Gymnastics
Background and how injuries happen
Gymnastics is uniquely demanding on the feet, as much of it is performed barefoot with repeated high impact landings, extreme toe loading, and joint positions at the end of their range. Landings from height, running approaches, and repetitive pointing and flexing of the foot place large forces through the heel, forefoot and toes. Because many gymnasts are children and adolescents whose bones and growth plates are still developing, this repetitive loading affects growing tissue differently and creates injury patterns specific to young athletes.
Common injuries we see in gymnastics
Heel pain (including Sever’s disease, a growth-plate condition in younger gymnasts), toe and forefoot injuries, plantar fasciitis, ankle sprains, and stress fractures from repetitive impact.
How we can help
Your first visit is an initial consultation where we take the time to understand your pain: when it started, what aggravates it, and how it’s affecting your gymnastics and daily life. From there we carry out a thorough biomechanical assessment, looking at how your feet, ankles, knees and hips move and load together. We perform a gait analysis to see exactly where pressure builds through your foot as you walk and move, which helps pinpoint the source of the problem rather than just the symptom. We also complete a footwear assessment, reviewing whether your current shoes and training footwear are helping or hindering you. Then we discuss your level of involvement in the sport, how often you play, your training load, your goals and whether you’re competitive or recreational. With that full picture, we build a personalised treatment plan, which may include hands-on therapy, strengthening and mobility work, footwear guidance, taping and custom orthotics where they’ll genuinely help.
Prevention and self care
For young gymnasts, monitor for heel pain during growth spurts and don’t dismiss it as ‘growing pains’, as Sever’s disease responds well to early management. Warm up thoroughly, strengthen the feet and ankles, and manage training hours carefully, as high weekly volume is a major risk factor. Ensure adequate rest and recovery between intensive sessions, use protective footwear during conditioning where appropriate, and seek assessment early for any persistent heel, forefoot or ankle pain so it doesn’t interrupt development in the sport.
Book your appointment in Balwyn North