Kardinia Osteopathic Clinic

10/12/2025

💡 Shockwave therapy is a non-invasive treatment option that may support recovery and ease stubborn, long-term pain without putting your life on pause.

Some conditions become persistent not because they’re severe, but because the tissue isn’t getting the right stimulation to heal well on its own.
This is especially common in areas that take on repetitive load, such as the feet, elbows, shoulders and Achilles tendon.

Shockwave therapy can be used as part of a management plan for conditions like:
✅ Plantar fasciitis
✅ Achilles tendinopathy
✅ Tennis and golfer’s elbow
✅ Rotator cuff tendon irritation
…and other long-standing tendon-related concerns.

But here’s something many people don’t realise.

🔍 A hidden problem many people don’t realise is part of their ongoing pain:
Tendons often become sensitive because they are overloaded and under-supported at the same time.

This means the tendon is working hard but not getting enough strength, blood flow or movement variety to stay healthy.

Common clues include:
• Morning stiffness that eases as you warm up
• Pain that increases during or after repetitive tasks
• A “hot spot” that flares when you press on it
• Symptoms that improve with rest but return quickly

These are signs that the tendon may need a different approach — not just rest, and not just stretching.

✅ A small win you can try today:
1️⃣ Choose the affected area (e.g., heel, elbow, shoulder).
2️⃣ Apply gentle isometric loading:
• Press into a wall, hold a light weight, or push against your other hand.
• Hold for 10 seconds.
• Repeat 5 times.
3️⃣ Keep the pressure light and pain-free.

This type of low-grade loading can help calm irritated tissue and improve strength without overloading it.
(If this increases symptoms, stop and seek guidance.)

🩵 Shockwave therapy can be one of several tools used to support tendon health, reduce sensitivity and encourage better movement patterns — as part of a personalised plan.

📞 If you would like support in managing chronic or stubborn pain, book in to see one of our osteopaths.
Call (03) 5221 1877 or book online at kardiniaclinic.com.au.

07/12/2025

🎄 Christmas & New Year Closure Period

A friendly reminder that both of our clinics will be closed from 24/12/2025 and will reopen on 05/01/2026.

We want to wish all of our patients and community a happy, safe and relaxing holiday break.
Thank you for your support throughout the year we look forward to another fantastic year ahead in 2026!

Stay well, enjoy the break, and we can’t wait to see you in the new year. 💙

05/12/2025

📢 Reminder:
Both clinics are CLOSED today for our staff Christmas celebration.
We’ll be back to normal hours on Monday, 8th December.
Thank you for your understanding and have a wonderful weekend! 🎄✨

04/12/2025

💡 If your shoulder clicks during certain movements, here’s the hidden reason why.

A clicking or popping shoulder can feel strange or worrying.
It might happen when you lift your arm overhead, reach behind you, or rotate your arm outward.
For many people, the click isn’t about damage.
It’s often a sign that something around the shoulder is not moving in harmony.

The shoulder is one of the most mobile joints in the body, but it relies heavily on the muscles around it for control and stability.
When one of these areas isn’t doing its job well, the shoulder can shift slightly as it moves… creating that familiar click.

🔍 A hidden problem many people don’t realise is a sign of a problem:

Weak or underactive shoulder blade muscles.

If the muscles around the shoulder blade aren’t stabilising properly, the ball of the shoulder joint can glide or roll more than it should.
This subtle lack of control often leads to:
• clicking when lifting the arm
• a feeling of “slipping” or shifting
• shoulder fatigue during simple tasks
• tightness through the front of the shoulder
• difficulty with overhead movements

It’s not always painful at first, which is why many people ignore it but it can progress if left unchecked.

✅ A small win you can try today:

1️⃣ Sit or stand tall.
2️⃣ Gently draw your shoulder blades down and slightly together (think “soft pockets,” not squeezing tightly).
3️⃣ Hold for 5 seconds and relax.
4️⃣ Repeat 10 times.

This helps wake up the stabilising muscles and improves how the shoulder tracks during movement.

Notice if your shoulder feels a little steadier or quieter afterwards.

🩵 Clicking isn’t always a sign of something serious.

But it is a message that your shoulder may need better support and control.

📞 If you would like guidance in improving shoulder stability and movement, book in to see one of our osteopaths.
Call (03) 5221 1877 or book online at kardiniaclinic.com.au.

01/12/2025

💭 Strength and mobility isn't just for athletes. They’re for everyone.

There’s a common belief that strength training and mobility work are only necessary if you’re a runner, gym-goer or dancer.
But the truth is this: everybody relies on strength and mobility to stay comfortable, capable and confident in daily life.

You use mobility every time you turn to reverse the car.
You use strength every time you lift a shopping bag or get out of a chair.
You use both when you walk, garden, work, parent or play.

When these foundations start to drop, the body doesn’t always send pain signals straight away.
Instead, it whispers through stiffness, fatigue or hesitation in movement.

🔍 A hidden problem many people don’t realise is a sign of a problem:

Losing strength or mobility without noticing.
Small changes creep in quietly:
• Difficulty bending to tie shoes
• Needing to use hands to push up from a chair
• Feeling unsteady stepping sideways
• Tightness during simple twisting movements

These aren’t signs of “getting older.”
They are early indicators that certain muscles or joints aren’t supporting the body the way they used to.

✅ A small win you can try today:

1️⃣ Stand tall next to a bench or table.
2️⃣ Lift one leg slightly and shift your weight onto the other leg.
3️⃣ Try to balance for 10 seconds without wobbling.

If you feel unsteady or notice one side is much harder, that’s a clue your body may need support with strength, stability or mobility.

This is not something to fear. It’s simply information — and a starting point for positive change.

🩵 Strength and mobility aren’t about performance.

They’re about staying independent, reducing future strain and feeling good in your body for as long as possible.

📞 If you would like support in improving your strength, mobility and overall movement, book in to see one of our osteopaths.
Call (03) 5221 1877 or book online at kardiniaclinic.com.au.

26/11/2025

💙 From the office desk to the dance floor.

Let’s help your body move better and hurt less.

Whether your day is spent at a computer, on your feet, or practicing your craft on the field or in the studio, your body is always adapting.
But sometimes, it adapts in ways that create stiffness, tension or discomfort that doesn’t show up until you start moving again.

You may notice:
• a hip that pinches when you stand after sitting
• shoulders that tighten during overhead movements
• a lower back that complains halfway through a class or training session
• a neck that feels tired by the end of the day

These aren’t random. They’re early signs of a movement pattern your body is trying to manage.

🔍 A hidden problem many people don’t realise they have:

Mismatch between what the body does all day and what it’s asked to do later.

For example:
• sitting for hours, then expecting the body to rotate freely
• standing all day, then asking the hips to stabilise in dance or sport
• repetitive office posture, then performing movements that require mobility and balance

These mismatches create subtle restrictions that lead to tightness, fatigue and reduced ease of movement.

✅ A small win you can try today:

1️⃣ Stand up and take a slow step forward.
2️⃣ Gently rotate your torso to each side, only to a comfortable range.
3️⃣ Repeat 5 times while breathing slowly.

This simple reset helps reconnect the upper and lower body, improves mobility and reduces tension from prolonged sitting or repetitive tasks.

💛 You deserve a body that supports your work, your hobbies and the things you love doing.

Small adjustments can make a big difference in how you move and how you feel.

📞 If you would like support in improving your movement, reducing tension and feeling more comfortable in your body, book in to see one of our osteopaths.
Call (03) 5221 1877 or book online at kardiniaclinic.com.au.

24/11/2025

💭 Pain isn’t always shouting. Sometimes it’s whispering through stiffness, fatigue or tension.

Pain doesn’t always arrive as a sharp, obvious signal.
Often, the earliest clues are much quieter. A stiff neck that shows up every afternoon, a lower back that feels tired after sitting, or muscles that tighten for no clear reason.

These whispers are easy to overlook because they’re not painful enough to stop you.
But they are often the body’s first message that something isn’t moving well, supporting well or coping well.

Ignoring these early signs is how small issues gradually build into bigger ones.

🔍 A hidden problem many people don’t realise they have:

Low-grade tension caused by overload.
When certain muscles are taking on more work than they should, often due to posture, stress or old injuries, they create a constant background tension.

It doesn’t hurt yet.
It just feels tight, tired or stuck, especially by the end of the day.
But this is often the stage right before pain develops.

✅ A small win you can try today:

1️⃣ Pick one area that regularly feels tight, such as the neck, shoulders or lower back.
2️⃣ Spend 60 seconds doing gentle movement through a comfortable range: slow circles, side bends or rolling the shoulders.
3️⃣ Notice whether the area feels slightly lighter afterwards.

This tiny reset helps reduce low-grade tension and brings awareness to patterns your body has been quietly managing.

🩵 Your body rarely jumps from fine to in pain.

It gives small, consistent messages first such as stiffness, fatigue and tension.
Listening to these whispers early can make a huge difference in how your body feels over time.

📞 If you would like support in understanding what your body is trying to tell you, book in to see one of our osteopaths.
Call (03) 5221 1877 or book online at kardiniaclinic.com.au.

19/11/2025

🦵 Why stretching your hamstrings might not be the answer to your tightness and what to do instead.

If your hamstrings always feel tight, even after regular stretching, you’re not alone. Many people stretch daily without much change because the problem isn’t always short muscles.

Often, what feels like “tightness” is actually muscle tension caused by weakness or instability elsewhere.

Our hamstrings work hard to stabilise the pelvis and support the lower back. When nearby muscles like the glutes or core aren’t doing their share, the hamstrings stay switched on, holding extra tension to protect the body.

So, no matter how much we stretch, they tighten back up again.

🔍 A few clues this might be happening:
• You stretch often but never feel looser for long.
• Your hamstrings tighten up quickly after sitting.
• You notice lower back or hip discomfort alongside the tightness.

✅ A small win to try today:
1️⃣ Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat.
2️⃣ Gently squeeze your glutes and lift your hips a few centimetres (a small bridge).
3️⃣ Hold for 5 seconds, lower slowly, and repeat 10 times, focusing on using your glutes, not your back or hamstrings.

This gentle activation helps your body share the workload more evenly, allowing the hamstrings to relax because they feel supported.

Tightness is often your body’s way of asking for balance, not more pulling or stretching.

When we move smarter, activating what’s underworking we often find that tension naturally starts to ease.

🩵 It’s not always about stretching more, but about helping the right muscles do their job.

📞 If you would like guidance in improving movement and reducing muscle tightness safely, book a session with our Exercise Physiologist, Aaron Jenkins.
Call (03) 5221 1877 or visit kardiniaclinic.com.au.

19/11/2025

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18/11/2025

Many people believe they need to be in pain before seeing an osteopath but your body gives subtle clues long before discomfort arrives.

Stiffness, tightness, one-sided weakness, or difficulty with simple movements are all early signs that your body is compensating.
These compensations are often the real reason pain eventually appears.

The good news?
Catching these patterns early can make a huge difference to how your body feels and moves.

🩵 If you would like support in keeping your body balanced, strong, and moving well, book online or give us a call to come and see one of our wonderful osteopaths.
📞 (03) 5221 1877
💻 kardiniaclinic.com.au

15/11/2025

🩵 Movement is medicine — and it’s never too late to start healing.

When pain or stiffness shows up, it’s natural to stop moving to protect the sore area and “let it rest.” But here’s something important: the longer we avoid movement, the harder it becomes to get it back.

Our joints, muscles and connective tissues rely on movement to stay nourished and healthy. When we move, blood flow increases, delivering oxygen and nutrients that help tissues repair. When we stay still, those same tissues can stiffen and weaken making even simple activities feel harder.

This is especially common after injuries, surgeries, or long periods of sitting.
We might tell ourselves we’re “taking it easy,” but our bodies are quietly asking for gentle, consistent motion.

Healing doesn’t always mean doing more. Sometimes it means moving smarter and with awareness giving our bodies the gentle stimulus they need to recover.

🩵 It’s never too late to start healing.
Every small, mindful movement is a signal to our body: “I’m still here, and I’m ready to keep moving.”

📞 If you would like support in finding safe, effective ways to move for your body, book a session with our Exercise Physiologist, Aaron Jenkins.
Call us on (03) 5221 1877 or book online at kardiniaclinic.com.au

12/11/2025

Do you ignore that daily ache because you think it’s “normal for your age”? 🤔

It’s easy to write off that stiff lower back, sore knee, or tight neck as “just getting older.” But often, those daily aches aren’t simply age, they’re signs your body is asking for attention.

As we get older, our tissues change, but pain isn’t inevitable. What’s common isn’t always normal.

Many of our patients in their 60s, 70s and beyond are surprised at how much better they can move and feel once we address the real cause behind that “everyday” discomfort.

🔍 Here’s what might really be happening:
• Small restrictions in your joints or muscles can subtly change the way you move.
• Over time, these compensations cause stiffness, imbalance or pain, often in areas you least expect.
• Because it develops gradually, it feels “normal”… until it isn’t.

✅ A small win you can try today:
1️⃣ Notice your morning pattern, is there a part of your body that always feels tight or slow to “wake up”?
2️⃣ Spend 2–3 minutes gently moving that area through its full, comfortable range. Not forcing it, just exploring it.
3️⃣ Take a short walk afterwards. Movement helps circulation and joint lubrication. Your body’s natural way to ease stiffness.

Try this daily for a week and see what changes. If your “normal ache” starts to shift even a little it’s your body proving that change is possible.

You don’t have to settle for living with pain just because of age. Sometimes, all it takes is the right awareness and the right guidance to help your body do what it’s designed to do: move well, for life.

📞 If you are unsure or would like support in taking steps towards feeling better, book your session today by giving us a call on (03) 5221 1877 or visiting kardiniaclinic.com.au