Elite Health and Performance

Elite Health and Performance Elite Health and Performance is an allied health hub specialising in sports injury management, preve

21/01/2026

If your low back pain feels one-sided, tight or spasmed, the quadratus lumborum (QL) is often involved.
This muscle runs from the lower ribs to the pelvis and plays a key role in side bending and pelvic control.

Use this progression to settle symptoms and build strength so it doesn’t keep flaring up:

• QL stretch 30 s × 3
• Wall side bends 15 each side
• Pelvic drops 3 × 8 each side (1-second hold)
• Side plank clams 3 × 8–12
• Suitcase carries 3 × 20 m each side, slowly increasing load

Long-term relief comes from restoring control and strength, not just stretching.

21/01/2026

Pelvic girdle pain after surgery is often linked to poor load transfer through the pelvis.
When the transverse abdominis switches off, the pelvis loses stability and the SIJ, groin or low back start taking more stress than they should.

Early rehab needs to focus on retraining deep core control, not just stretching or strengthening big muscles.
Once the transverse abdominis is working properly again, the pelvis becomes more stable and pain levels usually settle.

If post-op pelvic pain is lingering, it’s often a sign the deep stabilising system needs to be rebuilt properly

19/01/2026

Plantar fasciitis is more than just foot tightness.
That sharp pain with your first few steps in the morning usually comes from irritation where the fascia attaches into the heel, often driven by stiff calves, poor foot control and overload from walking or running.

Hands-on treatment helps reduce tension through the calf and plantar fascia, while targeted exercises rebuild strength so the tissue can tolerate load again without flaring up.
When you address both sides, the heel pain finally starts to settle.

If plantar fasciitis has been lingering or keeps coming back despite stretching and rest, it’s usually a sign the area needs proper assessment and treatment.
Book in and we’ll help you get on top of it properly so you can move comfortably again.

Headaches that start in the neck are a different beast altogether.Not all headaches are migraine, tension, or stress rel...
18/01/2026

Headaches that start in the neck are a different beast altogether.

Not all headaches are migraine, tension, or stress related.
A large portion of recurring headaches we see are actually cervicogenic, meaning the pain is referred from the cervical spine.

What defines a cervicogenic headache?
It’s a headache driven by dysfunction in the upper cervical joints (C0–C3), deep neck flexors, and surrounding neural structures.
The pain is real, but the source isn’t in the head.

Common features we see:
• Pain is often one-sided
• Starts at the base of the skull and travels forward
• Worse with sustained posture (desk work, driving)
• Aggravated after upper body or overhead training
• Reproduced or eased with specific neck movements

Why the neck causes head pain
The upper cervical spine shares neurological pathways with the trigeminal nerve. When joints, discs, or muscles in this region are overloaded or poorly controlled, the brain interprets it as head pain.

This is why treating the head itself rarely works.

Common contributors:
• Poor deep neck flexor endurance
• Excessive reliance on superficial neck muscles
• Reduced upper cervical mobility
• Limited thoracic extension forcing the neck to compensate
• High training loads layered on top of desk posture

Rehab focus:
• Restore controlled movement in the upper cervical spine
• Build endurance of the deep neck flexors, not just strength
• Improve thoracic extension so the neck isn’t doing extra work
• Gradually expose the neck to training loads it can tolerate again

Painkillers might reduce symptoms, but they don’t address the driver.

If your headaches consistently worsen with posture, training days, or neck stiffness, it’s worth considering whether the neck is the source, not the side effect.

This is one of those presentations where understanding the mechanism changes everything

15/01/2026

ACL rehab isn’t just about getting through surgery.
It’s about rebuilding strength, control and confidence so you can actually trust your knee again.

At around eight weeks post-op, rehab starts to feel more purposeful.
Hands-on treatment helps manage stiffness and tightness around the knee, while strength and stability work rebuilds control through single-leg loading and change of direction patterns.

This stage is where a lot of people either progress properly or get stuck.
Having the right guidance makes a huge difference to how confident and prepared you feel returning to sport.

If you’ve had an ACL injury and want structured rehab that actually prepares you to get back to netball, running or training, book in and we’ll guide you through every stage.

13/01/2026

Pelvic girdle pain is not always purely mechanical.
In people with endometriosis, ongoing inflammation and visceral pain can drive protective muscle spasm around the pelvis, hips and low back.

Over time, muscles like the pelvic floor, adductors, glutes and deep hip stabilisers can stay switched on to guard the area. This increased tone changes how the pelvis moves and often leads to SIJ pain, groin pain, hip pain or a deep ache that never fully settles.

Dry needling can help reduce this persistent muscle spasm by calming the nervous system and allowing the surrounding tissues to relax. When muscle tone drops, movement improves and pain levels often ease, making day-to-day activities more manageable.

Dry needling is not a treatment for endometriosis itself, but it can be a valuable part of managing the musculoskeletal pain that often comes with it, alongside appropriate medical care and targeted rehab.

If pelvic pain has been ongoing or difficult to explain, a thorough assessment is key to understanding what is driving it and how best to manage it.

13/01/2026

Hip flexor pain is rarely just tightness at the front of the hip.
It’s usually caused by overload, prolonged sitting, poor pelvic control or compensation from the low back or surrounding hip muscles. When that happens, the tissue stays guarded and the pain never quite settles.

Hands-on treatment helps release the deeper layers of the hip flexors, reduce protective spasm and restore normal movement through the front of the hip.
Dry needling can be especially effective for calming stubborn trigger points that cause that pinchy, uncomfortable feeling with walking, running or training.

If hip flexor pain keeps flaring up or hasn’t improved despite stretching or rest, it’s often a sign the area needs proper assessment and treatment.
Book in and we’ll help you get on top of what’s actually driving the pain so you can move comfortably again

08/01/2026

We remember

08/01/2026

If you want your runs to feel smoother and your body to feel ready from the first step, your warm-up matters.

A-skips and B-skips prime your posture, hip flexors and running rhythm.
Pogos switch on your calves, Achilles and foot stiffness.
Strides bridge the gap between warming up and actually running, so your legs feel sharp instead of heavy.

This warm-up takes five minutes and makes a huge difference to how your run feels.
Do it before your easy runs, workouts or races

07/01/2026

Glute medius plays a huge role in controlling the pelvis during single-leg loading.
When it’s not doing its job, the pelvis becomes unstable and load gets shifted into areas that don’t tolerate it well, like the SI joint, adductors or the p***c symphysis.

This is why pelvic girdle pain often shows up with running, walking uphill, changing direction or standing on one leg. The body loses lateral stability and compensates through the groin or low back.

The two exercises shown here target that exact problem:
• Flamingo hold against the wall to train glute med activation and pelvic control in a closed-chain position.
• Hip hitches to improve frontal plane stability and teach the pelvis to stay level under load.

When the pelvis is stable, the SI joint and groin stop taking unnecessary stress.
These drills are simple, but they’re a key part of reducing pelvic girdle pain and preventing it from coming back.

If this pain sounds familiar, getting the right assessment and rehab plan makes all the difference.

05/01/2026

Neck pain that keeps coming back is rarely just tight muscles.
It’s usually a mix of stiff joints, overloaded tissue and poor movement patterns that build up over time.

Hands-on treatment helps release the tight areas, restore movement through the neck and settle the irritation that causes pain, headaches and stiffness.
When the neck moves properly again, the tension eases and daily activities feel easier.

If your neck pain has been lingering or flares up with work, training or sleep, getting it assessed properly makes a huge difference.
Book in today and start moving comfortably again

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24 Edmondstone Road
Bowen Hills, QLD
4006

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Thursday 7am - 7pm
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+61738526841

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