Issue 16

HICAPS is here.

No more queing at your health fund office to claim your rebate for osteopathy! HICAPS allows you to use your health fund card at the practice to pay with your rebate directly, which means that you only have to pay the gap. Patients are finding this new service very convenient as it saves you time and you are less out of pocket. Not to mention the lost receipts that we regularly used to be asked for. Remember to bring your health insurance swipe card with you to your next consultation so you only pay the balance after the rebate amount. The gap can be paid by the conventional methods of EFTPOS, Visa, MasterCard, cash or cheque.

Prevention in the Work Place

You may have seen Michael Mulholland-Licht on Channel 9's Today Show, suggesting sustainable lifestyle tips. This interview followed on from a recent Sydney Morning Herald article where he talked about the dilemma that Baby Boomers are predicted to live longer than any previous generation, yet the statistics on chronic illness (heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, depression) are increasing. So since we are going to be around for several more decades we need to take action in order to enjoy quality of life.

During the past year the Vital Lifestyle Team have had the opportunity to contribute some preventative measures towards a Vital Lifestyle in the work place. Posture and structural assessments were delivered to 190 staff at Sensis in Sydney. Michael gave a Sustainable Lifestyle presentation to 150 scientists and mathematicians at C.S.I.R.O.'s annual conference. We also conducted a posture/ structural assessment of 50 staff at the Australian National Maritime Museum.

If your team could benefit from some Vital Lifestyle motivation please call or e-mail us to discuss your needs and a suitable program.

Ali Rubie is our excellent front office administrator. Ali is available from 8:30 to 12:30 Monday to Friday to take your calls regarding appointments, seminars or general inquiries.

Drop in at the clinic to collect your Rebel Sport Discount Card!

Michael Mulholland-Licht D.O.

Some of his patients think that Michael takes several overseas holidays each year. The truth is that as well as full time practice, Michael is President of the World Osteopathic Health Organisation (WOHO). While the destinations are glamorous, meeting schedules often don't allow time for leisure The last Annual General Meeting was in Paris, at the Palais du Luxembourg which is the house of the French senate. In May the WOHO Executive Committee met in Vienna at Palais Auesberg. Most communication is electronic; with over 2000 e-mails and a dozen teleconferences throughout the year. A priority project for this year is work underway with the World Health Organisation (WHO) to publish International Guidelines for Osteopathic Education. WOHO has recently made submissions to the Swiss, Norwegian and Luxembourg health authorities to help facilitate changes to their respective public health Acts. These changes will help improve standards for education of osteopaths which in turn supports public safety. As well as teaching and examining 4th and 5th year Masters of Osteopathy students at University of Western Sydney, Michael will have two teaching and examining stints this year at the Vienna School of Osteopathy in Austria. Michael is available for appointments on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

Nick Florance B.App. Sc. M.Osteo.

Nick has been a passionate sportsperson his whole life with cricket and fast bowling his speciality. After injuring himself playing cricket he was left with a debilitating pain in his hip and back. He looked for help throughout the manual medicine field (Chiropractic, Physiotherapy, Remedial Massage) until a friend suggested he see an Osteopath. Through massage and manipulation he is once again playing cricket and living pain free. Through this experience his interest grew for Osteopathy and the possibilities it could provide for others with similar experiences. Nicks approach to Osteopathy is quite structural believing that the bony skeleton provides a blue print for whole body health. He treats each individual on the basis of their presenting complaint and seeks to engage the body's own sense of self-regulation, self-healing through a broad selection of osteopathic techniques. Nick's Masters project looked at more reliable approaches in a clinical setting when assessing pelvic bony landmarks and the implications for dysfunction. It is no surprise that he believes that structure and function of the human body form the cornerstone of whole body health. Nick is available for appointments Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Michael von Mengersen B.App. Sc. M.Osteo.

Michael's introduction to Osteopathy was some ten years ago when he suffered from bilateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow) from rock climbing. His interest in Osteopathy peaked (the proverbial epiphany) after his wife suffered from an episode of acute facet lock in the neck and was wrongly diagnosed by a GP as severe osteoarthritis. The GP wrote a script for painkillers, anti-inflammatories and antacids (as his wife also has coeliac disease and is prone to the side effects of these medications) and was told that this would have to be a life long regime. His wife consulted an Osteopath who was able to restore full pain-free movement and offered preventative advice on exercises, ergonomics and posture. The script was never filled.what's more, Osteopathy with a 'visceral' focus, has helped with many of the symptoms of her coeliac disease. Michael has a keen interest in the core stability of the spine and its link to pain and altered movement patterns. His research in this field (Titled: The Cranio-Cervical Flexion Test using pressure biofeedback: A reliable and useful test in the measurement of cervical dysfunction?), has been published in the International Journal of Osteopathic Medicine. Michael is available for appointments on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Email Newsletter

If you would like to receive this newsletter via e-mail in the future please send your e-mail address to admin@vitallifestyle.com. This will enable a higher quality format with photos and save a few trees.

Thanks to all who have supported the practice over the past years by recommending your friends, colleagues and families. We look forward to continuing to support your Vital Lifestyle.