Sports Injury Care at Our Point Cook Clinic

First steps for a sprain or strain

For soft tissue injuries, healthdirect’s guide to sprains and strains recommends rest, ice, compression and elevation over the first 48 to 72 hours. Apply ice for about 20 minutes at a time, with a cloth between the ice and your skin.

Over the same period, avoid HARM: heat, alcohol, running and massage, all of which can increase swelling.

When to go to hospital

Go to an emergency department if you cannot put any weight on the injured leg, the limb or joint looks deformed, or you think a bone is broken or dislocated. Call 000 if someone is unconscious or confused after a head knock, or has a seizure, repeated vomiting, a bad headache, neck pain, or weakness or tingling in the arms or legs.

Head knocks and concussion

Anyone with a suspected concussion should come off and not play again that day. Healthdirect advice on concussion is to resume contact sport only 14 days after all symptoms have gone. A doctor should guide the return to school, work and training, because recovery time differs from person to person.

What happens at a sports injury clinic in Point Cook

The GP asks how the injury happened, what you felt at the time, whether you could keep playing and how it has behaved since. The examination compares the injured side with the other side and tests stability, strength and range of movement.

An X-ray or other imaging is arranged when a fracture or a significant ligament or tendon injury is suspected. A referral to an orthopaedic surgeon follows when an injury may need a surgical opinion.

Planning the return to sport

Going back before strength and control return raises the risk of hurting the same area again. A graded return usually moves through these stages:

• settling pain and swelling
• restoring full movement
• rebuilding strength and balance
• sport-specific drills such as running, changing direction, kicking or throwing
• full training before competition

A physiotherapist often guides the middle stages, and the GP can arrange that referral.

Overuse injuries

Shin pain, Achilles or kneecap tendon pain and bone stress injuries build up gradually, often after a sudden jump in training, a new surface or different shoes. Cutting back load early, rather than stopping completely, often helps. Bone pain that keeps getting worse in a runner should be checked, since a stress fracture needs its own plan. Ongoing pain that is not linked to one injury may suit a pain management approach.

Booking after an injury

You can book online or call (03) 7300 7780, including on weekends. Standard consultations are bulk billed with a valid Medicare card, while procedures attract a fee, as set out on Patient Info and Fees.

Common questions