We are a team of health professionals who are focussed at getting you out of pain and back to the activities you enjoy. We will thoroughly assess, provide a detailed diagnosis and educate you about your condition.
Low back pain is common among all ages and is the number one cause of disability worldwide. Most back pain will resolve quickly (within a couple of days). Rarely can a specific cause of low back pain be identified; thus, most low back pain is termed non-specific. Non-specific low back pain can be either acute (24-48hrs) or chronic (greater than 3 months duration) and is characterised by a range of physical, psychological and social factors that interact to cause impaired function.
When consulting a health care practitioner about back pain it is important to give accurate details. Such as how long has your back been sore? Are there particular movements, thoughts or feelings which trigger your back pain? Can you remember a time when this first started? Have you got any goals which we can help you achieve? Have you had any previous medical or alternative care for your back pain?
The history of your low back pain and physical examination will guide a management plan to put you in control of your pain. Management may consist of specific exercises or stretches, education around things to do more or less of and manual therapy to assist with short term pain relief.
You should feel empowered to understand why your back is sore and the things you can do to help.
Neck pain is a common musculoskeletal condition. Similar to back pain it is important to know what structures and positions are triggering pain:
Chronic neck pain:
Often associated with stiffness and tightness of muscles and joints. Commonly this is related to poor postures, repetitive tasks and ergonomics. It is important to learn which postures / positions / habits might be aggravating symptoms and therefore where to make day-to-day changes. We can provide symptomatic relief to tight muscles / stiff joints and follow up with appropriate strengthening exercises to reduce future episodes.
Whiplash:
Whiplash is a neck injury due to forceful forth-back motion of the neck commonly associated with a car accident or sporting injury. It is important to rule out possible structural injury (ie fracture) and concussion first. Manual therapy management consists of appropriate soft tissue treatments to reduce pain and rehabilitation to improve neck strength.
Acute neck pain:
Acute neck pain can be due to facet joint sprain or muscle strains. Pain can be sudden from a simple movement such as rolling over in bed or checking the blind spot whilst driving. Treatment is focussed on reducing pain and muscle spasm and returning to activities as soon as possible.
Shoulder injuries are common especially in sports which require overhead movements such as surfing, swimming, baseball or weightlifting. There are many structures (muscles, tendons, ligaments, cartilage and bone) which can cause pain in the shoulder.
Rotator cuff injuries:
The tendons of the rotator cuff (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor and subscapularis) can become irritated and cause pain when lifting and rotating the arm. An accurate diagnosis of where the rotator cuff is injured is important. Management consists of soft tissue therapy and exercises aimed at strengthening the rotator cuff, upper limb and upper back.
Impingement:
Impingement is very common and often causes an inability for the patient to raise their arm without a “pinching” sensation in the front of the shoulder. Impingement can be due to boney spurs, tendon inflammation, bursae irritation as well as weakness of the shoulder muscles and poor shoulder position. Management is aimed at strengthening shoulder position and normalising shoulder biomechanics to offload painful and injured tissues.
Referred pain:
Referred pain from the muscles, joints and nerves in the neck can present as shoulder pain. It is important to assess the whole biomechanical chain to find the true source of pain and to provide an accurate individualised management plan.
The knee is a common joint which is injured in many sports such as AFL, rugby, running and martial arts. It is important to know which structure/s are affected with knee injuries:
Ligament Injuries:
The ACL and MCL are the most common knee ligaments injured. It is important to know which and what grade of tear is present to plan out the best individualised management plan. Initially treatment aims to reduce inflammation, restore normal range before progressing through a complex rehabilitation program consisting of strength, stability and plyometrics / multidirectional movements.
Meniscus Injuries:
Tears to the cartilage (meniscus) are seen either acutely or associated with degeneration (osteoarthritis). Management will depend on the severity; a small tear without locking or catching can be managed through exercise, however larger tears may need surgical consultation.
Tendon Pain:
Tendon pain is commonly due to overuse which can be as a result of increases in running, stair climbing or repetitive lunging / squatting. Management consists of education, manual therapy to reduce sensitivity and a progressive strengthening program.
Children and adolescents get aches and pains too. By the time they reach twenty years old, up to 75% of children will have had back or neck pain. For one in five, this back pain will become chronic. One in three teens deal with knee pain. The numbers are similar for other areas of musculoskeletal pain.
Common pain in kids include:
- Knee Pain – Osgood Schlatters Disease
- Heel Pain – Severs Disease
- Back pain
- Shin Splints
- Sprained Ankle
Not only are these kids dealing with pain day-to-day, but their pain also has an impact. Some children miss school, stop participating in physical activity, they seek health care and use pain medication. These behaviours can continue into adulthood and have a ripple effect leading to wider health and well-being concerns. Such as obesity, depressed mood, poor sleep, lower academic achievement and the list goes on.
MUSCLE STRAINS AND LIGAMENT SPRAINS
Muscle strains:
Commonly seen in muscles such as the hamstring, calf and quadriceps. There are 3 grades of tears, with varying damage. Grade 1 is minor tearing, grade 2 is moderate tear and grade 3 is a complete rupture. Management will differ depending on the grading with the primary aim to improve flexibility and strength, enabling a proper return to activities and reduced risk of re-injury.
Ligament sprains:
Commonly seen around the ankle, knee and wrist. As with muscle strains there are also 3 grades with different severities. Management will aim to improve strength and mobility to enable a proper return to activity.
Tendon injuries:
Commonly seen in the elbow (tennis elbow and golfers elbow), thumb and hamstrings. Tendon injuries can take time to heal. Management includes education to reduce re-injury, biomechanical considerations to normalise movement and loading, and rehabilitation to encourage strong tendon healing.
SPORTS INJURIES
We help with a range of sporting injuries from sports like running, rowing, baseball, martial arts, weightlifting and tennis. During assessment we will look into how you’re performing the movements specific to your sport and provide an individualised management plan to get you back to the sports you love sooner.
