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SPORT INJURIES & REHABILITATION

running athlete in the blocks

Sport Injuries,
Treatment & Rehabilitation

About sports injuries, treatment & rehabilitation at Balance Health.

At Balance Health we have an experienced team who are passionate about treating and managing sport injuries. We believe in getting you back to pain-free movement and activity as soon as possible, with a strong focus on hands-on therapy, exercise prescription and injury prevention.

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The most common injuries associated with sports include ligament & muscle sprains, strains, tears, joint injuries and over-use injuries. After a thorough assessment of the injury, we will develop an evidence-based treatment and rehabilitation plan that is specific to your goals.

 

In-clinic treatment may include:

 

Soft/deep tissue massage

Myofascial release

Joint mobilisation

Joint manipulation

Stretching

Dry needling

Taping

 

Throughout your recovery our aim is to help you regain the strength, mobility, balance and co-ordination required to return to your sport and stay injury free in the future. In order to get the best results, we might include:

 

In-clinic and home exercise programs

Clinical Pilates or assisted gym exercises

Injury prevention strategies, including correction of movement and alignment (see our guide to running for tips).

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Continue to browse our therapist profiles below to see how Physiotherapy, Osteopathy & Myotherapy can best assist you with your recovery & optimize your return to play. Please call to speak with our friendly team for assistance.

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Our experienced Practitioners

With extensive experience in the field, Jason has worked with various football teams for 5-6 years in a variety of roles. He has also provided rehabilitation services to athletes from Swimming Australia, Athletics, and Basketball. His expertise extends to strength and conditioning, working with AFL/VFL, junior rugby 7s, and College Baseball athletes. To enhance his skills, Jason has completed additional training, including Sportsmap upper and lower limb courses, lower limb taping for sports injuries, and holds a sports trainer and Strength and Conditioning accreditation. When it comes to sports injury therapy and rehabilitation, Jason prefers a balanced approach. He combines hands-on work with assisted gym workouts, emphasizing cross-training and thorough fitness testing before athletes return to sport. Jason’s focus lies in knee injuries, lower limb soft tissue injuries, ankle issues, and shoulder rehabilitation. Furthermore, Jason has a special interest in Football, Cricket, Basketball, and Soccer. His passion for these sports adds a unique touch to their practice, ensuring a personalized approach for every athlete. Jason is dedicated to providing exceptional care, helping you recover, enhance performance, and achieve your sporting goals.

Jason Leonidas

Physiotherapist
.

Jason has had extensive experience providing rehabilitation services to football teams, Swimming Australia, Athletics and Basketball. With further education in Sportsman upper and lower limb training, and Strength & Conditioning accreditation, Jason will ensure exceptional care is provided while helping you to recover and achieve your sporting goals.

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Casey worked in a private sports clinic for 7 years, and has worked with elite athletes at Collingwood Football Club, Gippsland Power Football Club and International Junior Tennis. Casey's additional qualifications include APA Sports level 1 and 2, Dry needling for Musculoskeletal Injuries, APA Musculoskeletal level 1-4, Clinical Pilates level 1-4. Casey's incredible knowledge and experience has lead to her using gym based strengthening for rehabilitation, hands on therapy, and of course education. Casey is drawn to knee and ankle injuries, and has been very successful with her treatment of these areas in her career. Casey played Netball for 20 years, is currently umpiring (and has for over 20 years), and was previously a committee member and president of Phillip Island Football Netball Club. Casey still to this day has a strong association with Phillip Island and District Cricket Club.

Casey Cleeland

Physiotherapist
.

Casey has extensive experience with elite sporting professionals, sporting clubs (including Collingwood FB Club) and sports based physiotherapy clinics. With additional training and qualifications, Casey has committed herself to ensuring her patients get the best treatment possible.

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Tim has worked on a broad range of sporting injuries, and has a passion for working with running injuries and lower limb biomechanics. Tim will use a combination of hands on therapy, and progressive and specific exercise based training to ensure successful rehabilitation. 
 
Tim enjoys competing in sport himself, with a background in long distance running, adventure racing, kayaking, mountain biking, and rugby many years ago!

Tim Tracy

Physiotherapist
.

Tim has had a range of experience managing and correcting sports based injuries. He is dedicated to not only ensure return to play, but also to maximise performance & biomechanics of the individual. Tim typically will use techniques including hands on treatment, and exercised based treatment.

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Kevin has experience in managing athlete's training programs, skill acquisition, recruitment, competition schedule, medical team, and more. He has presented professional development webinars / course for Osteopathy Australia and Sporting organisations and has been a guest presenter for many professional and clinical programs within the sporting and allied health industry. Kevin enjoys giving back to the community. He is a Clinical Educator (Lecturer/Tutor) and Clinical Supervisor at RMIT University, Data Analyst at University of South Australia (Pain Revolution) and Painaustralia and on multiple sporting committees. Kevin was a former sports coach (Head coach and program manager) at a local club of emerging professional athletes. He is qualified as a High-Performance Coach with Gymnastics Australia (one of a few coaches in Victoria that hold the accreditation). Kevin himself was an elite gymnast, who has represented Victoria and Australia. He experienced an injury that prevent furthering his career as a high-performance athlete. He sustained a wrist fracture that was mismanaged by sporting professionals in the medical and allied health industry. This has driven Kevin to further his knowledge and career in the area of sports therapy, with an absolute passion for sports injuries in the younger populations. Time and time again, Kevin sees younger athlete being mismanaged when time is sometimes a critical factor. Kevin's passion is to help athletes return back to sport. He loves working with to enhance sporting capacity so they can be faster, stronger and injury-free. He is well known for his commitment to the treatment and management of sporting injuries on-field and off-field. He takes pride in ensuring that athletes receive high-quality care regardless of the sporting level. Kevin demonstrated an enhanced scope of practice in the sporting field. The industry recognises his ability to work with all athletes and sports injuries. He is an Advanced Sports Osteopath awarded by Osteopathy Australia in 2020. Osteopathy Australia, the peak body for Osteopaths in Australia (equivalent to the Australian Physiotherapy Association), have recognised Kevin's scope, expertise and experience in the sport. He works with elite, semi-elite and recreational athletes in the diagnosis, treatment & management of sporting injuries. Sporting injuries are one reason why people consult with Kevin. Athletes also consult with Kevin to help optimise their biomechanics and enhance athletic performance. He has worked with organisations on a local, state, national and international level. Some of the organisations Kevin has worked with include Gymnastics Australia, Gymnastics Victoria, Artistic Swimming Australia, YMCA Geelong, Volleyball Victoria, Singapore Gymnastics, Song’s Taekwondo, Tigers Taekwondo, International Gymnastics Federation and Australian Institution of Sport. Kevin uses a multitude of various treatment methods and does not believe in the one-size-fits-all approach. Your consultations with Kevin will be unique to your specific injury and sport. An understanding of your sport is vital to ensure safety and fast recovery to return to your sport (and performance at your best). With most conditions, Kevin tries to keep you playing your sport for as long as possible as sometimes taking time away from your sport can be worse and lead to more injuries in the future. Many sports have similar injuries. It's important to get an assessment and diagnosis of your sporting injury. Once you have a diagnosis from an Osteopathy or Physiotherapist, the initial treatment and management are usually similar. Let's look at an example: Ankle injuries are the most common lower limb injuries in Netball, Football, and Soccer (Field based sports). In the initial stages, most health professionals excel as the advice is similar; some like to say REST, while others like to say KEEP PLAYING. The biggest difference in care is the middle-to-end stage of your injury. This is where you'll either return to sport slowly or faster, weaker or stronger, and increase the likelihood of injury or decrease - depending on your condition, advice given and followed. If you haven't received a rehabilitation program that is specific to your sports then you are missing out on performing at your best and run the risk of re-injuring yourself. Kevin may use different treatment and management such as: home exercise programs, assisted strength and conditioning programs, biomechanics analysis & technique assessment, and hands-on / manual therapy (massage, stretching, manipulation, taping etc). Kevin has a natural ability for sports. One of Kevin's many sporting achievements is participating in Taekwondo and reaching the 1st Dan Taekwondo (Kukkiwon/WT-style). You may see him surfing at the local beaches as that's his go-to thing for exercise and relaxation. Like many locals, the ocean is magnificent and is Kevin's R&R since living on the Island.

Kevin James

Senior Clinician
Advanced Sports Osteopath

Kevin was a successful elite athlete. He understands the challenges that athletes face. He has a great track record in sport, working with high-level organisations such as Gymnastics Australia, Volleyball Victoria, Taekwondo, & Australian Institute of Sport. He is industry recognised as an Advanced Sports Osteopath & gives back to the community as a Clinical Educator at RMIT University & Data Analyst for UniSA.

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In 22 years working as a physiotherapist Christina has experienced and treated a healthy array of sports injuries and contributed to the rehabilitation of many injuries. This includes being physiotherapist for AFL Sydney team throughout university days over 4 years. Christina has additional certification of Advanced Principles of Sports Medicine part 1-3, which is an incredible asset to ensure rehabilitation and return to play success. Christina will use a broad range of treatment methods, beginning with education, manual therapy, soft tissue releases using muscle energy techniques, joint mobilisations to assist regaining full range of motion in joints and full strength in muscles. Christina's speciality is examining the biomechanics of the pelvis first and foremost. Furthermore, looking at imbalances & mal-alignments of the spine and lower limbs, biomechanics of the feet that could, and do, contribute to the recovery of long term chronic conditions as well be the factor that hinder their full recovery. In her spare time Christina is an open water swimmer and an adventure racer - which involves navigating your way through a terrain based course on foot, bike or kayak, with only a map & compass to guide you!

Christina Laws

Physiotherapist
.

With 22 years working as a physiotherapist, Christina has experienced treating a broad range of sport injuries, including management of injury pre & post game for high level professional athletes. Christina's experience includes sports physiotherapist for AFL Sydney team during her university days of 4 years.

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Nicole has had an incredible amount of experience working in Football clubs for over 10 years, doing pre and post game rehabilitation. Further to her Myotherapy qualifications, Nicole holds Level 2 sports trainer certificate, Advanced taping, Concussion management, & Spinal cord management. Nicole's work is mostly hands on, including myotherapy massage & dry needling when required. Nicole will recommend take home exercises to improve condition and assist with return to play as needed. More than willing to work on any injury presented to her that is suited to her training, Nicole is particularly exceptional when it comes to hip & groin issues. Nicole used to play hockey and ice skate, and has always enjoyed an active lifestyle. Once Nicole's sons started playing football she got involved with their local football teams, and hasn't stopped being a support therapist.

Nicole Murphy

Myotherapist
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Nicole's expertise in Myotherapy is an asset for injury treatment and management (pre & post game) for many elite & amateur athletes. Nicole's hands on approach is often the go-to treatment for injuries from the field and high impact sports.

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