Horizon Chiropractic

23/07/2025

Follow these simple steps above to ensure your workspace is ergonomically set up correctly, to help prevent work related neuro-musculoskeletal disorders.

22/07/2025

How to minimise injuries caused by lifting and bending.
• Plan tasks ahead of time to limit lifting and moving.
• Use equipment such as trollies to assist with moving objects. Do not perform a lift if you are not confident that you can handle the load safely!
• Take breaks to interrupt repetitive lifting alternating between tasks and stretch regularly.
• If required to stoop often, interrupt the stopped position at regular intervals - Stand upright and bend backwards five or six times or go for a quick walk around the room/site.
• To reach loads above your shoulders, use an appropriate stool or ladder.
• Slide objects instead of lifting and carrying them.
• Push objects instead of pulling them.
• Design your workspace to avoid excessive bending, twisting, and stretching.

21/07/2025

How to maintain a healthy spine when bending and lifting at work-

With prevention the best protection against all workspace injuries, for workers who are required to regularly lift and bend, follow some simple steps to help minimise the impact on spinal your health.

Assess and plan the activity
• Plan the lift and have a clear understanding of where you are moving the object to.
• Remove obstacles from the pathway.
• Warm up or stretch before lifting heavy weights.
• Assess the object’s weight. If the object is too heavy or bulky, ask a co-worker for help.
• Where possible, use equipment to move heavy objects.
• If possible, disassemble larger objects into smaller, more manageable parts.

Use correct stance and movement when lifting
• Always keep your back straight.
• Always stand as close as possible and face the object you are lifting.
• Spread your feet apart to give your body a wide base of support.
• Bend at your knees – do NOT bend or arch your back.
• Tighten your stomach muscles as you lift the object up or lower it down.
• Hold the object as close to your body as possible.
• Ensure you have a firm grip on the object before you lift.
• Always keep your eyes and feet pointing in the same direction when moving the object.
• Slowly lift, using your muscles in your hips and knees.
• As you stand up with the object, DO NOT bend forward.
• Lift smoothly without jerking.
• Do not twist your back or side bend while you bend to reach, lift or carry the object.
• Squat as you set the object down, using the muscles in your knees and hips.

19/07/2025

If you need to lift and bend to perform your work, you should do it safely. A wide range of professions and occupations require workers to lift and bend at regular intervals during their workday. Moving or lifting objects that are large, heavy, bulky, awkward or difficult to handle can put employees at risk of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. These disorders can occur suddenly or develop over time and include sprains, strains, fractures and soft-tissue injuries to the back, hips or shoulders.

What professions and occupations require regular lifting and bending?
Many professions and occupations require regular lifting while others require frequent standing in a stooped position, including those who work in healthcare, aged care, childcare, disability services, manufacturing and trades and first responders.

What impact could lifting and bending have on the health of workers?
If you use incorrect lifting and bending techniques, you may cause damage to your back including to the bones, joints, connective tissue, and muscles or nerves. Work requiring awkward postures such as twisting or reaching above shoulder height or below knee height can also increase risks of injury. Injuries can affect any part of the back, but most injuries happen in the lower back. Common injuries include sprains and strains, herniated disks or fractured vertebrae that vary in seriousness which, if not diagnosed. treated early, can progress to a chronic condition that can impact daily life.

18/07/2025

How to maintain a healthy spine and overall health and wellbeing when standing at work? With prevention the best protection against all workspace injuries, for workers who are required to stand for long periods, follow some simple steps to help minimise the impact on your spinal health.

Maintain good posture:
Good posture is imperative to keep bones and joints aligned, decrease stress on spinal ligaments and prevent muscle strain that can lead to back, joint and muscular pain.
• Stand tall and relaxed with your back straight and shoulders back.
• Lightly tuck in your abdomen.
• Try to find the upright ‘position of ease’ – don’t be too rigid.

Avoid long periods of looking down:
• Keep your head up, tuck in your chin, and face straight ahead.
• Don’t stand looking down at your phone. It can cause stress on the neck and cervical spine and lead to tech neck. Hold your phone in front of you so it’s aligned with your shoulders.

Take a balanced approach to standing at work:
• Stand evenly on both feet.
• Feet should be shoulder-width apart.
• Regularly shift body weight from toes to heels and from one foot to the other.
• Avoid locking the knees.
• Relax the hands and arms so they are positioned naturally at your sides.

Wear appropriate footwear:
• Wear sensible, comfortable shoes appropriate to the task – forget high heels!
• Shoes should be wide enough to leave room to move the toes to help prevent pain and fatigue. • Choose shoes with arch support to prevent flattening of the feet.
• Inner soles, inlays or specialised orthotics can help realign the body to reduce stress.

Warm up before work:
• Make it a habit to do some gentle exercises and stretches before starting work each day.
• Calf and leg stretches, squats and heel raises can help improve blood circulation and strengthen and maintain lower limbs.
Good habits can help maintain spinal health:
• Alternate standing with moving and sitting every 30 minutes and where possible, take regular walks.
• Avoid overreaching behind or above the shoulder line, or beyond the point of what is comfortable.

17/07/2025

If you need to stand to perform your work, you must do it safely.
A wide range of professions and occupations require workers to stand for prolonged periods of time. If you find yourself or a colleague in a job that involves continuous standing for over an hour without shifting, or lasting more than four hours per shift, it’s crucial to manage how to stand correctly. Neglecting these aspects could potentially lead to chronic conditions including lower and middle back pain.

What professions and occupations require standing for long periods of time?
Many professions and occupations require standing for the majority of their work day including those who work in healthcare, aged care, dentistry, hairdressing, customer service, retail, manufacturing, hospitality, entertainment, travel, security, floristry, teaching, traffic and crowd control, and first responders.

What impact could prolonged standing have on the health of workers?
Prolonged standing requires considerable muscular effort and physical exertion, and if not managed correctly, poor posture can impact workers’ physically and psychologically. Potential health issues caused through prolonged standing include neck and shoulder stiffness, low and mid back pain and discomfort, swelling in the legs, leg pain and cramps, circulation issues, low blood pressure, varicose veins, joint problems including ankle, knees and hips, foot problems, muscular fatigue and tiredness. People who stand for more than four hours every day are at higher risk of developing low back pain.

16/07/2025

Good habits can help maintain spinal health

• Make it a habit to monitor your posture to ensure you’re sitting properly.
• Every 30 minutes, take regular breaks from sitting by standing up and moving around.
• Vary work tasks to change posture such as standing while talking on the phone.
• Use adjustable ‘sit-stand’ desks to allow different working positions.
• Arrange ‘active’ meetings that involve walking while talking.
• Arrange your desk so that items are within easy reach.
• Relocate rubbish bins from desks to necessitate additional walking.
• Do regular stretches throughout the day by using the Straighten Up app.
• Take lunch breaks away from your desk and go outdoors to walk when possible.
• Walk to deliver a message to a colleague rather than emailing, texting or calling.

15/07/2025

Maintaining good posture is key! With prevention as the best protection against all workspace injuries, for work involving prolonged periods of sitting while driving or using a computer anywhere, maintaining good posture is imperative to spinal health. If you use a computer at home or in an office, the following simple steps can help maintain good posture to help minimise musculoskeletal disorders that can lead to chronic pain.

• Sit with feet flat on the ground or use a foot rest.
• Slide your bottom back into a supportive, ergonomic chair.
• Hips should be positioned slightly higher than your knees.
• Sit relaxed and tall – ensure head/chin is NOT poking forward.
• Hands should rest just slightly lower than the elbows.
• Computer screens should be positioned so the eyes look straight ahead and not down.
• If using a laptop for long periods, use a separate keyboard and mouse to ensure proper neck and shoulder posture.

14/07/2025

If your work requires you to sit for extended periods of time, you must do it safely. Sitting for long periods of time is common to a wide range of professions and occupations in Australia. A lack of physical activity in the workspace can cause a range of health problems including cardio-vascular disease, diabetes, mental health issues and musculoskeletal disorders that can lead to headaches and chronic neck, shoulder and back pain. Take regular breaks from sitting! Even for those who exercise daily, if they sit for over 7 hours per day and for longer than 30 minutes without a break, this can cause spinal health problems.

What professions and occupations require workers to sit for long periods of time?
Any form of computer work in an office or at home, general office duties and administration, transportation and highly mechanised trades.

What impact could work-related sitting have on the spinal health of workers?
For those who consistently sit with poor posture or don’t use an ergonomically designed chair or workstation, this can cause poor spinal health that can lead to chronic neck and back pain. Low back pain is the leading cause of disability globally with work-related musculoskeletal disorders the leading work health and safety (WHS) problem in Australia.

12/07/2025

How ACA chiropractors treat headaches and migraines?
ACA chiropractors are Australia’s leaders in chiropractic care – a proven, effective, drug-free, low risk treatment for headaches, migraines and a range of spinal health conditions. Using specialised non-surgical techniques including specific spinal adjustments, various manual therapies and soft tissue techniques, ACA chiropractors treat the cause not just the symptoms. They assess lifestyle factors and provide relaxation techniques to reduce reliance on medication that improves overall health and wellbeing. So, if you’re tired of headache’s holding you back at work, home or school, consult an ACA chiropractor today for reliable drug-free pain relief from headaches and take back control of your health and wellbeing

11/07/2025

What are migraines?
Migraines are a chronic and disabling condition that often begins with a dull headache and develops into a constant, throbbing and pulsating pain at the temples and the front or back of the head. Sufferers can also experience nausea and vomiting and sensitivity to light and noise. Migraines can be a complex and varied disorder with a range of severity, types and symptoms. 20% of migraines are ‘Classic’ migraines (with Aura) and 80% are ‘Common’ migraines (without Aura). An Aura is an important symptom that typically precedes the headache. Sufferers may also experience blurred vision, blind spots, and pins and needles in the face, hands, or arms. Although migraines are often under-diagnosed and under-treated, chiropractors can help diagnose migraine and provide drug-free healthcare that’s been shown to decrease migraine duration and severity.

10/07/2025

Our own Dr Jaslin, has her name in lights, speaking at the ACA conference at Albert Park later this year!
Our own paediatric expert has had a busy day in practice today seeing a teenage NPL soccer player for postural concerns, a young dancer preparing for her concert with knee pain, and a toddler with developmental delay. Concerned about your child’s development? Call us today!

Meet Dr Jaslin Hood 👋. With over 20 years in chiropractic and a deep passion for paediatrics, Jaslin brings a unique blend of experience, empathy, and energy to everything she does.

She runs Horizon Chiropractic in Melbourne’s northern suburbs — now in its 21st year — where she supports families, children with special needs, and those seeking empowered, informed birth experiences. Jaslin completed her diplomate in paediatrics in 2012 and is dedicated to mentoring students to become confident, purpose-driven chiropractors.

Outside the clinic, she’s a trail runner, netballer, snow and water skier — and a proud sports mum to three home-birthed kids.

We’re thrilled to welcome Dr Jaslin to the stage at Neo Melbourne!

🎤 Don’t miss your chance to hear from Jaslin and a lineup of incredible speakers.
This is your moment to grow, lead, and shape the future of chiropractic.

🎟️ Early bird tickets are still available! Grab your spot and find your discount code at the link https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/neo-melbourne-2025-tickets-1318229011459?aff=oddtdtcreator