Welcome to Hills Physiotherapy
Allied Health Services in Rowville, Emerald, and Knox
Hills Physiotherapy has been operating in Emerald for over 30 years, providing the premier physiotherapy, osteopathy, exercise physiology, pilates, remedial massage, myotherapy and associated health services to the hills. With our new locations in Emerald and Knox we’re excited to be able to offer our extensive experience to the Dandenongs and surrounds.
Book Online or call us on 1300 9 HILLS
Bad Body Parts
We often hear from clients that they have “Bad Ankles”, “Bad Knees” or a “Bad Back”. While there are certainly some injuries that can leave a permanent structural change and cause chronic issues, often “Bad” signifies an injury that someone sustained a long time ago,… Read more »
More TipsJet Lag – the facts and what you can do about it
Jet Lag from Returning from Overseas? How to Reset Your Circadian Rhythm and Beat Jet Lag
Jet lag is far more than just feeling tired after a long flight—it is a physiological state of internal desynchronization. If you have recently returned to Australia from Europe, you are likely familiar with the classic eastbound symptom: going to bed at 11:00 PM, only to be wide awake and ready to start your day at 1:00 AM, feeling completely rested, leaving you exhausted by mid-afternoon. Understanding why this occurs—and how to strategically leverage your body’s physiological zeitgebers, or “time-givers”—is the fastest way to get your energy back on track.
The Science: Why Eastbound Travel Hits Harder
At the centre of your circadian architecture is the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), a specialised group of
cells located in the hypothalamus of the brain. The SCN acts as the body’s master pacemaker, dictating hormone release (such as melatonin and cortisol), core body temperature, and sleep-wake cycles. When you travel across multiple time zones, your central pacemaker becomes misaligned with the environmental time of your destination. Research into jet lag pathophysiology highlights a key asymmetry: circadian rhythm disruption is generally more severe when travelling eastbound (forward across time zones) than westbound (backward across time zones). This occurs because the natural, endogenous free-running circadian period in humans is slightly longer than 24 hours (roughly 24.2 hours).
- Westbound travel requires a phase delay (extending your day), which aligns naturally with the body’s inclination to run slightly long.
- Eastbound travel requires a phase advance (compressing your day), forcing the SCN to shift forward
against its natural tendency.
The Jet Lag Reset Protocol
To recover in the shortest possible time, the body must synchronise both its central clock (the SCN) and
your peripheral clocks (found in organs like the liver, gut, and skeletal muscle).
- 1. Strategic Light Management (The Primary Zeitgeber)
- Light is the most potent environmental cue (zeitgeber) for shifting circadian phases via photic pathways from the retina straight to the SCN.
- Morning Light (Phase Advance): Seek 15–20 minutes of natural outdoor sunlight as early in the morning as possible. This sends a direct photic signal to the SCN to advance your central circadian phase.
- Evening Darkness: Avoid bright light, overhead lighting, and screen use late in the evening. Blue-
spectrum light suppresses night-time melatonin secretion, signalling to the SCN that it is still daytime, keeping you awake longer.
- Evening Darkness: Avoid bright light, overhead lighting, and screen use late in the evening. Blue-
- 2. Synchronise Meal Timing (Peripheral Clocks)
- While the brain responds primarily to light, peripheral organs respond heavily to nutrient intake. Eating meals at irregular hours (e.g., having a heavy meal at 2:00 AM when your body expects night) creates internal desynchrony between your brain and digestive system.
– Force your meal schedule onto local time immediately upon landing, regardless of baseline hunger cues - – Consuming a protein-rich breakfast in the morning helps signal metabolic wakefulness to peripheral tissues
- While the brain responds primarily to light, peripheral organs respond heavily to nutrient intake. Eating meals at irregular hours (e.g., having a heavy meal at 2:00 AM when your body expects night) creates internal desynchrony between your brain and digestive system.
- 3. Manage Sleep Pressure and Napping
- To consolidate nighttime sleep, you must build up sufficient homeostatic sleep pressure (adenosine accumulation) throughout the day.
Limit Naps: Avoid long daytime naps. If essential, restrict naps to 20–30 minutes in the early afternoon (before 2:00 PM). Longer or later naps dissipate sleep pressure, almost guaranteeing nighttime awakenings.
Exogenous Melatonin: Supplementing with a low dose of exogenous melatonin (0.5 mg–3 mg) 1 to 2 hours prior to your desired local bedtime can help facilitate the phase advance required after eastbound travel.
- To consolidate nighttime sleep, you must build up sufficient homeostatic sleep pressure (adenosine accumulation) throughout the day.
- 4. Temperature and Physical Activity
- Core body temperature naturally drops to its lowest point during the late night and rises prior to waking.
- Engage in light-to-moderate physical exercise in the morning or early afternoon to raise core body temperature and reinforce wakefulness signals.
- Keep your bedroom cool (around 16–19°C) at night to facilitate the natural drop in body temperature necessary for sustained deep sleep.
The Takeaway
Recovering from severe jet lag isn’t about powering through on caffeine; it’s about giving your SCN clear,
unambiguous environmental signals. By aligning light exposure, meal timing, and physical activity with
your local environment from day one, you can re-entrain your circadian rhythm in days rather than
weeks.
References:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3630947/#sec2
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519507/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41143275/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41818499/
Written by Nathan Wright, Osteopath. Book here for more information
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Physiotherapy
With a wealth of experience in all sports, work injuries, and advanced pain control techniques - our Physiotherapists will diagnose your condition and work with you to address the root of the problem.
Remedial Massage
Using "hands-on" techniques to reduce pain and spasm in soft tissues and relieve stress. This is an essential part of maintaining a healthy body.
Clinical Pilates
Sophisticated exercise classes to correct abnormal movement patterns, and strengthen sore bodies. Suitable for all ages and fitness levels.
Myotherapy
Effective treatment of painful conditions using massage, needling and other pain relieving techniques. Can have amazing health benefits.
Orthotist
Analyses movement problems and fabricates devices to support normal movement. Foot orthotics, Knee braces, custom lymphoedema garments, and fracture management.
And Many More Services
- Dry Needling
- Aquatic Therapy
- Chronic Pain Management
- Spinal Manipulation
- Sports Injuries
About Us
Physiotherapy aims at relieving joint pain and restoring normal movement for any muscle, joint or bone injury. Skilled therapists will use a range of techniques including manipulation, massage, dry needling, aquatic physiotherapy, craniosacral therapy and exercise prescription to achieve results and relieve pain.
Hills Physiotherapy has been operating at the corner of Monbulk and Main Roads for over 30 years, providing the highest quality care to the community. We are located across from Woolworths and Worrell Reserve.
Opening Hours
Emerald
- Mon - Fri
- 8am - 8pm
- Saturday
- 8am - 12:30pm
- Sunday
- Closed
Knox
- Mon
- 8:30-6pm
- Tues
- 9-5:30pm
- Wed
- 9:30-8pm
- Thurs
- 9am - 8pm
- Fri
- 9 -5pm
- Sat
- 8am -12pm
Rowville
- Mon - Fri
- 8am - 7pm
- Saturday
- 8am - 12:30pm
- Sunday
- Closed
A Word From Ben Kewish
Hills Physiotherapy is committed to offering the highest quality in Allied Health Care, with experienced therapists providing a range of complementary medical services. All of our clinicians offer focused, one-on-one service aimed at delivering results today. We work WITH you, the patient, to address the cause of your pain or dysfunction, so that you can become independent of our services and pain-free long term. After becoming the premiere Allied Health facility in the Dandenongs, we are excited to offer our services to Rowville and surrounds, and think that our range of services make Hills Physiotherapy hard to beat.
- Ben Kewish
Owner and Physiotherapist
