Sports injuries are an everyday reality for athletes and active people alike, affecting individuals across all ages, sports, and fitness levels. With 84% of Australian adults participating in sport or physical activity at least once in 2023–24 (Australian Sports Commission, 2024), the likelihood of encountering an injury at some point is significant. Participation creates opportunity, but it also creates exposure, and exposure is the strongest predictor of injury risk (Hodgson Phillips, 2000). Whether you are training for competition or simply staying active, the physical demands placed on the body make injury management an essential part of long‑term performance and wellbeing.
Every person who moves has the potential to experience a sports injury. This is not an exaggeration—lower‑limb injuries alone account for the majority of sports‑related presentations across multiple sports, including football, basketball, and rugby (Zupančič & Marušič, 2024). From everyday activities like walking and jogging to high‑intensity team sports such as AFL, Rugby, and Soccer, injuries can arise from internal factors like muscle imbalance or external factors like collisions or uneven surfaces. Common presentations include injuries to the shoulder, back, and knee, as well as the wrists and ankles depending on the sport, consistently observed across epidemiological studies (Wang et al., 2024).
Managing sports injuries effectively requires a structured, three‑step process: identifying the nature and cause of the injury, determining the athlete’s goals, and developing a plan to achieve them, where clarity is the foundation of good rehabilitation. A clear diagnosis is the first step toward meaningful recovery, and diagnostic clarity is one of the strongest predictors of rehabilitation success. This approach ensures that treatment is not only reactive but purposeful, aligning clinical decisions with the athlete’s desired outcomes.
The management of Sports Injuries is a dynamic and ongoing process, designed to progress the injured athlete from their initial injury, back to their desired level of performance in a supportive and timely manner. These details are explored during your first assessment, which lays the groundwork for reducing pain and improving comfort. From there, your treatment plan is tailored to the specific cause, with a focus on relieving pain, restoring pain-free movement, and building strategies to lower the chance of future flare-ups. Prevention is the most cost‑effective form of injury management, and modern research continues to reinforce this principle (Prieto‑González et al., 2021).
At Atlas Physio, we guide you with clear education, structured management, and ongoing support both in the clinic and at home. We make care easy to access by opening seven days a week, offering evening appointments, providing bulk billing for eligible clients, and ensuring no gap fees for WorkCover or TAC clients. Get in touch today to take the first step toward feeling more comfortable, moving with confidence, and enjoying care that is practical, dependable, and designed to deliver lasting results.
REFERENCES
Australian Sports Commission. (2024). Sports injury in Australia: Sports participation and injury. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Retrieved 13th December 2025 from https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/sports-injury/sports-injury-in-australia/contents/sports-participation-and-injury-rates
Hodgson Phillips, L. (2000). Sports injury incidence. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 34(2), 133–136.
Prieto‑González, P., Martínez‑Castillo, J. L., Fernández‑Galván, L. M., Casado, A., Soporki, S., & Sánchez‑Infante, J. (2021). Epidemiology of sports‑related injuries and associated risk factors in adolescent athletes: An injury surveillance study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(9), 4857.
Wang, C., Stovitz, S. D., Kaufman, J. S., Steele, R. J., & Shrier, I. (2024). Principles of musculoskeletal sport injuries for epidemiologists: A review. Injury Epidemiology, 11(21).
Zupančič, M., & Marušič, J. (2024). Overview of systematic reviews on the most common sports injuries. EQOL Journal.