2011 Newsletter

The Newlands Physiotherapy Practice - our latest news

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Kerry is kept very busy being the Chairperson of the Western Cape Branch of the Orthopaedic Manipulative Physiotherapy Group (OMPTG) of the South African Society of Physiotherapy (SASP). She is on the work committee for the OMT Course, and on the National Executive Committee of OMPTG. She continues to do part-time lecturing on the OMT course and on the master’s programme at Stellenbosch.

Lara participated in the OMT Course, which ran for the duration of the 2010 year at Stellenbosch University. It is a challenging course and she passed with flying colours. In September, she presented the research she had conducted in London on “Exercise and Myeloma”, at the Physiotherapy Society research morning in Cape Town, and at the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) Conference in Johannesburg.

Pauline celebrates 22 years since the inception of the Practice in 1989.

Avril and Di continue to run the reception and admin efficiently, we thank them for their ongoing support.

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We hope you enjoy looking at our website. Details of our attendance at recent courses will be found on “About Us”.

A new physiotherapy special interest group – the Pain Management Physiotherapy Group – has been established and we have been enjoying learning new skills in other areas of physiotherapy management. They brought out Professor Mick Sullivan from Canada and Kerry and Pauline attended a very interesting course given by him on PGAP – a Progressive Goal Attainment Programme for getting people with chronic conditions back to work.

We learnt some valuable principles to apply in becoming more active, especially for people who feel they haven’t been able to participate in activities due to chronic musculoskeletal conditions. Planning new activities, pacing oneself, realistic goal setting and time setting are all aspects to consider when embarking on new activities. The acronym SMART – specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely – is helpful to remember.

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During the winter months, the shorter days and increasing rain make it much harder to get out and exercise. But it is so important to keep active all year round.

• Being unfit puts you at as great a risk from heart disease as being overweight or having a family history of heart problems.
• A well exercised heart muscle will pump oxygenated blood around the body more effectively, which helps to increase mental clarity and alertness. Aerobic exercise includes walking, cycling, swimming or running.
• Exercise controls anxiety, helps creativity, eases depression and teaches you a little bit more about who you are. The body releases endorphins (“happy chemicals”) when we work out. Even a 15 minute walk can be effective in reducing stress.
• Remember there are many options for longevity; develop long-term healthy patterns, associate with other healthy people, be involved and engaged in life, find active pursuits you enjoy, care about other people, listen to music and eat a basically healthy diet.
• A recent study linked poor breathing patterns with chronic neck and back pain sufferers (McLaughlin et al 2011). Our trunk muscles perform both postural and breathing functions. Therefore in the presence of pain, our breathing can be negatively impacted. The study showed that pain and function improved in patients who received breathing retraining. Remember to take some deep breaths.

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When visiting our website, www.newlandsphysio.co.za click on “view our Newsletter” and you will see two sections.

• Newlands Physio, where you will find our previous Newsletters.
• Equilibrium, which is a monthly newsletter submitted by the South African Society of Physiotherapy (established in 1924) www.physiosa.org.za . There are tips and information on health events, health conditions, various injuries and self help tips. Read about “Running and Physiotherapy”, “Move for Health”, Staying Fit and Healthy”, and more…

We also all continue to keep up to date with talks and workshops organized by the Western Cape OMPTG and Sports physiotherapy groups.

We are members of the OMPTG and further information is available on their website. www.omptg.co.za

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National Physiotherapy BackWeek is in September. The theme this year is “More than just back care…from prevention to function.” Information regarding our profession will also be on radio during that week.

For more information about our Back Classes look at Services on our website.

We have 4 back rehab classes a week:
Monday 17h15 – 18h00
Tuesday 08h00 – 08h45 and 08h50 – 09h35
Thursday 17h15 – 18-00

The Practice hours are:
Monday – Friday 07h00 – 18h00
Saturday 09h00 – 12h00

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