It’s winter sport season – and yes, that means freezing early Saturday mornings heading to the footy field, but it also means more injuries. According to specialist sports physiotherapist and APA member, Dr Loretta O’Sullivan-Pippia, it’s usually this time of year where we see an increase in nasty injuries in children.

While controversy remains around the physical manipulation of infants and young babies, physiotherapists provide a trusted and safe option for parents whose babies do require intervention for numerous reasons.

Zoe Russell, APAM, discusses De Quervain's Tenosynovitis with 774 ABC Melbourne.

If you’ve seen the shocking footage this week of a chiropractor manipulating a two-week-old baby’s spine, you might be wondering what therapies are safe and effective for infants and young children.

The Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) has echoed the Chiropractic Board of Australia’s alarm following the release of a video showing a chiropractor manipulating the spine and neck of a baby.

A recent Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport paper co-authored by Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) members Associate Professor Ilana Ackerman and Dr Joanne Kemp has shown that sports-related knee injuries more than doubled the likelihood of knee replacement surgeries up to 15 years later.

Catherine Etty-Leal, APA musculoskeletal physiotherapist says “Some injuries that are common in people hitting the gym after a long period of inactivity are back pain, pulled muscles and tendinopathy – all of which can quickly put a stop to your New Year’s resolutions, no matter how good your intentions may be.”

The Scandinavians have worked their inventive magic again, coming up with an ingenious new fitness offering that also happens to be good for the planet. Known as “plogging” – from a combination of “plocka upp” (Swedish for picking up) and jogging – the new get-hip-while-you-get-fit craze involves picking up rubbish while you jog.

Plantar fasciitis is a common complaint, characterised by pain in the sole of the foot that is at its worst first thing in the morning or upon getting back up after a period of rest. Pain can be localised to the arch of the foot or under the heel.

An early ACL injury is painful, costly and can lead to long term health issues, with lasting impacts on employment and ability to exercise, says local MP Anoulack Chanthivong.