We’re excited to now stock Tiny Treads at GV Sportscare!

Designed by our podiatrists, Tom and Ryan, Tiny Treads were created after they saw a gap in the market for affordable, flexible, wide-fitting toddler shoes that actually support natural foot development.

Unlike many toddler shoes, Tiny Treads feature:

Wide toe box to let little toes spread naturally

Flexible sole that bends with growing feet

Lightweight design for confident little walkers

Designed by podiatrists and tested by real toddlers

Need help finding the right size?

Tom offers complimentary fittings every Thursday at 11am. Simply call us on 58977044 to book your fitting.

Currently stocking sizes from approximately 6 months to 2.5 years.

If you’ve been looking for healthy first walkers without the premium price tag, we’d love to help you find the perfect fit!

The post We’re excited to now stock Tiny Treads at GV Sportscare! Barefoot toddler shoes! appeared first on GV Sportscare.

GV Sportscare, founded by Tom and his wife Sophie (physiotherapist), providing physiotherapy, podiatry and Clinical Pilates classes to the Goulburn Valley.

Tiny Treads, co-founded by brothers Tom and Ryan, creating affordable barefoot toddler shoes inspired by what they see every day in the clinic and their own experiences as Dads.

Family, community and helping people move well have always been at the heart of what we do. We’re incredibly grateful to GVGS for sharing our story and proud to continue giving back to the community that helped shape us.

The post Podiatrists, Brothers and Toddler barefoot shoes feature in Goulburn Valley Grammar magazine appeared first on GV Sportscare.

Most commonly this affects the pubic symphysis joint at the front (over your pubic bone) and the sacroiliac joints at the back of the pelvis (below the dimples in your low back). This can often be quite debilitating and make simple tasks like taking the stairs or picking up your toddler quite difficult.

 Treatment can include:
* Soft tissue massage/myofascial release
* Taping
* Support garments (belts and leggings)
* Education
* Postural correction
* Footwear
* And of course, EXERCISE 

One of the most effective ways to manage pelvic gridle pain is via the appropriate exercise. This can be done via a home exercise program or through our Clinical Exercise classes, which is the perfect way to compliment your physiotherapy management.

All of our physios have undergone additional Women’s Health training and are equipped to assist you with your pregnancy related aches and pains or tailor a home exercise program suitable to you 👏🏼

If you’re pregnant and experiencing pelvic girdle pain, or just want to discuss how you can keep moving well throughout your pregnancy book an appointment online via our website or 📞 58977044

#gvsportscare #shepparton #health #fitness #physio #podiatry #clinicalpilates #exercise #pelvichealth #pregnancypain #pregnancy #pelvicpain #womenshealth

Reference:
Ceprnja D, Chipchase L, Fahey P, Liamputtong P, Gupta A. Prevalence and Factors Associated with Pelvic Girdle Pain During Pregnancy in Australian Women: A Cross-Sectional Study. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2021 Jul 15;46(14):944-949. doi: 10.1097/BRS.0000000000003954.

The post Pelvic Pain in Pregnancy appeared first on GV Sportscare.

Running is one of the most accessible forms of exercise. But behind every stride lies a complex interaction of movement, muscle control, and force absorption that, if not optimised, can lead to performance plateaus or injury.

Whether you’re a weekend jogger, competitive athlete, or someone looking to return from injury, a Running Assessment offers powerful insights to keep you running stronger, safer, and smarter.

At GV Sportscare Shepparton, we’re proud to offer comprehensive running assessments that go beyond just watching you run. Here’s what it’s all about and why it’s worth considering, no matter where you are in your running journey.

Why Is Running Gait Analysis Important?

Running is incredibly healthy, but it’s also a common source of musculoskeletal injuries. In fact, injury prevalence in runners ranges from 18–92% depending on the population and context. Most injuries stem not from the act of running itself, but from how your body handles the repetitive loads placed on joints, tendons, and muscles (Barton et al., 2016).

Research led by Prof. Christian Barton At Latrobe University  suggests that injury is rarely the result of one factor. Rather, it’s the outcome of a mix of load-related, biomechanical, and sometimes psychological contributors (Barton, 2017).

“Running gait” refers to the sequence of movements your body makes when you run, specifically the cycle of your legs during each stride you take while you run.

A gait assessment helps identify:

• Movement patterns that may overload certain tissues
• Areas of weakness or poor control (e.g. at the hip, knee, or ankle)
• Potential inefficiencies affecting your performance

We don’t assess your running just for the sake of it – we assess to better target our interventions so that we can be confident that they add real value to your training or rehab.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

How Do We Perform a Running Gait Assessment?

Depending on the runner and their goals, we may assess:

• Treadmill running: Ideal for high-speed video analysis, cueing, and real-time retraining.
• Overground running: Useful when symptoms arise only overground or at specific paces or distances.
• Economy vs Performance vs Pain Triggers

We’ll consider:

• Running economy for distance runners (how your muscles utilise oxygen while you run)
• Performance mechanics for speed-focused athletes
• Pain-based assessments, analysing form during the pace or distance that tends to aggravate your symptoms

This means some runners may be assessed at a comfortable jog, while others may run at race pace, uphill, or with a particular shoe or orthotic – whatever best recreates your natural movement and symptoms.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

What Should You Expect?

Verbal and Visual Cues

A subtle change in technique can have a big impact. Research suggests gait retraining should follow motor learning principles, including faded verbal feedback, mirrors or video, and continued progression in practice.

Strength & Conditioning Recommendations

If biomechanical faults are identified, we often prescribe targeted strength and conditioning. These are not generic gym routines – they’re tailored to your specific needs, and might include:

• Hip strength and power drills for runners with patellofemoral pain or dynamic knee valgus (Nunes et al., 2018)
• Gluteal and calf strength for Achilles or tibial stress-related pain (Beattie et al., 2014)
• Foot and ankle mobility/stability work for overpronation or plantar fasciitis (Seitz et al., 2014)

Strength training alone has been shown to improve:

• Running economy
• Time-trial performance
• Anaerobic power (vMART) in endurance athletes (Beattie et al., 2014)
  = strength training makes you run faster and better

We follow a process supported by strong evidence and led by expert clinical reasoning.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

The Role of Load Management

Running technique is important, but understanding your current training load and how it interacts with your body’s capacity is the cornerstone of injury prevention and rehab.

• Reduce overall load if needed
• Improve your body’s capacity to tolerate it
• Shift the load away from sensitive structures
• Keep adapting to your goals and context

Load management strategies may include:

• Modifying your weekly training structure
• Introducing cross-training or active recovery
• Use evidence based progression models to ensure you aren’t increasing load too quickly.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

What About Footwear and Orthotics?

Shoe choice can influence mechanics, but it’s rarely the sole factor (pun intended!).

We consider:

• Strike pattern (heel vs midfoot vs forefoot)
• Pronation/supination tendencies
• Stiffness and drop of the shoe

Sometimes changing shoes can offload sensitive tissues, but more often, footwear is one piece of a broader plan. Orthotic therapy may be used in cases where there are chronic injuries or other complex issues.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

So, who are running assessments for?

Everyone.

That’s not a cliché – it’s supported by the literature:

• Recreational runners: Often show biomechanical patterns that can be improved, even without pain
• Competitive runners: Looking for performance edge and injury resilience
• Post-injury runners: Needing a safe, structured return
• Triathletes: Who often show unique gait patterns following cycling due to altered hip/pelvis dynamics (Rendos et al., 2013)

Many runners think gait analysis is only for when you’re injured. That’s simply not true. In fact, many performance gains come from improving neuromuscular control, movement economy, and mechanical efficiency – all of which can be assessed and addressed in a gait assessment session.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Are You Ready to Run Better?

A gait assessment is not about fixing every flaw. It’s about finding meaningful, individualised ways to help you run more efficiently, stay injury-free, or finally break through a plateau.

At GV Sportscare Shepparton, we take a personalised, evidence-informed approach—bridging biomechanics, clinical reasoning, and practical strategies to support every runner’s journey.

📞 Book your assessment today and take the next step in your running performance. Book online or call 03 58977044 to book a Running Analysis.

– Ryan Davey, Podiatrist, Shepparton

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Beattie, K., Kenny, I. C., Lyons, M., & Carson, B. P. (2014). The effect of strength training on performance in endurance athletes. Sports Medicine, 44(6), 845–865.
Nunes, G. S., Barton, C. J., & Serrão, F. V. (2018). Hip rate of force development and strength are impaired in females with patellofemoral pain without signs of altered gluteus medius and maximus morphology. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 21(2), 123–128.
Barton, C. J., Bonanno, D. R., Carr, J., Neal, B. S., Malliaras, P., Franklyn-Miller, A., & Menz, H. B. (2016). Running retraining to treat lower limb injuries: A mixed-methods study of current evidence synthesised with expert opinion. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 50(9), 513–524.
Seitz, L. B., Reyes, A., Tran, T. T., Saez de Villarreal, E., & Haff, G. G. (2014). Increases in lower-body strength transfer positively to sprint performance: A systematic review with meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 44(12), 1693–1702.
Barton, C. J. (2017). Managing RISK when treating the injured runner with running retraining, load management and exercise therapy. Physical Therapy in Sport, 24, 1–5.
Rendos, N. K., Harrison, B. C., Dicharry, J. M., Sauer, L. D., & Hart, J. M. (2013). Sagittal plane kinematics during the transition run in triathletes. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 16(3), 259–265.

The post Runners of All Levels Can Benefit from a Running Assessment appeared first on GV Sportscare.

Most commonly this affects the pubic symphysis joint at the front (over your pubic bone) and the sacroiliac joints at the back of the pelvis (below the dimples in your low back). This can often be quite debilitating and make simple tasks like taking the stairs or picking up your toddler quite difficult.

 Treatment can include:
* Soft tissue massage/myofascial release
* Taping
* Support garments (belts and leggings)

* Education
* Postural correction
* Footwear
* And of course, EXERCISE 

One of the most effective ways to manage pelvic gridle pain is via the appropriate exercise. This can be done via a home exercise program or through our Clinical Exercise classes, which is the perfect way to compliment your physiotherapy management.

All of our Shepparton physios are equipped to assist you and our new physiotherapist Jacinta specialises in Women’s Health and can help you manage your pregnancy aches and pains or tailor a home exercise program suitable to you

If you’re pregnant and experiencing pelvic girdle pain book an appointment online via our website gvsportscare.com.au or  58977044

#gvsportscare #shepparton #health #fitness #physio #podiatry #clinicalpilates #exercise #pelvichealth #pregnancypain #pregnancy #pelvicpain #womenshealth

Reference:
Ceprnja D, Chipchase L, Fahey P, Liamputtong P, Gupta A. Prevalence and Factors Associated with Pelvic Girdle Pain During Pregnancy in Australian Women: A Cross-Sectional Study. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2021 Jul 15;46(14):944-949. doi: 10.1097/BRS.0000000000003954.

The post Pelvic Pain in Pregnancy appeared first on GV Sportscare.

Our physio Georgie has been prepping to run her first half marathon!

She shared her top tips to avoid running injuries below and you can also jump onto our instagram @gvsportscare to see her favourite running exercises!

1. Plan your training. Most injuries come on from creeping your km’s up too quickly. What might seem reasonable increases can result in niggling injuries that slow you down.
2. Seek help early. A grumpy big toe, a niggling Achilles and a stiff mid back have all been little bumps in the road. They haven’t stopped her training thanks to some release work and targeted exercises.
3. Get a training buddy. Especially on longer runs for motivation! Georgie is training with her Dad
4. Consider your nutrition! Prepare for long runs in advance.
5. Training in netball seasons is difficult and it’s so important to listen to your body when it needs an extra day recovery

Good luck to our Shepparton physiotherapist Georgie and all of our clients running in the upcoming Melbourne Marathon 👌🏼👏🏼 🏃🏽‍♀️🏃🏼‍♂️

#melbournemarathon #running #runningphysio
#training #runinjuries #gvsportscare #shepparton #health #fitness #physio #podiatry #clinicalpilates #exercise

–Georgie O’Connor

Physiotherapist Shepparton

GV Sportscare

The post Running tips and Exercises appeared first on GV Sportscare.

Why is PREHAB important in ACL injuries?

There are many other benefits:

Opportunity for your Shepparton physiotherapist to assess your strength of your non injured leg. We use this measurement throughout your rehab post operative as part of your testing before you return to sport. We use testing to reduce chance of rupturing your graft. Taking this measurement before surgery gives us a more accurate measure of your strength BEFORE you decondition due to surgery. This gives us a more accurate measurement to aim for before returning to sport.

Reduce swelling before surgery and increase strength to improve your immediate post operative period

Improve confidence and walking pattern

Discuss goals, timelines and expectations

So while you may want to book the surgery and get going, consider and ask your surgeon about the benefits of prehab. As we get better at planning for major surgeries the outcomes continue to improve. Short term patience and effort can pay off in the long term

If you’re unsure, speak with one of our Shepparton physiotherapists before your surgery

The post ACL rupture, why bother with prehab? appeared first on GV Sportscare.

Clinical classes are run by fully trained physiotherapists. Physiotherapists spend 4-6 years studying in depth anatomy and biomechanics in order to learn why and how the body should move. We then use these skills to assess injuries and how best to rehabilitate them.

Pilates has been well studied as a successful mode of rehab in particular for those with neck and back pain, but can be used for most injuries. Our Clinical Exercise classes are capped at a maximum of 6 participants, meaning that each person will be closely supervised in order to prevent poor quality execution of exercises and prevent further injury.

Each participant will perform their own individual program that has been designed by our Shepparton physiotherapists, in order to address areas of weakness or correct poor movement patterns.  The tailored program is progressed once quality of movement has been achieved. It is important to understand that at different stages of your life that your body adapts to increasing load differently and therefore progressions are carefully thought out by your physio.

Physios are also able to account for recent relapses or ‘flare ups’ of injury and alter your program accordingly to prevent further irritation. Physios are also able to manage multiple injuries and find a way to keep you exercising safely. We also have many clients who just like to exercise for general fitness under the supervision of a physiotherapist. For those who fall into more vulnerable groups eg pregnant, returning to exercise post pregnancy, returning to exercise post major surgery or illness, we can also account for changes in your anatomy, physiology and load tolerance to design an appropriate program.

For these reasons group physio classes is one of the only classes that are still funded by private health insurance companies as per the new government regulations.

What is a reformer and why is it so popular?

Joseph Pilates was the inventor of Pilates and one of the machines he developed to practice Pilates is called the Reformer. A Reformer has a carriage which is flat platform and rolls back and forth on a frame. The carriage is attached to one end by springs that provide differing levels of resistance. The reformer also has straps that you can use to push or pull with your arms or legs.

You may have heard that Pilates is a great way to train your core. With the Reformer the carriage which rolls along the frame and the springs that can be changed to provide more or less support which will challenge stability and core strength. The Reformer is designed in such a way that muscle is built but joints do not feel the same type of load that traditional exercise can place in them. Therefore people find that they can challenge their body more in Pilates and build strength easier. Our Shepparton physios can change how much of your body is supported by the Reformer which will change how much support your body will need to provide to perform the exercise.

One of the great advantages of the Reformer is that due to it’s versatility and design you can exercise is many different positions and it is adjustable for individual body types an

To summarise reformers are popular for a few reasons:

-it’s versatility means exercises can be tailored to many different fitness levels

-it’s gentle, many exercises can be performed lying down, sitting or standing. They are generally low impact however still count as ‘weightbearing exercise’ in most instances.

-it can also be really challenging, as your awareness and core strength improves the more challenging exercises you can master.

-there is much research to prove that Clinical Pilates is very beneficial in many musculoskeletal injuries, particularly neck and low back pain.

-Sophie Woodhouse

Physiotherapist Shepparton

GV Sportscare

The post Clinical Exercise (formerly Clinical Pilates), what’s so good about it? appeared first on GV Sportscare.

I know we are all keen beans to get back to sport, but for those fast bowlers amongst us, slow down a second 😉

Adolescent fast bowlers are more at risk of lumbar (lower back) stress injuries and how many balls you bowl per week for your AGE is very important! Now more than any other season we have the potential to overdo it given the lack of sport over winter.

As researched by Cricket Australia: ‘the frequency of bowling sessions (more sessions per week and less time between sessions) increases the risk of developing a lumbar stress fracture. This was a more prominent risk factor than the number of balls bowled’

🌟Guidelines for U/11’s through to U/19’s🌟

-Avoid bowling more than 2 days in a row where possible

-Avoid bowling more than 4 days in a week

-Allow one easy week (eg: 50% of target load) every 4-5 weeks

-Schedule a week off bowling after every 10-12 weeks of bowling to allow your body to recover

🏏 For further information on how many overs/match and ball/week fast bowlers in each age group should aim for see:

https://www.community.cricket.com.au/clubs/youth-pace-bowling-guidelines

🏏 For an in depth overview for elite level junior athletes:

 2019 20 Junior Bowling Guidelines Explained

Any questions or any early concerns of back pain in bowlers, should be addressed by your healthcare professional ASAP!

#shepparton #cricket #sheppartoncricket #bowling #fastbowler #physioshepparton #loadmanagement #gvsportscare #gv #goulburnvalley

Sophie Woodhouse

Physiotherapist Shepparton

GV Sportscare

The post Cricket: Youth Pace Bowling Guidelines appeared first on GV Sportscare.

Shepparton Podiatrist Tom explains in this video how to map out your runs and think carefully about the amount of rest in between each run. He also explains why rest days, strength and conditioning and cross training are all great ideas.

When it comes to running injuries, Tom will often help his clients to write out their weekly routine and look at what can be added or adjusted to allow the individual to continue to run while rehabbing an injury.

Tom Davey

Podiatrist Shepparton, GV Sportscare

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