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In Summary the TL;DR: BIXEPS is a fitness and wellness device that uses the principle of pulsed electromagnetic fields to create magnetic mitohormesis – ‘healthy stress’ on our mitochondria to improve their function in our body. This is important because all cells need mitochondria to generate energy, move, grow, and prevent excessive oxidative stress which leads to accelerated degeneration.  Backed by research, it has been shown to stimulate growth of new mitochondria, increase myokine production, and encourage higher production of ATP/energy in our cells. This results in increased muscle mass, better regulated inflammation for pain, improved recovery times, and better muscle energetics in both elderly and active people. Message Us To Find Out More   BIXEPS is a patented technology by Singapore’s NUS and Switzerland’s ETH Zurich, after years of scientific research into how electromagnetic fields can successfully activate mitochondria in our bodies. We might remember from a distant memory of studying Biology or Science in our youth that mitochondria are known as ‘the powerhouse of the cell’ – but what implications does it have in pain and muscle recovery? Here’s the science behind how BIXEPS works:   Mitochondria are cell organelles that generate chemical energy needed for all parts of our bodies to function. Without oxygen, our lungs and brains would not be able to survive. Without mitochondria generating energy in our bodies, we would not be able to grow, move, and maintain our body functions. These mitochondria are present in nearly ALL cells of our body (with the exception of red blood cells). In our muscles, mitochondria play an important function of maintaining our muscle mass and strength. Declines in skeletal muscle mitochondria play a role in progressive loss of muscle mass and muscle strength as we age, as something called ‘mitochondrial...

We’ve all heard the phrase ‘movement is medicine’. But we tend to forget that ‘the dose makes the poison’! Too much of one medicine can kill a person, just as too little won’t have any impact on an illness or disease. Balance is key but when it comes to our health, it matters a whole lot more. And the same thing applies to movement as well. Too MUCH, as we risk a flare-up of our pain. Too LITTLE, and the loading is not enough to create lasting changes. So what does it mean to have ‘successful movements’ that aid our recovery processes?     Here are 4 themes of successful movements that are guaranteed to progress your healing journey! 1) Have a clear purpose Knowing your END GOAL when starting the rehabilitation journey to get out of pain is just as important as knowing HOW the pain started. All chiropractic adjustments and rehab exercises MUST fulfill the criterias to get you to where you want to be: Planned after a complete assessment of what is causing the pain/movement restriction Explained to you so that you have a complete understanding of what is going on and how recovery will look like Follows a common goal and purpose so that both you AND your clinician are on the same page, having the same expectations, and working towards the same goals! 2) Focused on value instead of hype Lots of things are hyped up. Even dry needling services, which we DO provide here. But guess what? Not everyone needs dry needling. Not everyone needs that fancy cryotherapy machine. Not everyone needs kinesiotape.  We focus on value – what you actually need, you get. 3) The strength of a movement is NOT in large attempts, but small groups It’s not always in the...

Mr. S, a 67 year old man, came in last year complaining of left shoulder pain that was causing him to have difficulty turning his neck, as well as lifting up his shoulder to do his daily activities. The main difficulty that he was having was actually putting his arm through his shirt sleeve as he ‘had done for the past 50 years of his life’!  When we did an assessment, it was quite clear that it was a frozen shoulder: Limited active movement of his left shoulder and pain pulling down the biceps, especially trying to lift it beyond 90 degrees A classic ‘hitching’ or hiking of his left shoulder whenever he attempted lifting up the arm, due to poor movement of the shoulder joint and shoulder blade Inability to put his left hand behind his back, with a sharp and pulling pain when attempting it Passive movement of his shoulder was limited when testing for rotation (A classic sign of frozen shoulder is loss of range in rotation, either actively and passively) In addition to that, he was also a long-term smoker and diabetic, which are risk factors for developing frozen shoulder conditions (1). His pain and stiffness had also been increasing the past 3 months which is in line with the first phase of frozen shoulder (2). Treatment 1 – Manual Therapy As mentioned in our previous blog post talking about the different treatment options of frozen shoulder, manual therapy is one of the recommendations according to UKFROST guidelines for frozen shoulder conditions. These manual therapy techniques are called shoulder mobilisations. It involves the therapist placing their hands on the frozen shoulder and gripping it in a stable way, then applying pressure in different directions to encourage movement of the stiff joint.    An example of...

Frozen shoulder is a condition that unfortunately affects females more than males, usually appearing in the 40s to 50s age range, and can happen insidiously (suddenly without any reason) or after a trauma to the shoulder, like a fall. If you find that your shoulder has had a period of pain with increasing stiffness to the point that it is now difficult to lift you arm or scratch your back, you just might be dealing with a frozen shoulder. We have covered what frozen shoulder, or adhesive capsulitis, is in our conditions page and this article will talk a little more about whether frozen shoulder is best treated by chiropractic or physiotherapy care!  Does a chiropractor help with frozen shoulder? Ultimately, yes. A chiropractor can help with treating a frozen shoulder, and perhaps not in the way that you might expect. When it comes to this condition, we know that one of the hallmark signs is the inability to raise and rotate your shoulder (i.e. putting it behind your back to hook your bra, or reaching out to grab something from an overhead shelf). However, we also forget that this movement does not just involve the shoulder joint. It also involves your neck and midback. Our shoulder blade, or scapula, lies on top of your ribcage which is connected to your midback (or thoracic spine). As your shoulder blade moves on top of the ribcage, it requires adequate mobility of your midback to achieve the entire range of motion.  Comparing the two skeletons, you will realise that the first guy (Skeleton A) is able to reach up higher than the second skeleton (Skeleton B) in front of him. What is the difference between the two of them? Skeleton A is actually able to extend and straighten his spine better...

In the past month, we’ve talked quite a bit about vertigo, how vestibular therapy can help with vertigo, migraines, or dizziness, and also about how chiropractic care can help with recovery in such vertigo cases. Today, we’ll go through a real life case study of the ups & downs that can happen with someone suffering from vertigo as it often is not a straightforward journey!  Vertigo in a 53-year-old Female Mrs G, a 53-year-old female came in October 2021 complaining of dizziness the past week without any reason (insidious onset). Dix-Hallpike test was POSITIVE on the left side (read more about some clinical tests to diagnose vertigo here!) but there did not seem to be any other aggravating factors.  Ruling out any head injuries, blood pressure issues, and also the fact that she had been complaining of a very stiff neck in the past week, we proceeded with chiropractic treatment. Initial Treatment Treatment administered focused on vertigo treatment positions through the Epley’s manoeuvre and also on soft tissue release for the muscles around the neck. Once the neck stiffness was relieved, chiropractic adjustments were given to the neck and midback to relieve joint stiffness as well. After 2 sessions of similar treatment, she was feeling better and the dizziness had reduced to about 50%. However, she still mentioned that there were moments where her nausea increased during exercise and that she was having difficulty falling asleep. Considering that Epley’s manoeuvre is extremely effective in the case of a true BPPV (success rates range from 72%-92% after the initial application of Epley’s manoeuvre within the first 1 week), it would seem that Mrs G’s case of vertigo had other underlying factors.  Her third session was with our physiotherapist who taught her eye movement exercises to help with eye-gaze stability (this...

When someone hits their head, we often hear the word ‘concussion’ thrown around. People will often advise us to check with a doctor to see if we are suffering from a concussion, but how exactly is a concussion diagnosed and how do we know if we have it? An even more urgent question is, what should we do if we suspect that we have a concussion? This article will serve as a concise and straightforward guide to those questions and give you the immediate answers you need. What is a concussion? Concussion is a form of traumatic brain injury that causes a disturbance in brain activity. It commonly happens as a result of an accident or sports injury.   There are 2 ways in which one has a high risk of getting a concussion: First mechanism – Being hit directly over the head, as seen in contact sports like rugby or boxing. Our brains are not free-moving inside our skulls. They are encased by three thin membranes called ‘meninges’ which function to protect the brain from trauma by absorbing shock forces. In between the meninges, fluid called ‘cerebrospinal fluid’ flows which also helps to cushion against any sudden impact. The combination of these two brain coverings, the meninges and cerebrospinal fluid, helps to anchor our brain within the hard skull and stops it from moving around whenever we turn our heads (or go to a Metallica concert!). When something heavy hits our head, like a rugby ball at high velocity or a boxer’s fist, it can be impactful enough to cause our brain to move despite the presence of these protective casings. The force of the brain colliding against the hard casing of our inner skull can cause a compression to the brain, injuring it where the force was...

What Are Some of the Causes of Vertigo? Have you ever felt your head or everything else around you is spinning? It is likely that you are experiencing a symptom called vertigo. Vertigo is commonly caused by problem of balance from the inner ear called vestibular system. The causes of vertigo may include benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), severe migraines, neuritis, disturbance of the neck muscles, interference with your sympathetic nerves, or vascular conditions such as atherosclerosis. When you have vertigo, some symptoms include feeling like the room is spinning and unbalanced with abnormal jerky eye movements (nystagmus). You may feel worse when you stand up, walk, or move your head around. Some more severe types of vertigo can trigger nauseated feelings, vomiting, headaches, sweating (cold sweats), or ringing in the ears (tinnitus).   What’s The Difference Between Vertigo and Dizziness? Dizziness is a general, non-specific term referring a sense of disorientation including light headedness, while vertigo is a subtype of dizziness and refer to mismatch between vestibular, visual and somatosensory system.  This means that dizziness is the umbrella term for all conditions that can cause such symptoms, and vertigo is a condition that falls under this umbrella.  While the causes of dizziness are far and varied (ranging from medication use, to vertigo-related disorders, or even to lack of nutrition), causes of vertigo are usually limited to certain vestibular and visual causes.   Can A Chiropractor Make Vertigo Worse? To answer the question of, “Will my vertigo get worse after chiropractic treatments?”, we need to identify the cause of your vertigo and understand if it is something treatable by chiropractic care. Before chiropractic treatment, our chiropractor will evaluate and check the cause of your vertigo.  Vertigo caused by BPPV (crystals becoming dislodged in your semicircular ear canals) or neuromusculoskeletal...

A*, a 27 year old male, walked in the clinic and immediately said he has a shoulder separation. “Not a shoulder dislocation, because shoulder dislocation pops out of the socket and drops downwards, but the opposite of it. Mine pops up and there’s a bump on my shoulder. I googled; I have a shoulder separation.” Now, if you had to look up what a shoulder separation is, don’t worry. So did I – and found that a ‘shoulder separation’ is what we in the healthcare field call ‘Acromioclavicular (AC) joint instability’. A ‘shoulder separation’ is what happens when the ligaments around the shoulder joint are unable to stabilise the joint during movements. This could be due to a fall or a direct injury to the shoulder and the ligaments never got the chance to heal properly, which is what happened with A’s case. 4 years ago he was playing handball, tripped, and landed on his right shoulder. He felt a bump and his shoulder “popped” upwards, and he could not move his arm immediately after. Acupuncture was done for about 2 months, but his shoulder has never felt as stable since. Plus, there have been recurrent episodes of “popping” over the years and many forms of disturbances in his daily life like difficulty reaching out to get his parking ticket, disruption of his boxing classes (shoulder keeps popping out), and stopping pull ups at the gym. First Visit  The first thing was to rule out any serious injuries or anything else that would necessitate further investigations (ie: X-Ray/MRI/CT Scan) or a referral to an orthopaedic for surgical interventions.  We then assessed the integrity of the shoulder ligaments and tendons, making sure if they’re all still holding the shoulder stable with movements, and doing what they’re supposed to do. We...

What Is Vestibular Therapy? Vestibular therapy, or vestibular physiotherapy as it is often referred to, is a form of treatment that aims to address primary and secondary problems related to vestibular pathology. This means that vestibular therapy can help those who are experiencing symptoms directly from a problem with the vestibular system (BPPV, Ménière’s disease, vestibular neuritis, etc.) or experiencing symptoms due to another condition affecting the vestibular system (migraines, ear infections, etc.). What Is The Vestibular System? Basically, vestibular therapy aims to help problems with our vestibular system. This system is also known as the ‘system of balance’. Its main components are actually found in the inner ear, consisting of a complex interconnected system named the ‘vestibular labyrinth’ – our semicircular canals, otolith organs, and receptors for all the sensations of balance that come in through the ear. These sensations get sent to the brainstem, the parts of the brain that control active movements of the body, and even to the eyes. When our inner ear works well, we are able to balance ourselves well, even when external forces are placed against us (e.g. walking on a wobbly surface, or righting ourselves after tripping over a rock). When this system is damaged, we have difficulty controlling our eye movements when our head is moving, and our sense of balance becomes negatively affected, especially when we change positions suddenly – from sleeping, to sitting up, or from lying down to standing up. There are several clinical assessments like the Epley’s manoeuvre that can be done in our initial consultation session, which can help to identify whether you have a true vestibular problem that requires a visit to the ENT, or whether it is one of the kinds of conditions which our physiotherapists can treat in the clinic itself. Can...

Massage often gets a bad rep in the world of rehabilitation or physiotherapy. If you’re someone who follows the latest spotlights and trending fitness/rehabilitation influencers on Instagram or Twitter, you might have come across ‘discussions’ (which look very similar to arguments and Internet fights!) where the therapeutic benefit of massage therapy is fought over and debated — often with the eye-catching conclusion that “Massage is over-rated”, “Massage is unlikely to help your pain for the long-term”, or even the well-intentioned “Movement is Medicine, not lying on a bed and getting massaged”!      While we get the point — we just want people to start moving, getting active, and live a healthier lifestyle without relying on passive care — I think that we’ve thrown the baby out with the bathwater. If massage absolutely didn’t work, there wouldn’t be a need for registered massage therapists (RMT), nor their often two-year full-time courses, nor their acknowledgement and involvement in many Health Care Professions Act internationally such as in the US, Canada, and Australia. While not a panacea for relieving every possible body ache and pain out there, massage (or often called soft tissue therapy) has many other positive effects that are scientifically backed to provide therapeutic benefits… Provided it is used at the right time for the right person.   How does massage help — scientifically? If we take a stroll through the literature and look at what a recent systematic review says about massage, we find that the body of evidence generally agrees that massage therapy improves  various patient-reported functional outcomes among populations experiencing musculoskeletal pain (e.g. back pain, neck pain, etc).      Big picture. Short summary. Massage therapy, or anything involving touch/pressure, affects the neurological pathways between the brain and the target site. Our muscles contain structures sensitive...