What we see
- Sprains and strains: ankles, knees, hamstrings, calves, groins, lower backs and shoulders.
- Overuse injuries: the ones that creep in with training load, such as Achilles or patellar tendon pain, shin pain and lower back stiffness in runners and cyclists.
- Contact injuries: tackles, falls and collisions that leave the neck, back or shoulder sore.
- The recurring niggle: the same hamstring, the same lower back, every season.
Not everything is ours to treat. Suspected fractures, dislocations, significant ligament tears and head injuries need medical assessment first, and we will send you there rather than treat what should be imaged.
What happens at your first appointment
Your first appointment takes about 30 to 40 minutes. It includes:
- Your history. Exactly how the injury happened, what you heard and felt, what you have done since, your sport and training load, and what you want to get back to.
- A physical examination. The injured area and the joints above and below it, strength, stability and specific tests for the ligaments, tendons or muscles involved.
- ACC. If the injury qualifies, we lodge the claim during the appointment. No GP referral is needed.
- An explanation. What is injured, roughly how long it takes to heal, and a plan with stages.
- Your first treatment, when clinically appropriate.
Imaging is arranged through your GP or ACC when the examination suggests a fracture or a significant tear.
How we treat sports injuries
- Early care to settle the injury: protection, appropriate loading, and soft tissue work once it is safe.
- Adjustment or mobilisation of stiff joints in the spine, pelvis and limbs that are limiting movement or shifting load elsewhere.
- A staged rehabilitation programme: range of motion, then strength, then sport-specific work, with clear criteria for moving to the next stage.
- Training-load advice, and a plan for returning to play that does not skip steps.
Rehabilitation is where sports injuries are won or lost. If your injury needs a physiotherapist, a sports doctor or a podiatrist alongside us, we will say so and refer you; plenty of our patients see more than one of us.
When to get a sports injury looked at
If you cannot put weight on it, it is swelling quickly, or it is not improving after a few days of sensible rest, get it looked at. Niggles that have hung around for more than a fortnight are worth assessing before they become the season's problem.
- An obvious deformity, a bone that looks out of place, or a joint that has dislocated.
- Inability to put any weight on the leg, or a loud crack at the time of injury with rapid swelling.
- Any head injury with loss of consciousness, confusion, vomiting, worsening headache or drowsiness (possible concussion).
- Numbness or weakness below the injury, or a cold, pale limb.
What the research says
Research has found that hands-on joint treatment combined with exercises can improve pain and function after an ankle sprain more than a home exercise programme alone. In a trial involving 74 people, the combined treatment produced better results after four weeks and six months, including better ability to perform sporting activities.
Cleland, J. A., Mintken, P. E., McDevitt, A., Bieniek, M. L., Carpenter, K. J., Kulp, K., & Whitman, J. M. (2013). Manual physical therapy and exercise versus supervised home exercise in the management of patients with inversion ankle sprain: A multicenter randomized clinical trial. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 43(7), 443-455. doi.org/10.2519/jospt.2013.4792More on the research we rely on.
ACC and sports injuries
Most injuries from sport and training are accidents in ACC's terms, so they may be covered by ACC. We are ACC registered, so no GP referral is needed. Your chiropractor assesses the injury at your first appointment and lodges a claim if it qualifies, or sees you under an existing claim if you already have one from your GP, physio or emergency department.
If your claim is accepted, ACC covers part of the cost of your care.