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Kegels are great but…they’re only 50% of the story

As essential as good Italian takeaway? Particularly if at some point, in the very obscurely distant future, you had for a split second pondered the idea of becoming pregnant. And don’t get me started on menopause, because if you had not started an Olympic level Kegel training regime by then you were definitely “a goner”. Well…what if I told you that Kegels were not the whole story? What if I told you that there was a little bit of technique involved in a “squeeze”? Or that some ...

Traveler’s Diarrhoea: One Way to Ruin a Holiday!

With international borders reopening many people are considering, or even booking, an overseas holiday. Traveler’s Diarrhoea is one of the most common illnesses experienced by people who travel overseas. It’s a generic term that covers anything from a mild stomach upset and loose poo, to severe vomiting and diarrhoea. It’s mostly a self-limiting illness that clears up in a few days. The good news is you can take steps to prevent it, and manage symptoms should they occur. While tropical and...

Let’s talk about sex baby and when it’s actually just…impossible?

What a grand old time that would be! For some though, that is just not the case. There are so many reasons why people with vulvas can’t have sex, despite wanting to, and a whole posse of professionals out there who can help you with this. From sexual counsellors to sexologists, gynecologists, and women’s health-focused GPs; they all play their role. This, however, is a story about how a pelvic floor physio can help you....

Guide to Pantry Essentials – recommendations from Jocelyn Carter, Naturopath, Nutritionist and Herbalist

Dried beans/pulses like borlotti beans, chickpeas, black beans, lentils and moong dahl. Dried beans can be soaked overnight and cooked the next day. Beans/pulses are a great source of protein and fibre, which helps slow glucose absorption and keeps blood glucose levels stable. Dried beans/pulses can be used to make lots of delicious meals e.g beans and rice, and dahl, or pulses can be added to a meat based casserole.Rice – I have brown rice, black rice, white rice, red rice and wild rice, as w...

Aromatherapy 101

It seems everybody is into aromatherapy these days. Almost everywhere you turn, there is someone selling essential oils and they are often full of advice on how to use them. But can you trust that advice? How do you know that you are getting the best information to use oils in a safe and effective way? The truth is essential oils are very powerful. They have amazing therapeutic benefits; but just as with other treatments, they need to be used with respect. After all many of our most powerful med...

LIFT into fighting cancer and SMOOTH into fighting its side-effects

For the past 50years, the focus of cancer research has been on treatment and secondly prevention … as it should be!  But with a rapidly growing population both living with and in remission from cancer, a new focus has developed;...

De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis

There are two tendons at the back of your thumb called the APL and EPB (with the unreasonably long names of Adductor Pollicis Longus and Extensor Pollicis Brevis) . These tendons travel through a little tunnel in the back of thumb and connect to the muscles in the forearm. When these two tendons are working harder than normal, they start to rub on the inside of the tunnel, which can make them angry and inflamed.  When this continues, the tendons can even grow in response, which makes the tu...

A Spotlight on Arthritis and Exercise this April

As we age, there often comes a period of time where we begin to experience unprovoked pain, discomfort or swelling in our joints primarily in the knees, hips, fingers and toes. This can often be a sign of Osteoarthritis (OA)....

Everything you’ve wanted to know about Endometriosis from a Women’s Health Physio

Endometriosis (from here on in, let’s call it Endo because nicknames are the Australian way!) is a term you might hear thrown around a lot in the month of March.That’s because March is Endometriosis Awareness Month. But what is the nitty-gritty of this super common condition that affects 1-in-10 Aussie women and is currently incurable? Why is it so damn hard to get a diagnosis? And why can two women, both with Endo, have such different symptoms? Well, strap yourself in my friend, you’re ab...

Endometriosis

Endometriosis is an insidious female reproductive disease. Statistics indicate that around 10% of women in Australia will suffer from endometriosis at some time in their life. It can take 7-12 years to diagnose; the delay in diagnosis leading to years of pain and discomfort. Why some women develop endometriosis is not fully understood. One theory is that it may relate back to embryonic development. Another theory is that it is related to retrograde menstrual flow. ...

What is Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)?

BPPV is the most common vestibular disorder that causes vertigo. Symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and light headedness may also be present. Episodes of vertigo typically last less than a minute. It is triggered by changes in head movements such as rolling over or getting in or out of bed, bending over, looking up or down, standing up suddenly or climbing up and down ladders. BPPV occurs when calcium carbonate crystals (otoconia) break free from the utricle (sensory organ) in the inner ear and f...

Walking the walk

Being born and bred in Canberra, I love a good stroll! But as the year is getting started and life begins to get hectic, it’s difficult to get in the habit of regular exercise every week. Walking is one of the easiest and cheapest forms of exercise and really enjoyable if you know how to do it right. So without further ado, let’s talk about the who, what, when, where and why’s so you can get going today!...

Fibre – The Key to a Healthy Gut and a Healthy You!

Over the past 5-10 years research into the human gut microbioime has increased exponentially. While we continue to learn more about our gut bugs, one thing experts agree on is that a diet high in a variety of plant fibre is essential to having a health gut microbiome, a healthy gut, and a healthy you....

Stay Healthy and Have Fun this Christmas/New Year

2020 has been a challenging year! We are now at the end of it, and so our attention turns to the festive season. While we probably won’t be  filling our diaries with parties, get togethers with friends, and social events with work colleagues, we will be attending events to celebrate the season, and the end of the year.  There will be situations where you are faced with making good choices about what your are eating and drinking, and in some cases there won’t be good choices av...

How to keep your boobs happy this World Breastfeeding Week Blog Post

Let me begin by introducing myself …. My name is Lara and I treat inflammatory conditions of the lactating breast (what a mouth full right!?, let’s call it ICLB for short). ICLB AKA mastitis AKA blocked ducts is a condition where milk is forced from inside the milk duct, to outside the duct and into the surrounding tissue. When milk goes rogue like this it creates inflammation and occasionally this can also lead to infection. Let’s break it down: Milk INSIDE the duct = happy boobsMilk...

The Unglamorous Guide for a 1% Easier Postpartum Period

The immediate postpartum period is a rush of pride, pain, love, hormones, new identities and again … a constantly changing body. Below are some unglamorous tips from a pelvic floor physio to give you a 1% easier ride through this beautiful, messy journey....

Train like a Woman Blog Post

How frustrating is it when you can’t gain momentum in your training program? One week you have loads of energy, training hard, eating right, and it’s like the next BAMM! You are getting food cravings, feeling lethargic, no energy and struggling to get to the gym. It is so hard to see results when you are constantly yoyoing between feeling good and feeling ‘off’. There are two things you need to know about your body before you get discouraged. ...

Staying Healthy During Lockdown Blog Post

Tip 1: Daily exercise. As simple as it sounds, getting outside and going for a 30 minute walk is not only beneficial for our physical state, but has also been shown to improve mood. And if we have discovered one thing about lockdown, it is that looking after our mood is key for not only our own happiness, but the happiness of everyone else we live with!...

Building Immune System Resilience Blog Post

Over the past 5-10 years research into the human gut microbioime has increased exponentially. While we continue to learn more about our gut bugs, one thing experts agree on is that a diet high in a variety of plant fibre is essential to having a health gut microbiome, a healthy gut, and a healthy you....

Myths and Mistruths About Concussion

Let’s talk about commonly held concussion myths and mistruths: Concussion is an ever-growing field of knowledge and because of this, everything we know about it is constantly undergoing some sort of change. To help you all stay up to date, here are the top three myths I hear on a regular basis that just are simply not true....