You rolled it, felt that sickening twist, and now you're standing there wondering if it's a bad sprain or something broken, and whether you actually need to go get it x-rayed. Here's how to work that out. The test emergency departments actually use There's a well-validated clinical tool called the Ottawa Ankle Rules, used in emergency departments specifically to work out who needs an x-ray and who doesn't. An x-ray is generally recommended if there's bone tenderness right at

Perth's pole dance community has grown into something genuinely impressive over the last few years, with studios across the city running everything from beginner fundamentals through to competition-level training. What doesn't get talked about as much is how physically demanding pole actually is, and how often it leads to injury. One study following pole dancers found that just over half had experienced a shoulder injury, roughly a third had dealt with a wrist injury, and abo

You went to bed fine. You woke up and your neck is locked, sharp pain trying to turn your head one way, maybe stuck looking slightly to one side. This is acute wry neck, and while it's alarming, it's also one of the more predictable, treatable things we see. What's actually happening Acute wry neck (sometimes called "cervical facet lock" or just "acute torticollis") typically involves a small facet joint in your upper or mid neck becoming irritated or briefly jammed, often al

One second you're running normally, the next there's a sharp pain in the back of your calf, sometimes described as being kicked or hit from behind. If that just happened to you, here's what it actually means and what to do next. That specific sensation, a sudden sharp pain with no contact involved, is the classic sign of a calf strain, most often in the gastrocnemius muscle. It's common in running, tennis, and anything involving quick pushing off or changes of pace, which is

If you've searched this, you're probably a few days into a sharp, shooting pain down your leg and wondering whether to push through or do something about it. Fair question. Here's the honest answer. Most acute sciatica starts easing within four to six weeks. Many people are close to back to normal by the eight week mark. That's genuinely good news, and it's worth sitting with for a second before we get into the details, because a lot of what you'll find online about sciatica

So even though less weight with full range of movement might not impress your gym crush, it will definitely impress your physiotherapist.

New Year, New Me! - how to safely get back into exercise and minimise the risk of injury