IS YOUR SPINE IN LINE ?
Posture Pro Calculates Your Posture Number, and reveals the areas of stress
through your neck, spine, hips and knees, and estimates future Skeletal Distortions.  It can also estimate the additional strain a backpack or schoolbag places on the spine.

Many people see us for treatment of neck, back, shoulder and hip pain, but what many people don't realise is the often common link between all these injuries, which is posture - or more precisely poor posture.  In fact it is estimated that up to 90% of the population have a forward head on neck posture - this doesn't make it normal, but highlights how big a problem poor posture has become.
 

What is Posture ?
Your posture is the relative positioning of your body parts in relation to each other and plays an important role in how efficiently your body functions and what stresses are placed on your joints and muscles. 
Ideal posture in the front to back plane should reveal a level head, shoulders and pelvis.  When looking at the side view, a plumbline should pass through the ear, centre of the shoulder and hip, and just in front of the bony bump on the outer ankle joint.  Common signs of posture issues include:

• a tilt to one side (possible scoliosis)
• rounded shoulders
• forward positioning of head on neck
• uncomfortable feeling that 'hips are out of place'
• increased Q Angle (the angle between pelvis, thigh bone and the lower leg)
• tendency to favour one side when squatting (or in other activities such as relaxing on the sofa, crossing legs etc)
• increased or decreased lordosis (sway back) and kyphosis (rounded upper back)
  
            
  This is a comparison between the ideal posture and
  'poked head' posture - the forward tilt of the head on
  the neck adds additional kilos of strain to the neck.

How does Posture cause pain ?  
If you imagine your head as a bowling ball resting on a broomstick, as you tilt the ball forward it will seem a lot heavier because additional forces are required to hold it in place.  So when you have a forward head on neck posture, you can increase the load placed on your muscles and joints by up to 400%.  This stress can cause muscle tightness, joint stiffness and result in local or referred pain through the head and upper body.  Further, muscles that are held in a prolonged shortened or lengthened position will weaken over time.  Because of this, posture correction must involve in combination, range of motion and stretching exercises as well as targeted strengthening and core stability exercises such as in pilates.
Because the spine compensates, changes in the neck can have wide-reaching implications throughout the lumbar spine and pelvis, not just the neck and shoulders.

ARE YOUR FEET KILLING YOU ?     
GAIT SCAN : The key to Better Health could be right under your Toes  

Before recommending orthotics our physios will first attempt to correct problems with traditional physio techniques and exercises but in certain situations and conditions, or when more conservative methods of treatment have not offered, or are not expected to offer, the desired results, then a GaitScan assessment is recommended.  So, if you have

localised foot pain ?
have heel or arch pain ?
feet or toes that look different (eg hammertoes) ?
calluses or bunions ?
to stand for prolonged periods ?
legs, hips or knees that ache?
back pain or neck pain ?

Then it is quite possible that your feet could be the problem.   Your feet have a direct impact on the rest of your body.  Like the foundations of a house, they support the weight of everything above them.  When a small problem develops in your feet, a subtle change in the way you walk will cause a chain reaction of adjustments in your posture and walking mechanics.  These changes can put stress on joints higher up in your body, and lead to more serious problems.

How do I know if I have a foot problem ?
The symptoms of poor foot mechanics can include any of the  above, so help your health care practitioner by discussing any nagging foot, leg, or back problems, and ask whether your feet could be part of the problem.

At LifeForce health solutions we can help you get to the bottom of your foot problem by using a variety of physiotherapy techniques including hands-on therapies such as mobilisations, electrotherapy or acupuncture to assist with pain relief, and prescription of exercises and stretches to address biomechanical dysfunctions.  Our Remedial Massage Therapists can also help with soft tissue release, Reflexology or Bowen Therapy. 

About GaitScan
Because your foot contact with the ground is about 0.8 of a second when walking and 0.25 seconds when running the 4,000 plus sensors in the GaitScan pressure plate give our physios more accurate information about your feet than is possible to detect with the naked eye.

Why have a GaitScan Assessment ?
The GaitScan reports tell your physio a lot about your feet because GaitScan maps foot pressure during the various phases of the walking cycle, helping them target their treatments and exercises more specifically - 'a picture is worth a thousand words'.  However, occasionally manual therapies will not resolve a condition entirely, especially if the problem is more advanced.  In such cases your physio may prescribe orthotics.

Why use Orthotics ?
Properly made orthotics are custom moulded to the support requirements of your feet.  They help restore the normal balance and alignment of your body by gently correcting foot abnormalities.  Orthotics gently reduce problems associated with pressure points, muscle strain and abnormal forces on the ankles, knees, hips and spine. 

Over time, custom orthotics support your feet and bring you relief from fatigue and pain, allowing you to enjoy daily activities comfortably.

Fascinating Foot Facts

1. 25% of the bones in your body are in your feet (206 in the human skeleton and 26 in each foot).
2. The average person takes 8,000-10,000 steps per day.
3. The average person will walk over 725,000 kms in their lifetime, or the equivalent of 4 trips around the world !
4. Women have four times as many foot problems compared to men - wearing fashionable high-heeled, ill-fitting footwear is the main reason for this.
5. More than 75% of people will experience foot problems in their lifetime.