Quick question: How many of you have Googled ‘preventing back pain’? I thought so. We’ve all heard and read about what can cause back pain; incorrect lifting, bad posture, sports injury…but did you know that you may be making a common mistake in your daily routine, that might be encouraging back pain? What I’m about to tell you might sound surprising, but hear me out and I’ll explain why it can cause your back pain to worsen, as well as give you some tips on how to change it. Right, here we go… Bad Diet I don’t mean like Weight Watchers! That’s a way to manage your weight. However, I am more concerned about the reason you may go to slimming clubs. Being overweight can have a great impact on your health AND your back pain. If you are overweight then you are putting extra pressure on your back. An example of this can be shown where we store sugar. When we eat sugar, any energy that we don’t use from it, is stored on our back. Another place that it can be stored, along with caffeine, is at your lower back, a.k.a your love handles! If you now think of all that excess weight being carried on your back from sugar and caffeine, is it surprising that a bad diet can lead to back pain? To overcome this issue, try cutting down on the sugar, caffeine and processed foods and choose more natural foods. This could be chicken breasts, potatoes… Read More

Do you work in an office based job? Or find yourself struggling with neck, shoulder or back pain after sitting for long periods of time? Do you wish there was something you could do it reduce the pain? Well there is a solution to create a more safe, healthy and comfortable working environment for you. You don’t have to put up with annoying aches and pains. Let’s start at the bottom with your ankles… Research suggests your ankles should be supported via a foot rest. Keeping the ankle joints at just over a 90 degree angle is best. The same rule applies to your knees, keep them slightly at over 90 degree angles. Do this with at least 80- 90% of your thighs supported on your seat parallel to the floor. Basically, when your feet are planted firmly on the floor, you’re not sitting in a twisted position. I know it can be easy to do after sitting for hours without regular breaks! Low Back Positioning Moving on to those troublesome lower backs… A lot of us are guilty of having poor sitting posture. Slouching in our chairs at work and creating extra unnecessary stresses through our spine and the soft tissues. These muscles, tendons and ligaments support our spine and body! To avoid this extra stress, it’s important to ensure that your butt is touching the back of the chair. So get your wiggle on and shuffle right to the back of your chair. Don’t be worried if your feet come off the floor,… Read More

If you’re driving fairly long distances to and from work every day, it’s likely you’ve experienced back pain. Around 30-60% of drivers report having back pain at some point in their life. We see lots of people in the clinic in pain as a result of 30 minutes+ on the road, almost daily! But why does something as simple as driving trigger off back pain when it’s not exactly strenuous? Driving for long periods of time exposes the body to many different forces. These include acceleration, sudden stops, and most notably vibrations from the road. These forces especially affects those who drive larger vehicles. Driving also involves the use of your feet to control the cars pedals. This means they are not used to help stabilize and support your lower body as they normally would when sitting. It’s no wonder why a combination of these factors, along with inadequate design can cause problems for many of us. Back pain can make driving unpleasant (in some cases, unbearable). So, I put together a list of tips to help make your next journey as pain-free as possible. Here are 7 tips to help you: 1. Get Comfortable Before You Set Off – A small irritation can quickly grow into an unbearable pain. If you’ve got a long journey ahead, or in the car for 20 minutes, this can affect your day. So, before you set off, take a few moments to settle into a comfortable position. Check… Read More

Then this free wellness/nutrition workshop is for you! In the last few weeks of the healthy tips series we have covered how the right nutrition improves youthful gene expression (the study of epigenetics & how that is helping people feel younger), hydration and the anti-inflammatory diet. Diseases that are linked to chronic systemic inflammation: diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, depression, arthritis to name a few, the fastest easiest ways to decrease inflammation, and how antioxidants help protect our eyes from blindness (aging macular degeneration). And last week you could request my free “Healthy Tips Report” that covered: posture, falls, stretching and more! Well that is quite a bit to cover in 7 weeks!  That is why we decided with all the interest and requests for antioxidant scans to hold a free wellness/nutrition workshop!  Get your antioxidant scan score for free at this workshop if you bring a friend with you! (Normally $25). This science based wellness/nutrition workshop is for you if: You want to know what nutrients are key for energy and improving physical performance. (We will cover the science that has been used in elite athletes and with sedentary individuals) Or, you want to know which nutrients help with cognition, mental sharpness, and memory (according to the science of course!) You want to know if your nutritional plan is working with the antioxidant scan test. And we’ll tell you what it means for your overall health. If you want to know what key nutrients are needed for longevity and optimal wellness You want to know… Read More

Most of the time the ache in our neck and shoulders is from overuse of those muscles. Are you sitting up with good posture at your computer? Do you carry your bag repeatedly on one side with considerable weight in it? Do you use the "arm rests" on your chair to rest your arms and decrease the tension in your neck and shoulders? Is the monitor at the right height so you are not leaning forward or bending your neck too far down? All of those posture issues can create neck and shoulder pain. Read More

Dr. Penrose was the featured speaker at "Eye on Health" at Jubilee, an active retirement community in Lacey WA. She spoke about osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. Click to read more and download her presentation and the exercise handout. Read More

Headaches. Pain in the jaw and neck. Popping or cracking sounds in the ear. These are just a few of the uncomfortable symptoms of TMJ. TMJ disorders — a type of temporomandibular disorder or TMD — can cause pain in your jaw joint (one on each side) and in the muscles that control jaw movement. Read More

Posture is key to avoiding pain in the neck, shoulders and arms for sitting or standing work stations. Here are some simple tips to avoid pain while working at a desk or computer. Read More

Click the "read more" button to see the full protocol for Achilles Tendon Repair. This is a sample surgical protocol that we typically use. We will always communicate with your surgeon on your surgery and their preferred protocol. Read More

Click the "read more" button to see the full protocol for Ankle Fusion - Arthrodesis. This is a sample surgical protocol that we typically use. We will always communicate with your surgeon on your surgery and their preferred protocol. Read More

Click the "read more" button to see the full protocol for Accelerated Achilles Repair. This is a sample surgical protocol that we typically use. We will always communicate with your surgeon on your surgery and their preferred protocol. Read More

Click the "read more" button to see the full protocol for Bunionectomy. This is a sample surgical protocol that we typically use. We will always communicate with your surgeon on your surgery and their preferred protocol. Read More