I am a big advocate for helping my clients receive the best care possible to help them improve their posture, their movements, their pain symptoms, and their overall health and wellbeing.  While I work mainly on their musculoskeletal system, training them for strength, mobility and fitness, I love to collaborate with other health practitioners in order to help them get optimal results.  I can’t do it all, and sometimes a team approach is the best approach.  For example, if you are renovating your house, you will usually have multiple trades and experts helping the entire project.  If there is a skilled electrician that your contractor can recommend, hiring him for the electrical is a much better idea than one person trying to do the whole thing.  I hope that helps to put things into perspective.

Sometimes a team approach is the best approach.

I’ve always affiliated myself with other health practitioners in my area so that I have a large network to refer my clients to (and vice versa).  As a trainer, it is highly recommended to know who is nearby to call upon should yourself or clients need their help.  I have no ego in my own business, and when I feel like I can’t help anyone in a certain area, or if I feel that they would benefit from seeing another practitioner, I send them off with a referral.  I am the first one to suggest getting some extra help if I’m finding that my work isn’t progressing as much as I’d like it to.

Some of my clients already have another practitioner they see, such as Massage Therapist, an Osteopath, Physiotherapist or Chiropractor.  In this case, I make an effort to liaise with them and make sure that my work in the gym is complimentary to the work they’ve been giving my clients as well.  Communication is always key, and if we are all on the same page with the client’s best interest as a priority, then the client (you!) will have a greater chance of recovery and progress.  One branch of a multidisciplinary approach that I use is getting help from a chiropractor.

not sure if you should see a chiropractor?

I wanted to highlight some of the reasons I might refer a client to a chiropractor.  Chiropractic works on much more than “cracking you into place”, which is actually what DOESN’T happen at the chiro (they don’t “crack” anything!).  When you go for a chiropractic adjustment, think of it as an external assistance to help your body find a more ideal position.  In the gym we work with muscle contractions and myofascial release to help our bodies adjust, release, stabilise, and mobilise.  Sometimes this isn’t enough, and we need some outside help to get our structures to do what we want.   Chiropractic adjustments are a great addition to any physical routine we put our bodies through.

A chiro appointment is also beneficial for our nervous system.  Our spinal cord runs through the space in our vertebrae, and when that space is compromised, so is a wide range of bodies abilities.  Our nervous system is responsible for pretty much everything in our bodies: digestion, emotions, cognitive function, neural stimulation, muscle activation, sensory input/output, sleep patterns, immune system… and Chiropractic may help with all of this.  Some people see a chiropractor to help them with issues such as migraines, nerve pain, poor digestion, and grinding their teeth.  And did you know that some jaw adjustments may help alleviate tension in the hamstrings?!  I know, right?  There is so much more to Chiropractic than just helping with neck pain and back pain.

A chiropractor can help symptoms of migraines, nerve pain, digestion, and grinding your teeth.

I’ve recently started going to a nearby chiro clinic so I could experience their treatments and have an understanding of what their practice entails (and so I could be confident when referring clients – I don’t want to refer when I don’t know the practitioner).  After every visit, my body feels great! I feel taller, more mobile, my movements are smoother, and I just FEEL better.  I sleep better,  my moods are better, and my next few training sessions and runs are always top notch.  I also see a massage therapist every 3-4 weeks to help release some of my tension and keep me mobile.  The combination of Chiropractic and massage over the last few months has been wonderful.  I’m slowly seeing each of them less and less, as I don’t feel I need to see them as frequently.  In my opinion, that is the point of a multidisciplinary approach.  Add a mix of different practitioners when you need help to  get you back on track, and don’t be afraid to try something new.

My Chiropractor, Dr Tash Adams from Bare Motion in Trigg Beach here in Perth, has added a few words of advice from a chiro’s perspective.  She also works alongside a physiotherapist to help their clients achieve optimal results, reinforcing the multidisciplinary approach.

Here’s what Tash had to say:

“At our clinic, people come to see us with a huge variety of complaints, from back pain, sciatica, neck pain and headaches, to postural problems, sports injuries or general wellbeing. The beauty of working within an Integrated Health Practice is that the saying “many hands makes light work” tends to ring true and combining the skills of multiple modalities and practitioners means we are able to help with a wider range of conditions and with quicker results. We find the combination of chiropractic and physiotherapy works particularly well together.  The top 3 symptoms that I, as a a chiropractor, see are:  1. Neck pain and headaches, 2. Low back pain, and 3. Sports injuries.  However, as a chiropractor, my skill set doesn’t end here.  If you are suffering with another complaint and are wondering if chiropractics can help, get in touch today and we would be happy to help or point you in the right direction to get the treatment you need.”

The body is a wonderfully smart machine and it would be silly to think that we can keep it healthy and pain free all on our own.  For the most part we can, however, utilising a variety of health practitioners and modalities can improve our health and function so much more.   I can’t stress enough how important it is to have another set of eyes and hands to help improve one’s movement.  If you are thinking long term, then I would definitely encourage you to seek out the assistance of local clinic.

Do you have a favourite clinic in your area?  Leave their name in the comments and we can include them in our “Global Network” coming soon! 

Better posture. better life.