Our Mooloolaba clinic is a block from the beach and close to the Mooloolaba Triathlon course, so three sports fill a large share of the diary: surfing, triathlon and golf. Each loads the body in a predictable way. Here is what we commonly see, and how a chiropractor on the Sunshine Coast and a physiotherapist approach it together.
Surfing
Paddling keeps the lower back and neck extended for long periods while the shoulders do repetitive work. The common complaints are a stiff, aching lower back after long sessions, neck pain from looking up off the board, and shoulder pain at the front or side from paddling volume. Pop-ups and wipeouts add the occasional acute rib, knee or ankle injury.
Assessment looks at how well your mid-back and hips extend, because a stiff thoracic spine pushes the load into the neck and lower back. Treatment usually combines joint work for the stiff segments with shoulder and trunk strengthening.
Triathlon
Triathletes rarely have one injury. Hours in the aero position stiffen the mid-back and hips, swimming loads the shoulders, and running on tired legs exposes the calves, Achilles, knees and hips. Problems tend to appear when training volume jumps in the weeks before a race.
We check joint range, single-leg control and strength, then look at your training load. The plan is normally shared: a chiropractor for spinal and hip mobility, and a sports physiotherapist for tendon loading and return-to-run progressions. There is more in five common sports injuries.
Need to see someone on the Sunshine Coast?
Our chiropractors and physiotherapists consult in Mooloolaba and Nambour six days a week — same-day appointments are often available.
Golf
The golf swing asks for rotation through the hips and mid-back. When either is restricted, the lower back makes up the difference, which is why low back pain is the most common complaint among golfers, followed by elbow, wrist and lead-shoulder problems.
We offer a TPI golf assessment, a physical screen that links what your body can and cannot do with what happens in your swing. Our article on what a TPI assessment involves explains the process.
How we measure it
For all three sports we measure rather than estimate. MotionIQ records how far each region of your spine moves, so we can re-test after a block of care and after a change in training.
When to get it checked
- Pain that lasts more than a week or two, or returns each time you train.
- Pain that changes your technique: a shortened paddle stroke, a limp when running, a restricted backswing.
- Pins and needles, numbness or weakness in an arm or leg.
- Any injury from a fall or collision with significant pain or swelling. See your GP or an emergency department first for those.
Book an assessment
Appointments run to 7pm on weekdays at Mooloolaba, plus Saturday mornings. Call (07) 5478 2333 or book online.
