Dr Sue Mayes (AM) ‘Expert Edition: Managing Foot & Ankle Injuries’

In episode 367 of The Physical Performance Show, sports physiotherapist Sue Mayes shares her expertise in foot and ankle injury management. With over 30 years of experience leading physiotherapy at the Australian Ballet and now a senior lecturer at La Trobe University, Sue provides groundbreaking insights into injury prevention and rehabilitation.

Sue discusses her innovative research on ballet dancers and athletes, highlighting the importance of calf strength, strategic exercise implementation, and challenging traditional approaches to stretching. She reveals how implementing targeted calf raises reduced injury rates in professional dancers, and explains why prolonged stretching can be counterproductive.

This episode offers a masterclass in foot and ankle assessment. Her practical advice spans from managing bone stress injuries to developing comprehensive rehabilitation strategies that support athletes’ long-term performance and recovery.

Listen in as we delve into the following

• Sue’s transition from Australian Ballet to La Trobe University
• Current research projects, including MRI studies on dancers’ and runners’ feet
• Importance of calf strength and injury prevention in ballet
• Insights on imaging findings and their correlation with symptoms
• Mechanisms behind improving range of motion through muscle recruitment
• Practical approach to exercise interventions for athletes
• Management of bone stress injuries and repeat imaging protocols
• De-loading strategies using air cast splints
• Recommended heel height for walking during injury recovery
• Stair running as a rehabilitation and conditioning exercise
• Use of anti-inflammatory medications in injury management
• Sue’s final advice on building trust with athletes and the body’s healing potential

Quotes

“Any change you make to your program, needs to be very gradual”
“Having hope, and knowing that the body is quite amazing at healing, and we just need to give it the right stimulus and the right support”

To Follow Sue Mayes

Linkedin
Website: The Australian Ballet

Timeline

0:00 Start
3:05 Sue’s transition from Australian Ballet to La Trobe University
5:38 Current research projects, including MRI studies on dancers’ and runners’ feet
8:34 Importance of calf strength and injury prevention in ballet
18:22 Insights on imaging findings and their correlation with symptoms
24:03 Mechanisms behind improving range of motion through muscle recruitment
27:19 Practical approach to exercise interventions for athletes
36:55 Management of bone stress injuries and repeat imaging protocols
44:23 De-loading strategies using air cast splints
46:17 Recommended heel height for walking during injury recovery
50:05 Stair running as a rehabilitation and conditioning exercise
1:00:09 Use of anti-inflammatory medications in injury management
1:08:52 Sue’s final advice on building trust with athletes and the body’s healing potential
1:11:05 Information about upcoming foot and ankle courses

People Mentioned

Dr Kim Slater
Peter Bailey – Physiotherapist
Dr Charlotte Ganderton

For questions and comments about this Episode Send to the Show Host @Brad_Beer (Twitter) or @brad_beer(Instagram)