10 Body Facts And How Osteopathy Can Help

Did you know…..?

1. Your brain uses 20% of the oxygen that enters your bloodstream and makes up just 2% of your body mass. It is important to have a well-functioning diaphragm to maximise oxygen intake, with minimal effort. When your diaphragm is dysfunctional then your body starts to rely on its accessory breathing muscles (in the side and front of the neck) to do more work which can cause muscle tightness and pain in the upper back, across the shoulders and neck.  Our Osteopaths can improve breathing pattern disorders to have you breathing easy again.
2. Sneezes can clock up to 160 km/hr and coughing up to 95 km/hr. Single or repeated sneezing or coughing can result in painful ribs or a sore back or neck.  We become most susceptible in times of poor posture, fatigue or when affected by colds and flu. Our Osteopaths can restore your rib and breathing function, which can improve your posture, energy and accelerate your recovery from colds or flu.
3. We are around 1cm taller in the morning than in the evening. This is due to the compression of the cartilage between our bones that comes with standing, sitting and other activities throughout the day.  This is a great reason to keep moving throughout the day and also regularly perform stretches.  Our Osteopaths at Head 2 Toe can advise you on an individualised stretching program that you can perform at home.
4. You use around 200 muscles in one single step…more than your leg muscles. Walking is a complex set of movements involving all of the foot, leg, gluteal and hip muscles to propel you forward and dozens more that help to stabilise you and keep you balanced and upright while you take those steps. These include all of your core muscles, the postural muscles of your back and also your neck that keeps your head in the correct position. Often we see how a small problem with one or two muscles can completely alter your gait or walking pattern, and we go to work to resolve this and restore your function.
5. 25% of our bones are in our hands and feet. These areas are often overworked, neglected and often overlooked. Our Osteopaths treat many conditions of the hands and feet including Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, plantar fasciitis, sporting injuries of the feet, ankle sprains, torn ligaments and muscles.
6. The longest muscle in the human body is the Sartorius.  This narrow muscle of the thigh passes down and across the front of the thigh to help rotate the leg to a cross legged seated position.  It was known as the tailor’s muscle due to the traditional cross-legged seated position of tailors at work.
7. Injuries like whiplash where the head is suddenly jerked backward and/or forward often significantly affects the neck and also puts strain on spinal ligaments. Longitudinal ligaments of spine run all the way from occiput (base of the skull) down to the sacrum (base of the spine). This means that a neck injury like a whiplash can disrupt the lower back and other areas of the body. Our Osteopaths believe that every part interacts together and treat the body in a holistic way, often addressing issues distant to the site of your injury or pain.
8. The largest muscle in the human body is the Gluteus Maximus. Due to increasing sedentary lifestyles, most of us are sitting on these muscles more than using them correctly. This can lead to weakness in the gluteal muscles and imbalances of the pelvic and lower back muscles that can cause pain in these regions. Your Osteopath can devise a personalised exercise plan to strengthen these important muscles.
9. It takes twice as long to lose new muscle if you stop working out than it did to gain it in the first place. That’s a little motivation to keep moving and exercising in these cold winter months, so keep moving and keep your muscle tone, strength and stability to reduce your chance of injury and pain.  Our Osteopaths routinely provide advice on what type of exercise would be most appropriate for you or your own personal stretching program.

There are many ways that our Osteopaths at Head 2 Toe can support your needs.  We are passionate about maximising the function of your body and providing you with the skills and knowledge to maintain your own health.  If you would like to take a step towards greater comfort and health and improved performance, contact us now.

Written by Nina Lawson is currently studying Osteopathy at University of Southern Cross and is a receptionist at Head 2 Toe Health, a multidisciplinary clinic in Brisbane also providing Acupuncture, Massage, Life Coaching and Counselling – where we aim to get you as well as possible, as fast as possible, permanently.  We believe in a thorough approach to restoring and maintaining health and address many aspects of our lifestyles that can contribute to pain, stiffness, dis-ease and disease.  For any further information, please contact us on info@head2toehealth.com.au or 07) 3208 8308