A Bayside Osteopathic Clinic we hear a lot from our parent as the seasons change and sports ramp up, selecting the right footwear becomes a common question as part of supporting our young athletes. For teenagers involved in netball and football, the right shoes can significantly impact performance and help prevent injuries, including conditions like Sever’s disease, which can cause heel pain. Here’s a guide on how to choose the best footwear for junior athletes on the Mornington Peninsula.

Netball requires quick lateral movements and sudden stops, making specialized shoes essential. Here are key features to look for:

Football boots are designed for various playing surfaces, from grass to artificial turf. Consider these factors:

Wearing the right footwear can enhance performance by providing better grip, support, and comfort. Here are some ways the right shoes can help prevent injuries:

Sever’s disease is a common condition affecting young athletes, often caused by repetitive stress on the heel. Here are some tips to help prevent it:

Selecting the right netball shoes and football boots is essential for maximizing performance and minimizing the risk of injuries for junior athletes on the Mornington Peninsula. By focusing on support, fit, and cushioning, young athletes can stay active and enjoy their sports while safeguarding their health. Encourage them to take their time when choosing footwear and listen to their bodies as they play.

For more personalized advice or to discuss any concerns related to sports injuries, feel free to reach out to Bayside Osteo. We’re here to help our junior athletes thrive!

as our Osteopathic Intern for 2026.

After launching this successful program in 2024 with the wonderful Dr. Georgia McRae and seeing how this position positively impacted our community we did not hesitate when Jacob expressed his interest.

Jacob will be a familiar face to many, he works Wednesday night on Reception and will easily transition into the role of Intern bringing his sense of calm and curiosity into the consulting room.

A little about Jacob…

Jacob is currently in the final stages of completing his Masters of Health Science (Osteopathy), with just 12 weeks remaining. Throughout his studies, he has gained a wide range of clinical experience managing gym-related injuries, sporting injuries, and degenerative conditions. Growing up, Jacob was actively involved in a variety of physical pursuits including dancing, football, golf, and swimming. This diverse athletic background has given him a strong understanding of movement, performance, and the physical demands placed on the body across different activities. Jacob takes a balanced and engaging approach to treatment, combining both direct and indirect osteopathic techniques with tailored rehabilitation exercises. He places a strong emphasis on making rehab both effective and enjoyable, helping patients stay consistent and motivated throughout their recovery. He is passionate about working collaboratively with his patients to improve movement, reduce pain, and enhance long-term function. Jacob’s goal is to help people move better for longer, so they can continue to enjoy all aspects of life.

A little about the program…

As part of an Osteopathic students final year of studies, they can gain further clinical experience by working alongside senior Osteopaths in private practice. Intern Osteopaths are able to independently see private paying patients, at a significantly reduced fee, under the guidance of a senior Osteopath. The Intern will consult with their mentor Osteopath prior to and after your consultation to discuss treatment and management.
We are proud to offer this program as it allows our senior Osteopaths to mentor an intern on all facets of our patient interaction at Bayside Osteopathic Clinic– from communication and the patient experience through to the application of techniques applied. It is a great way for these talented, up and coming Osteopaths to launch their career, increasing their clinical skills and training before going into the profession.

For our valued patients, it also provides another treatment avenue at an affordable rate, whilst still being supervised by a senior osteopath.

We are so excited to help Jacob launch into this next phase…

Bookings can be made here.

An Osteopath’s Take on Back Pain: Why It’s Not as Fragile as You Think

If you’ve ever “put your back out” doing something completely ordinary — getting out of bed, picking up a coffee cup, bending down to pat the dog — you’re not alone.

One of the most common things I hear in clinic is:
“But I didn’t even do anything!”

And that’s exactly the point.

The good news (yes, there is good news) is that in most cases, back pain isn’t caused by serious damage. It doesn’t usually mean you’ve slipped a disc, torn something, or permanently injured yourself. Modern research backs this up.

Pain is real — absolutely real — but it’s often more about sensitivity than structural damage.

So what’s actually happening?

Think of your back as strong and adaptable. It’s designed to bend, twist, lift, and carry. But when you’re stressed, not sleeping well, run down, or moving less than usual, your system becomes more sensitive.

Then one small movement — a bend, a twist, a reach — becomes the “last straw.”

Your muscles tighten protectively (a spasm), your nervous system goes into guard mode, and suddenly everything feels dangerous.

The initial spasm isn’t the main problem. It’s what happens afterwards:

• You move less

• You stiffen up

• You become cautious

• Your body becomes more sensitive

Before long, normal movements feel threatening.

That doesn’t mean your back is weak. It means your nervous system is trying to protect you.

The Spine Is Meant to Move

Your spine is not a fragile stack of blocks waiting to collapse. It’s a strong, dynamic structure built to handle load and movement.

But modern life isn’t always kind to it.

Long hours sitting. High stress. Poor sleep. Not enough variety in movement. These things reduce resilience. Then a simple movement gets blamed — when really, it’s just the tipping point.

One of the most important messages I try to share with patients is this:

Movement is not the enemy. It’s often the solution.

That doesn’t mean pushing through intense pain. It means gently, gradually reintroducing movement. Bending, twisting, arching, side-bending — your spine is designed to do all of it.

Avoiding movement out of fear can actually keep the pain going.

Lifestyle Plays a Bigger Role Than We Think

Back pain isn’t just mechanical. It’s influenced by:

• Stress

• Sleep

• Activity levels

• Smoking

• General health

• Emotional load

When someone tells me their back suddenly went, I often ask what the last few weeks have been like. There’s usually been extra stress, poor sleep, or less movement than usual.

The body is one connected system. We can’t separate the spine from the person attached to it.

And that’s not about blame — it’s about understanding.

Reassurance Is Powerful

One of the most helpful things we can do in clinic is reassure people that their back is strong.

Scans often show “disc bulges” or “wear and tear” in people who have no pain at all. So findings on imaging don’t automatically explain symptoms.

When people understand that pain doesn’t equal damage, something shifts. Fear reduces. Movement improves. Recovery speeds up.

As osteopaths, we use hands-on treatment to help calm irritated tissues and improve mobility. But just as importantly, we help guide you back to confident movement.

When Should You Be Concerned?

Serious causes of back pain are rare. But if you ever experience:

• Loss of bladder or bowel control

• Numbness in the groin area

• Significant leg weakness

You should seek urgent medical attention.

Again — this is uncommon. Most back pain settles with time and movement.

The Bottom Line

If you’re dealing with back pain right now, here’s what I want you to know:

• Your back is strong.

• Pain doesn’t automatically mean damage.

• Rest for a day or two is fine — but prolonged avoidance isn’t helpful.

• Gentle, regular movement is one of the best medicines.

• Small lifestyle changes can make a big difference.

Back pain can feel scary, especially when it seems to come out of nowhere. But understanding what’s happening reduces fear — and reducing fear reduces pain.

Our role isn’t just to treat your back. It’s to help you trust it again.

And most of the time, your back is far more capable than you think.

These assessments look at how you are moving in order to identify any restrictions that may be causing you pain, limiting your golf swing, or could cause future injury. Based on the insights gained from completing this movement screen for Golf, you will then be provided with tailored exercises, through the TPI app in addition to hands on osteopathic treatment to help address any restrictions that may be impacting your golf game.

If you or someone you know is just getting into golf locally in Mornington or Mt Martha, or is an avid player looking to optimise their performance – reach out or book in for a golf assessment with Georgia today!
To find out more check out here

What Are Shin Splints?
“Shin splints” is the common term for medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS). It refers to pain and inflammation along the inner edge of the shinbone (tibia), where muscles and connective tissues attach. The discomfort typically develops gradually and may feel like a dull ache, tenderness, or throbbing sensation along the front or inside of the shin.
Pain often worsens with exercise and can linger even after you stop.

Why Do Shin Splints Happen?
Shin splints occur when repetitive stress overloads the shinbone and surrounding tissues. Several factors can contribute, including:

– Overuse or sudden increase in activity: such as upping your running distance or intensity too quickly.

– Poor biomechanics: including flat feet, overpronation, or uneven leg length.

– Inappropriate footwear: worn-out shoes or those lacking proper support.

– Tight or weak muscles: particularly in the calves, hamstrings, or hip stabilisers.

– Hard or uneven surfaces: running on concrete or sloped terrain increases impact stress

Essentially, the muscles and bone tissue become irritated from repetitive pulling and impact, leading to inflammation and pain

Self-Management Tips for Shin Splints
If you’re dealing with shin splints, a few simple strategies can help manage pain and support healing:

– Rest and modify activity: reduce or temporarily stop high-impact exercises. Swap running for low-impact options like swimming or cycling.

– Ice therapy: apply an ice pack for 10–15 minutes, especially after activity, to help reduce pain and inflammation.

– Gentle stretching and mobility work: focus on your calves, ankles, and hamstrings to ease muscle tension.

– Strengthen supporting muscles:bBuilding strength in your calves, hips, and pelvis improves alignment and shock absorption.

– Check your footwear: choose shoes suited to your foot type and activity and replace worn-out pairs regularly.

– Gradual return: once pain settles, ease back into training gradually, increasing intensity by no more than 10% per week

How Your Osteopath Can Help
Osteopathic treatment can play a key role in both managing shin splints and preventing their return. Your osteopath will assess not just your shins, but your whole-body mechanics — including foot posture, hip alignment, muscle balance, and gait pattern. Treatment may include soft tissue techniques to relieve tightness and promote circulation, joint mobilisation to improve lower limb and pelvic alignment, stretching and strengthening advice tailored to your needs, postural and movement retraining to correct biomechanical imbalances and advice on footwear and exercise advice to support your long-term recovery. By addressing the underlying causes, osteopathy can help reduce pain, restore function, and get you moving confidently again. If your shin pain persists or worsens, it may also be a sign of a stress fracture or compartment syndrome. If this is the case your osteopath can refer you on for imaging or back to your GP for further management.

November 2025

What is the rotator cuff?

The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons located in the shoulder, which assist in providing strength and stability to the joint. It consists of 4 muscles, the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor and subscapularis. The muscles start from the scapula (shoulder blade) and insert onto the humerus (the upper arm), wrapping around the head of the bone to increase stability.

What is the role of the rotator cuff?

The primary role of the rotator cuff is to stabilise the glenohumeral joint — the ball-and-socket joint of the shoulder — and assist with rotation and lifting movements of the arm. The glenohumeral joint is the large ball and socket joint in your shoulder, where the head of the humerus (arm bone) sits in the shallow socket- the glenoid fossa of the scapula (shoulder blade). This shallow socket allows the joint to have a wide range of motion, enabling us to perform movements such as reaching overhead, however without the reinforcement of the rotator cuff muscles, the joint would lack stability.

Injuries to the rotator cuff:

Injuries to the rotator cuff are quite common and often present in clinic. The rotator cuff can be injured in a number of ways, these include:

Tears – usually occur when there has been some form of trauma to the muscles e.g. a fall or excessive force, such as while playing sport, or falling on an oustretched hand. This means that the muscle fibers have torn, and this can be a partial tear, or a complete rupture.

Tendinopathies – are often due to repetitive overuse and commonly seen in people with jobs or sports that involve frequent overhead activity.

Impingement – can occur when there is rubbing or catching of the muscles on the bones of the shoulder. Often this is due to weakness through the rotator cuff or surrounding muscles and may lead to inflammation in the shoulder joint.

Rotator cuff muscles are also commonly impacted by aging which can result in degeneration of the muscles- making them more susceptible to tears and/or tendinopathies.

Common symptoms of rotator cuff injuries

Depending on the type and location of a a rotator cuff injury, will depend on the symptoms. However the most common signs and symptoms include:

– Shoulder pain, especially when lifting the arm or reaching overhead

– Weakness in the shoulder, particularly when trying to lift or rotate the arm

– Pain at night, which may worsen when lying on the affected side

– Limited range of motion or stiffness in the shoulder

– Difficulty performing daily tasks, like brushing hair, putting on a shirt, or reaching behind your back.

How can an osteopath help?

Shoulder pain is a common preentation in our clinic. Gven the complex nature of the shoulder joint, getting an accurate diagnosis from a professional is essential in guiding the appropriate treatment and managment. One of the most important factors with rotator cuff injuries is identifying the initiating and aggravating activities. Your Osteopath will formulate a plan with you to help modify or avoid these activities and will prescribe you exercises to assist in correcting any poor movement patterns that caused the injury in the first place. Osteopathic management also includes manual therapy to the shoulder and surrounding areas and your osteopath can refer you on for imaging if required.

If you are experiencing shoulder pain or dysfunction and would like further information please don’t hesistate to contact the clinic or book in now to see one of our osteopaths.

What are migraines?
Migraine is a complex neurological condition that commonly impacts approximately 1 in 5 people. They impact your ability to process sensory inputs such as smell, sound, and light- which is why factors such as certain foods, or fluorescent lighting are commonly associated as triggers for migraines.

When there is too much sensory input for the brain to handle, a migraine attack can occur which may involve pain in the head and neck, visual symptoms and can often be disabling. Although many people experience migraines there are different phases associated with the attack, and different sub-categories that commonly occur, including; migraines with aura, migraines without aura, silent migraines, and vestibular migraines.

Phases of a migraine include:
Prodrome: this phase can occur in the hours or days leading up to the attack and may involve fatigue, neck stiffness, food cravings and mood changes.
Aura: the onset of neurological symptoms, which is not always present.
Headache: the main phase of a migraine involving a headache and other symptoms.
Postdrome: often following a migraine, there may be increased fatigue and difficulty concentrating for up to 24 hours following the headache.

Types of migraines:
Migraines with aura are headache attacks accompanied by neurological symptoms. These symptoms may include visual disturbances (such as blind spots, blurred vision,or flashes of light) and/ or sensory symptoms (including tingling, ringing in the ears, and/ or distortions to smell and taste). Typically these symptoms will occur prior to the headache and can last for up to an hour before the headache attack occurs.

Migraines without aura are associated with a sudden onset of a headache attack, without any presence of an aura in the lead up. They typically last between 4-72 hours and are a moderate to severe pulsating or throbbing sensation. While migraine headaches can occur on both sides of the head, they often are one sided (unilateral), and the pain may worsen with physical activity and performing day to day tasks. Other symptoms of migraines may include nausea and/ or vomiting, and sensitivity to light and/ or sound.

Other types of migraines include silent migraines and vestibular migraines. Silent migraines are when there is the presence of aura symptoms, without any associated headache. Vestibular migraines also may not always be accompanied by a headache, but are a common cause of vertigo, impacting vision and balance. Other symptoms associated with vestibular migraines can include ringing in the ears, feelings of pressure in the head or ears, neck pain, and difficulty hearing low sounds, hazy or blurred vision.

How are migraines treated?

While medication can play a role in management of migraines, lifestyle changes are often key. Measures such as maintaining a regular sleep schedule, applying ice to the neck and/ or head, and engaging in physical activity (while taking care to avoid overexertion) are all steps that may assist in managing attacks.

An osteopath can assist in providing manual therapy to help address any stiffness and muscular tension that may occur in the head, neck, jaw, shoulders, and upper back that may be associated with your migraines. Releasing these areas can play a role in managing symptoms, and your osteopath can also assist in providing lifestyle advice that is tailored to your individual situation and condition.

If you or someone you know is impacted by migraines, don’t hesitate to reach out or come into the clinic to learn more about how osteopathy may be able to help in managing your pain, and the impact that it is having on your life.

Information taken from migraine.org.au.

Gluteal tendinopathies are one of the most common lower limb tendinopathies with it impacting 1 in 5 women. Gluteal tendinopathies occur when there is inflammation and/or irritation to the tendons where the gluteal muscles attack to the top of the thigh, resulting in pain in the hip and/ or buttock region. This can often occur due to a change in physical activity, overuse, or degenerative changes associated with aging.

The gluteal muscles:

The gluteal muscles are a group of three muscles situated in the buttock region, which attach to the upper thigh and assist in moving and stabilizing the hips. The muscles include the gluteus maximus, medius and minimus. The gluteus maximus is the largest of the muscles and closest to your skin, its action is to extend your hip behind you, while the gluteus medius and minimus sit underneath the gluteus maximus and help to stabilize and move the leg out to the side.

How gluteal tendinopathies present:

Gluteal tendinopathies often occur in women around and after the time of menopause. Symptoms may include hip/ buttock/ low back/ leg pain, particularly when moving the leg out to the side, climbing upstairs, walking, and when sleeping on the impacted side. This pain may come on overtime due to repetitive activities, a sudden change in physical activity, or due to muscle weakness or degeneration.

How an osteopath will assess you:

Your osteopath will ask you about your pain including when/ how it came on, where abouts it is located, what it feels like, and what may aggravate or relieve it. After this they will assess how you are moving through your hips and surrounding areas, in addition to other movements and exercises that may be relevant to you or that may be associated with familiar pain when experiencing gluteal tendinopathies. They will also feel for any muscle tenderness, tightness, familiar pain, or movement restrictions that may be indicative of a gluteal tendinopathy or another condition.

How an osteopath can help:

Osteopaths can assist in managing gluteal tendinopathies through a combination of hands-on treatment, exercise, and lifestyle advice. Your osteopath will work collaboratively with you to develop a treatment plan that will guide you through the rehabilitation process, as it can take a matter of weeks or months to settle down. Treatment may include soft tissue techniques, dry needling, articulation, or indirect techniques with the aim of decreasing tightness and calming down the area. Rehabilitation exercises will continue to be progressed to assist your tendons in being able to withstand the load necessary for day-to-day activities!

What is a corticosteroid injection?

• A corticosteroid is an anti-inflammatory medicine that can be injected and used to reduce inflammation, pain and swelling.
• A corticosteroid injection can help target specific areas in the body such as joints or tendons and may be used in the management of conditions such as osteoarthritis, shoulder injuries, carpal tunnel, and plantar fasciitis. 
• The steroid is injected, often alongside a local anaesthetic to the impacted area, in order to decrease inflammation and pain in the joint or tendons. 
• Other names for corticosteroid injections include: cortisone, steroid injections, hydrocortisone, cortisone shots. 

What should I expect if I have a corticosteroid injection? 

• Relief from corticosteroid injections typically lasts between 2-10 weeks, with most people receiving about 5-6 weeks of relief. 
• Corticosteroid injections are often administered by a sports medicine doctor, or by a technician at a radiology clinic. 
• There are two main methods of performing the injection- with ultrasound guidance or based on your clinician assessing anatomical landmarks. For most conditions, there is not much of a difference seen in the outcomes of these techniques. 

What do I do after having a corticosteroid injection? 

• If you are considering having a steroid injection, it is important to rest and avoid strenuous activity following the procedure. 
• Corticosteroids can cause temporary weakness of tendons for up to 3 weeks after the injection, so it is important not to put any additional strain on the area due to risk of muscle or tendon tear/ rupture. 
• As a local anaesthetic is often injected into the area, it is important to make sure you are resting even though you may not be in pain. Overexerting yourself early on due to reduction in pain can increase risk of further injury. 

What are the risks of corticosteroids? 

• 1 in 5 people who received corticosteroid injections, report a post injection flare
• Other side effects that also may occur include: 
  • Local side effects: joint arthropathy, tendon weakening, bleeding or bruising, local infection, skin depigmentation, fat atrophy. 
  • Systemic side effects: facial flushing, raised blood pressure, menstrual irregularity, impaired diabetic control, psychosis, immunosuppression, anaphylaxis
• Corticosteroid injections are an immunosuppressant which can leave you more susceptible to illness following injection. This is particularly important to consider if you are immunocompromised or taking other immunosuppressant medication. 

When should I consider corticosteroid injections, and are there alternatives?

• Corticosteroids should be considered after trying conservative treatment options including manual therapy and exercise rehabilitation. If these interventions do not provide sufficient improvement, then corticosteroid injections may be explored. 
• If surgery is being considered, please consult your GP or specialist, as use of corticosteroid injections in the area can increase the risk of postoperative infections or complications if performed within 3 months. Ideally there should be at least 6 months between the last steroid injection and surgery being performed. 
• Other injectable options may include hyaluronic acid injections (viscosupplementation) or platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections- although there is not as much evidence available for the effectiveness of these interventions yet. 

Are corticosteroid injections recommended?

• Whether or not corticosteroid injections are a recommended treatment modality, is dependent on your individual circumstances. 
• It is important to consider the risks and benefits of receiving a corticosteroid injection and what the alternative options are before deciding to proceed. 
• Corticosteroid injections can assist in providing short term relief; however they do not provide a long-term solution to the underlying problem. 
• While one or two injections may be effective- repeated injections can cause degeneration and damage to a joint or tendons in the surrounding areas. 

Did you know that the most common cause of persistent back pain in children and adolescence is due to lumbar bone stress injuries? While children may experience back pain due to poor posture at school or while studying, back pain in children due to sport is not something that should be occurring.

What are bone stress injuries?

Bone stress injuries is the term used to describe a reaction in the bone that may lead to a fracture. Not all bone stress injuries are fractures, and are graded according to how progressed they are, which include:

• 0: no abnormality
• I: changes to the bone, but it is still intact. Some marrow oedema (fluid buildup in the bone marrow)
• II: bone marrow oedema, fragmentation or irregularity of the bone (no fracture yet)
• III: bone marrow oedema and either a one sided or two-sided fracture
• IV: complete fracture on both sides with slipping of the vertebral body on the bone below it. No bone marrow oedema is present anymore.

How do they occur?

Bone stress injuries occur when we exceed the capacity of the body, and the bone can’t cope with this. This can occur when we are putting too much load on the bone, such as when we are over training, or if there is decreased capacity of the bone- such as inadequate condition or other underlying conditions.

 What are the risk factors and what should I look out for?

One of the largest risk factors for bone stress injuries is participation in extension-based sports. This means any sport where there are repetitive movements involving leaning backwards. Examples include gymnastics, tennis, swimming, cricket, rowing.

Another large risk factor is a sudden increase in training load, which is particularly common during the cross-over of sporting seasons (such as when cricket is finishing up and footy training has started). This increased load on the body can leave the bone more susceptible to stress injuries, so it is particularly important to keep an eye on young athletes around this time and in the weeks following.

The most common way that lumbar bone stress injuries can manifest is as one-sided low back pain, that gets flared up by playing sports.

What does management include?

In clinic we will take a thorough history to understand the level of activity of your child, how long their pain has been occurring for, what is making it worse, where it is located, and how it feels. From here we will perform a hands-on assessment and may refer for imaging to ensure that we have the correct diagnosis and can commence management as appropriate.

If a lumbar bone stress injury is present, management will involve a period of rest from physical activity to ensure there isn’t further progression. In some severe cases referral to an orthopaedic specialist for advice on bracing may be indicated. We may also refer you to a dietitian who can assist in ensuring that your nutritional needs are met, as low energy intake can lead to relative energy deficiency which decreases the body’s capacity to function as it should and heal.

While returning to sport may take several months, rehabilitation can start with gentle exercises to build up supporting musculature, and hands on treatment to address muscular compensation that may have occurred due to the injury. Your osteopath will assess how you are moving and guide you through structured exercises in a graduated program until you are ready to return to sport.