Do I need a referral to see a chiropractor at Balanced Healthcare?

No referral is needed. You can book directly online or by phone (03 9376 4666) for chiropractic, remedial massage, or myotherapy. If you have private health extras cover, most funds allow on-the-spot HICAPS claiming for these services.

What's the difference between chiropractic, remedial massage, and myotherapy?

Chiropractic focuses on diagnosing and adjusting the spine and joints to improve movement and reduce pain. Remedial massage targets soft tissue and muscle tension through hands-on manipulation. Myotherapy assesses and treats musculoskeletal pain using a broader toolkit — including dry needling, stretching, and trigger point release. Many patients combine two or more for faster recovery.

How do I choose the right practitioner for chronic back pain?

For chronic back pain, start with a chiropractic assessment to identify the underlying joint or postural cause. Our chiropractors will often recommend remedial massage or myotherapy alongside adjustments for longer-lasting relief. Book an initial consultation and we'll tailor a treatment plan to your specific pain pattern.

Is chiropractic care safe for children and during pregnancy?

Yes. Our chiropractors are trained in gentle, age-appropriate techniques for infants and children, and use pregnancy-safe adjusting methods and supportive positioning for expecting mothers throughout all trimesters.

What should I expect at my first appointment?

Your first visit includes a full health history discussion, a physical assessment of your posture and movement, and a clear explanation of findings before any treatment begins. Most initial consultations run 30-45 minutes.

Does private health insurance cover chiropractic, massage, or myotherapy?

Most Australian private health funds with extras cover include rebates for chiropractic, remedial massage, and myotherapy. We offer on-the-spot HICAPS claiming, so you only pay the gap fee at time of treatment.

How often should I get remedial massage or myotherapy?

For acute muscle tension, weekly sessions for 2-4 weeks are common before spacing out. For general maintenance and stress management, many clients return every 4-6 weeks. Your practitioner will recommend a frequency based on your specific condition.

Where is Balanced Healthcare located and what areas do you service?

We're located at 24 Ascot Vale Rd, Flemington VIC 3031, servicing Flemington, Ascot Vale, Kensington, Moonee Ponds, Essendon, and Maribyrnong. We're open Monday to Friday 9am-7pm and Saturday 8am-1pm.

ASTHMA – HOW BUTEYKO BREATHING CAN HELP

ASTHMA- HOW BUTEYKO BREATHING CAN HELP

(Kalopedis & Gaw, 2017)

Most people who experience asthma have had it since childhood because the likely cause is a combination of genetic predisposition as well as the environment you grow up in. The respiratory system is very sensitive to pollutants and inflammatory triggers. This is why the human body has many barriers to try and stop irritants from reaching the delicate lung tissue. These barriers are cilia (fine hair-like projections) in the nose and throat, mucus, and macrophages -immune cells which eat baddies! (U.S Department of Health and Human Services, 2011).

Things like tobacco smoke and pollution can damage and even burn away the cilia in the throat- increasing the likelihood of irritation to the vessels where air passes to the lungs and therefore increasing the risk of asthma, as well as infections such as pneumonia (Dezube, 2019).

Mouth breathing can dry out the mucous barrier of the throat, cause congestion in the nose and sinuses’, and disrupt the CO2/O2 ratios. Buteyko breathing can be very useful to train yourself (or your children) to become nose-breathers.

Mouth-breathing can dry the mouth and mucus barrier out, causing the respiratory system to be more at risk of irritation and asthma.

What is Buteyko Breathing?

Buteyko breathing was developed in the 1950s by Russian Dr Konstantin Buteyko to reverse the habit of mouth breathing as well as chronic over-breathing (hyperventilation, using short rapid breaths). Research has been done using Buteyko breathing, and the results have shown that regular use of the Buteyko method reduced hyperventilation, and corticosteroid use in asthmatics over a four-month period (Bowler, Green & Mitchell, 1998).

Try out this one approach regularly to see if you get results:
-Pull a chair up to a mirror.
-Sit up straight, and allow the shoulders to relax.
-Bring awareness to the breathing movements of the chest and belly.
-The mouth is closed, chest and belly are relaxed.
-Allow the breath to quieten and calm down, so you can only see very small movements in the chest and belly.
-Reduce the sound of the breathing as much as possible, while staying relaxed, for 4 minutes. You will likely feel a tolerable need for more air.

(McKeown, 2010)

What else can I do to improve my asthma symptoms?

It may also be worth getting allergy testing done, to see if there are any irritants in your home such as animal fur, moulds, or food intolerances which cause your body to have an increased inflammatory response- Dairy products, wheat and egg can be common triggers for people if their gut lining is irritated- see ‘leaky gut syndrome’ for more information.

Natural antihistamines can help you to calm inflammation from allergens, especially if you notice your asthma worsening in hay fever season. A combination of Zinc, Magnesium, Vitamin E and the bioflavonoids hesperidin and quercetin (found in onions), can ease symptoms (Macek, Jurikova, Skrovankova & Sochor, 2016).

If you or your child is asthmatic, you will also need to look after your thoracic spine and ribcage, particularly the upper part of the back. Unrestricted ribcage movement, proper contraction and release of the diaphragm, and spinal motion are all vital for breathing. Consider consulting with one of our Chiropractors at Balanced Health Care to assess whether these areas are functioning well.

Call us on 03 9376 4666 to book your appointment today with one of our chiropractors or massage therapists.

References:

Kalopedis, M., & Gaw, C. (2017). How Does Asthma Work? [Video]. Zedem Media.

U.S Department of Health and Human Services. (2011). Asthma in the US. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Dezube, R. (2019). Defense Mechanisms of the Respiratory System – Lung and Airway Disorders – MSD Manual Consumer Version. Retrieved 6 January 2020, from https://www.msdmanuals.com/en-au/home/lung-and-airway-disorders/biology-of-the-lungs-and-airways/defense-mechanisms-of-the-respiratory-system

McKeown, P. (2010). Buteyko meets Dr Mew. Moycullen: ButeykoClinic.com.

Bowler, S., Green, A., & Mitchell, C. (1998). Buteyko breathing techniques in asthma: a blinded randomised controlled trial. Medical Journal Of Australia, 169(11-12), 575-578. doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1998.tb123422.x

Mlcek, J., Jurikova, T., Skrovankova, S., & Sochor, J. (2016). Quercetin and Its Anti-Allergic Immune Response. Molecules, 21(5), 623. doi: 10.3390/molecules21050623

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