Injury Information Archives • Peak Physio

Importance of Prehabilitation Before a Knee or Hip Replacement

Ariane McCormack 25 Feb 2025

Undergoing a total knee replacement (TKR) or total hip replacement (THR) is a major surgical procedure often recommended to alleviate pain, restore mobility, and improve quality of life. While much attention is given to post-operative rehabilitation, pre-operative rehabilitation (often called “prehab”) plays a vital role in enhancing surgical outcomes. Engaging in a structured rehabilitation program before surgery can significantly impact recovery time, reduce post-surgical complications, and improve long-term joint function.

Swimmers Shoulder

Olivia Hadfield 17 Jun 2024

Swimmers Shoulder is an umbrella term for shoulder pain incurred from greater training demand, inappropriate load or impaired joint biomechanics during the swim stroke. Pain will typically present in the anterolateral shoulder as a result of impingement, rotator cuff tendinopathy or tear, labral injuries or neurological impingement. Each stroke varies in the musculoskeletal demands which can be refined to ensure performance optimisation.

Hypermobility Disorders

Olivia Hadfield 27 Feb 2024

The term hypermobility is one easily conceptualised by the general population, there is increased movement beyond the ‘normal’ joint range of motion. Hypermobility has historically dominated the sphere of gymnastics, dance and acrobatics as advantageous skill acquisition. Outside of acquired hypermobility which is often used for performance gains, there is a spectrum of hypermobility disorders from asymptomatic to symptomatic hereditary syndromes. Across this scale there are varying symptoms which are not consistent across each categorisation. This varied presentation can increase time to diagnosis and often limit clients from receiving the care required.

Running Injuries: Common Training Volume Errors and How to Fix Them

Jason Pongracic 9 Feb 2024

New Run (City of Newcastle Running Festival) is fast approaching!

With approximately 2 months left until this event we thought it might be helpful to give you a timely reminder about the best ways to stay injury free as your running loads increase in preparation for your chosen event.

Inflammatory back pain

Olivia Hadfield 7 Nov 2023

Back pain is a common complaint presenting in > 80% of adults. Low back pain can be classified into acute, subacute, and chronic dependent on the duration of symptoms. Your Physiotherapist will use your consultation to screen for serious pathology and categorise whether the pain is inflammatory in nature, structural, radicular, disocgenic or that of a chronic pain disorder. Inflammatory back pain is oftentimes misdiagnosed as chronic back pain or SIJ disorders. The aim of this article is to clarify the diagnosis of inflammatory back pain and outline the steps needed by both patient and primary care provider for management.

Dance physiotherapy assessment at Peak Physio

Common Dancing Injuries: Foot & Ankle

Peak Physio Staff 20 Mar 2023

This article will discuss some of the most common pathologies presenting in dancers that involve the foot and ankle joint. Injuries to the lower extremity in dancers are more common than upper limb injuries due to the amount of range and force required to perform particular movements.

Common Dance-Related Injuries

Posterior ankle impingement
Base of 5th metatarsal fractures
Flexor hallucis longus tendinopathy

The Ageing Shoulder

Ariane McCormack 21 Dec 2022

A healthy shoulder is an integral part of normal daily activities and overall independence. A functional shoulder allows you to wash your hair, put on a shirt, swing a golf club, lift groceries into your boot to name a few. Maintaining a healthy shoulder is an important part of having optimal quality of life.

Discogenic Low Back Pain

Olivia Hadfield 19 Dec 2022

Lets start by breaking down the term ‘discogenic’. The disc is the structure that lies between the vertebrae, discogenic is pain that originates from this structure. Discogenic low back pain presents as pain in the lumbar spine with or without referral that is confirmed via X-ray, CT scan or MRI. Results are commonly reported as ” degenerative disc disease” or “multi-level disc degeneration”. This article aims to explain the role of the disc, what happens when they deteriorate and what it means for you if you have been diagnosed with disc disease or a disc herniation.

Posterior Tibialis Tendon Dysfunction

Peak Physio Staff 13 Dec 2022

Posterior Tibialis Tendon Dysfunction (PTTD) is a common cause of medial ankle and foot pain affecting the tibialis posterior tendon, which – if not effectively treated – can have a detrimental impact on ankle/foot joint integrity and overall function. The severity of this condition can vary, as the tibialis posterior tendon can become inflamed and painful, or it can continue to deteriorate causing splits/tears within the tendon itself, leading to further complications within the ankle/foot complex. Therefore, identifying and treating this condition early can significantly improve patient outcomes and reduce the need for more radical interventions such as surgery.

Warm Up: Is It Really Beneficial?

Peak Physio Staff 13 Dec 2022

Have you ever been instructed or advised to complete a quick warm up? Or get ready for the game and not sure exactly what to do? Warming up is widely appreciated as a fundamental aspect of physical activity, exercise, and sport. This article aims to explain what, why and how we complete an effective warm up. It will also explore the current literature and evidence surrounding the effectiveness of warmups for performance enhancement and injury prevention.

Achilles Tendinopathy Recovery: Expert Physiotherapy Tips & Treatment Guide

Ariane McCormack 31 Mar 2022

The Achilles is the largest and thickest tendon in the body. It is made up of Type 1 collagen fibres, tenocytes, and proteoglycans which are responsible for the tendon’s tensile strength. These complex interwoven fibres merge from the calf muscles, gastrocnemius and soleus to form the tendon that inserts into the heel bone, the calcaneus. The Achilles is involved in 93% of the plantar force in flexion of the foot. When healthy, this tendon can handle up to nine times the body weight and has a pivotal function in transmitting forces, such as explosive power and control of movements.

Adductor Strains in the Sporting Population

Olivia Hadfield 17 Mar 2022

Groin strains are commonly seen in sports with multi-directional and high velocity demands such as hockey and soccer. As a result, large sporting bodies have published preventative rehabilitation guidelines which are incorporated in pre-game warmups around the world to mitigate strain risk and reduce recurrence rates.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Rehabilitation

Olivia Hadfield 17 Mar 2022

Where Are We Now?

Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) rupture has occupied a large portion of elite and amateur sporting injuries for decades. Discourse amongst the general population continues to support immediate surgical reconstruction followed by a lengthy return to sport timeframe. Thus, management of either surgical or conservative ACL ruptures necessitates robust rehabilitation protocols and a barrage of objective measures to meet the low return to sport levels and high recurrence rates.

Running: an evaluation of running biomechanics, strengthening programs and injury management

Olivia Hadfield 7 Mar 2022

With the year that was, training has needed to be more versatile than ever. With the infrequent access to group fitness classes and gyms, there has been a significant increase in the number of people commencing running or incorporating it into their training regime. There are many factors to consider when getting into this often-addictive sport; how far, how often, how quickly, where and with what shoes. This article aims to present the most important factors to consider on this journey to mitigate injury risk and provide some confidence to make running a lasting activity!

Tendinopathies: Tennis Elbow, Jumper’s Knee & Other Painful Conditions

Peak Physio Staff 4 Apr 2019

Tendinopathies are an incredibly common type of injury, yet they are often poorly understood by the general public. In this article, we take a look at deeper look at tendinopathies – what they are, where they occur and what can be done about them.

physiotherapy treatment rehab knee injuries ACL meniscus

Knee Pain? Physiotherapy for Common Knee Complaints

Peak Physio Staff 12 Feb 2019

The knee is the largest joint in the body, comprising the junction where the thigh bone (femur) meets with the shin (tibia and fibula) and the knee cap (patella). It is classified as a ‘hinge joint’, meaning its predominant movements are bending and straightening, although there is a small amount of rotation that occurs in the joint as well.

Due to the high load and significant impact placed through the knee, in conjunction with the twisting mechanisms involved in various sports and activities, it is unfortunately one of the most commonly injured joints in the body.

Ankle sprain physio treatment physiotherapy recovery

Treating Ankle Sprains: Why Physio is Critical

Peak Physio Staff 23 Jan 2019

Ankle sprains are undoubtedly one of the most common injuries we see as physiotherapists. The vast majority of active people will have experienced an ankle sprain during their lifetime and, unfortunately, sprains have a nasty habit of recurring if not managed well in the first instance.

patellofemoral pain knee cap physiotherapy newcastle nsw

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome: Physio Assessment & Treatment

Peak Physio Staff 20 Jan 2019

The patellofemoral joint refers to the junction between the knee cap (patella) and the thigh bone (femur) and, unfortunately, pain in this region is a common problem seen by physiotherapists.

Joint Knee Replacement Physiotherapy Guide Treatment

A Physiotherapist’s Guide to Joint Replacement

Peak Physio Staff 14 Jan 2019

Once fairly rare, joint replacements now seem to be almost a rite of passage among the older population. Given the growing popularity of joint replacement procedures, we thought it was time to take an in-depth look from the perspective of a physiotherapist.

Let’s start with the basics:

Shoulder injury rehabilitation physiotherapy Newcastle NSW

Five Common Shoulder Injuries and How to Treat Them

Peak Physio Staff 29 Dec 2018

The shoulder is an especially complex area of the body, anatomically speaking, and unfortunately that means there are many potential areas for injury. The shoulder joint encompasses the junction where the upper arm bone (humerus) meets the collar bone (clavicle) and the shoulder blade (scapula) at the back.

Low Back Pain

Peak Physio Staff 13 Aug 2018

If you are reading this and are suffering from low back pain, you are not alone. Currently you are a part of the club with 540 million other people, or 7.3% of the global population, suffering from low back pain at any one time. So what’s the current evidence guiding practice? Read more