• Stop what you are doing, do not continue to play sport.
• Rest reduces further injury.

• Apply ice to injured area, cover loose ice or ice pack so that it is not too cold so as to prevent a burn. Check skin to ensure no burning occurs.
• Usually for 15 minutes every 2 hours for up to 72 hours.
• Ice reduces swelling and numbs the pain.

• Apply a bandage to to cover above and below the injured area. Avoid putting the bandage on too tightly.
• Compression reduces bleeding and swelling.

• Elevate the injured area on a pillow. For best results if a leg injury, lie flat with leg resting on a pillow so that the leg is above the level of the heart
• Elevation reduces swelling and bleeding

• Make an appointment with the Physiotherapist for assessment and treatment

Keep moving around your desk – our joints were made to move. Staying still for long periods can stiffen joints and tighten muscles. With sitting it is recommended to get up every 45 minutes – 1 hour even just to walk around your desk.If you stretch make sure you feel a strain, not a pain.

Some good sitting exercises include

• Rolling and shrugging shoulders
• Pulling arm across body
• Bend backwards in standing.

Click on our blog section under “Pause Aerobics”. This will provide a comprehensive exercise program to do at your desk in your office or at home to prevent postural aches and pains

See our exercise videos, specifically exercise number 8.

If you use a phone frequently or for long periods during the day consider using a headset or Bluetooth.

All work equipment, including the phone ,that you use frequently during the day should be no more than half an arm’s length away.

Feather and Down

Often very comfortable but can easily compact and deform so that the head changes position overnight to either over stretch or compress the vertebrae and muscles. The best we have found is the Encore Pillow – designed by a Physiotherapist and has sections that are harder, that contour the neck better.

Foam

This does not compact or deform as easily as the feather and down and provides more support. Most foam pillows these days have a contour but being foam the exact match with your neck position is often difficult to achieve. Denton’s pillows have several contour heights and the foam is of moderate comfort.

Memory Foam / Viscoelastic

Has a better ability to contour to your head and the viscoelastic pillows provide more active cushioning support. The Tempur range is a pillow range we recommend for a good night sleep.

Trialling a pillow is recommended for the best feel of a pillow. However what is equally important is measuring the correct height.

Take a pillow selfie to look at the shape of your neck with your pillow. If your neck is not straight then more than likely the pillow height and contour is incorrect. You need your neck to be relatively straight for best posture overnight.

The discussion of what type of bed is right for you is always controversial.

Over riding all consideration is the fact that you need to be comfortable with your new bed. There is no point in having the best ergonomic bed if you have to sleep on the floor because you are unable to get used to that new bed. Always allow a 1-3 month period to adjust to a new bed.

The most controversial factor in choosing a bed is whether the bed is firm enough for your back.  The best advice is that if you have low back or trunk pain that is positional, i.e. affected by posture then you will need to have a bed that supports your spine. For this you will need a firm mattress.

The more you rely on supported chairs for instance, i.e. You need to take a lumbar roll wherever you go and have a special insert in your car seat the firmer the support you will need in your mattress.

The problem with firm beds is there increasing level of discomfort in the shoulder and hips when you lie on your side. The beauty of today’s bed selection is that you can get a firm bed with a soft quilt covering for the best of both worlds.