Overview
At the School of Physiotherapy Clinics we encourage you to help with your own rehabilitation.
Many injuries, pain or strains can be resolved by a change in habit or some simple exercises so read on for useful tips and resources to help you maintain health, prevent injury, and manage treatment and rehabilitation.
Tips for the workplace
Here are some tips to help you keep you fit and healthy at work:
- When you take a break—take a proper one! Don't surf the web or answer texts. Every couple of hours get up, take a short walk and stretch your legs.
- Take periodic 'mini-breaks' at your desk every twenty minutes or so – do some stretches to loosen your shoulder and neck muscles and shift position.
- If you work in an open plan office and need to speak to one of your colleagues, get up and walk over to their desk, rather than calling out to them.
- Watch your posture
- Sit close to your work station
- Keep the key board at a level that doesn't require much reaching and isn't too high or too low
- Keep your monitor at eye level
- Sit with your legs flexed at 90-degree angle with your feet resting comfortably
Our experienced staff can give you advice for the workplace health, specifically:
- Lifting advice
- Workplace advice
- Manual handling
- Keep fit for work advice
- Advice tailored to your work place needs.
Tips for after injury
If you have sustained a soft tissue injury, we recommend you use the RICE method – Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation to aid your recovery:
- Rest is a key component to the body's healing process, without it the injured area could become inflamed, more painful, or you could risk further injury
- Ice reduces inflammation and pain. To protect your skin we recommend that the ice be placed within a towel before wrapping around the injured area
- Compression helps reduce swelling and pain
- Elevation also helps reduce swelling by reducing blood flow to the affected area
Once you've followed RICE, as above, please give us a call and find out how physiotherapy can help you.
Tips for getting the most out of physiotherapy
To ensure that you get the greatest benefits from your physiotherapy visit, we recommend that you:
- See your physiotherapist early
- Set a goal of what you hope to achieve
- Ask questions
- Follow your physiotherapist's advice
- Carry out the exercises as instructed
- Take an active role in your recovery, so you learn to self-manage your injury
Please contact us with any questions about getting the most out of your physiotherapy visit.
Physiotherapy resources
Check out our YouTube channel for Physiotherapy tips and updates
Visit the Habit at Work website for more helpful workplace hints.
Find some work smart tips and resources on the ACC website and keep healthy at work.
Physiotherapy New Zealand tells you what physiotherapists do and how we can help you.