What professional sport teaches us about why schools and clubs should prioritise baseline testing at the start of every season.
Dr Mark Fulcher
Sport and Exercise Physician | Managing Director
Groin pain in footballers is not always muscle or tendon related. A professional player’s case of pubic ramus stress fracture.
Many Axis patients come via ACC. ACC is vital to NZ healthcare and under pressure as service and specialist contracts are reviewed.
What post-surgical complications, following an ACL reconstruction, are shown on this coronal MRI sequence?
We are excited to let you know that Axis Queenstown has moved to a new, purpose-built clinic in Remarkables Park.
Dr Adam Castricum
Sport and Exercise Physician
Most people who sustain a concussion have a predictable recovery with the key treatments being a short period of relative rest, advice and reassurance.
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries remain one of the most challenging problems in sports medicine.
Our understanding of concussion care has evolved: the active, targeted approach from sport is now best practice for all concussions.
Concussion is often linked with sport, but it can occur almost anywhere: at home, at work, on the road or during everyday activities. Getting checked as so
If you ski or snowboard regularly, consider getting a baseline cognitive test before you hit the slopes
Concussion diagnosis relies on clinical judgement, and recovery varies between individuals. Baseline testing helps provide clarity in this process.
We are incredibly excited to let you know that we are open for business in Christchurch
Kim Archibald
General Manager
We’re excited to launch our new clinic in Mt Roskill is now open, focussing on physiotherapy.
We are thrilled to announce our fourth clinic in Auckland is now open at 18 Triton Drive, Rosedale.
How can we apply the learnings around athlete training and load as we approach the Christmas and holiday period?
Learn how you can train your gut in preparation for your next event to avoid suboptimal performance and gastrointestinal issues.
Dane Baker
Performance Dietitian
Learn how to safely return to exercise once we have recovered from Covid 19, what to look out for, and where to go for help.
Exciting news to kick off 2022, from February 2nd your patients will have a 3rd clinic in Auckland they can visit. Located in Mt Albert close to the St Luk
We have expanded our Acute Concussion Service to include all patients who have sustained a concussion or mild traumatic brain injury, not just sport-relate
Will wearing a mask impact my performance, and what are some practical guidelines for mask-wearing and exercise?
What are the potential side effects and how should I approach patients receiving both a steroid injection and a Covid19 vaccination?
Seeking appropriate medical care during lockdown is challenging. So, what help is available for those with acute injuries or problems?
While being more active is clearly a great idea it is important to consider how quickly one should try to progress this.
We are still operating throughout the Level 4 Lockdown. We will be conducting our consultations via Telehealth. More info here
Covid19 Level 4 Update. Most of our consults will now be via telehealth (video/phone). We will be in touch via SMS regarding the status of your appointment
Most patients thought to have sustained an ACL injury require further imaging studies, usually an x-ray and MRI. What can an x-ray tell us on its own?
The majority of snow sports injuries that occur involve acute trauma. But, who needs imaging, and when might a referral be useful?
Receiving a diagnosis of osteoarthritis can be hard to take, the outlook may feel bleak. But there is a lot we can do to reduce pain and get you active.
Dr Dan Exeter
Sport and Exercise Physician | Clinical Director
The heart is a muscle, so needs to be re-conditioned after it's been injured. But what are the benefits of undertaking a cardiac rehab program?
When it comes to treating tendinopathy, there are a range of treatments. One of these treatments is called extracorporeal or radial shockwave therapy
Low Energy availability (LEA) underpins Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S). This article discusses LEA in more depth, including how we measure it.
Learn how we take an individualised approach at our Heart Disease Exercise Clinic, and provide a safe environment for recovery.
With osteoarthritis, a knee replacement is often the wrong thing to do – a better outcome may be achieved initially with a targeted rehabilitation program.
Mr Simon Young
Orthopaedic Surgeon | Director | Associate Professor
This radiology case involves a 24-year-old female football player who presented with a two-year history of issues with her right foot.
Learn how we might be able to identify those who are at risk of delayed recovery following concussion, and require more active treatment.
Dr Stephen Kara
When working with an Osteoarthritis patient where weight loss is a priority, educating around the timing of their eating can be a vital tool.
From August 3rd 2020, we will be moving our St Johns clinic from Merton Road to 261 Morrin Rd, it’s just around the corner, so easy to find.
Research shows that exercise can be as effective as medication in the management of many chronic diseases. Learn how exercise could help your condition.
Dr Sarah Beable
Sport and Exercise Physician (on parental leave until mid 2026)
When surgery is not an option, there are a number of very effective, non-surgical treatments we can offer patients to reduce pain and improve movement.
Accidents happen, but there are many injury risk factors that we can avoid. Preparation is key, get tips on how best to approach the ski season.
Learn more about what load is and how to manage your fitness regime to minimise the risk of injury.
Join Dr Mark Fulcher and guests as they share information and ideas on the to operate effectively using Telehealth.
Regular walking, or picking up a new sport come with health benefits but also increase your risk of injury. So it's important to stay on top of any niggles
The impact of an athlete’s training load on their risk of injury and illness was again the subject of much discussion in 2019. So, as many people head...
Patients who have a history of an ACL reconstruction or who've had some meniscal surgery, they're much more likely, over their lifetime, to develop...
A lot of patients who present with a suspected miniscal tear actually don't have one. They have a degree of chondral damage or osteoarthritis and it's...
This radiology review highlights a relatively common radiological finding, a Bakers cyst. It is important to remember that these are a common...
ACC has funded the Axis Sports Concussion Centre of Excellence (SCCoE) pilot programme since 2017. Its funding will end on 31 December 2019. Axis is...
This month’s radiology case involved a 20-year-old female national level football player. She presented with a three-month history of left-side lower...
This 24-year-old football player presented with recurring bouts of left hip pain and stiffness. He also had similar, but less significant, pain in his...
As the sports seasons change, it can be a good time for parents to take a breath and gear up for the next phase of their busy adolescent’s sporting...
John Elway, legendary quarter back to the Denver broncos and hall of famer, suffered with shoulder pain in his throwing arm late in his acclaimed 15-year..
Mr Rob Elliott
Orthopaedic Surgeon
Exercise has been shown to be beneficial not only post-cancer-treatment - in order to regain physical function - but also during treatment as it helps to..
This 42-year-old male recreational football player presented with an eight-week history of hand and wrist pain following a fall onto his right hand. He...
Did you know that physical activity can be more effective than chemotherapy for preventing bowel cancer recurrence? That being physically active is one...
Evidence suggests that better pre-operative health status (greater physical function and strength) is a strong predictor of good postoperative outcome in..
When it comes to the harms associated with sport specialisation and training volumes we have to be precise. This means we must be clear about what sort...
The negative impact of smoking, obesity and diabetes on health has long been known and a lot of time, money and effort goes into trying to identify and...
Research estimates that 90% of osteoarthritis patients are obese or overweight. Weight loss has shown substantial benefits for pain and function of those..
There are some simple strategies you can use to prepare for the season, improve your performance and help prevent common netball injuries. Good...
Exercise therapy is among the dominant non-pharmacological interventions recommended in the management of osteoarthritis, with exercise being shown to...
Dr James McGarvey splits his time between working with us at Axis and as the Team Doctor for The Blues, in this article he shares the process they go...
Dr James McGarvey
Active, targeted management of concussion is now considered best practice for clinicians. Are you keen to learn how the balance and visual systems can be..
Katherine Forch
Specialist Physiotherapist & Clinical Lead - Concussion
We are well into the tennis season, and we've seen a number of players through the clinic with injuries, so it's a good time to discuss the management...
Dr Craig Panther
‘Exercise is medicine’ is a current catch cry that is becoming increasingly common. This is for good reason, with the list of health benefits that stem...
We are generally taught that rapid swelling implies a significant structural problem within the knee. Most commonly this is an injury to the anterior...
An eighteen-year-old football player presented with an insidious onset of localised lateral foot pain. He had recently started playing with his club’s...
A lack of sleep can have major implications on an athlete’s performance (and also their general health and wellbeing). The importance of sleep for...
Heat can seriously affect how your body and mind function while exercising, so it's always good to have a plan in place when exercising in hotter...
‘Pulling a hammy’ is the most common of all muscle injuries in sport. Even what seems like a minor injury can cause a delay in returning to sport or even..
Dr Colleen Winstanley
Overuse injuries as a result of a sudden increase in training volume are common, especially in people who have returned to exercise after a prolonged...
Choosing a running shoe should be straightforward right? The problem currently is the market's obsession with pronation and the segmentation of shoes...
This 28-year-old recreational football player presented following a twisting injury. His story was highly suggestive of an ACL injury. He described...
Golf injuries can occur across a range of areas of the body, the most common are generally considered to relate to the low back approx 30%, the wrist 20%..
Dr Tony Edwards
The off-season is important because it gives us time to pull back from the edge. We still need to maintain basic levels of hydration, nutrition, sleep...
Dr Chris Hanna
Sport and Exercise Physician | Director
There are a variety of potential causes for forefoot pain in athletes who play running-based sports. An injury to the sesamoids is one of these potential.
After any injury, it is important to employ a gradual return to function. For lower limb injuries, this will often involve return to running and then...
Dr Simon Kim
With the rise in popularity of surfing, and the increased recognition of it's health benefits, resident surfer and doctor, Dr Simon Baker, shares his...
Dr Simon Baker
Compared with adults, back pain in child or adolescent athletes is relatively uncommon and should be taken more seriously. This is especially true when...
While there are obvious health benefits of exercise, recommended activities and levels all too often do not take the individuals circumstances into...
After the birth of a baby, at some point, many mothers think about how and when to return to some form of exercise. There are many reasons why women...
Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) is a relatively common, but poorly recognised condition, that can have a significant impact on a young...
This 54-year-old woman presented after an innocuous twisting injury sustained while playing football with her kids. During her consultation, she...
RED-S in the exercising athlete is challenging and requires a range of health practitioners and support staff to be involved. In this article...
Compared with males, female athletes are up to nine times more likely to tear their ACL. Given this increased risk, it is especially important that...
There is no doubt that there are a high number of concussions suffered in rugby, but that’s not purely down to the fact that it’s a collision sport...
The use of headgear and helmets in sport, especially rugby and rugby league, has been the focus of much debate in the media. It has been suggested that...
Whether a player should return to sport after sustaining multiple concussions has been the focus of much media interest in recent months. When a player...
70% of athletes following sports-related concussion will be symptom-free within 7-10 days. For the other 30%, it is important that we recognise the type...
The use of prolonged rest in the treatment of concussion and post-concussion syndrome is being challenged, with the most recent consensus statement on...
The diagnosis of osteoarthritis is generally made through a comprehensive clinical assessment - with imaging studies being used to confirm the diagnosis...
There is an increasing body of evidence that arthroscopies are not effective for many meniscal injuries. This is especially true when there is associated..
In New Zealand’s aging and physically active society knee osteoarthritis is an increasing problem. While physical therapy and lifestyle changes are...
We understand that making time for a doctor's appointment can be challenging. Ever wondered why we can't just email out your MRI results or talk them...
Sore muscles and peak athletic performance don’t mix. So how does the addition of fish oil in an athlete’s diet help to reduce the soreness of fatigued...
It's important to distinguish between the decisions made in the elite sports environment and those made with everyday sports people. The testing...
Patella tendinopathy is a common overuse condition in athletes, particularly those involved in jumping and running sports, such as basketball and..
It may not sound serious, but this injury makes up nearly 10% of ski-related injuries. If not treated appropriately, it can cause ongoing disability.
All skiers are at risk of significant injury that can cause a big impact on their lives. We look at the most common injuries sustained on the ski field.
Despite the increased use of helmets, improvements in technology and better fitting, serious injuries are still high. Why is that?
Given how concussion is reported in the media, it can be hard to know what the actual risks are. So here is a summary and some recommendations for parents
Our very own Dr Stephen Kara discusses the importance of physical exercise in the treatment of concussion.
Most concussion patients don't have any structural abnormalities or require imaging. But it's important to consider if there's a cervical spine injury.
Accidents happen, but there are many injury risk factors that we should be avoiding. Even the most conditioned athlete and season skier can still have...
Shoulder pain can be difficult to assess. Symptoms and signs often overlap, and evolve over time. In this article, Dr Craig Panther shares some great...
Dr Mark Fulcher gives us a rundown on what a PCMA (Pre-Competition Medical Assessment) looks like for players at this year's Football World Cup, and why...
After an injury, returning a player to sport can be challenging. Axis Specialist and Doctor to The Blues, Dr James McGarvey shares his experiences with...
In this month's Radiology Review we look at a patient with heel pain, and the value that an x-ray provided in getting a correct diagnosis, and setting up..
A twisting injury to a knee followed by a popping sensation and rapid swelling is a typical injury mechanism for an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) ...
As with any sports medicine condition, the athlete's history is the critical starting point in sorting out the problem. This article discusses three main..
Over the past year or so there's been a real change in local sport, with a focus on how to warm up properly. One challenge was how to get kids to do it..
With the Commonwealth Games done and dusted, Dr Dan Exeter gives us an informative and fun insight into life on the GC as part of the NZ Medical Team.
You might have heard of Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT) in hospital and veterinary settings, but are you aware of its use in sports medicine?...
Dr Noah Whitehead’s and Dr Mark Fulcher’s recent research has looked at the use of the Beighton score as an indicator for of joint laxity. They found that
Dr Noah Whitehead
It's important to remember that kids' skeletons are not the same as those of adults. This has an impact on the types of injuries they sustain ...
Primary injury prevention programmes, like Rugby Smart and Netball Smart, have been shown to reduce the risk of injury in sport. However, the greatest...
Specialising in one sport at an early age is becoming increasingly common. With swathes of parents and coaches keen to maximise their child’s /athlete’s...
A recent study by Dr Sarah Beable has found that 1 in 5 New Zealand elite athletes fit the criteria for depression and that high-risk times were when...
In tennis there are a number of factors relating to the player’s racket that can play a role in recovering from tennis elbow. It is important to consider..
Osteoarthritis can have a significant impact on a patients physical activity levels, and therefore health and quality of life. But with the right...
As winter approaches and the traditional contact sporting codes prepare for another season of competition, the inevitable questions around concussion...
With the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games nearly upon us, Dr Brendan O'Neill gives us an overview of the NZ Health team.
The presence of an effusion in a young athlete’s knee is never normal. When there is pain and effusion this should always be investigated further.
Mark and Dennis cover a wide range of topics including injury prevention, the benefits of warming up correctly, work being done through the Fit4Football..
If there’s one thing we would encourage anyone playing sport this year to take a little more seriously, it would be warming up. Gone are the days of a...
In response to the increasing awareness of RED-S Dr Sarah Beable is running a sub-specialist monthly clinic for these patients.
We're excited to announce that in addition to working at Axis, Dr James McGarvey has been announced as the new Team Doctor for The Blues.James has an...
Exciting news we are opening our first clinic outside of Auckland. Axis Alpine will be opening in December in Frankton, Queenstown and offering services...
Patients with Osteoarthritis are often told that they are 'too good' for surgery, and to come back when they're worse, leading to a feeling that nothing...
Ankle pain is a common complaint among athletes. The vast majority of cases are related to direct trauma – most commonly ankle sprains or simple...
Often a high degree of suspicion is needed when reviewing imaging. This patient’s initial diagnosis was a wrist sprain. Was it right? Find out in this...
There is no doubt that MRI is a fantastic imaging modality that provides detailed information on almost all major musculoskeletal structures. But, we...
Subacromial bursitis is a common ultrasound finding. It is often assumed to be the cause of a patient’s symptoms and used as justification for a ...
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