A sports physiotherapist in Sydney
The Switch group provides a range of sport injury physiotherapy services at our clinics in Penshurst, Concord and Maroubra. We have a very experienced team of physicians with over 65 years combined experience & great written reviews. We focus on providing an evidence based, personal treatment service for symptoms like a twisted ankle, ACL tear, sore shoulders or other joint pain.
With our evidence based approach to health care means we don’t make any assumptions or take things for granted. We spend the time needed to listen and fully understand your health concerns so that we have a deep understanding of what you would like to achieve or get back to doing.
SPRAINS & STRAINS
Sprains occur when you injure a ligament. A ligament is the supportive tissue which connects bones.
Commonly sprained ligaments include the knee ligaments (ACL, MCL, LCL) and the ankle ligaments (ATFL, CL). Ligaments can also be sprained around the shoulder, primarily around the acromio-clavicular joint.
SPORTS INJURIES
Typical sports injuries include muscle strains and joint sprains and can occur for both experienced or new athletes.
Physiotherapy can help the treatment of these injuries in their early stages so they don’t become chronic and take much longer to heal
RUNNING ASSESSMENTS
A running assessment identifies areas which may need improvement or finds weak links in the kinetic chain before injury can occur.
It can also identify the areas where you may be placing excessive load on your body and we can show you how you can modify this during your training.
Most of the sports injuries that we see tend to involve the lower body, particularly knee injuries. One of the most common knee injuries is called patellofemoral syndrome. This diagnosis can be caused by a slip or a fall onto the knees, swelling of the knee joint or a muscle imbalance. Sometimes you can have swelling, leading to a muscle imbalance of the two major muscles that aid in proper tracking of the kneecap in the groove. If knee injury pain or dysfunction continues for more than two weeks, a referral to a physio may help with more aggressive stretching and strengthening. A physio may use knee taping or bracing techniques to aid with proper tracking.
Shoulder injuries cover a large number of sports injuries from dislocations, misalignment, strains on muscles and sprains of ligaments. The shoulder is considered one of the weakest joints of the body and is subject to a great deal of force during athletic activities.
Tennis elbow is usually seen with people are performing a great deal of gripping activities. It can be labeled as an overuse sports injury, also known as medial or lateral epicondylitis. Due to the repetitive action, the tendons of the forearm can become inflamed and make any wrist or hand motions extremely painful. Doctors may prescribe anti-inflammatory medication, or even a brace, to try to take pressure off the area and prevent further elbow injuries. Stretching techniques and other strengthening exercises applied by a sports physio can help to break down the stiffness and gradually build strength, returning athletes to their sporting activities.
The hamstring muscle is located on the back of the thigh. Unfortunately, the hamstring muscles can be tight and are susceptible to a strain, which is also called a pulled muscle. Often, an athlete with a hamstring tear will experience bruising in the back of the thigh or the knee.
Sciatica is back pain that also travels down the back of the leg or even to the feet. This radiating pain can additionally be associated with numbness, burning and tingling down the leg. Sciatica can be seen in athletes who are in a flexed forward posture, such as cyclists, or athletes who perform a great deal of trunk rotation in the swing sports, like golf and tennis. The back pain and radiating pain can be caused by a bulging disc or a pinched nerve. .
Athletes with shin splints complain of pain in the lower leg bone, or the tibia. Shin splints are most often found in athletes who are runners or participate in activities with a great deal of running, such as soccer. Athletes typically get shin splints diagnosed early in their season, as they increase activities or mileage too quickly.