Sports and Spines

23/08/2025

Congrats to Theo who represented Australia in basketball at the International Children’s Games in Estonia. Theo presented 3 months prior with bilateral pars interarticularis stress at L5 ( not uncommon in adolescents with high impact loads ) but was compounded by his lumbar scoliosis.
Treatment focused on reducing/managing load and building strength to support his lumbar spine ie a solid posterior chain programme.
As seen he was able to represent pain free with the added bonus of increased power.

22/07/2025

Congratulations who, in June 2022, suffered a “very large L5-S1 left parental disc protrusion compressing both left L5 and S1 nerve roots” resulting in a great deal of low back pain, ‘sciatica’ and parasthesia of his big toe.
A competitive surf boat rower, Doug was able to avoid surgery and return to surfboard rowing in 2023. In 2024 his team were NSW State champs and this year they came 5th out of 80 crews.
It was a long rehab process with the usual ups and downs but Doug stuck to the plan and the results came. Well done.

31/10/2024

Massive congrats to Tommy at last weekend’s Jiu Jitsu Pan PAC’s in Melbourne. Winning gold in 3 divisions:
Master 4 Gi (Heavy Weight)
Master 4 Gi (Open Weight)
Master 4 No Gi (Open Weight)
Tommy has been coming in for the past few years for various spinal injuries, generally Jiu Jitsu related and we have managed to keep him training and competing.
Just a couple of days prior to departing for the Pan PACs Tommy sprained a costovertebral joint in his upper back.
Well done Tommy 👏💪

05/08/2024

Good article highlighting the benefits of posterior chain strengthening with patients who have chronic low back pain. Posterior chain strengthening involves a number of exercises patients are fearful of or told to avoid including deadlifts, squats, RDLs.
PubMed 33683497

31/07/2024

Geoff suffered a lumbar disc injury in January (L5/S1 disc protrusion causing displacement of the descending S1 nerve root and a smaller disc protrusion affecting the left S1 nerve root). This resulted in neurological pain down the leg and pins and needles in the foot.
Geoff was able to make a full recovery (no cortisone, no surgery) and go on a planned 10 day surf trip in Indonesia without any issues. A great result. 💪

27/05/2024

The pictures don’t truely do it justice. All I kept saying was wow.

12/04/2024

08/04/2024

Great to be invited by to appear in his podcast to discuss various injuries and my 15 years as Head Physiotherapist at . Thoroughly enjoyed it.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6HJvm1akkTMvjhhMEyMevs?si=gwz85iX-SmGnHNfSkLCmug

25/03/2024

Podcast on Spotify.