Blog Posts & Newsletters

On 16 October, we at Suncoast Chiropractic will celebrate World Spine Day 2023 (an initiative organised by the World Federation of Chiropractic) to raise awareness about spinal disorders.

The overarching mission? To help empower YOU to take charge of your spinal health.

Did you know that at any given moment, an estimated 540 million people suffer from lower back pain globally? Or that four million Australians suffer from back problems every year?

This year’s theme ‘Move Your Spine’ will focus attention on the diverse nature of spinal pain and disability at home, in the workplace, in schools and in our communities while addressing movement across the life course. It will highlight ways in which all people, from all backgrounds can help their spines by staying mobile, avoiding physical inactivity, not overloading their spines, and adopting healthy habits such as weight loss and smoking cessation.

Sadly, for many people, spinal disability is more than just an inconvenience; but a terrible circumstance where individuals are no longer able to work and supply food and shelter for their children and families.

To help Australians reset and refocus on their spinal health, the Australian Chiropractors Association (ACA) is encouraging people to ‘straighten up’ and ‘find a chiro’ this World Spine Day.

Stretching and performing regular spinal exercises are easy and time-efficient ways to help improve your spinal health – which you can now do at the touch of a button with the ACA’s Straighten Up app! Featuring a set of simple exercises (and taking just three minutes to complete), the Straighten Up app will help you maintain correct posture no matter where you are! Download the Straighten Up app today.

With so many of us working and learning remotely, it is now more important than ever, to get outside and stretch those legs! The Department of Health recommends a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity each week. Walking not only increases heart and lung fitness, but contributes to a naturally upright posture.

For further advice on World Spine Day, call us 5492 5588 to book an appointment today.

Work Well Anywhere!

It’s WorkSpace Week – that time of year when we at Suncoast Chiropractic turn our spinal health and wellbeing focus toward preventing workspace injuries and minimising the impact work-related disorders have on our patients to ensure they can work well anywhere.

An initiative of the Australian Chiropractors Association (ACA), WorkSpace Week is dedicated to minimising work-related disorders that can have a long-term, debilitating effect on both physical and mental health that impacts workers’ overall quality of life.

Disorders can include a range of muscle and joint problems that occur anywhere in the body, but especially the spine. When these problems impact on your nerves, they may alter body function and create health issues, such as numbness, tingling, weakness and other problems.

Body stressing caused by poorly executed lifting, pushing, pulling or bending, using computers in non-ergonomic workspaces (in an office or at home), poor posture, driving a vehicle and repetitive strain injuries can all cause work-related musculoskeletal disorders including chronic neck and back pain, shoulder stiffness and headaches that we can effectively treat at Suncoast Chiropractic.

The good news is work-related disorders caused by physical or mental stress can be minimized and respond to treatment if diagnosed early. For those at risk of these disorders, it’s important they consult a chiro because early intervention is the best protection.

However, should work-related disorders occur, by seeking early effective chiropractic healthcare, we can provide effective treatment and help prevent deterioration, improve recovery, reduce severity and help minimise long-term implications including depression and overuse or reliance on medications for chronic pain which can be harmful.

This WorkSpace Week, contact us on 5492 5588 to make an appointment so we can help prevent or effectively treat your work-related musculoskeletal disorder so you can work well anywhere.

For more information on WorkSpace Week or to access free resources including an Ergonomic WorkSpace Week Checklist, exercise posters, factsheets and the Straighten Up app, please visit www.workspaceweek.org.au.

#MyHealthyWorkSpace #WorkWellAnywhere #StraightenUpAustralia #ConsultAChiro #SafeWorkMonth

Spinal Health Week 2023 (22-28 May) is the Australian Chiropractors Association (ACA) national campaign dedicated to improving the spinal health of all Australians.

In 2023, the focus of Spinal Health Week is on the impact headaches have on Australians while providing solutions to elevate headache pain so sufferers can take back control of their health and wellbeing.

Migraine and tension-type headaches are the most prevalent headache disorders, both with disabling potential having the greatest impact on public health. With more than 7 million Australians suffering from debilitating tension headaches and more than 4.9 million suffering chronic migraine; the economic impact to Australia exceeds $35.7 billion annually.

However, the real cost to headache sufferers is immeasurable. Every day, headaches impact the lives of more than 46% of Australians causing debilitating pain and robbing sufferers of productive time at work and study, essential relaxation and social activities, and precious time with children, family and friends.

Migraine and tension headaches are the most common headache disorders, but there are many types of headaches, and many triggers that can cause them. While some headaches are just a mild inconvenience, others can be severe, chronic and have a debilitating effect on the daily life of sufferers.

The connection between spinal health conditions (especially of the neck) and headaches are well recognised in research. It’s vital that headache sufferers have their spine examined and, if appropriate, seek early, effective drug-free chiropractic care. Along with some simple lifestyle changes, this can go a long way to relieve pain, reduce the incidence of headache and migraine and help people take back control of their life.

Studies have shown that university trained chiropractors provide reliable, low risk, effective treatment for the three most common types of headaches – tension and cervicogenic (neck-related) headaches and migraines with notable improvement in cervicogenic headaches following chiropractic treatment.

While one study suggested that spinal manipulation of the neck and mid back is more effective than mobilisation and exercise in reducing cervicogenic headaches, another study found chiropractic adjustments reduced migraines in 72 percent of people surveyed and decreased their duration and severity.

And although pain medications (prescription and over the counter) may provide temporary relief from headache, it’s often a ‘Band-Aid’ solution that treats the symptoms but not the cause.

Often there are lifestyle factors that may be responsible for headaches that occur at home or at work. These might include diet or sedentary behaviours that our chiropractors can identify during an assessment, enabling sufferers to modify these behaviours to manage headaches or avoid them altogether and improve patient’s overall health and wellbeing.

At Suncoast Chiropractic we are trained to identify the causes of headaches and provide specialised low-risk, effective drug-free treatment for people of all ages.

So, if you or someone you know is among the 11.9 million Australians suffering from headaches or migraines and you’re tired of headaches holding you back, contact us today on 5492 5588 to make an appointment so you can take back control of your life.

Find out more about the importance of spinalhealthweek.org.au to you and your family and how to improve overall spinal health and wellbeing.