There are many different pathways and options in treating common musculoskeletal pains. With the guidance of an experienced physiotherapist or exercise physiologist, there is no one prescribed way on your rehabilitation journey.
However, there is a rough guideline of seven pathways to undertake when in pain and rehabilitating an injury.
Rest
Without a doubt, resting is the logical first choice for treatment. When your body is in pain, it is telling you that you need to slow down or stop what you are doing. It is too common that patients will neglect the rest strategy, for several reasons, which negatively impacts rehabilitation progression.
With the guidance from one of our experienced physiotherapists and exercise physiologists, a plan can be devised to help you properly manage your pain and fulfill rest periods.
To give your body a fair chance at resting, check the following boxes:
Strength Training
Strength training is definitely a preferred pain management technique that allows you to strengthen the area of injury to prevent further damage. For many kinds of common pain, there will be no treatment that works better, on average, than simply strengthening the muscle groups around the impacted area.
We guide you as to which strength training activities you should be completing during your rehabilitation journey, with the simple goals to increase strength without aggravating further pain.
Mobility; stretching, dynamic joint mobility drills
Working to increase your functional range of motion is integral during the rehabilitation journey. Mobility work is especially helpful for these four reasons:
The exercise programs we devise are not too aggressive or aggravate further pain. These programs are taking into consideration your comfort level and range of motion to improve your mobility at a steady and efficient pace.
Coordination / motor control; corrective exercise, pilates
During your rehabilitation journey, it is the optimal goal to correct dysfunctional movement patterns. This means the typical functional movement performed properly and without pain becomes dysfunctional when pain is involved.
Motor control activities such as corrective exercises, pilates, resistance exercise, yoga or running drills are some of the many methods that are used to correct your dysfunctional movement. We encourage the best methods during your journey to promote a healthy and proactive recovery.
Mind-body / awareness; meditation, yoga
Pain doesn’t always associate with ‘issues in the tissue’. It stems further than that and depends how your nervous system and unconscious parts of your brain perceive what is happening.
There are many different mind and body practices that seek to improve awareness that will help manage and treat pain:
We will guide you which methods will be most beneficial during your rehabilitation journey.
General health; diet, general exercise, sleep, stress reduction
It is increasingly important that all sectors of your health work simultaneously and efficiently in order for you to function as best as possible. As each variable is dependent on each other for optimal function, working towards consuming a balanced diet and completing the recommended physical exercise regime will assist you in managing pain.
Easier said than done, stress plays a major role in influencing your physical health therefore any strategy that can help you reduce stress is best
Manual therapy; massage, mobilisation, manipulation
Manual therapies such as adjustments or massages can help manage musculoskeletal pain. We promote which methods are best for your rehabilitation journey and if you prefer the method of manual therapy.
At Progressive, we incorporate all of the best strategies that will assist you throughout your journey. These strategies are at levels of comfort that suit you and your pain tolerance to ensure an efficient rehabilitation journey.
Start the year off stronger than ever and book an appointment to see one of our highly trained team of professionals.
At Progressive Sports and Spinal Physiotherapy Penrith, we are able to assess, treat, educate and manage all musculoskeletal injuries. We focus on hands-on treatment, exercise prescription and self management techniques tailored to your specific needs. We utilise evidence based treatments to maximise your outcomes.
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Elin, is an alumni of St. Edward’s University and holder of a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology, furthered her academic journey by attaining a Doctor of Physiotherapy from Macquarie University in 2022.
Her passion for sports, particularly football (soccer), is evident in both her academic pursuits and personal endeavors. Specialising in the comprehensive well-being of athletes, Elin focuses on restoring them to peak performance while actively preventing future injuries.
Elin’s professional expertise is centered on musculoskeletal rehabilitation, with a specific emphasis on addressing and preventing knee injuries. Her approach integrates expert treatment with a commitment to educating and empowering patients, fostering their active involvement in enhancing their health and overall quality of life.
As an active participant in NPL football with SD Raiders, Elin brings firsthand experience and a profound understanding of the sport’s demands. Beyond the field, she extends her influence by contributing sports coverage over the weekends.
Christopher (Chris) Han graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor’s Degree in Occupational Therapy, and then completed the Doctor of Physiotherapy program at Macquarie University in 2018. Chris is currently undertaking his PhD at the University of Sydney and Institute for Musculoskeletal Health in the field of low back pain and is due to complete this in early 2024.
Chris is currently an assistant Physiotherapist for the NRL Referees. Chris has previous experience as the head Physiotherapist at Panthers Premier League Netball and a number of elite sporting athletes in the private setting.
Through Chris’ experiences, he has a particular interest in all areas of the body and musculoskeletal physiotherapy, sports, vestibular rehabilitation, and Men’s Health (pre and post prostate surgery).
Suzanne graduated from Western Sydney University with a Bachelor of Health Science (Sports and Exercise Science) in 2015. She then went on to continue her studies at Macquarie University graduating from the Doctor of Physiotherapy post-graduate degree in June 2019.
Since graduating, Suzanne has worked in the local Penrith area in both private practice and Sports Physiotherapy. Suzanne has worked with sporting teams including Penrith District Netball Association, Mt Druitt Rangers (NPL), Penrith Valley Figure Skating Club, and local dance and cheer schools.
Suzanne has a particular interest in working with artistic athletes including cheerleaders and dancers. She has a professional background in both cheer and dance and has previously worked as both a cheer coach and dance teacher. Suzanne’s previous experiences are an invaluable resource to her as a physiotherapist, as she has a thorough understanding of the level of physical fitness and skill acquisition that these athletes must have in order to be successful on stage and in competition.
Suzanne’s other areas of clinical interest reside in lower limb musculoskeletal injuries, spinal pathologies and women’s health.
Nathanial graduated as a physiotherapist in 2012 which saw him work in private practice and hospital settings gaining experience in all areas of physiotherapy including hand therapy, splinting/casting, pre/post-operative care, Men’s Health and general musculoskeletal, occupational and sports physiotherapy. Since then he has gone on to complete further studies in physiotherapy enabling him to be the only dual titled Musculoskeletal, Sports and Exercise Physiotherapist in Penrith.
Nathanial has a strong background in sports physiotherapy achieving accreditation with NSWIS as a service provider and working with many elite sports teams.
Nathanial has a particular interest in working with elite athletes, complex cases and in particular assessment and management of knee, hip and shoulder pain.
Andrea graduated from the Australian Catholic University completing her Bachelor of Exercise and Sports Science in 2018 and Master’s of Clinical Exercise Physiology in 2020. After graduating she attained accreditation with ESSA as an Exercise Physiologist.
During her studies she gained clinical experience in both hospital and private practice settings, in cardiac rehabilitation, neurological conditions, cancer and chronic musculoskeletal injuries.
Since working at Progressive, Andrea has a specialist interest in treating musculoskeletal injuries, helping people in the mid-late stage of rehab to get them to return to sport or work. As well as helping people manage chronic conditions such as arthritis, osteoporosis and diabetes.