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Effects Of Ageing On Our Body

Apr 23, 2021

Effects of ageing on
muscles, bones and joints

Changes to the muscles, bones and joints were once
considered to be inevitable too. Researchers now suggest, however, that many
ageing-related factors are due to inactivity, and that performing physical
activity can help reduce or reverse the risk of disability and chronic disease.

Muscle and bone
conditions as we age

Disability is very common as we get older. In older people,
common conditions affecting muscles and the skeleton, or the musculoskeletal
system include:

·

Osteoarthritis – Cartilage breaks down within
the joint, causing pain and stiffness

·

Osteomalacia – Bones become soft due to
metabolism problems with vitamin D

·

Osteoporosis – the bones become fragile and lose
mass. Fractures are more likely

·

Rheumatoid arthritis – joint inflammation

·

Muscle weakness and pain – any of the conditions
mentioned above may affect the proper functioning of the muscles in question.

Age-related muscle
changes

Muscle loses size and strength as we get older, which can
lead to tiredness, fatigue and decreased exercise tolerance. This is due to a
number of factors which work together, including:

·

Muscle fibres are decreasing in number and
diminishing in thickness.

·

The muscle tissue is more slowly replaced and
the missing muscle tissue is replaced by a tougher and more fibrous tissue.

·

Changes in the nervous system contribute to
decreased tone and decreased ability to contract.

Changes in bone
related to age

Bone is the fabric of living. When we age, the bone
structure changes and this contributes to bone tissue loss. Small bone mass
means bones are thinner and risk breaking from a sudden bumps or falls.

Bones are getting less dense when we age for a number of
reasons, including:

·

An inactive lifestyle causes wasting to the
bone.

·

Hormonal changes – menopause in women triggers
mineral loss in bone tissue. In men, the gradual decline in sex hormones can
lead to osteoporosis.

·

Bones lose calcium and other minerals.

Alterations in joints
related to age

Bones in a joint do not touch one another directly.
Cartilage that line your joints (articular cartilage), synovial membranes
around the joint and a lubricating fluid within your joints (synovial fluid)
cushion them. The joint movement becomes stiffer and less flexible as you age
because the amount of lubricating fluid inside your joints decreases and the
cartilage becomes thinner. Likewise, ligaments tend to shorten and lose
flexibility, making joints feel stiff.

Many of those age-related joint changes are due to lack of
exercise. Joint motion, and the associated movement ‘stress,’ helps to keep the
fluid moving. Being inactive causes the cartilage to shrink and stiffen, thus
reducing mobility in the joint.

Physical Activity
Will Help

Exercise can prevent numerous age-related changes in
muscles, bones and joints – and also reverse those changes. It is never too
late to start living and enjoying the benefits of an healthy lifestyle.

Research shows:

·

Exercise can strengthen the bones and help to
reduce the rate of bone loss.

·

Older people can increase muscle mass and
strength through exercises that strengthen the muscles.

·

Exercises of balance and coordination, such as
Pilates, can help to reduce the risk of falls.

·

Physical activity may delay the progression of
osteoporosis as it slows down the rate at which bone mineral density decreases.

·

Weight-bearing exercise, such as walking or
weight training, is the best sort of exercise for bone mass maintenance.
Twisting or rotational movements, where the muscle attachments pull on the
bone, can also to be beneficial.

·

Older people who exercise in water (which is not
weight-bearing) may still experience bone and muscle mass increases compared to
older sedentary people.

·

Stretching is another excellent way to help keep
the joints flexible.

You should always consult your healthcare professional or
your doctor before beginning any new physical activity programme. If you
haven’t exercised for a long time, are elderly or have a chronic condition
(such as arthritis), your doctor, or physiotherapist may help you customise an
appropriate and healthy exercise plan. If you have osteoporosis, it might be
best to take more calcium, too. Medications are often needed to treat
osteoporosis.

If you have any further questions about any aches or pains
or advice, please contact the clinic on 028 92666959, or email
info@gavnoble.com

Check out how we can help you at

Physiotherapy

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Physiotherapist
  • Are you comfortable working with different people to achieve their health goals?
  • Are you stuck in a boring job with little chance of learning, development or career opportunity?
  • Do you want a fresh flexible opportunity that will allow you to grow professionally and personally?
  • Our dynamic and fun business is looking for the right person to join the team.

Ideal Characteristics Required 

  • People person
  • Highly motivated
  • Outstanding references
  • You actually want to learn and work

Why work at Gav Noble Physiotherapy? 

  • Join an established, respected and busy set of clinics
  • Excellent work environment with learning opportunities in both Clinical & Business

Skills Required 

  • Commitment to ongoing professional development
  • Demonstrated ability to work as part of a team
  • Practical and able to problem solve
  • Demonstrate ability to market and advertise your skills
  • Able to use a computer
  • Strong musculo-skeletal and manual therapy background
  • Relevant Qualification 

Desirable skills/interest 

  • Manual therapy
  • Pilates training
  • Dry needling
  • Kinesio tape
  • Marketing/Business
  • Previous MSK Private Practice background

Perks

  • Opportunities for developing manual therapy skills.
  • Mixed Caseload
  • Flexibility, accountability, autonomy, transparency
  • Ability to make changes and improvements to clinical practice easily and quickly.
  • Flexibility and freedom to be creative in your approach with patient care
  • Flexible working hours
Client Care Specialist

THIS JOB WILL BE PERFECT FOR YOU IF:

  • Have amazing personal and phone communication skills
  • Have a record of speaking to people at length and the ability to deal with complaints in an empathetic manner
  • An understanding of KPIs in business and the ability to optomise their own performance
  • Help our clients get the best outcomes they can
  • Want to learn on the job and are keen in evolve your current skills
  • Computer and Social Media Literate
  • Able to handle taking payments and managing money

THE OPPORTUNITY:

  • Join a hard working, fun group who enjoy making a difference every day you come into the clinic
  • The opportunity to make a real difference in people’s lives and health through communication and education

IF YOU CAN SEE YOURSELF:

  • Helping potential clients determine if our clinic is the right fit for them and their problem?
  • Answering and returning phone calls of potential, current and past clients?

JOB TITLE: Client Care Specialist

  • Are you comfortable with talking to strangers both in person and on the phone?
  • Are you a motivated to learn?
  • Is being “organised” a top priority in your life and are you able to multi-task and prioritize projects, while simultaneously meeting deadlines and prioritizing your day?
  • Can you communicate effectively with people from all different backgrounds – both written and verbal?
  • Are you able to speak up when you see something that is not working and can you anticipate the needs of other people because you show up for work knowing that the smallest details always make the difference?
  • Do you have a positive outlook on life? Are you flexible and open to change, committed to learning?

THE ROLE:

  • You will be responsible for managing a busy front desk and waiting room.
  • experience, meeting and greeting our patients, answering the phone, converting inquires into paying patients and ensuring that all of our patients are looked after and made to feel welcomed whenever they enter your world.
  • Ultimately, your job is to help us grow the revenue of the clinic by booking in new patients via the phone or those who walk into our clinic directly and excelling at retaining those patients as lifelong customers of the business.
  • You’ll do that by creating the type of customer service experience that patients will be happy to pay for – and just as happy to tell others about.

THE TASKS:

  • Communicate the value of our services (in person and on the phone) and be able to explain how what we do, is worth the price we are asking
  • Successfully handle price objections.
  • Hold a lengthy (at least 15-20 minute) conversation with new patients on the phone ensuring that patients are committed and bought into our service.
  • Provide an exceptional waiting room environment for our patients that they’ll look forward to coming back to.
  • Ensure that people who call requesting appointments are placed on schedule and understand the true time and cost commitment involved in physical therapy.
  • Ensure people show up excited for their first appointment after scheduling.
  • Communicate with patients before, during and after appointments to ensure satisfaction is being achieved.
  • Ensure that all invoices are raised on time, every time and are sent to the appropriate person (in house or externally).
  • Organise and plan all schedules – maximising efficiency and revenue for the clinic.
  • Foster deep relationships with patients ensuring NP score hits agreed levels.
  • Develop and regularly update the procedures library so that every aspect of the role is documented and can be achieved by anyone else in the business.

SKILLS/COMPETENCIES NEEDED:

  • Be able to hold meaningful conversations with prospective patients on the phone for longer than 20 minutes (empathy).
  • Be able to answer all questions asked on the phone in a such a way that increases the likelihood that the person asking will want to become a customer (insightful and knowledgeable).
  • Recall names and faces of patients and in doing so making all our patients feel welcomed and remembered.
  • Provide a warm and welcoming greeting to patients when they arrive in the clinic (experience).
  • Organisation and planning: plans and organises, schedules and budgets in an efficient, productive manner.
  • Focuses on key priorities.
  • Follow through on commitments: lives up to verbal and written agreements regardless of personal cost.
  • Demonstrate an ability to quickly and proficiently understand and absorb new information.
  • Attention to detail: does not let important details slip through the cracks.
  • Persistence: demonstrate tenacity and willingness to go the distance to get something done.
  • Proactivity: acts without being told what to do.
  • Bring new ideas to the company.

WHAT WE WILL DO FOR YOU:

  • Provide you with ongoing training and support in the field of customer service and front desk administration.
  • Give you an amazing environment to work in that includes working with a team of wonderful and very supportive staff – as well as very
  • friendly customers.
  • Opportunity to develop and grow in a team that is value driven and strongly encourages personality based service.
  • Competitive salary with chance to earn even more as we grow as a result of your impact.

Salary: On Application.

Hours: Full time, 37.5 hours.