Back pain is incredibly common, with 80% of the population experiencing back pain at some
time in their lives. Effective management of back pain requires a clear understanding of what
is contributing to your pain. For some people this may be inadequate strength of the muscles
that help to stabilise the back (your core muscles). For others it may be tightness in the
muscles around the hips and pelvis. It may also be related to poor posture or poor technique,
or repetitive tasks that overload the back such as prolonged sitting or heavy manual tasks.
Our physiotherapists are experts in identifying all the factors contributing to your pain and
implementing effective management strategies to get you back to living life to the full.
In this digital age, neck pain is all too common! Neck pain is common amongst people who
spend long periods of time on the computer, and amongst people with manual or repetitive
jobs. Neck pain can also come on suddenly if you have slept awkwardly or done a bout of
heavy loading (e.g., a heavy gym session or lots of work around the house). Neck pain can be
related to excessive tension in the neck muscles, irritation of the neck joints, poor posture or
weakness in the muscles that help to support and move the neck. Our Physiotherapists can
use a range of manual therapy techniques and targeted exercises to help resolve your neck
pain quickly and effectively with lasting results.
The most common types of headaches are migraines, tension type headaches and
cervicogenic (neck-related) headaches. These headaches can occur by themselves, or as a
combination of two-three of these headache types. Tension type headaches are caused by
excessive tension in the neck muscles, which can be caused by excessive loads, stress or
weakness in these muscles. Cervicogenic (neck-related) headaches are related to issues with
the neck joints. Migraines are related to altered processes within the brain itself, but can be
made worse by the presence of a tension type or cervicogenic headaches. Physio is very
effective at treating cervicogenic and tension type headaches, which can in turn reduce the
frequency and intensity of migraines if you suffer from mixed headaches.
Whiplash occurs when the neck and head undergo a rapid change from acceleration to
deceleration, resulting in a range of injuries to the neck, head and associated structures.
Whiplash most commonly occurs during a motor vehicle accident but can also occur with
sporting injuries and other traumas. The symptoms of whiplash can be quite varied, but often
include neck pain and altered neck range of motion, headaches and possibly pain and pins &
needles referred into the arms and hands. Effective treatment of whiplash requires
comprehensive rehabilitation that addresses all the deficits. This often includes restoring
joint glide, re-training the neck muscles, restoring the necks proprioceptive function (joint
position sense), pain education and restoring normal glide to the nerves that exit at the neck.
Our shoulders are a unique joint in that they rely heavily on the muscles for their stability.
The shoulder joint itself isn’t very stable, which gives us great range of motion to reach in lots
of directions, but means the rotator cuff and shoulder blade stabilisers have to work
consistently to keep things working well. As a result, shoulder pain is a pretty common
complaint across the population. In the younger population we usually see shoulder pain
related to sporting activity with high overhead or throwing demands (e.g., volleyball, cricket,
baseball etc). These presentations usually relate to inadequate strength in the shoulder
muscles or poor load management (too much load without adequate recovery time). In the
older population, the rotator cuff tendons start to have some age-related changes, making
them less able to repair and more prone to tearing. This can result in poor rotator cuff
function which can cause issues such as impingement syndrome or subacromial bursitis.
Luckily, targeted rehabilitation is very effective at treating shoulder pain across the lifespan.
Our experienced physiotherapists will work with you to identify exactly what is contributing
to your shoulder pain and help you implement effective treatments to help you restore your
shoulder function.
Knee pain is common across the lifespan. In our younger patients we see a lot of sports
related knee injuries such as ligament tears (ACL, MCL, LCL, PCL), kneecap pain
(patellofemoral pain syndrome) and patella tendon issues related to running and jumping
sports. Osgood Schlatter disease is also common in the adolescent population, particularly for
those who are active in running and jumping sports or have had a rapid growth spurt. Knee
cap related pain (patellofemoral pain) is also common in our adult population, also associated
with sports and physical activity participation, but additionally common with normal day to
day tasks such as stairs, walking hills and getting up from sitting. In our middle-older aged
population we see an increase in meniscal injuries, and in our older populations knee
osteoarthritis becomes a common complaint. Luckily, physiotherapy is very effective at
treating knee pain across the lifespan! If you are having trouble with your knees, our
experienced physiotherapists can help!
One of the most common ankle injuries we see is the sprained ankle. This is common in all
active populations, from kids and adults playing sport to people mis-stepping in holes or off
pavements or steps. If managed well, ankle sprains recover well without significant long term
issues. It’s important to make sure you regain your mobility, strength, balance and
proprioception (joint position sense) after an ankle sprain to ensure you get back to full
function and reduce your risk of recurrence. Another common ankle issue in children is
Sever’s Disease, which is pain in the heel where the Achilles tendon attaches into the heel
bone. This is common in kids who are active in running and jumping sports, or who have had
a rapid growth spurt. Achilles tendinopathy is another common ankle complaint in the adult
population – read more about that in our ‘Tendinopathy’ section.
Sport and physical activity are an important part of a healthy lifestyle. In fact, physical activity
is more effective at managing and preventing many health concerns than current
medications. That said, an unfortunate side effect of sports participation can be the
occasional injury. Shoulder, knee, ankle and finger injuries are all common in sport, as well as
muscle strains and ligament sprains. The good news – our Physio’s are experts at helping you
manage and recover from these injuries and get you back to your sport as soon and safely as
possible!
If you have been injured at work, our experienced physiotherapists can help you get back to
full capacity as quickly as possible. We will work with your workplace and medical team to
make sure everyone is on the same page, and you are supported throughout your recovery.
We accept Workcover and CTP cases and can liaise directly with Workcover or your insurer
regarding payment of your appointments.
Temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD or jaw pain and dysfunction) can affect one or both
sides of the jaw. It can be caused by clenching or grinding (often associated with stress),
trauma (e.g., a knock to the jaw) or dental treatments (e.g., when the jaw needs to be held
open for long periods of time). Jaw pain can cause restricted jaw range of motion (e.g.,
difficulty opening the jaw) as well as discomfort with talking and chewing and may contribute
to headaches. Treatment of jaw pain and temporomandibular dysfunction is a specialised
area of physiotherapy practise. Our experienced physiotherapists are trained in the
assessment and treatment of jaw pain and temporomandibular dysfunction and can work
with you (and your dental team) to treat your TMD.
Wrist, elbow and hand pain/injuries are common in both sports people and workers,
particularly those with repetitive work tasks such as data entry, factory workers or tradies.
These upper limb injuries can range from occupational overuse syndrome, carpal tunnel,
tennis elbow, de Quervain’s tenosynovitis or injuries to the TFCC, to acute fractures in the
forearm wrist and hand (e.g., from a fall on an outstretched hand or a jarred finger whilst
playing sport). Use of our wrist, elbow and hand are so important in almost all of our day to
day tasks – so if you are having issues don’t delay seeking help!
