Last week I had the privilege to be one of the four physios to travel with the Victorian Men’s & Mixed Netball teams for their National Championships in Brisbane. There were 6 Victorian teams competing across multiple divisions. U17s, U20s, U23s, Men’s Reserve, Open Mixed and Open Mens. Traveling with a team is both a challenging and rewarding experience. You have a big influence on the team as the only medical professionals. You also provide emotional support during a challenging week for the players. It is an opportunity to connect with a large group of people, from the tour manager an ..read more

From the Ground to Recovery: New Concussion Guidelines With community football commencing in the next couple of weeks you may or may not be aware of the new concussion guidelines. On the 1st of March, the AFL announced the new developments in relation to the return to play protocols in the concussion guidelines for all levels of Australian Football, including community football. The new community football guidelines state the earliest a player suffering a concussion can return to play is on the 21st day post the concussion incident providing that medical clearance has been given. It is import ..read more

I recently approached one of my longstanding patients for her perspective on Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR). This blog, as with all of our firsthand accounts, is designed to be informative and insightful. Please seek medical support if you think you may also be suffering from PMR. What are/were your PMR symptoms? The original symptoms began 12 months ago and were centred around a rather sudden onset of hip and gluteal muscle soreness. I was experiencing enough discomfort to seek Physio advice. A short time later, I was a participant in the GLAD program. My regime was modified to accommodate thi ..read more

Ice baths vs saunas… what’s with the trending excitement? When it comes to post-exercise recovery, athletes and fitness enthusiasts often turn to ice baths and saunas as popular options. Both methods are believed to help reduce muscle soreness, promote relaxation, and aid in recovery. But is one more effective than the other? Let’s delve into the benefits and drawbacks of ice baths and saunas and help you determine which might be best for you and if you could use them to improve your day to day. Ice baths: Ice baths, also known as cold water immersion therapy, involve soaking the bod ..read more

Drawing on personal experience: When considering becoming qualified in Pelvic Health Physiotherapy, I reached out to my good friend and sounding board, Rosie. “Ali, I have an exercise for you”. She told me. “Write down every single thing that you have experienced firsthand, that you are likely to see in a patient presenting for a Pelvic Health consultation”.   Before I knew it, I had written down, in no particular order, everything I have been through pertinent to this area of Physiotherapy:   Mastitis (not directly Pelvic Health but often coexists). Urogy ..read more

Many clients have set their goals for 2024 and running is on their list. This may be starting from scratch, or returning to running after a long hiatus. Or it could be returning to running post injury or postpartum. Others are seasoned runners wanting to build up to a half or full marathon. Although everyone will be at various stages of their running journey, many principles of injury prevention can be applied across the board. Factors such as footwear, strength and conditioning, nutrition, and hydration should all be considered. Shoes There are so many options of running shoes out there on t ..read more

Congratulations on your extra special new family member!! The initial stages of motherhood can be daunting and sometimes there’s nothing more daunting than feeling or even looking at your cesarean section (c-section) wound for the first time. Rest assured if this is how you’re feeling – this is completely validated!! A nice way to think of the initial stages of c-section healing is to ‘make friends with your scar’. It doesn’t matter how long it takes you to do this, some friendships take longer to form than others! What is a Caesarean Section? Major abdominal surgery!! Yes, that’s right major ..read more

Men’s pelvic health is essential but is often overlooked. While conversations around pelvic health have recently gained traction, the focus tends to lean heavily towards women’s health. This leaves men’s pelvic health concerns often sidelined. Some men don’t even realise they have a pelvic floor. Did you know? 1 in 10 men may experience pelvic floor or continence issues during their lifetime Up to 70% of men suffer from urinary incontinence following prostatectomy surgery 16% of men over 18 have overactive bladder 5-10% of men suffer from pelvic pain One of the key areas affecting m ..read more

What is a wry neck? An acute wry neck is the sudden onset of neck pain and stiffness, often associated with muscular spasm. It can be quite alarming to patients, who often describe waking with symptoms with no clear warning. Patients with an acute wry neck typically experience severe one-sided neck pain, and movement to the side of pain is often painful and restricted. This can result in temporary postural deformity due to pain. There are commonly two distinct types of wry neck: Acute facet joint wry neck. An acute facet wry neck is more common in younger patients (12-30 years of age), whils ..read more

The term ‘winging scapula’ is used when the muscles of the scapula (shoulder blade) are weak, resulting in decreased stability or an inability to keep the borders of the scapula down against the ribcage. As a result, the inner or outer borders of the shoulder blades protrudes from the back, like wings. The muscles that attach to the scapula, both stabilise the arm to the body and move the arm around. If any of the muscles are not working in the right way at the right time, this leads to a break down in the rhythmic motion of the shoulder blade and can lead to apparent winging. Normally when w ..read more