ALphaCare Physiotherapy

05/04/2026

Hoppy Easter from the team at Alphacare! 🐰

A quick Physio tip for the day: If you’re heading out for an intense backyard Easter Egg hunt, remember to:
1️⃣ Warm up those hamstrings.
2️⃣ Watch out for uneven lawn terrain.
3️⃣ Lift those heavy chocolate baskets with your legs, not your back! 😉

If the "hunt" leaves you feeling more sore than successful, you know where to find us. Have a fantastic day!

11/03/2026

𝐓𝐡𝐞 “𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲” 𝐋𝐢𝐞

For the last 20 years, people with back pain have been told the same thing:
“Strengthen your core.”
“Do more planks.”
“Hold it longer.”
And yet… back pain rates haven’t dropped. They’ve increased.
Why?
Because 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦.
Modern pain science shows that persistent back pain is often a control and confidence problem, not just a strength problem.
When the brain stops trusting the spine to move safely, it does what it thinks is protective:
It tightens muscles and limits movement.
Over time that protective tension can become the pain itself.
So what 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫?
✔ 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 to movements you fear
✔ 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 that movement is safe again
✔ Building 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞
Strength is important — but endless planks alone rarely solve persistent back pain.
If you’ve been doing core exercises for years and your back still hurts, it might be time for a different approach.
👉 Let’s 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 — 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐛𝐬.

09/03/2026

𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐭.

We hear this constantly from patients who've been through the system. Told by a GP. Told by a specialist. Sometimes even told by a physio. And it's one of the most damaging things you can say to someone in pain.
𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐧 is not a life sentence. It is a complex, treatable condition, and the science of pain neuroscience, graded exposure, and load management has transformed what's possible. Yes, some conditions require long-term management. But management is not surrender.
We've seen patients who've carried pain for 5, 10, even 20 years make meaningful, lasting progress. Not because we found a magic fix.
But because we actually looked at the 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 (𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘭𝘰𝘢𝘥, 𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘱, 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘧𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯) and built a plan that addressed it.
"𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐭" 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧.

At 𝐀𝐥𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞, 𝐰𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮.

04/03/2026

𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐑𝐮𝐧

𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑠 𝑎 50-𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟-𝑜𝑙𝑑 ℎ𝑎𝑏𝑖𝑡

"Growing up, we were all told: 'Stretch before you run to prevent injury.' But here's the truth from the latest sports science: Static stretching before exercise can actually weaken your muscles and increase injury risk. It temporarily relaxes the muscle, reducing its power and stability when you need it most.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬?
✅ Dynamic warm-ups (leg swings, walking lunges)
✅ Activation drills
✅ Saving static stretching for after your run (or before bed)

We see too many runners in Marion and sidelined by outdated advice. Your body deserves better.

Next time you lace up, 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐩 the static stretch. 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒈𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒆𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖. 🏃‍♂️

03/03/2026

𝐒𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐟 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤? 🪵 Let’s fix that.

Don't let lower back tension ruin your day. Here are 9 simple moves to decompress your spine and melt away that "desk chair" stiffness. 🧘‍♂️

The 𝐀𝐥𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 Approach:

𝐌𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧: Even 5 minutes makes a difference.

𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩: Relaxation starts in the nervous system.

𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲: Stretch until it feels good, not until it hurts.

Stop scrolling and give these a try!

Still feeling stuck? Book a session at Alphacare and let’s get you moving properly again. 📍

02/03/2026

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐈𝐧𝐣𝐮𝐫𝐲 𝐍𝐨 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐬 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭

Are you holding your breath right now?
𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 — 𝐩𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤.

If you're reading this at your desk or scrolling between emails, there’s a good chance you just stopped breathing properly.

It’s called 𝐄𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐀𝐩𝐧𝐞𝐚 — a modern stress response where your breath becomes shallow or pauses while focusing on screens.
Sounds harmless? It’s not.

Here’s what happens inside your body when your breathing switches off autopilot:
• 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐦 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬 → your spine loses internal support
• 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 → shoulders creep toward your ears
• 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞 → hip flexors tighten, lower back loads up

So no, you’re not just “tight from sitting.”
Your system is stuck in a stress-breathing loop.

𝐓𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝟑𝟎-𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐭 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐰:

1️⃣ One hand on chest, one on belly
2️⃣ Breathe into your bottom hand
3️⃣ Let ribs expand wide, keep shoulders still

𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐝𝐝 𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐭:
Every time you send an email or sip coffee → take one slow breath.
Small reset. Massive impact.
Be honest… did you just take a deep breath after reading this?

28/02/2026

🧠 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐍𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐣𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐒𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐬

Not all weakness is “just muscle weakness.”

Peripheral nerve injuries create predictable patterns of muscle loss and movement deficits — and recognising these patterns helps localise the lesion quickly and accurately.

Here’s a quick clinical breakdown:

✔️ 𝐑𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 → Wrist drop
✔️ 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 → Loss of thumb opposition (ape hand in chronic cases)
✔️ 𝐔𝐥𝐧𝐚𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 → Clawing of 4th & 5th digits
✔️ 𝐀𝐱𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 → Flattened shoulder contour
✔️ 𝐅𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 → Difficulty climbing stairs
✔️ 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 → Foot drop

Understanding these patterns allows for:
• Faster diagnosis
• Targeted rehabilitation
• Better functional recovery outcomes

At 𝐀𝐥𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞 Physiotherapy, we assess movement patterns thoroughly to identify the true source of weakness — not just treat symptoms.

If you’re experiencing unexplained weakness, numbness, or changes in movement, early assessment makes a difference.

Learn more about our services https://alphacarephysio.com.au/services

26/02/2026

26/02/2026

Tendon pain isn’t random.

Your age, sport, and workload matter more than you think.

Stop copying rehab from Instagram.
Start following the right plan.

25/02/2026

𝐘𝐨𝐮'𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 😱

That stubborn shoulder pain that won't quit? It's actually coming from your NECK.
If you've tried:
❌ Shoulder exercises
❌ Massage
❌ Ice/heat..and 𝓝𝓞𝓣𝓗𝓘𝓝𝓖 works, your neck might be the real culprit.
🧠 Referred pain is when your brain gets confused about where the signal is coming from. Neck nerves travel DOWN your arm—so you FEEL it in your shoulder/hand.

𝟒 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐤, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫:
👉 Pain radiates down the arm
👉 Tingling/numbness in fingers
👉 Pain changes when you move your NECK
👉 Shoulder treatment isn't helping

Tag someone who's been struggling with "shoulder" pain that just won't go away! 👇
"

25/02/2026

👣 𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐧𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐃𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐚: 𝐀 𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝟑-𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤

Not all foot pronation is the same — and treating it correctly starts with identifying why it’s happening.

✔️ 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡?
No arch in sitting or standing → may need splints, stretching, or medical review.

✔️ 𝐅𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡?
Arch appears when sitting → focus on neuromuscular control exercises.

✔️ 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧?
Improves with pelvic support → target core & hip strengthening.

🔎 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐢𝐩: Always check whether the issue is structural or compensatory before choosing treatment. Treating the symptom without addressing the cause can delay progress.

If you’re unsure what type you’re seeing, a physiotherapy assessment can help guide the right plan.

24/02/2026

𝐋𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐞 (𝐋𝐂𝐒): 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 & 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬?

Lower Crossed Syndrome is a common postural pattern where some muscles around the hips and lower back become tight while others switch off or weaken. This imbalance shifts pelvic position and can place extra strain on the lower spine and hips.

🔎 𝐓𝐲𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧
Tight / overactive: hip flexors, re**us femoris, lumbar extensors, thoracolumbar fascia
Weak / underactive: deep core (especially transversus abdominis), glute max, glute med
Viewed from the side, these tight and weak groups form a “cross” — which is how the condition got its name.

📉 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐬
• Anterior pelvic tilt
• Increased lower-back arch
• Protruding abdomen
• Hips resting in flexion
• Reduced abdominal tone

⚠️ 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬
• Long hours sitting (especially poor posture)
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Repetitive back-arching movements
• Weak core and hips
• Not enough movement variety during the day

🩺 𝐒𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐬
Some people feel nothing, but others may notice:
• Ongoing or recurring low back pain
• Hip or groin discomfort
• Stiffness in hips or spine
• Early fatigue with standing or lifting
• Reduced hip extension when walking

🚶 𝐌𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐞 𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐞𝐞
• Glutes not activating properly during walking
• Overusing the lower back during squats/lifts
• Poor pelvic control on one leg
• Compensating with the spine instead of hips

💪 𝐀𝐥𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐏𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐲 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡
1️⃣ Release tight structures — stretching + mobility work
2️⃣ Activate weak muscles — core and glute strengthening
3️⃣ Retrain movement — squat, hinge, gait and daily tasks

🪑 𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐬
✔ Take regular breaks from sitting
✔ Set up your chair and desk properly
✔ Avoid excessive back arching when standing
✔ Walk and move often