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Osteoporosis and bone health: why exercise is your most powerful tool, at any age
Most people think of osteoporosis as something that happens in old age, a quiet diagnosis that arrives after a fall, a fracture, or a routine bone density scan. But the reality is that osteoporosis is a condition decades in the making, and the window for meaningful prevention opens far earlier than most people realise. If you're a woman in your 40s or 50s, reading about bone health now is not premature, it's precisely the right time. And if you already have a diagnosis of ost
Sep 17


Clinical Pilates and spinal pain: why it works, who it's for, and what makes it different
Throughout this blog series, we've discussed a range of spinal conditions from acute lower back pain and chronic lower back pain to cervicogenic headaches and postural pain. Across every one of those posts, a common theme has emerged: restoring movement, rebuilding the deep stabilising muscles of the spine, and developing neuromuscular control are central to both recovery and long-term prevention. Clinical Pilates is specifically designed to do exactly that. It is not a fitn
Sep 17


Chronic lower back pain: why exercise physiology is one of the most powerful tools for getting your life back
In our last post, we covered acute lower back pain what causes it, and how physiotherapy helps you recover. For most people, acute back pain does exactly what the evidence says it should: it settles within weeks with the right management, and life returns to normal. But for a significant number of people, it doesn't. Pain that lingers beyond three months crosses into chronic lower back pain territory and chronic pain is a very different animal to acute pain. It requires a dif
Sep 17


Acute lower back pain: why it happens, when to worry, and how physiotherapy helps you recover
In our last post, we talked about building physical foundations in young athletes, how the habits of strength, mobility and load management built in youth carry forward into a healthier, more resilient adult life. Nowhere is that investment more relevant than when we discuss lower back pain. Lower back pain is one of the most universal human experiences. It is a significant burden globally, affecting individuals of all ages, but it is most common in adults aged 30 to 60 years
Sep 17


Building athletes for life: why strength, mobility and stretching matter - and why the earlier you start, the better
In our last post, we looked at Osgood-Schlatter and Sever's disease, two common growth-related conditions that sideline young athletes during exactly the years when they're most passionate about their sport. Both conditions are fundamentally overload injuries: the demand placed on developing tissues exceeds the body's current capacity to handle it. But here's the question worth asking: what if we could build that capacity proactively, before the injury happens? That's what th
Sep 17


Growing pains that aren't just growing pains: knee and heel pain in adolescents and how we can help
Over the past two posts, we've looked at anterior knee pain in gym-going adults, patellofemoral pain and patellar tendinopathy caused by overloading and poor technique. Today we're looking at a different but closely related picture: the young, active child or teenager who starts complaining of knee or heel pain during or after sport. If your child has been limping off the football oval, wincing on the stairs, or waking up with aching knees and heels, there's a good chance the
Sep 17


Knee Pain When You Squat? Your Form Might Be the Problem
In our last post, we looked at gym shoulder pain, how heavy bench pressing and chest-dominant training creates a predictable pattern of overload injuries. The same principle applies to the lower body, and nowhere more so than the knee. If you train regularly and squats, lunges, leg press or jump training feature in your programme, there is a reasonable chance you've experienced anterior knee pain that aching, grinding or sharp discomfort at the front of the knee that tends to
Jun 4


Gym shoulder: why chest pressing is one of the biggest causes of shoulder pain in men and how to fix it!
In our last two posts, we explored shoulder pain in midlife women driven by hormonal changes, and postural pain caused by prolonged desk work. Today we're looking at a different, but equally common picture: the man in his 30s, 40s or 50s who has been training consistently for years, whose program is heavily weighted toward chest and pressing work, and whose shoulder has finally had enough. If you train at a gym, there is a very high chance that bench press or one of its varia
May 6


Frozen, Stiff, or Sore? What's Really Going On with Midlife Shoulders
Over the past two posts, we've looked at how the neck and spine can be the hidden source of pain - cervicogenic headaches that start in the upper cervical spine, and postural pain driven by the way we sit, work and move through our days. Both of those conditions are far more common in women in midlife than most people realise ... and so is what we're talking about today. Shoulder pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal complaints we see at Colab Health Group, and it di
May 6


Is your desk giving you pain? How sedentary work causes postural pain and what physiotherapy can do about it
In our last post, we explored cervicogenic headaches a type of head pain that originates in the neck and is frequently triggered by sustained poor posture and prolonged desk work. If that post resonated with you, this one goes even deeper into the root cause. Because cervicogenic headaches are just one of many problems that can develop when we spend too much of our day sitting still in the same position. Neck pain, lower back ache, tight shoulders, mid-back stiffness, wrist p
May 5


Cervicogenic Headaches: What they are and how physiotherapy can help
If you regularly experience headaches that seem to start at the base of your skull or the back of your neck, you might be dealing with more than a tension headache. You could have what's called a cervicogenic headache - a type of head pain that actually originates in your neck, not your head. Cervicogenic headaches are surprisingly common and frequently misdiagnosed. Many people spend years treating the wrong thing reaching for pain medication or being told they have migraine
May 5


Strong Hips, Core, and Feet = Fewer Running Injuries
Running injuries aren’t just bad luck. They’re often preventable! Recent research shows that adding targeted strength training to your running routine can significantly reduce overuse injuries: Hip & Core Workouts (Leppänen et al., 2024, BJSM): Novice runners who trained their hips and core had far fewer injuries than those who only ran. Foot-Core Training (Taddei et al., 2020, AJSM): Strengthening the small muscles in your feet improved stability and delayed injuries. Smart,
Oct 28, 2025


Chronic Ankle Sprains - More than just a twist
Ankle sprains are one of the most common injuries not just in sports, but also in daily life. Whether you rolled your ankle stepping off a curb or during a quick pivot on the court, most sprains heal well with time and rest. But for many people, the story doesn’t end there. The Lingering Problem After the initial pain subsides, some people continue to experience repeated sprains or a persistent feeling of the ankle “giving way.” These symptoms can linger for months sometimes
Jul 18, 2025


Welcome to the Colab Blog!
We are a patient centred, holistic and modern allied health practice in Balwyn. Our aim is to help our patients perform and function at their best. At Colab Health Group we are experts in Physiotherapy, clinical Reformer Pilates and Exercise Physiology. Head over to our NEW website to find out more. The Colab Blog will feature a series of useful resources across musculoskeletal, chronic disease and sport injuries. Stay tuned for more! Let's Go!
May 27, 2025
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