Ever wondered what a sports physio does when they are working with a team? Our sports physiotherapist Aemilia has been helping out with the Australian Beach Ultimate Teams as they prepare for the 2019 Asia-Oceanic Beach Ultimate Championships. I was first exposed to the world of Ultimate in 2012 in clinical practice. It was by complete chance that an Ultimate athlete fell into my diary. I was immediately intrigued by this unique sport and its rigorous demands. Ultimate is a f

In the early stages following a surgery, exercise therapy can be critical to the outcome of full rehabilitation. Some of the key focal areas of rehabilitation include: Restoring range of motion Strength and muscle activation Reduction of swelling Pain management Gait correction(walking pattern) Balance In the early days after surgery, these focal areas can be difficult to address, particularly if you are struggling with pain and weight baring. In the instance where pain and w

What are tendons? A tendon is a tough band of fibrous connective tissue that connects the muscles to the bones and are capable of withstanding tension. Tendons are made up of collagen fibres and their role is to transmit the forces generated by muscles and distribute those forces to the skeletal system. Unlike muscles, tendons have poor blood supply and therefore can be slow to recover once injured. How do I injure a tendon? Tendons are prone to injury when training loads or

Upon meeting your physiotherapist for the first time, the session will begin with your physio asking you a series of questions surrounding your problem. This will include such questions as what part of the body is affected, when the problem occurs, how long it lasts, what makes it worse/better and how it has been affecting your daily routine. The physiotherapist may also enquire about your current and previous exercise habits, and general health screening questions i.e. do yo

August is Tradies month! Lets talk about work boots and injury at work! Being a Tradie is hard and physical work. It’s not uncommon for individuals to experience pain in their feet, backs and legs often leading to time off work. To decrease your risk of sustaining work place injuries, it is important to be educated in preventative measures in order to keep yourself safe and healthy. Poorly fitting work boots, long periods of standing and repetitive motions can lead to problem

A professional massage is more than an ordinary backrub. The whole point of a therapeutic massage is to release that tension, work out the kinks and help your body relax so it can function at an optimal level. When receiving a massage the actions of the massage ensure that the blood gets pushed through the muscles so that in turn the muscle can start working properly again. There are several theories, in addition to muscle function, as to why people sometimes experience after

If you’re a runner, play sport or suffer from leg pain, there’s no doubt you own a foam roller. Most people will know the pain of lying on your side to release the ITB (Illio-Tibial Band), but the foam roller is extremely versatile and can be used to release muscle tightness, stretch and even core stability. Here are a few modifications you can add to your routine. Muscle release/stretching The most common use of a foam roller is to release muscle tension, this doesn’t have t

Your ankle joint is formed by the bones of your lower leg called the tibia and fibula and the top of a bone in your foot called the talus. Either side of the ankle joint we have a series of ligaments attached across the bones mentioned above to help keep the ankle joint stable while we move around. When we fall or loose our balance these ligaments can be placed under excess stress resulting injury to these ligaments. This form of injury is called a sprain. A sprain results in

A common question we're often asked is "what is referred pain?" Referred pain is pain felt in an area that does not seem to relate to the problem. It is pain felt at a location other than the site of the origin of the pain. It can be the result of a network of interconnecting sensory nerves. Referred pain can feel like deep, numb, tingling or even pins and needles and can be described as being reflective pain. Sometimes it is hard for you to locate exactly where it is. A very

We know staying active in the Winter can be a harder task, but we have tips and hints to keep you active, healthy and injury free this Winter. Get inspired with Winter Sports A great way to stay inspired during the Winter is by taking part in a team based sport like Football, Rugby and Netball. When playing Winter sports it’s important to listen to your body. Make sure you get the most out of Winter exercise by keeping on top of warming up, stretching, cooling down and managi

We are often asked “what is dry-needling & how is it different to acupuncture?” Traditional Acupuncture: Needles are inserted using “meridians” based on the philosophies of the East Asian Medicine (EAM) approach. This includes a thorough traditional EAM assessment and treatment. We can briefly explain Acupuncture as correcting imbalances throughout the body according to the flow of “Chi” through designated points along the meridians of the body. Western Acupuncture: Western a

Are you training for a marathon? Do you find yourself suffering from nagging calf, knee or hip pain/tightness? Athletes often find themselves suffering from nagging injuries that don’t seem to connect to a specific trauma. There are reasons why this happens, and understanding the concept of load vs. capacity can help athletes better recover and better prevent future injuries. Simply put, all musculoskeletal injuries are the result of an imbalance between the load placed on th

The dreaded ingrown toenail... Onychocryptosis which is most commonly known as an ingrown toenail, is a condition that is commonly presented to podiatrists. An ingrown toenail can result from either nail growing into the paronychium which is the flesh surrounding the nail, or from growth of the paronychium inwards into the nail bed. It is an often painful condition which starts with inflammation of the flesh surrounding the nail. Redness, swelling, pain and sometimes pus can

Are you having trouble completing everyday activities such as walking, climbing stairs or prolonged sitting? Has your knee given way or feels unstable? If you're suffering these symptoms or pain in the knee then this article looks at the main causes of knee pain along with what to do about it to help get you back on your feet. What causes pain in the front of the knee (anterior knee pain)? The two most common causes of anterior knee pain are: Patello-Femoral Syndrome Patell

Frozen shoulder is a syndrome that goes through three phases and is quite self explanatory. The shoulder literally “freezes” & loses up to 50% of its range of movement, which causes severe pain and severe loss of function. The phases of frozen shoulder include; Freezing phase: that may have been caused by an existing injury or come on insidiously (with no apparent reason). In this phase there is usually extreme pain, also at night, that can “catch” around the shoulder. Frozen

Shoes help protect and support the feet - they should never be something that cause you pain and you should not need to “break in” a pair of shoes – they should be immediately comfortable. When your trusty old shoes hit the point of no return it can be hard to let them go - especially when the thought of getting new shoes sends memories of pain shooting up your legs. To make sure you get the right shoes it's good to remember some of the following points when choosing your new

Are you having trouble completing everyday activities such as carrying the groceries or reaching into overhead cupboards? Does your shoulder feel unstable? Shoulder pain is quite common in Australia in both younger and older people, however the causes are often different. Should pain in younger people tends to be more likely from an accident or injury. However, for older people suffering shoulder pain it is often from natural wear and tear in the shoulder joint and the rotat

Back pain and particularly lower back pain is very common and affects most people at some point in their life. It usually feels like an ache or stiffness/tension in your back. It can be caused by a number of things, such as a sudden movement or fall which is easily identified or can be something that builds more subtly and slowly. Back pain can also be the result of other medical conditions. Lower back pain is extremely common with approximately 80% of Australians experiencin