March Newsletter 2014 - Welcome Claire, New Home & Beating Lower Back Pain.

​Message from Mandy
Old New Digs
As most of you know, I am very excited to be in my 5th and final year of Masters in Osteopathy. It has been a long journey and not without its challenges, but I love it and am delighted that I have been able to enhance your treatments as my knowledge grows.

This last year of study involves long hours and as a result I will only be able to treat on Saturdays this year, with the possibility of more during university holidays. In light of this I have decided to move from my current location to allow Nick to best utilise his clinic space. I’m sad to say goodbye to Nick, Raewyn and Tracey at Takapuna Chiropractic as they are such a great team and have been, and continue to be, very supportive of me. However, I am equally excited to be returning to my old home with Anna and Sara, who are just as fabulous. Vital Body is being relocated to 25 Alma Road, Milford from the 1st March 2014.  Many of you will already be familiar with its location, for those who are not; it’s just around the corner with plenty of parking so it will be an easy transition.

Welcome Claire
With my hours being reduced, I have been looking for an equally experienced therapist I trust to look after you. Your care is important to me and I am very excited to welcome Claire Duggan to the team.

I have known and worked with Claire over the years and with 12 years’ experience in massage and neuromuscular therapy, I have no hesitation in recommending her to you (or myself for that matter!). We are already taking bookings for Claire now, so jump online or contact us to secure your appointment.

Good Sort Recipient
I received some incredible nominations for our Good Sort. There is so much love out there for the people in your life, it was humbling to read. It was a hard decision, but I am delighted to let you know we have a winner. Our deserving Good Sort is a mother who despite living with chronic illness, gives back so much to the community. A truly inspiring woman who I am looking forward to treating.


Bucket List Event
In December I received some devastating news from a good friend of mine, who was diagnosed with a terminal illness. In association with Les Mills, Vital Body has organised a fantastic day of massages, train the trainer events and RPM classes at Les Mills Takapuna. All proceeds are going to tick off a bucket-list activity for Wayne. If you are in the area on Friday 21st March, come and support us. It’s going to be a great day, celebrating an exceptional life. Details of the event will be posted our Facebook page.

This Month's Topic
For those of us that have experienced lower back pain (that’s most of us!) you know how miserable and debilitating it can be. This month’s topic is for you and everyone you know that has suffered from it, with some good news about how to treat it.

Cheers
Mandy

The Vital Bits
Lower Back Pain
Lower back pain is the most frequent condition I treat in the clinic, unsurprisingly with most of us experiencing it at some point in our lives. There are many causes of lower back pain including disc, ligament, muscles, nerve and joint disruption. It is important to differentiate what is causing your back pain to establish the treatment appropriate for you. Your therapist will consider all of these by asking appropriate questions and doing relevant tests.
 
I have always known massage was effective in reducing lower back pain based on client responses from my treatments, but now this is strongly supported through research. Massage, specifically trigger point therapy, has been shown to be “superior for pain and function on both short and long-term follow-ups” when compared to physical therapy, acupuncture, joint mobilization and self-care education. So you can rest easy knowing you are doing one of the best things for your back when you book in for a treatment with us! 
 
Reference:
Furlan, A. D., Imamura, M., Dryden, T., & Irvin, E. (2008). Massage for low-back pain.Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 4(4).

Vitality Tips
Caring for Lower Back Pain
Even though you may not feel like it, one of the best things you can do for your back pain is to keep moving and stretching. Following is a couple of tips I have found to be particularly effective.

Gluteal Stretch 
Sitting upright, engage your core and tilt forward using just your pelvis. There should be no movement in your lower back. If you are doing this correctly, you won’t need to tilt far before you really feel the stretch. Aim to hold each stretch for a least one minute, repeating three times on each side as you can throughout the day. There are adaptions to this stretch for those with compromised knees and hips.

Cat Stretch
This stretch helps increase flexibility through the lower back joints, reduce muscle spasm and ease pain.