pains, and other things that we never normally would.

As things have slowly progressed to the “new normal” we have found that resilience is slowly building, however, people appear more quickly stressed and overwhelmed by simple things.

You are still welcome to join our free 5-day program, “Calm In A Crisis” which only takes about 15 minutes each day, to help you self support and find ease while under pressure.

Our last day is technically December 23rd, however, some emergency patients are being seen on Thursday morning.

While we will be closed until January 6th, some emergency appointments will be available and we will be checking the phone messages and calling you back intermittently.

If you need any additional assistance over the holiday season, please contact Prue at prue@korunaturaltherapies.com.au

No online bookings will be available over this time.

We hope you have a wonderful, healthy, and happy break and we look forward to seeing you in 2021.

Early in January, we’ll share more of our upcoming and exciting plans for the next year with you, there is lots to look forward to.

Warmest wishes,

Prue, Jules, Courtney, Clementine, Elizabeth, Loren, and Rachimah x

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During lockdown, whilst you may have some extra time on your hands, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you have any more motivation!

So we want to maximise our exercise regime to fit a short time frame. This means we don’t need to set aside hours of our day

and we don’t need to rev ourselves up for an intense, seemingly never ending workout.

Here it is, a super charged but to the point exercise video, suitable for all fitness levels and sure to get your blood pumping!

We’re going to go through four different exercises today. I’ll show you all four of them first,

and then we’ll put some music on and run through the four minutes together.

Squat

Here are some different options. So you want to keep your feet hip distance apart so that your knees are in line with your hips and feet.

When you come down into the squat, you really want to drive with the bottom. So you’re putting your bottom out,

sort of like you’re sitting down to sit on a chair and coming back up. When you come down avoid the knees going past the toes. They can go just past

the ankles, not past the toes. So just keep that in mind. When you come back up, you really

want to squeeze the butt cheeks to straighten the legs and then start again.

If that’s not working for you or you’ve got a little bit of pain in the knees, you can use a chair behind you to guide the movement.

The other option is to do it against a wall. Because it’s nice and straight will give you a little bit of help and support as you come down and up.

Again, you want to avoid your knees from going past your toes. That just loads the knee a little bit too much.

If you can’t do either of those, you can just march on the spot. That’s going to get your heart rate up just as much as the other ones.

Side Lunge

Lunge to the side, guide the movement with your bottom. Almost like you’re reaching down to the leg that bends.

Dig your heel into the ground. You can keep your hands on your waist or clasp them in front of you.

Abductions

going to go straight up reaching the back of your hands together and here you really want to keep your arms behind your head.

Shoulder Press

The fourth exercise is just a shoulder press. Palms facing the ceiling and pushing straight upwards.

So we’re going to be repeating those exercises quite rapidly. Just go as fast as comfortable put on some music and let’s get started!

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We know what it is like to experience neck tension, stiffness or headaches and wanting neck pain relief.

Exercise to experience relief from neck tension.

Why you want to address neck pain now

Neck stiffness, tension or spasm can be very painful and limit your ability to move, sleep or exercise comfortably and is commonly an issue that you don’t have to put up with.

Think about how much better you would feel if you didn’t feel this way.

Would it improve your mood, focus or just general enjoyment of life?

Most musculoskeletal problems, such as neck pain are easier and quicker to address if you start the process sooner.

Once muscular guarding or spasm is established, it can be harder to get on top of.

Now is a great opportunity to make some small changes in order to improve you neck mobility.

neck stretching exercise

Neck pain is incredibly common and it seems to be on the increase, if our patients experiences are reflecting the wider community experience.

The combined effect of increased stress and more times on screens, either working or studying from home, or the office are common contributing factors.

While you may not be able to change everything that is happening in the world right now, you can be proactive about desk set up.

By taking regular breaks, engaging in stress relieving activities and doing some movements to support your neck and back, you can start to feel better, sooner.

What you need right now are simple at home based exercises that you can do at your desk, with limited space and no equipment in order to make positive change.

If you’re home schooling, you may also be feeling a little time poor, so being time efficient is also incredibly important.

This is where this sequence comes in.

Learn to listen to your body sensations to improve your posture, tension and experience relaxation

Take note of the sensations you experience in your body as you perform these gentle movements in the neck, spine and shoulders.

You may notice pressure, pulling, tingling, dragging or other subtle tissue responses as you go.

Listen into your body and allow it to tell you how you feel, this may be on a physical or an emotional level.

Whatever you are feeling is valid and it is an opportunity to acknowledge what is currently happening in your body.

Over the course of the video, you may start to feel a sense of lightness, letting go or freedom of motion in different parts of your body.

Sometimes people report a change to their mental state, such as clarity or focus.

Remember whatever you experience is your experience, it is not right or wrong.

You may sense a change to your breathing cycle or feel muscular tightness slowly release or melt away.

Observe how you feel before and after the exercises

It’s an opportunity to observe how different you can feel before and after.

Some people find repeating the process for a few days brings about more neck or back relief than just doing it once.

Changes may include a sense of flexibility, comfortable while performing the range of motion, increasing ability to move, or a sense of less pressure, spasm or tension.

neck pain gone

If at any stage, you feel uncomfortable or a sense of increasing pain, you should take some time out and pause the video.

It may be better to try again at another time.

If you feel any clicking or grinding, if it is not painful or bothering you, it is okay to continue if you feel safe to do so.

You can always speak to one of our practitioners for further assistance if you are experiencing ongoing neck tension, pain or headaches.

These are some of the most common reasons that people come to see us at the clinic and our team are very experienced in this area.

If you found this video helpful, or have a specific request for a specific video, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

We would love to hear from you and your experiences of our neck pain relief video.

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