Total Balance Healthcare
2 Secculi Drive, Chelsea Heights.
03 9773 8085
totalbalancehealth.com.au
What inspired you to become an Osteopath?
It may seem cliche, but the inspiration came from wanting to help people in pain understand their pain better and for my patients to be in control of their pain.
What is your philosophy when it comes to helping individuals improve their sleep health? Are there any specific principles or strategies you follow in your practice?
Routine is probably one of the main things that I focus on when it comes to individuals trying to improve their sleep. Often I have patients who say that they struggle to sleep and I often find that this is because their sleeping routine and schedule is not very consistent.
I try to encourage my patients to go to sleep at the same time every day and wake up at the same time every day. This helps set our circadian rhythm and allows the body to get to sleep when it's time for sleep and wake up feeling rested when it is time to wake up.
What are some of the most common sleep-related issues you encounter in your practice?
Sleep Apnea is a pretty common issue that we run into. Headaches and breathing issues throughout the night are also quite common.
How do you go about diagnosing and addressing these issues?
Diagnosing sleeping issues in the treatment room can often be very challenging as we are observing our patients when they are awake and not asleep.
We would usually diagnose these types of issues with our line of questioning and in conjunction with other healthcare professionals that the person may be seeing. If sleeping is a very big issue, often referral to a sleep study clinic may be necessary.
Advice for Better Sleep
Similar to what I said before but being consistent with sleeping and waking times. Additionally staying off of devices, avoiding caffeine/sugar, and avoiding alcohol prior to bed can be very beneficial. If low back pain is present sometimes we would recommend sleeping with a pillow in between the legs however this isn't always necessary.
