Netball
BACKGROUND & HOW INJURIES HAPPEN
Netball is characterised by rapid stopping, pivoting, and landing frequently on one foot, under the sport’s strict footwork rules that force sudden deceleration. This creates enormous rotational and impact forces through the ankle and knee at the moment of landing. The hard courts and quick directional play mean the ankle ligaments and knee are especially vulnerable, and the repetitive jumping and landing also loads the foot over a season.
COMMON INJURIES WE SEE IN NETBALL
Ankle sprains, ACL injuries, stress fractures, plantar fasciitis, and shin splints.
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 netball 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 netball specific shoes are helping or hindering you. Then we discuss your level of involvement in the sport, such as 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 & SELF CARE
Land softly with bent knees and practise controlled landing and pivoting technique, as landing mechanics are the biggest factor in netball injuries. Warm up with dynamic movement and strengthen the ankles, calves and glutes to stabilise the knee and ankle on landing. Wear supportive netball shoes with good grip and replace them each season, and consider ankle bracing if you’ve had sprains before. Manage load across training and match days and address shin or heel pain early before it develops into a stress injury.