Injury prevention

A great part of the physiotherapy treatment protocol has to do with injury prevention. We will take a look at some ways we can help you prevent injury or pain.

Correct ergonomics: Muscle strains, especially those of the back, are a frequent reason for people coming to our clinic. Many people strain their backs because they lift and move objects incorrectly.

Improved posture: Poor posture often leads to complaints of back, neck and shoulder pain, because it overloads certain muscles. Poor posture may also alter your gait (walking) which can lead to back and knee pain. By correcting your posture we can help you avoid all these injuries.

Stronger pelvic floor: A weak pelvic floor or poor pelvic floor technique can contribute to a pelvic organ prolapse, this often happens 'silently' over a period of time. One of the best things you can do to prevent a prolapse or incontinence is to get your pelvic floor checked using specialised ultrasound equipment by a trained physio who can assess how good your pelvic floor is and teach you the correct technique to help prevent problems arising.

Strong knees: Knee pain is usually the result of weak quadriceps and gluteal muscles, tight hamstrings and calf muscles and lack of flexibility in the joint. By giving you a regimen of tailored stretching and strengthening exercises, we can help you avoid injuries such as runner’s knee, patellofemoral pain syndrome, ACL injuries and others. Some of these conditions may also be due to wearing the wrong type of footwear or poor technique. You may need to wear orthotics in your shoes or to modify your technique.

Preventing foot injuries: Achilles tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, metatarsalgia and other foot injuries are usually due to overuse or overtraining that puts stress on the tendons and ligaments, leading to pain and injury. Calluses under the feet, leg-length discrepancy, tight calf and hamstring muscles, over-pronation or over-supination can all signal the onset of these injuries. Physiotherapy can help with specially tailored exercises to stretch and strengthen the muscles involved and advise you on proper footwear and technique.

Preventing shin splints: At the first sign of pain along the inside of the lower leg you should take a few days off exercise. You can cross train during this time while we teach you how to stretch and strengthen your calves and shin muscles. You may also need to replace your running shoes.

Just like there are many different types of injuries, there are many ways to avoid them. As the old adage reminds us that prevention is better than cure, come and see us at Flinders Avenue Physiotherapy and we’ll show you how to enjoy doing the things you do without risk of pain or injury.