Transform Your Health with Expert Physiotherapy in Tullamarine and Carlton

Living with pain or injury can be debilitating, but you don’t have to face it alone. At The Physio Crew, our experienced physiotherapists in Tullamarine and Carlton, are dedicated to helping you regain mobility, alleviate discomfort, and restore your quality of life. Whether you’re dealing with sports injuries, chronic pain, or post-surgical recovery, physiotherapy is your first step toward a stronger, healthier you.

We live by our motto “All about you”

In this blog, we’ll explore how physiotherapy can help you overcome common conditions, improve your wellbeing, and why The Physio Crew is the go-to choice for expert care for physiotherapy in Tullamarine and Carlton.

What Is Physiotherapy, and Why Do You Need It?

Physiotherapy is a science-backed approach to managing pain, improving movement, and optimising function. It’s ideal for a range of conditions, including:

  • Lower Back Pain
  • Neck Pain and Headaches
  • Sports Injuries
  • Post-Surgical Rehabilitation
  • Arthritis and Joint Pain
  • Workplace or Repetitive Strain Injuries

Our team of physiotherapists use evidence-based techniques, including manual therapy, exercise prescription, gym rehabilitation and cutting-edge technology such as VALD, to create personalised treatment plans tailored to your specific needs.

Common Reasons to See a Physiotherapist

1. Sports Injuries

Sports injuries are common for athletes of all levels. Whether it’s a sprained ankle, torn ligament, or tennis elbow, physiotherapy can help you recover faster and reduce the risk of re-injury. Our clinics in Tullamarine and Carlton specialise in sports physiotherapy, with targeted rehabilitation programs to get you back in the game. Our physiotherapists use technology such as VALD – to access muscle asymmetries, muscle weaknesses, power and force output to give accurate measures we can work in rehabilitation and improve athletic performance.

2. Chronic Pain Management

Conditions like arthritis, fibromyalgia, or persistent back pain can interfere with daily life. Our physiotherapists address the root cause of your discomfort, offering hands-on therapy and exercises to improve mobility and reduce pain long-term. Our physiotherapists use the latest research based techniques to best assist with your chronic pain.

3. Post-Surgery Recovery

After surgery, such as total knee replacement or total hip replacement, ACL reconstruction, lumbar and spinal discectomy, rotator cuff repair or shoulder reconstructions, physiotherapy plays a crucial role in regaining strength, movement and function. Our structured rehabilitation programs created together with your physiotherapist are designed to help you recover safely and efficiently.

4. Work-Related Injuries

From desk job-related neck pain to heavy lifting injuries, workplace strain is a leading cause of musculoskeletal issues. Physiotherapy offers tailored solutions to get you back to work comfortably and safely. Our physiotherapists are experts in getting you back to work safely and stronger.

Why Choose The Physio Crew in Tullamarine and Carlton?

1. Expertise in Localised Care

Our clinics in Tullamarine and Carlton focus on providing personalised treatment plans that cater to the diverse needs of our communities. We understand the local lifestyle, ensuring our services align with your daily activities and work demands.

2. Holistic Treatment Approach

We combine hands-on manual therapy, evidence-based exercise programs, and education to empower you to take control of your health. Our aim is not just to treat symptoms but to address the root causes of your condition.

3. Convenient Location and Modern Facilities

Whether you’re visiting us in Tullamarine or Carlton, you’ll find state-of-the-art physiotherapy facilities are designed to deliver the highest standard of care. Both clinics are easily accessible, with flexible physiotherapy appointment times to fit into your schedule. We have a state of the art gym, which is free to use for our clients.

4. A Proven Track Record

With years of experience and hundreds of satisfied patients, The Physio Crew has built a reputation for supportive, effective and compassionate physiotherapy care. Don’t just take our word for it—check out our glowing reviews for our physiotherapy service from happy clients in both locations!

What to Expect at Your First Appointment

We understand that visiting a physiotherapist for the first time can feel daunting. That’s why we make the process as straightforward as possible:

  1. Initial Assessment: We’ll discuss your condition, medical history, and treatment goals.
  2. Comprehensive Evaluation: Using advanced diagnostic tools (such as force plates, dynamometers and etc), we’ll identify the source of your pain or mobility issues.
  3. Treatment Plan: Together, we’ll develop a personalised plan, including manual therapy, exercises, and lifestyle advice.

Book Your Physiotherapy Appointment Today

Take the first step toward pain-free living. Whether you’re in Tullamarine or Carlton, The Physio Crew is here to help you move better, feel stronger, and live your best life.

Don’t wait—book your physiotherapy session today! Call our friendly staff on 9116 8691 (Tullamarine) 9116 8693 (Carlton) or you can easily book online via our website.

TPC

Tai Chi vs Aerobic Exercise for Fibromyalgia – Which Works Better?

Fibromyalgia, a complex condition marked by chronic pain, fatigue, and sleep issues, is often treated with aerobic exercise. But what if there’s a more effective and enjoyable alternative to manage fibromyalgia? A recent study compared tai chi vs aerobic exercise in managing fibromyalgia symptoms.

Key Findings:

  • Tai Chi Outperformed Aerobic Exercise: All groups saw improvements, but tai chi groups showed greater benefits on key measures like fibromyalgia impact, anxiety, and coping skills.
  • Longer Duration = Better Results: Patients who practiced tai chi for 24 weeks improved more than those who practiced for 12 weeks with fibromyalgia. People that performed 2 x a week or once a week had similar results. The duration had a larger effect on fibromyalgia symptoms.
  • Better Attendance: Participants were more consistent with tai chi than aerobic sessions, suggesting tai chi may be more appealing and sustainable when dealing with fibromyalgia.
  • Best Outcomes: Practicing tai chi twice a week for 24 weeks yielded the most significant fibromyalgia symptom relief.

Implications for Practice:
Many fibromyalgia patients struggle with traditional exercise programs. Tai chi offers a gentler, engaging alternative that addresses both physical and mental health when dealing with fibromyalgia. Its focus on relaxation, mindfulness, and movement may better target the underlying issues contributing to pain and fatigue with fibromyalgia.

For physiotherapists, tai chi is a promising option to add to treatment plans with seeing patients with fibromyalgia , especially for patients who find aerobic exercise daunting. By incorporating mind-body exercises like tai chi, we can provide a holistic approach to fibromyalgia care.

If you are suffering from fibromyalgia, book in with our Physiotherapists to discuss different treatment options based on evidence. Call our friendly staff on 9116 8691 or book online via our website.

TPC

How much to exercise? Prevent and Manage Low Back Pain

Low back pain (LBP) is a leading cause of disability worldwide, often influenced by physical activity and behavioral responses to pain. Two recent studies shed light on how exercise and pacing strategies impact low back pain outcomes. While exercise is commonly recommended to manage low back pain, we look into how specific types and amounts of physical activity can help reduce its risk.

Key Findings:

  1. Engaging in aerobic activity (walking, cycling, swimming, running) – for over 75 minutes per week and muscle strengthening exercises (MSA) 2-5 times weekly reduces the risk of chronic LBP. A combination of 225-300 minutes of aerobic exercise with 4-5 strength sessions weekly provides maximum protective benefits.
  2. Behavioural responses matter: Persistent activity in the presence of anxiety can increase pain intensity in acute low back pain, while avoidance or persistence without anxiety showed no negative impact. It’s important to self regulate on how you are feeling with a particular exercise or movement pattern when experiencing low back pain.

What This Means for You:
Consistency with aerobic and strength exercises can prevent chronic low back pain (LBP), while a balanced pacing strategy—avoiding overexertion or excessive avoidance—can optimise recovery from acute low back pain (LBP). Personal factors, such as anxiety or lifestyle constraints, influence the ideal balance for each individual.

How We Can Help:
At The Physio Crew, we tailor exercise plans and pacing strategies to your unique needs, helping you stay active while reducing pain and disability. Together, we can find the right balance to protect and strengthen your back. We develop aerobic and strength training programs while building confidence in movement patterns.

To book with one of our experts, please call our friendly staff on 9116 8691 or book online via the website.

TPC

How People with Chronic Low Back Pain View Exercise?

Sports Physio Sports Physiotherapy Physical Therapist

Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a common issue many people face at some point in their lives. This study explored how individuals with chronic low back pain perceive different exercises—whether specific (targeted for their low back pain) or general (exercise for general health) — to better understand their beliefs about what helps their low back pain.

Key Findings:

  1. People with chronic low back pain viewed specific exercises, like core-focused movements, as more beneficial than general exercises. However, this perception doesn’t match current research, which shows both exercise types can be helpful for managing low back pain.
  2. Participants’ beliefs came from various sources, including interactions with healthcare providers, which highlights the strong influence clinicians have on shaping patient perceptions.

Implications for Physiotherapists: As physiotherapists, understanding patient beliefs about exercise is crucial in managing their low back pain. While research shows no specific exercise is superior for chronic low back pain, addressing these beliefs can help guide treatment plans. Engaging in conversations about patient expectations and explaining the benefits of both specific and general exercises may improve adherence and outcomes in managing chronic low back pain.

At the physio crew we help create individual plans based on your beliefs and expectations. We can utilise a range of exercises from back-specific core and hip exercises to general strength and conditioning.

TPC

Navigating Low Back Pain: Understanding the Journey to Recovery

Low back pain (LBP) affects millions worldwide, shaping treatment approaches and outcomes. A recent systematic review sheds light on the clinical course of LBP, offering insights crucial for effective management.

Key Takeaways:

  1. Acute Phase (< 6 weeks): Significant pain reduction occurs within six weeks, setting a positive tone for recovery.
  2. Subacute Phase (6-12 weeks): Initial improvement slows down, emphasising the need for escalated care in patients showing slow recovery to prevent chronic pain.
  3. Persistent Pain (12 – 52 weeks and above): Individuals with persistent pain face a challenging trajectory, highlighting the importance of targeted interventions to prevent long-term disability.

Understanding the Study: By analysing acute, subacute, and persistent phases separately, the study offers a more accurate picture of the clinical course.

Key Insights:

  • Pain Outcomes: Acute and subacute phases show large improvement, while chronic pain groups face ongoing challenges.
  • Disability Outcomes: Disability outcomes showed a large reduction in the acute phase and is observed across all phases, albeit less favorable for persistent pain groups with large variability in outcomes.

Clinical Implications: The study’s findings highlight escalated intervention in the acute and subacute phase is crucial to identify modifiable factors and prevent progression to chronic pain.

As we navigate the complexities of LBP management, this study emphasises the importance of tailored interventions at each phase of the journey. As Healthcare professionals we can optimise outcomes and empower patients on the path to recovery.

If you are suffering with acute or chronic low back pain book in with our Physiotherapists to achieve the best outcome and return to your favourable activity.

TPC

Unlocking the Power of Trust, Motivation, and Confidence in Treating Chronic Low Back Pain

Low back pain, back pain, low back pain exercises

Chronic low back pain (LBP) is challenging in the realm of physiotherapy. Despite numerous exercise interventions, finding the perfect fit remains elusive. But what if the key lies beyond the exercises themselves?

Key Takeaways:

  1. Trust, Motivation, and Confidence: A realist review delved deep into how therapeutic exercise prescriptions influence adherence, engagement, and clinical outcomes in chronic LBP. Surprisingly, it found that trust, motivation, and confidence play pivotal roles in driving positive changes.

While exercise is often the go-to for managing chronic LBP, researchers sought to understand the subtle yet crucial factors at play behind the scenes. Their realist review aimed to uncover how trust, motivation, and confidence impact treatment outcomes.

Insights:

  • Building Blocks of Success: Trust, motivation, and confidence emerged as unsung heroes in the battle against chronic LBP, influencing everything from exercise adherence to overall clinical outcomes.
  • A Novel Approach: The study tapped into patients’ experiences, input from exercise prescribers, and insights from behavior change experts to develop a comprehensive understanding of these critical factors.

Clinical Implications: This study marks a paradigm shift in chronic LBP treatment, shifting the focus from just exercises to the broader context of trust, motivation, and confidence. By recognizing and nurturing these psychological factors, physiotherapists can enhance patient outcomes and pave the way for more effective management of chronic LBP.

Understanding the multifaceted nature of chronic LBP and acknowledging the influence of psychosocial factors like trust, motivation, and confidence opens up new avenues for clinicians. By embracing this holistic approach, physiotherapists can better tailor treatments to meet the diverse needs of individuals battling chronic LBP.

At The Physio Crew we pride ourselves on creating trust, motivation and confidence in our patients to deliver an exercise program and treatment that will benefit you in the long run. To book an appointment call our friendly staff today.

Choosing the Right Exercises for Chronic Low Back Pain

back pain exercises

You’ve probably heard about the trouble that chronic low back pain causes – both in terms of cost and its impact on people’s lives. One way to tackle back pain is through exercise. It’s been shown to work better than doing almost nothing, but the big question is: what kind of exercise works best? The quest to find the most effective exercise approach continues. In this study, researchers investigated the effectiveness of specific self-stretching exercises compared to motor-control exercises for chronic low back pain.

Key Takeaways from the Study:

  1. What the Study Looked At: In this study, scientists wanted to figure out which exercise approach is better for dealing with that annoying long-term lower back pain. They compared two types of exercises: self-stretching exercises (involved stretching postures from the Global Active Stretching program) and motor control exercises (MCE) Both were guided by a physiotherapist.
  2. How They Did It: They got a group of people with long-lasting lower back pain and split them into two. One group did stretching exercises and the other group did motor control exercises (such as bridges, bird dog etc. ) Both groups did their exercises for eight weeks with a physiotherapist.
  3. The Results: Good news! Both groups felt better in terms of pain, disability, and fear of making things worse. What’s interesting is that there wasn’t a big difference between the two groups. This means that both stretching exercises and motor control exercises can help with long-lasting lower back pain.

Implementing in Practice:

  1. Exercise Can Help: If you’ve got that nagging lower back pain that won’t go away, exercise is a great way to manage it. This study reminds us that there’s no single magic exercise that works for everyone.
  2. You’re in Charge: The best exercise is the one you’ll actually do and enjoy. Talk to your physiotherapist and see what kind of exercise you might like. If you enjoy it, you’re more likely to stick with it, and that’s a big part of feeling better.
  3. Your Preferences Matter: When your physiotherapist designs your exercise plan, tell them what you like and what makes you feel good. It’s all about making the exercises work for you and keeping you on track to feeling better.

When it comes to beating that long-lasting lower back pain, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Whether you choose self-stretching exercises or guided exercises, what matters most is finding the one that suits you and helps you on your journey to a pain-free back.

If you are seeking an individual exercise plan for your back pain that you enjoy, call our friendly staff and book in with our physiotherapists.

TPC

Revolutionizing Chronic Pain Treatment with Cognitive Functional Therapy (CFT) as part of our usual care.

Hip pain physiotherapist, hip assessment

Chronic lower back pain is a widespread issue, causing a lot of suffering, missed workdays, and a significant financial burden on healthcare systems around the world. In 2021, The Lancet released a series of articles called “Rethinking Chronic Pain,” which emphasized the importance of finding accessible and effective ways to help people with chronic pain. One approach that stands out is Cognitive Functional Therapy (CFT), which focuses on looking at both the physical and psychological aspects of pain.

A recent study decided to see how well CFT works compared to the usual care people get for their chronic back pain.

Cognitive Functional Therapy (CFT) includes 3 main components:

  1. Making sense of pain
  2. Exposure with control
  3. Lifestyle changes

Usual care includes manual therapy, exercise, dry needling, analgesic medication, spinal injections, joint mobilisation.

They split the study participants into three groups: one group got the usual care they’d been having, another group received only CFT, and a third group had CFT along with biofeedback (which helps people learn more about their body and its reactions).

What they found was pretty interesting. Both groups that had CFT (with or without biofeedback) and the usual care showed improvement in pain intensity, and disability, however the CFT reported less pain compared to those who got usual care, and this difference lasted for quite some time (about a year).

What Can We Learn from This?

If you’re someone dealing with chronic pain, this study gives us some essential takeaways:

  1. Flexibility in Your Approach: Instead of only looking at the physical side of pain, we need to think about how our thoughts, emotions, and daily habits affect our pain.
  2. Try CFT Principles: We can combine CFT with our usual care of exercise, manual therapy and movement. Consider using some of the ideas from CFT in your treatment. Understand the patient’s pain story, educate them about how their mind and lifestyle affect their pain, and come up with a personalized plan to manage pain.
  3. Keep Improving: Even if you’re doing a good job with your usual treatment, it’s still worth comparing it to what CFT offers. There’s always room for improvement when it comes to dealing with chronic pain.

At the physio care we embrace a more patient-centered, holistic approach and incorporate the principles of CFT into our practice, we can aim to provide more effective and efficient care for those struggling with long-term lower back pain.

To book an appointment with one of our clinicians please call our friendly staff today.

TPC

SCIATICA! Not as scary as it sounds

The sciatic nerve is the largest and longest nerve in the body, and is made up of five nerve roots that exit the lower spinal column and merge to form the sciatic nerve. The nerve then travels through the pelvis and down the back of the thigh, eventually branching off into smaller nerves that supply the lower leg and foot.

It can be caused by a variety of factors, including disc bulge or protrusion, spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, Periformis syndrome. The risk factors for sciatica include age, obesity, a sedentary lifestyle, and occupation.

Sciatica is a condition that occurs when there is irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve. It is characterised by pain, numbness, or tingling that radiates along the sciatic nerve, which runs from the lower back down through the glutes and legs.

Physiotherapy management for sciatica typically involves a combination of exercises to improve strength, flexibility, advice on initial activity modification as well as manual therapy techniques to help reduce pain, irritation and improve joint mobility in the affected area. The specific physiotherapy management will depend on the underlying cause of the sciatica. Physiotherapy should focus on muscle and nerve stretching and strengthening exercises to improve spinal stability such as core and hip stability exercises.

If you are suffering from Sciatica, book in a consultation with us today to assist you with managing the condition so you can keep participating in the things you love.

TPC team

What Can You Do About Low Back Pain

Low back pain, spine, disc bulge, disc herniation

A prevalent condition in Australia, affecting up to 80% of adults at some point in their lives. A 2018 study found that low back pain was the leading cause of disability globally, with a significant impact on individuals and the healthcare system. In Australia, low back pain accounts for approximately 3% of all hospital admissions and is a leading cause of absenteeism from work.

The most common symptoms of low back pain include pain, stiffness, referral pain into the leg and limited mobility in the lower back. Fortunately, evidence-based rehabilitation has been shown to be an effective treatment approach for low back pain. Studies have found that exercise, such as strength and flexibility training, Pilates and exercise can reduce pain and improve function in individuals with low back pain.

Manual therapy, including spinal mobilisation and massage, can also be beneficial in reducing pain and improving function in individuals with low back pain. Education on exercise, body mechanics, modified activities and pain management strategies can help prevent future episodes of low back pain and promote long-term health and wellness.

With adequate treatment and self-management strategies, individuals with low back pain can improve their quality of life and get back to their daily activities.

To book in a consultation with our therapist to see how we can help manage and eliminate back pain please call on 9116 8691 or book online.

The physio crew team