Category: Blog

We previously did a brief writeup introducing kinesiology (or kinesio) taping. However, in this post, we shall go into a little more detail explaining further how kinesio taping can be used as an effective mode of treatment, especially in the realms of sports physical therapy and manual therapy.   Background on Kinesio Taping Just to give some background, kinesio taping was developed by a licensed chiropractor from the United States (US) called Dr. Kenzo Kase. Dr. Kase developed the kinesio taping method in the 1970s to fill a void in the treatment options that were available during that time. The method employs kinesio tex tape, a type of therapeutic tape designed to work in harmony with the body’s natural movements and support recovery. The popularity of the use of kinesio taping grew after the extensive media coverage during the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. Now, you can find athletes across most sporting codes using kinesio taping during their events.     Benefits of Kinesio Taping So, how does kinesio taping effectively benefit a Practice Member here at Spinefit Chiropractic? Decompresses an area of swelling and inflammation By using the kinesio tape, it has been noted to have a microscopic lifting effect underneath the skin and between the skin’s many layers. This action supports the circulatory system in clearing the by-products of inflammation, thereby relieving pain and reducing swelling. For soft tissue injuries like bruises, kinesiology tape helps decrease pain and accelerates recovery. Delays fatigue Research has shown that kinesio tex tape positively influences the sensory nervous system, which helps lessen pain and muscle fatigue. When used during rehabilitation, the kinesio tape can not only help the parts of your body that are currently hurting but also for the surrounding muscle areas that may not be working as well. Normalises muscle tone...

Yes, this post is a little delayed but we’re still within the month of October! If you didn’t know, World Spine Day happens every year on the 16th of October. It’s the 5th year running and this year, the theme is “Straighten Up and Move”! World Spine Day started with the sole purpose of raising awareness of spinal health and/or disorders that could effect individuals and communities. World Spine Day also highlights the important role a chiropractor and physiotherapist play to support effected individuals and communities. This years’ theme is such a great theme especially for us Malaysians who lead very sedentary lives, where we spend a lot of our waking hours sitting down. Long commutes, desk-bound jobs and our unhealthy eating habits do not help us at all as Malaysians. It is important to maintain a healthy spinal posture and remain active as it promotes body awareness and helps to minimise daily wear and tear of a person’s spine. For many, spinal health often gets overlooked as poor posture and the lack of activity rarely gives rise to any signs and symptoms during its initial stages. Unfortunately, by the time the signs and symptoms start to show, the health of the spine has deteriorated to the point where a lot of work would need to be done in order to reverse it. Delaying the care of your spine could result in high recovery and rehabilitation costs. Some of the signs and symptoms of a potentially unhealthy spine could include, low back pain, neck pain, headaches, scoliosis and disc disease. Spinal pain and disability can greatly effect an individuals’ quality of life especially when it prevents them from being able to function effectively at work, performing simple daily activities or causing them to be immobile. So if you are reading this and...

This article follows on from our previous post where we introduced what scoliosis is and shared briefly how we manage scoliosis here at Spinefit. In this article, we want to share how we use active rehabilitation and physiotherapy to manage scoliosis. This is an alternative for individuals who do not want to undergo invasive surgery and whose scoliotic curve is still within the manageable range. However, there may be instances where spinal bracing may be recommended in addition to an individuals’ overall programme should their scoliotic curve be severe. At Spinefit we promote FOUR (4) phases of active rehabilitation and physiotherapy to help with the management of an individuals’ scoliosis. These four phases are:   PHASE 1: Injury/Pain Alleviation Each individual who has scoliosis is unique and their degree of scoliotic curve varies. As such, not everyone with scoliosis will experience pain or discomfort. However, even if an individual does not experience any pain or discomfort, the treatments and programmes we recommend can still be beneficial towards better management of scoliosis. These treatments may include a combination of chiropractic adjustments, manual therapy to release tight muscles, supportive postural taping, hot/cold pack application, passive stretching and also postural correction exercises. Of course, depending on the severity of the condition, the combination of treatments will vary and this is usually determined after the initial consultation with our team of chiropractic doctors and rehab specialists. PHASE 2: Recovering/Rectifying Imbalances (Stretching and Strengthening) When an individuals’ condition stabilises, the team will then begin to focus on regaining the flexibility of the spine. In order to get the spine flexible again, the individual would undergo a series of active rehabilitation exercises to help stretching out and strengthening the weak muscles. Muscle stretching and strengthening is important at this stage as the muscles surrounding the spine are often tight and weak. These muscle imbalances are common in individuals who have...

What is a Foam Roller Exercise? Foam rollers come in various colours, densities, lengths and designs. The most common ones are the short, cylindrical-shaped rolls often found at gyms or studios. Some options, like textured foam rollers, are designed to target deeper tissue layers. Foam rolling is a form of self-myofascial release (SMR) stretching technique. As mentioned earlier, it can be included in a person’s cooling down or stretching routine after a workout.   What is a Trigger Point? To give some background, our body is covered with soft tissue called fascia, and it covers every structure of our body, including muscles, organs, nerves, and blood vessels. The fascia that covers explicitly our muscles is called myofascial. When the myofascial is stressed from overuse or trauma, it can tear and adhere together. These adhesions are called “trigger points” and can prevent a muscle from working well. Trigger points often increase muscle stiffness, leading to a decreased range of motion. Trigger points restrict blood flow throughout the muscle fiber, starving the tissue of oxygen and its essential nutrients. These restrictions cause a buildup of metabolic waste and toxins around the trigger points, resulting in muscle tightness, delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), and even intense pain.   What are the Benefits of Foam Rolling? Using a foam roller brings relief to tight muscles. Foam rolling helps break up the adhesions and trigger points to speed up the healing and recovery. Using a foam roller perpendicular to the muscle fibers can help reduce muscle tension and improve flexibility. When you roll slowly over the trigger points, the body’s natural response to pressure causes the muscles to relax. Foam rolling can help alleviate muscle knots around areas like the shoulder blades or the left knee. Applying sustained pressure to tighter muscles, such as slowly...

One of our team members have recently become a father. Besides the lack of sleep, he has also unfortunately developed a poor posture due to the feeding and carrying. Over time, Keith developed some numbness and tingling radiating down one of his arms. It all started when he was reaching for something over head, which then caused an immediate muscle spasm. After relaying his condition with the rest of the team, the initial working diagnosis was for a tight subscapularis muscle due to the poor posture. One of the rehab specialist pin pointed the area that might’ve caused the muscle to spasm and initiated some rehab exercises to help ease the muscle tightness. Keith did have some chiropractic adjustments on top of his rehab sessions, but the numbness and tingling still was present. During one of his chiropractic sessions, Keith was asked to do some tests to determine if there might be some nerve impingement that might be causing the numbness and tingling. He was later referred to undergo an Xray to confirm the team’s diagnosis. At Spinefit, we do not refer our practice members to undergo an Xray unless it is absolutely necessary and crucial for the team to know exactly how severe the condition is. In the Xray, it also showed that Keith might’ve had a whiplash in the past. This was confirmed when he mentioned he did have a cycling accident a few years ago. Once the team was satisfied with what they saw on the Xray, Keith was immediately treated with daily spinal decompression for his neck over the next couple of weeks. With the spinal decompression treatment, Keith immediately saw an improvement to his condition. Over the course of the treatment, the numbness and tingling began to reduce with noticeable difference. Chiropractic treatments were also targeted specifically to the area of concern. By the end of...

In our latest article, we have our newest member to the Spinefit team, Ms. Gervince Chai to share her thoughts on the myths and facts to stretching. Should stretching be performed before or after a workout? The answer is a definite ‘YES’! Now that you know how important it is, it is also good to understand that there are two types of stretching. They are called dynamic and static stretching.   To give some clarity, dynamic stretching utilises your body momentum to bring forth a stretch which is not held in a static position. In simpler terms, dynamic stretching is “stretching as you are moving” and is usually performed as a warm up prior to the start of an exercise regimen. The theory of dynamic stretching is that it practises moving a muscle group through its available range of movement. So why is dynamic stretching so crucial in preparing your body for movement or even sport performance? By starting your workout with dynamic stretching, it sends nerve signals from your brain to the muscle fibres and connective tissues to be prepared for potential high intensity movement. As your body temperature rises, blood and oxygen will start to flow to the soft tissues.   One other critical point to consider about dynamic stretching is that it is movement specified. This means that the type of dynamic stretches you do, should follow the type of activity or sport you will be doing for that day. For example, if you are a sprinter preparing for a 100 meters sprint, dynamic stretches like high knees, “butt kickers“ and leg swings would work best. What then, is static stretching? Static stretching is a form of stretching where it is done with minimal movement. It is also a form of stretching where you stretch your muscles to a point...

Many times we get asked here in the clinic, “Is there anything specific I can eat to help with my spine and/or joint recovery?” Although we don’t prescribe any kinds of medication as part of our treatment process, there are certain vitamin rich foods we would encourage our practice members to include with their diet. Foods rich in calcium for example, promotes bone health and that, would be a good place to start.   Calcium is crucial in maintaining the necessary level of bone mass to support the structures of the body. The body is constantly using calcium for the heart, blood, muscles and nerves. Calcium is lost through normal bodily processes such as waste and the shedding of hair, fingernails, sweat and skin. If someone does not take enough calcium in their diet to replenish the body’s daily use, the body would start to take calcium away from the bones. This would weaken the bone structures and make them susceptible to fractures. Bone mineral density or BMD, is an assessment of bone density which indicates the strength of bones as defined by calcium content. Low BMD is more predictable with aging and lower weight therefore increasing the risk of fractures and could eventually lead to osteoporosis. It’s important to include calcium into your everyday diet to ensure you are within the healthy BMD range. To find out where you are on the BMD scale, a BMD test can be done at specialist hospitals or orthopaedic centres. Food rich in calcium include dairy products (e.g. yoghurt, cheese, milk), dark green leafy vegetables (e.g. spinach and broccoli), beans/peas (e.g. tofu, peanuts, almonds, beans) and some types of fish (e.g. salmon, sardines), just to name a few. For example, rolled oats or granola together with yoghurt, make a fantastic breakfast option. By adding nuts and/or...

In this blog post, we will share and attempt to give a better understanding of what gout is. You may have come across either friends or family who might have had gout and heard how painful it was for them during that time. Gout occurs when there is excessive build-up of uric acid in a joint and the kidneys cannot get rid of this additional uric acid efficiently. It commonly affects the big toe but it can also occur at the ankles, knees, wrists, elbows or fingers causing acute pain. Symptoms of gout include swelling, redness, warmth, pain and extreme tenderness of the affected joints, as well as chills and fever. Occurrence of gout increases with age and it is more prevalent in men compared to women. The risk of developing gout can be increased if the person is: Overweight Drinks alcohol Over-eats Does not drink enough water Has high blood pressure   Uric acid is also the end product of “purine metabolism” in the body. This is why many people who suffer gout often get it after eating certain foods high in purine. To reduce the occurrence of gout, it is recommended to limit foods such as: Anchovies (ikan bilis) Sardines Offal foods (e.g. liver, kidney, intestines etc.) Stock cubes or gravy (containing monosodium glutamate) Meat and yeast extracts (e.g. Vegemite, Marmite, Bovril) Beer and other alcohol Other practical ways of reducing the risk of developing gout would be to maintain your body within a healthy weight range while making small changes to nutrition and eating habits. Drink plenty of water (minimum 8 glasses per day), reduce or stop your intake of alcohol, reduce salt intake and limit foods high in sugar content (e.g. soft drinks, cakes, chocolates etc.). Regular exercising is strongly advised as this will not only help with maintaining...

Scoliosis is a spinal disorder that often occurs in childhood and adolescences whereby it causes the spine to curve abnormally to one side or the other resembling the letter ‘S’ or ‘C’, when looking from the front. There are many causes for scoliosis but most of the time, it is unknown for an individual. It could be genetic, neuro-muscular disorder or having poor posture. Scoliosis commonly occurs in young females (between ages of 10 to 18 years) but can also be evident in some males. Most scoliotic curves are initially detected during school postural screening exams, by a pediatrician, family doctor, or by a parent. How to detect if someone might have scoliosis is when they show signs such as uneven shoulders, uneven waist or hips, unequal shoulder blade prominence, and unequal leg lengths. As the scoliosis progresses, rib prominence, back pain and breathing difficulties may occur. Health care professionals, like chiropractors often utilize the ‘Adam’s test’ to screen patients for scoliosis. The “Adam’s test” involves getting the patient to bend forward and attempt to touch his/her toes while the examiner observes for a rib hump. However, the patient may be required to have X-rays taken to confirm the diagnosis of scoliosis. So, can scoliosis be treated and are there treatments that can help return the spine back to its normal curve? For mild to moderate cases the scoliosis can be managed conservatively using treatments that include spinal bracing (eg; SpineCor), chiropractic manipulative therapy and corrective exercises. However for severe and progressive curvature cases, corrective surgery may be needed. If left untreated, the scoliotic curve can continue to worsen reaching to a stage where the patient can only achieve minimal results. Here at Spinefit Chiropractic, we take a multi-modal approach to our Practice Members’ scoliosis treatment. This includes manual...

Recently, the WHO (World Health Organisation) released a report citing a higher risk of cancer related to the consumption of red and processed meats. Since then, the report has made its rounds on social media platforms, and some of us on the Spinefit team have even wondered if our days of eating bacon were numbered! With concern regarding the intake of red and processed meats and its association to cancer, we asked in-house nutrition and dietetics practitioner, Vonne Goh, to share her thoughts on the topic: In society nowadays, we tend to eat a fair bit of processed meats – sausages at BBQs, ham, salami and peperoni in sandwiches and pizzas, bacon on Sunday morning are good examples. These processed meats contain a high amount of sodium and are packed with preservatives that are harmful to our body. Red meats such as beef and lamb, on the other hand, don’t deserve the bad reputation as much because they are still a good source of protein and iron and should be eaten as part of a balanced diet. The risk of cancer arises when one eats a large amount of red meat on a daily basis, or is an advocate of “fad diets” that are heavily protein-based. There are, of course, lifestyle changes that can significantly reduce the risk of cancer. These include higher levels of physical activity, consuming foods that are high in fibre to protect against bowel cancer, a diet high in antioxidants and keeping to a healthy weight. So to sum up, when it comes to processed meat, minimise your intake, especially if you are at risk of and have a family history of heart issues and cancer. As for red meat, consume in moderation. If you’d like more information on Vonne’s thoughts above, including details of lifestyle changes you can...