Question 1

What do FM treat mostly in the clinic?

Accepted Answer

We take pain seriously and believe each person deserves to move with ease, and aim to improve your quality of life by assisting with:
- General aches and pain from your head to your toes
- Challenging cases, scar tissue and chronic pain (pain lasting 3+ months, and in many cases decades)
- Headaches or migraines brought on by muscular stress.
- Mobility issues, walking problems, movement restrictions, strengthening and stability for women 6 months postnatal.
- Specific conditions, including plantar fasciitis, kyphosis, lordosis, flat back and scoliosis

Question 2

How are you keeping up to date with new treatments?

Accepted Answer

Our practitioners love learning, and to maintain their license have to complete a certain amount of course points per year which averages out to be two courses per year... per practitioner!
 
This keeps us up to date with new discoveries, expanding our knowledge to improve our technique and treatments.
 
All this extra learning is for you.

Question 3

I think I am the most challenging case you may have seen, can you help me?"

Accepted Answer

We get this a lot in clinic, especially clients who have had pain for a long time and have tried various therapies to help them. This may be due to not knowing who can help or being desperate for relief.
 
When this happens, it usually means either of the below or both:
a) We discover past treatments isolate the pain area, only treating the site of pain, and do not take the whole body and other systems into consideration.
b) They have seen the same practitioner fortnightly/monthly for the exact same treatment and therefore have had the same results for years.
 
FM follow postural and movement patterns instead of chasing pain.

Question 4

Do you accept private health funds?

Accepted Answer

Assessments and Exercise Programs with Fiona are claimable under Exercise Physiology. Fascia/massage is claimed under Remedial Massage.

Question 5

What equipment will I need for my programs?

Accepted Answer

For optimal results we recommend using equipment to help your body achieve the stability and strength it needs. If your body is not challenged the right way, it will not change. Equipment required in the mobility and stability phase may include, a large foam roller, swiss ball, therabands, tennis ball, light dumbbells etc

Question 6

I already do pilates, stretching and exercises- isn't this the same?"

Accepted Answer

We find most of these exercises, whilst helpful, may be generic and aren’t tailored to your exact problem areas. Eyeballing a client’s posture and guessing the right exercises doesn’t always work. Our assessment takes out the guess work, and we determine exactly what we need to work on. Stability muscles need to work for 3-4 minutes to be functional.
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If you stretch a muscle that feels tight or sore, it’s extremely common that the muscle is stuck in a long position, and you neglect the short side because you don’t feel it. For example a short muscle is stagnant, whereas the long muscle on the opposite side is pulled taut like a rubber band stretched to capacity. Think of how your tissue fibres will feel being pulled in this way. Most people feel pain in the muscles trying hard not get longer, yet most people stretch it and foam roll it for short term relief, and may worsen the problem.

Question 7

I was told not to squat or lunge by my specialist or GP. Why do you recommend it?

Accepted Answer

Squatting and lunging aren’t just for the gym, you do these all day long whether you realise it or not.
 
Squatting is sitting and standing, lifting a baby, child or groceries, getting in and out of a car, squatting to look in a lower shelf.
Lunging is going up or down stairs, putting one leg in a car to sit down or get out, playing sport has all kinds of squats and lunges. In a clinic setting we teach your body how to be strong in all different types of squats and lunges. Eg a bridge position on the floor is a regressed squat. A mini step up is a regressed lunge.
 
There’s many different variations and baby steps to get you moving right. Move it or lose it. Perhaps the reason you’re in pain is because you were never shown how to squat or lunge properly.

Question 8

What products do you use on clients?

Accepted Answer

Our products are all natural and chemical free. Massage oils we use include:
-Organic liquid coconut oil: Liquid means the fibres responsible for the strong coconut smell are removed, to prevent you smelling like a coconut when you leave. It contains no essential oils and is safe for those who are pregnant or with allergies (unless you have a coconut allergy). Coconut has antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral properties. It soaks into the skin nicely, leaving no greasy residue.
- Homemade Myofascial Balm: beeswax and liquid coconut oil

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