Anytime Fitness in Ferntree Gully are having a one day sale on Wednesday 21st August, and they've invited us along to talk to you about Myotherapy and how it can help with your training or recovering from an injury.

We'll be there from 5-7pm, and have some Myo vouchers to give away, as well as bringing some of the tools of the trade for you to see. Of course, Perry will be trying his best to get a work out in as well!

If you've been considering joining a gym, I can highly recommend Anytime Fitness. I go there myself and always find the place clean and neat, the staff are friendly and helpful, the personal trainers are happy to help you figure out how to use the equipment and they offer a selection of group classes that are free as part of your membership.

What is a dislocation?
A dislocation is the full displacement of a bone at the joint. So the bone is moved to somewhere outside of the joint it belongs to.
 
Dislocating a joint is incredibly painful for most people. But along with short-term severe pain, it can also predispose someone to chronic pain if not rehabilitated correctly.
 
Why do dislocations happen?
Generally, dislocations occur due to high-impact trauma to the joint – think car accidents, falls, fights or high-impact sports like football and rugby.
 
However, if you have a joint that is weakened or unstable, it could be caused by something with minimal force. This is commonly seen in people with hypermobile joints or a hypermobility condition.
 
Joint shape differences such as hip dysplasia or variations in the shape of shoulder bones can also increase risk of dislocation.
 
Joints that are at risk of dislocating
Pretty much any joint in the body can be dislocated if there’s enough force. But some have a greater risk of dislocation because of their location and/or their structure. They include:

• Shoulders
• Hips
• Knees
• Elbows
• Fingers
• Toes

 
Dislocation red flags to watch for
If you’ve experienced a dislocation, there are a few things to keep an eye on. These can often warrant medical attention.

• The injury occurs due to some kind of high-impact trauma like a car accident, fall or sports injury. Please don’t pop it back and go on with your day! Get checked by a doctor, as there might be damage that needs repairing.
• You’re experiencing a fever. This could indicate an infection in the joint. Play it safe and head to your GP!
• You continue to experience severe pain. Dislocations can damage the structure of a joint. Your pain could be due to secondary injuries like a fracture, muscle tear, or damage to the ligaments and tendons. Go see your doctor about further scans and assessments.

• Any change of sensation in the limb below the injured joint. This might include numbness, pins and needles, tingles or just feeling ‘different’ compared to the other side. These signs can indicate nerve involvement, which requires specific care.

 
The rehab process for dislocations
This can depend on the type of dislocation. The greater the damage to muscles, tendons or ligaments, the longer the process of rehabilitation.
 
For some people, recovery will take a few weeks, and they will regain their full strength. For others, they are starting with almost no function or stability. So for those people, it’s like learning how to use the joint from scratch.
 
A history of previous dislocation to the same joint can also mean a longer rehab, as you’ll be attempting to heal twice the damage (or more!) to regain full function.
 
What can a myotherapist do for dislocations?
So you’ve dislocated a joint, and you want to know what your friendly local myotherapist can do for you. Here’s what I can do to help you recover!

• Assess which muscles have been tightened or weakened due to the injury
• Relieve any muscle tension with remedial massage techniques
• Mobilise the joint, which increases movement and reduces sensitivity
• Tape the injured joint to increase stability and minimise pain

• Prescribe exercises to strengthen the joint (this will be prescribed once the initial pain is reduced, don’t worry!)

 
What I CANNOT do is help you relocate a joint that is still dislocated. Relocating dislocations is a medical procedure that is out of my scope as a practitioner.
 
If you come to the clinic with a dislocated joint, I’ll send you straight over to the Angliss for medical attention! So do yourself a favour and skip the myotherapy session until your joint has been relocated by a medical professional.
 
 
Are you recovering from a dislocation injury? Head on over to my booking page, so we can start strengthening your injured joint and get you back to living life!

​Most people understand joint dislocations. But subluxations, or partial dislocations, are a bit different. As a myotherapist, I see plenty of subluxations and related injuries every week. So let’s look at why subluxations aren’t quite dislocations, and what you can do about them!

​​What is a subluxation?
Unlike a dislocation, a subluxation is a partial displacement of the joint. With a dislocation, the bone is completely out of the joint it belongs to. But with a subluxation, the bone is only partly out.
 
Just because it is not a full dislocation doesn’t mean that it won’t hurt! Subluxation can still be painful, as the joint is being wrenched out of its usual spot. It can also leave you at higher risk of chronic pain if the joint isn’t rehabilitated after the injury.

In the image above, we're looking at the ball and socket joint of the hip. The Normal hip joint shows the ball of the femur (thigh bone) sitting neatly inside the socket joint of the pelvis. In Dysplasia, the shape of the socket is not correctly formed so the socket doesn't snugly hold the ball of the femur. In Subluxation, the ball of the femur has partially slid out from the socket, and while its still almost in the right spot, it likely won't move smooth and painfree like the normal hip. And in the Dislocation, the ball of the femur has entirely moved out of the socket.

Why do joints sublux?
It is easier for a joint to sublux than it is to dislocate. That being said, if you have full strength and integrity in your joints, it will take a high-impact injury to sublux a joint. This is usually something like a fall, car accident or a sports injury.
 
However, some people are at a higher risk due to weak, unstable or unusually shaped joints. A previous history of dislocation or subluxation can weaken the joint and make it more prone to a sublux.
 
People with hypermobile joints can sublux joints with minimal force, because the ligaments (connective tissue that holds the joint together) are more elastic than they should be. This can lead to the person being very flexible but also more prone to subluxations – some of my more hypermobile clients can sublux joints while walking, sitting, or even sleeping!
 
You can also have variations in the shape of your hip or shoulder joints that make it easier to sublux. Hip dysplasia is one common variation that increases the risk of subluxing a hip joint, like in the image above.
 
Joints at risk of subluxation
In the clinic, I’ve seen almost every subluxation possible, thanks to my hypermobile clients! But there are several joints that are easier to sublux due to their location and structure:

• Shoulders
• Elbows
• Hips
• Knees
• Fingers

• Toes

 
If you have hypermobile joints, you may be at risk of subluxing other joints like ribs, jaw and collarbone.
 
How is a subluxed joint rehabilitated?
It can depend on the type of subluxation, and how it occurred. If it was due to high-impact trauma, there’s likely to be a decent amount of joint damage that needs attention. It could take weeks before the pain subsides enough to focus on rehabilitation.
 
But if the sublux occurred due to hypermobility or dysplasia, it might just need a little TLC for a week or two. After that, the focus will be on building up the muscles that support the joint to reduce the risk of recurrence.
 
Either way, the focus for rehabilitating the joint will include stabilising it, minimising any symptoms, and rebuilding the strength and integrity.
 
What can a myotherapist do for subluxations?
If you’re dealing with a subluxed joint (or multiple!), I’m here to help. Let’s look at how myotherapy can help with subluxations:

• Assessing tight or weak muscles that are affecting the injury
• Relieving muscle tension using remedial massage techniques
• Mobilisation of the joint to help correct joint position, as well as increase movement and reduce sensitivity
• Taping the joint using rigid or kinesiotape to boost stability and minimise pain

• Prescribing exercises to rehab and strengthen the joint

 
So don’t sit at home and feel sore after a joint has subluxed. Come see your favourite myotherapist. We’ll have you feeling better in no time! Click here to book an appointment.