Chiropractor Kiama Downs

What is Sports Chiropractic?

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What is a Sports Chiropractic

 

Sports Chiropractic is a branch of chiropractic that  blends traditional chiropractic methods, with muscle release, dry needling, strapping and exercise rehabilitation.  Sports chiropractors work closely with physiotherapists, sports doctors, and specialist to keep active people active. Sports chiropractors, are trained in the management of neck, back, hip, knee, ankle,  shoulder, elbow,  and wrist injuries.

The association overseeing the professional competency  of sports chiropractor is Sports Chiropractor Australia (SCA).The common thread of all SCA members, is the passion of keeping active Australians active. The vision statement of SCA is.

“To enhance the health of physically active Australians through chiropractic care and to increase integration and cooperation with others in sports healthcare”

2018 Sports Chiropractic Symposium Gold Coast

 

April 2018 saw the gathering of  sports chiropractors, for the 2018 Sports Chiropractic Symposium. The theme for the seminar was assessment, treatment and management of arm wrist and elbow injuries . We where lucky enough to learn from sports chiropractor Ed Trimmings, who is part of olympic gold medalist Valerie Adams consultancy team.

The weekend was the first step in a 3 year process for the  International Federation of Sports Chiropractic (FICS) ICCSP qualification. ICCSP  is the minimum qualification required to be part of a sports chiropractic delegation at an international event such as regional and world championships, the world games or the Olympics.

Both SCA and the International Federation of Sports Chiropractic ensure that there members deliver the highest standards for injury management.

 

 

What is Dry Needling, how is it different to Acupuncture

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Dry needling and acupuncture, the needles look the same, but how are the different? The common denominator between each technique is the very fine needles.That’s where the similarities end.

 

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Acupuncture

 

Acupuncture is  used by practitioners of traditional chinese medicine.  Acupuncture is used to treat a large scope of conditions ranging from infertility  to high blood pressure.

An acupuncturist will determine the positioning the needles your symptoms, based on your complaint.  The needle positioning is determined by 12 meridian pathways. The needles are  placed at specific  meridian points, which correlate to specific body systems and internal organs.

Dry Needling

Dry Needling is the use of acupuncture needles to decrease the tone and tension of muscles and fascia. It is  effective for the treatment and relief of pain associated with musculo-skeletal pain and sports injuries such as low back and neck pain. Dry needling is a technique used by chiropractors and other health professionals.

Dry needling is based on western anatomical and physiological principles. Dry needling has numerous benefits;

  • increase blood flow at site of injury which will increase healing
  • a neurological response which will cause the release of pain inhibiting hormones
  • reducing muscle spasm
  • reducing pain

Dry needling is most effective when is used in conjunction with other treatment techniques, such as chiropractic joint manipulation/ mobilisation, myofascial release and exercise rehabilitation. It is effective for the treatment of tension headaches, neck pain low back pain, sciatica and sports injuries.

Vaughn Bolack- Fluid Chiropractic

Do All Chiropractors Use The Same Treatment Techniques?

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Do All Chiropractors Use the same treatment Techniques?

 

No, no and no. There are literally thousands of chiropractic techniques out there that chiropractors can learn to aid in the diagnose and treatment of  neuromusculo-skeletal conditions.

A common thread between all chiropractors in Australia, is the 5 years university training, necessary to become a registered chiropractor and a primary health care professional. Once graduated however Chiropractors can choose out of thousands of different techniques to aid there existing skill set.

The  techniques used by chiropractors depend largely on their treatment philosophy. At Fluid Chiropractic, we use a variety techniques that aim to increase joint movement and range of motion.  To do this a combination  of joint mobilisation, manipulation, muscle stretching and dry needling can be used. This combination of techniques is referred to as diversified practitioner within the profession. Examples of other common chiropractic  technique systems include Gonstead, Sacral-Occipital Techique and Applied Kinesiology

 

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Joint mobilisation, is the use of gentle stretching movements and resistance, applied specifically to stiff joints, that can increase joint movement and decrease muscle stiffness. Osteopaths refer to joint mobilisations as muscle energy techniques, however they essentially the same method and have the same result and joint movement and muscle tone. More information on other chiropractic techniques can be found on this link https://fluidchiropractic.com.au/services/chiropractic/.

Common to all chiropractor is the knowledge to accurately diagnose and manage musculo-skeletal conditions, including both spinal and sports injuries.

 

 

Is my Neck causing my Headaches?

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Causes of Headaches

Headaches are often multi-factorial in cause. Neck stiffness, stress, hormones, dehydration, foods can all be triggers that can lead to headaches. The most common type of headache seen in Fluid Chiropractic is cervico-genic or tension headache.

Cervico-genic and tension headaches are caused by stiffness and dysfunction in the joints and muscles of the neck. See the nerves from the upper neck communicate with the nerves of the face and skull. Muscle Tightness and poor joint movement from the neck and jaw can refer pain to the head and skull and can be felt as a headache.

Signs that your neck is causing your headaches are:
– Neck movement aggravates your headache
– Headache is eased by pressure at the base of the skull
– On the days away from your desk, the headaches are lighter.

How Can Fluid Chiropractic Help?

The first step is to accurately diagnose your headaches. If the cause is not  joint or muscle related we will send you off to your GP for further examination. Otherwise we will provide a treatment plan, that  uses a variety of techniques, including:
– Mobilisation of stiff joints
– Headache relief exercises
– Dry needling to improve muscle flexibility
– Postural and ergonomic advice

Vaughn Bolack- Chiropractor

What Is Arthritis

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What is Arthritis?

Arthritis is often referred to as a single disease. In fact, it is an umbrella term for more than 100 medical conditions that affect the musculo-skeletal system, specifically joints where two or more bones meet.

Arthritis-related problems include pain, stiffness, inflammation and damage to joint cartilage (the tissue that covers the ends of bones, enabling them to move against each another) and surrounding structures. This can result in joint weakness, instability and deformities that can interfere with the most basic daily tasks such as walking, driving a car and preparing food.

There is a widely held belief that arthritis is simply a consequence of age, the pain of growing old. But it is not a natural part of ageing. In fact 2.4 million of all people suffering from the disease are of working age.

Research suggests that early intervention can delay the onset of the disease and may reduce the number of cases of osteoarthritis by about 500,000 within 15 years.

How Can Chiropractic Help?

As Arthritis is a joint problem, increasing joint movement can be achieved by using techniques such as joint mobilisation, stretching, dry needling and muscle release Increasing joint movement is important for imbibing healthy movement promoting nutrients into the joints and intervertebral discs. It also promotes the movement of synovial fluid within the joint. Synovial fluid acts as a lubricant for the joint surfaces, allowing smoother movement and healthier joints.

With Osteoarthritis joint movement becomes reduced. Chiropractic treatment focus on creating movement in stiff vertebral joints. As well as helping with movement, it helps with the imbibing of synovium within the joint capsules, and stimulate pain inhibiting chemical from the brain.

What Can You  Do? 

Move, move move and move some more. Healthy joints love to move, it provides lubrication and nourishment to joints, as well improving emotional well-being. Regular chiropractic can improve your joint movement and health, and regular exercise such as, yoga, pilates, swimming, walking surfing, cycling, weights all help to improve joint health and manage the pain caused by arthritis.

 

More information can also be found on the arthritis website  http://www.arthritisaustralia.com.au/

 

Vaughn Bolack- Chiropractor

Welcome to The Fluid Chiropractic Kiama Website

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Welcome to The  Fluid Chiropractic Kiama Website

Hi , welcome to our website, if your here your probably have some sort of pain or injury and looking for some relief.  Secondly your probably wondering what is  Fluid Chiropractic Kiama.  Fluid Chiropractic is a Kiama based chiropractic business run by Chiropractor Vaughn Bolack.

With a focus on spinal pain and sports injuries, we utilise a number of safe and gentle techniques ranging from joint manipulation and mobilisation to dry needling and exercise rehabilitation to get you moving again . Our approach to treatment draws on techniques used  by Chiropractors, Osteopaths, Physiotherapists and massage therapists

Don’t be fooled by the name, Fluid Chiropractic Kiama is not a new chiropractic technique involving liquid. Rather the name refers to fluid movement. Fluid movement is what we aim to restore (after reducing pain!), and maintain with all our patients.

We work at 2 locations; On Monday, Tuesdays and Thursdays you will find us at the home based clinic in Kiama Downs. On Wednesdays we work from ‘Central Health Kiama’. The contact details are the same for both clinics.

 

We hope to see you there.

 

Vaughn Bolack- Chiropractor