Lower back pain is one of the most prevalent health complaints worldwide. It is estimated that up to 80% of people will experience lower back pain at some point in their lives, making it the leading cause of disability globally (Hartvigsen et al., 2018).
While lower back pain can be distressing, the majority of cases are not associated with serious pathology and tend to improve with appropriate management, education, and movement (Maher et al., 2017).
As we move into late summer and early autumn, many athletes are shifting gears toward pre-season training for AFL and NRL. This is a phase where training volume, speed work, and (for contact sports) tackling gradually increase. From a physio’s perspective, this period isn’t something to fear — but it does benefit from smart preparation and good load management.
Across both Australian football and rugby league, injury surveillance data shows that the most common issues are muscle strains, joint sprains, and impact-related injuries, rather than sudden or severe injuries. Read more
Physiotherapy is a healthcare profession that addresses a wide range of sports, musculoskeletal, neurological, and cardiorespiratory conditions. Physiotherapists are experts in human movement and function, utilising their knowledge of anatomy, physiology, and biomechanics to assess, diagnose, and treat individuals of all ages and abilities.
When you make an appointment with a physiotherapist, they will usually start by asking you about your main concern and your medical history related to it. This helps them to understand why you’re seeking treatment, your medical background, and any previous treatments you may have had. Read more
Shoulder pain is a common problem, with 15-30% of people experiencing it at some point in their lives.1 There are various things that are thought to contribute to shoulder pain, such as repetitive strain injuries, falls, and accidents. The most common causes of musculoskeletal shoulder pain are injuries to the rotator cuff, glenohumeral joint instability, and acromioclavicular (AC) joint injuries.
‘Busy’: the way that many Australian families describe the Christmas holidays, navigating between beach trips and day outings, Christmas shopping and get-togethers, often whilst still juggling work and everything in between.
Read more
With summer around the corner, it won’t be long until you can rejoin your teammates and fill your days with cricket, soccer, tennis and all your favourite summer sports. As a result, we’ve been fielding plenty of questions about the most effective ways to improve sports performance, and do so fast.
Read more
Whether you’re headed interstate, or are staying close to home these holidays, it’s inevitable for our normal exercise routines to get disrupted with all the fun and chaos that the Christmas period brings.
Read more
Type 2 diabetes is a condition that is rapidly increasing in prevalence with an average of 165 new diagnoses every day in Australia. However, the good news is that lifestyle interventions, such as regular physical activity, can play a significant role in both preventing and managing this condition. In this blog, we will delve into the importance of exercise and how the expertise of exercise physiologists and physiotherapists can be instrumental in the prevention, management, and treatment of type 2 diabetes. Read more
The importance of mental health in the modern world cannot be overstated. In 2019, it was reported that globally, 1 in 8 people were affected by a mental-health disorder, at an estimated cost of approximately $2.5 trillion USD. 1 Fortunately, there exists a simple yet profound tool that can significantly benefit mental well-being: exercise.
In Australia, 4.74 million people over the age of 50 have been classified as having osteoporosis, osteopenia or poor bone health (Osteoporosis Australia, 2023). Osteoporosis is characterised by low bone mass and the disruption of bone microarchitecture which compromised bone strength and can lead to an increase in the risk of fractures (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2023). The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines osteoporosis when bone mineral density is below -2.5 SD. Osteopenia is defined as a T-score between –1 and –2.5 SD (Osteoporosis Australia, 2023). Read more
