Our Running Clinic aims to help female and male, runners who might be beginners or advanced to:

• Start running for the first time, after a break or after having children,
• Reduce injury risk,
• Return to running after injury,
• Improve performance.

We are currently able to conduct face to face appointments however, please read our Covid policy for your consultation.

Brisbane and its surrounds is host to many running and triathlon events that cater for all levels of athletes. Our brilliant climate sees swarms of people looking to running as an accessible and non-threatening means of getting fit, stress relief, social interaction, personal down-time or all of the above. Which is why being unable to participate due to injury or pain can be incredibly frustrating.  At our running clinic we use video assessment of your technique and specific muscles tests to identify potential problems.

Running, like any other physical skill, like hitting a tennis ball or kicking a football requires a coordinated sequence of movements, and variations to these can influence efficiency and performance. Our aim is to optimise these so you can get the most out of your running and in doing so, help you reach your goals.

Please note: If you have issues with pelvic floor dysfunction (incontinence, prolapse or pelvic pain), then you must consult with one of our physiotherapists for the initial pelvic floor assessment and education prior to the running clinic. Even if you have seen another physiotherapist at another practice, who has a special interest in Continence and Women’s and Men’s Health and had their education and muscle assessment, you must still have a preliminary assessment and education with us prior to the clinic. Please call reception to be booked into a session if you are unsure.

This clinic is open to both men and women and even adolescents, if they are starting to get more interested in athletics as their sport.

Running and the effect on the pelvic floor:

Every day at our clinic we chat to women who are keen to get back to their beloved running, but because of circumstances surrounding the delivery of their baby, it may be necessary to caution women about an early return. Other women may have pelvic floor dysfunction or other musculoskeletal problems and just need help in how to start running, having been inspired by friends or relatives or the Olympic Games!

Whether it be prolapse, urinary incontinence, nerve damage or significant abdominal separation or a myriad of other reasons, whether a woman gets back to running and when that should happen, requires careful consideration.

Because running is a high impact sport, it places a greater burden on the pelvic floor – but what if the physical act of running has a profound positive effect on the mental and emotional state of that patient? If we look at the patient holistically, then encouraging and supporting her return to running could be a saviour for her, if she has some post-natal depression or other anxiety issues.

In recent years, there has been much debate amongst the physiotherapy community about scaring women away from exercise. I have been guilty of sometimes being overly cautious, because I have seen the consequences of over-exuberant return to exercise post baby.

Should we just say a blanket no because of the state of her pelvic floor, when fitting her with a pessary could facilitate enough support to protect her from prolapse or stop her urinary leakage?

Should we say no to a woman if by assessing her running technique we could tweak her running style and decrease the impact on her prolapse or pelvic floor as she runs?

This is why at Sue Croft Physiotherapy, we have recognised the importance of this and we have a running clinic where patients are assessed and exercises prescribed, adjustments suggested, pessaries fitted if necessary and encouraged to return to running in a body-safe way.

The running assessment by our physios is the last step in this process if you are a woman who has had a baby (or if you know you have some sort of pelvic floor dysfunction), not the first step. All patients must undergo the assessment of their muscle strength, check for signs of prolapse (including risk in the future), pain, decreased sensation and then the education of normal and abnormal bladder and bowel function.

Our physiotherapists are keen runners and with their strong musculo-skeletal background and special interest in women’s health, they will advise you as to the risks versus benefits and how to return to jogging or running safely.

Our head trainer has completed her Athletics Coaching Course Level One and a course on treating athletic injuries and diagnosing potential injury risks. I have written a blog about our goals for this new service.

The initial appointment is an hour and you need to be dressed for running (joggers, bike pants or shorts and T-shirt).