Many people come to see us after they have suffered an injury, and we are happy to help them; but many of these injuries could have been prevented if they had come before they had the injury. 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.

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

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

Strong knees: Knee pain is usually the result of weak quadriceps muscles, tight hamstring 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, please call your Physiotherapist at a2z Health Group on (03) 9798 4081 or visit our clinics in Dandenong & Noble Park and Brighton Physiotherapy for more information.