Remedial soft tissue therapy for golfers
I am an advanced sports remedial therapist in Paddington, Brisbane, and I work with golfers on the soft tissue injuries the swing creates: the lower back, hips and glutes, shoulders, and elbows. Hands-on treatment that finds the mechanism of the injury and treats the cause, not just the spot that hurts.
Why golfers pick up injuries
The golf swing is a fast, repeated rotation under load. Research suggests around four in ten amateur golfers pick up an injury, and roughly eight in ten of those are overuse injuries: the same movement, thousands of times, until a structure gives. Lower back pain is the most common complaint, affecting close to a third of players.
Overuse injuries rarely hurt where the problem started. A sore elbow can begin at the shoulder. A cranky lower back can be driven by a hip that will not rotate. My job is to find that chain and treat it properly.
What I work on
- Lower back pain, the most common golf complaint
- Golfer's elbow, pain on the inner side of the elbow
- Hips and glutes, the rotation and power source, and a frequent hidden cause
- Shoulder, wrist and forearm, and neck, loaded by grip and rotation
Health fund rebates
Rebates are available through participating private health funds. Bring your card and I will give you the paperwork you need to claim.
How the treatment works
Assessment
I take your history, watch how you move, and use orthopaedic testing to rule things in or out. Black and white: positive or negative.
Treatment
Hands-on soft tissue work, with real time on the table. I treat the whole area involved, not just the point of pain.
Education
You leave understanding your own body. A few sessions in, you can tell me what is happening and why. That is what keeps it from coming back.
Common questions
Do I need to be injured to book?
No. Plenty of golfers come in to stay ahead of a niggle, or to sort out something that only shows up late in a round. Prevention and maintenance are part of the work.
Is this the same as seeing a physio?
No, and it is not meant to replace one. A physiotherapist and I do different jobs. My focus is deep, hands-on soft tissue treatment with far more time on the table than a clinical appointment usually allows. If something needs a physio, a scan, or another practitioner, I will tell you and point you there.
Is this a sports massage?
No. A sports massage is a general, relaxation-style rub down. This is clinical treatment for a specific problem: I assess, I find the mechanism of the injury, I treat the cause, and I teach you how to manage it. This is not relax. This is treatment.
Do you analyse my swing?
I do not analyse technique or coach the swing. I treat the body that swings the club. I work happily alongside your coach and, where relevant, a golf physiotherapist.
Get back to a full round
Tell me where it hurts and what you want to get back to. We start from there.
Book an assessment