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How Commercial Cleaning Can Impact Employee Health and Productivity

Employees are a business organisation’s most important asset. Without the people driving the business, it would be almost impossible to ensure the success of the company.

It is for this reason that companies have to invest in professional commercial cleaning services in Melbourne.

This is one of the most important steps in safeguarding their employees’ health and ensure overall business productivity.

While it is true that in-house cleaning services can clean a company’s premises, only a professional cleaning service can do a much better job.

It is very important to realise that the cleaners you employ may not have the necessary training to guarantee a more judicious cleaning job.

For example, they may only clean those areas that many people use. These can include the restrooms, the pantry, and the hallways.

They may also clean the lobby or reception areas of offices. The problem is that these are not always the problematic areas.

Ordinary cleaners will only look at areas that are very visible. They may not look into the air conditioning vents and the area behind cabinets and doors.

The thing here is that many of these in-house cleaners do not perform a very thorough cleaning of your establishment. This can pose a threat to the health of everyone in your facility.

Dust particles that accumulate in airconditioning vents can get airborne. Employees can inhale these particles and irritate the lining of their airways.

In susceptible individuals, this can lead to airway problems such as bronchial spasms, asthma, and upper airway inflammation. The employee can phone in sick.

This means you may have to make the necessary adjustments in your staffing to account for the sick employee.

Unfortunately, this can have an effect on those who are present in the office, too. If you make changes to your staffing, there is a chance that the others will get overworked.

This can lead to stress. We already know how stress can have a negative impact on almost everything that we do.

It strains relationships and narrows down our focus. In other words, we become less productive because of stress.

Professional cleaning services make sure to remove all microscopic particles that have the potential to cause health concerns in employees. This is one of the best ways you can guarantee their optimum health.

At the same time, you are also ensuring that they remain productive in driving your company’s bottom line.

Spills and leaks can also have a major impact on the health of everyone. While your building administrator may look at it from the point of view of the structure’s integrity, you should look at it in terms of its effects on your employees.

If there is a build-up of moisture, there is a chance that fungi and bacteria will grow. Fungi or moulds can produce mildew.

These can form spores. Like particles, they can get airborne and enter the respiratory passages of individuals.

What makes moulds more sinister is that they are very hardy microorganisms.

They require several months of intensive antifungal treatments. This translates to loss of man-hours for your company. It also puts the employee at risk for other diseases.

A company that provides commercial cleaning services can get rid of these potential sources of mould and mildew.

They also have the right tools to use, making sure that every square metre of your building’s surface is dry and clean. It is the only way you can prevent the proliferation of moulds and mildew.

They often say that cleanliness is second only to godliness. What this means is that ensuring a clean and well-sanitised business environment is crucial to ensuring the optimum health of all employees. Healthy employees mean greater productivity and better business outcomes.

Physiotherapy: Better than Medicine for Headaches

Nothing ruins my day worse than a headache. When a headache suddenly attacks, my mood suddenly changes and my productive levels definitely go down. There was a time when I’d constantly have headaches, at least twice or thrice a week. At first, I thought it was just stress, eye strain, and lack of sleep that trigger them frequently, however, it was more serious than I thought.  

Sometimes, a headache is not just a headache. There are numerous cases wherein headaches are symptoms of certain conditions that affect other parts of the body. This is one my recent discoveries when I first visited my doctor in Werribee, VIC. What really prompted me to have a check up was the regularity of my headaches. Honestly, it was becoming very uncomfortable and agitating since there was pains near my forehead and neck areas as well. My doctor called this condition the tension headache.

Tension headache is actually the most common form of headache among teenagers and adults resulting from stress. This is actually not the gravest type, however, the frequency of my headaches is a bit alarming. After my physical examination, she immediately resented options on how my headaches could be treated. She mentioned several which are medication, counselling, stress management, and even physiotherapy service for headaches when my condition gets worse.  

Tension headache is just one of the many headaches we experience. Other common type of headache includes the sinus headache. This is usually characterized by the build-up of pain and pressure in areas such as the cheekbones, the nose, and the forehead. My doctor said that it was caused by the inflammation of my sinuses in the head. Asides from the throbbing and aching, she also told me to be prepared for other symptoms like runny nose, swelling in the face, fever, and fullness of the ears. 

Another usual headache, most especially for women, is migraine. Migraines are described as the pounding of pain one part of the head. My doctor also told me that they could last from 4 hours to 4 days, and it doesn’t end there. When a migraine occurs, she warned me that I reoccur up to 4 times of the same month.  

According to her, it’s also better to have some knowledge on other secondary headaches, knowing my busy and active lifestyle. Some secondary headaches are compression headaches, ice cream headaches, thunderclap headaches and spinal headaches. These are usually caused by dehydration, ear infection, dental problems, influenza, panic attacks, carbon monoxide poisoning, glaucoma, and hangovers.

After my first visit, I realized that in order to lessen the regularity and gravity of my headaches, I should go to my doctor at least twice a month. When see saw my eagerness to resolve this problem of mine, she recommended that I should consult with a physiotherapist to treat my headaches. 

Initially, I was reluctant to go to a physiotherapist near my place because it seemed like I disconnect from what I’m experiencing. Why was I supposed to go to a physiotherapist? I’m not injured and I didn’t get out of rehab. It turns out, this was the fastest way to relieve me. 

My physiotherapist told me that this wasn’t the first time they dealt with tension headache. In fact, patients with tension headache were already usuals in the clinic. True enough, medicines alone, of different brands and types, aren’t as effective as physiotherapy. So, I immediately signed up for a treatment program. 

Different Physiotherapy Techniques for Headaches

I was enrolled in a program for almost two months and as I progressed, I am constantly surprised how massages could relieve my headaches. Some techniques included in my program are the following:

  1. For Hypermobile. For joints in the body which are unstable, my physiotherapist made me do several strengthening exercises for my neck. The purpose of this technique was to stabilize, limit, and control joint movement in certain areas of my body.
  1. Joint mobilization. My diagnosis showed that I have stiff neck joints, causing strain on some of my nerves. What my physiotherapist did was to loosen them using a joint traction and a localized manipulation joint technique. For quite some time, it was actually soothing to feel my neck muscles more relaxed. 
  1. Acupuncture and dry needling. I am not a fan of needles, but I was willing to do acupuncture to speed up my treatment. These two techniques were used to loosen up my tight and overactive muscles.
  1. Posture correction. I never knew that posture could directly affect my headaches. My physiotherapist told me that poor posture could affect the positioning and flexibility of joints and nerves, which cause the pain. To correct my posture, we did posture exercises and I sometimes wore a posture brace during therapy. 

After two months of physiotherapy, I can say that I immediately felt the positive effects. Following my second session, I noticed that they I experienced the headache only once a week. Personally, I found the exercises and the advice very helpful, though I may not speak for all. I am glad that I chose to do the less typical solution to headaches – visit a physiotherapist. All my time, money, and effort to religiously follow my scheduled appointments definitely paid off. 

The Benefits of Acupuncture During Pregnancy

pregnancyPregnancy brings about a lot of changes in a woman’s bodies, and sometimes these can cause pain and discomfort. Although they are considered “normal”, it does not mean that any woman has to suffer during this time. There are existing and safe ways that can address the most common complaints soon-to-be-mommies have.

I learned about this when I found out that I was expecting my first child. I was looking through some courses offered for pregnant women and found acupuncture as listed. I was curious and read a little bit more about why this was among the best tips for healthy pregnancy. What I discovered surprised me. Not only can these treatments relieve me from common backaches and other body pains, it can also help with these other conditions: fatigue, headaches, heartburn, constipation, nausea, cramps and even swelling. 

In fact, going for trusted pregnancy acupuncture in Melbourne has benefits on the various stages:

First Trimester

During the riskiest part of the pregnancy, going through this treatment will put together a healthy foundation. This is done by diverting your resources into keeping your baby nourished and supporting its rapid growth. At the same time, sessions with your acupuncturist will help prevent miscarriage and deal with the most dreaded symptom of this trimester, morning sickness. In fact, severe nausea can shift your digestive system and make sure that you will both receive enough nutrients. With twice weekly visits the symptoms will greatly be reduced. 

Partnering these sessions with a quality massage in Ivanhoe area will also address fatigue, and bring up energy levels. Every treatment enhances mom to be’s production of blood and optimal function of all internal organs.

Women who experience bleeding at this time, as well as pain in the back or in the abs, might be facing a threatened miscarriage. Scheduling an appointment with your acupuncturist as soon as possible can help you avoid this. Drinking some Chinese herbs as tea during the treatment can also help strengthen the uterus. 

Second Trimester

Although most complaints tend to ease up during this time, a combination of acupuncture and massage can still help women maintain their energy or deal with any symptoms that have lingered from the first trimester, as well as the back pain that is increasing as the baby bump also grows.

Third Trimester

During this time, the baby grows to a point that mommy’s center of gravity shifts and starts to squish the organs around. This means pregnant women feel even worse back and hip pains, difficulty in sleeping, shortness of breath, heartburn, among other uncomfortable symptoms. Acupuncture can help them limit this discomfort. At the same time, it can help them prepare for the labor and delivery of the new tiny addition to the family. In fact, studies support the fact that women who actually received regular treatments during the last trimester experience easier and shorter labor.

These sessions also help in cases of breech babies. The treatment will help relax the muscles of the uterus and the abdomen, making it easier to turn them. This has been traditionally done based on Chinese medicine and has a 70% success rate. Without bringing any risks to you both, acupuncture is done between the 32nd and the 36th week so that the baby still has room. The baby should turn within 24 hours, if successful. 

Visiting your acupuncturist every week towards the end of pregnancy will help women to have more efficient contractions, and help their cervix to soften and open more smoothly. Even statistics have shown that the sessions reduced the length of time women are in labor, especially for first-time moms like me. The need for medical intervention is reduced as well, including the induction of labor, the use of an epidural and the need for a caesarean delivery.

Acupuncture also provides a natural method to induce labor for those who are overdue. This has a proven 88% success rate in stimulating labor.

Post Partum

Treatments can still benefit new mothers after they give birth, supporting their physical and mental recovery. This can improve circulation of blood, and in turn, will help the production of nutritious breast milk for your new baby. A happy, well-fed newborn will also help the new parents rest more and recover quickly.

At the same time, acupuncture addresses other complaints of post-partum women like problems with milk production, urination issues, cramps, bleeding, constipation and even depression.

Reading about the benefits of visiting the nearest acupuncturist helped me make up my mind to schedule some sessions for myself. Not only do I hope that the sessions would help me deal with the pain due to my growing baby bump, I also look forward to having an easier first labor and delivery experience. As a new mommy-to-be, I want to enjoy the magic of motherhood and have the energy and good spirits to take care of my newborn. Thankfully, there is acupuncture, the best natural treatment available out there for all kinds of people, but especially women like me.