SPA History

The origin of sports physiotherapy

The notion of a special branch of medicine dealing with sports-related injuries has to some extent been regulated by the degree of interest in and organisation of competitive physical activities. Even so, whilst participation in sport has risen dramatically since the 1960s, there has been an international organisation dealing with sports medicine as far back as 1928. Australia was slower to take up the issue, not being represented on the International Federation of Sports Physiotherapy until 1954, and did not have an active sports medicine scene until the 1970s. The most obvious aspect of sports medicine is in the prevention and treatment of sports injuries through direct treatment and advice on training methods. However, sport has also had a wider impact on medicine through the use of exercise and fitness to treat and help prevent a variety of non-sport related injuries.

Some masseurs had specialised in treating sports people earlier in the century. Others followed their path after World War II. One of the pioneers at this time was Geoff Luke (b. 1922) who studied in Victoria in the late 1940s. He was invited to undertake physiotherapy for the Australian Rules football club, Carlton, in the late 1950s. The standards that he found were ‘medieval’ with only ‘rubbers’ employed, and all injuries expected to be run out at training the following week. These conditions and beliefs would have been reproduced across most team sports at the time. Luke worked with the club doctor to introduce a gymnasium, injury rehabilitation, pre-season exercise, pre-match warm-ups, and the application of ice, rest and anti-inflammatory medicine for acute injuries. Another prominent sports physiotherapist from the same period was Adrian Wright (1917–83), also from Victoria. Having been a prominent schoolboy and university athlete, Wright had an excellent rapport with sports people. He formed a close association with the Victorian Football League (now Australian Football League) coach Allan Jeans, beginning at the St Kilda Football Club in the late 1950s, and following Jeans when he transferred to Hawthorn in 1982. Wright’s opinions became much sought after by the media, which led to some difficulties as professional ethics at the time forbade physiotherapists being named. He was a member of the APA Victorian Executive 1950–73, and was president for the last four of these years. He was also the Association’s first National Public Relations Officer and gave much time to this task.

Unlike Adrian Wright, David Zuker (b. 1939) came to sports injuries via a roundabout way through his involvement with ballet dancers. Seeking to research ‘bad backs’, Zuker had first attempted to understand the spinal movement characteristics of an elite group – in this case ballet dancers. What he found was that here was a ‘group of people whose range of movement and strength was totally different from the norm’, and whose needs were not being addressed. He thus became consultant physiotherapist to the Australian Ballet School and Australian Ballet Company. More

important than treating actual injuries, Zuker saw his role as being to observe the body in motion and to then help teach dancers to make better use of their bodies. After his success with dancers became known Zuker found that sports people were also seeking him out. Thus began a long association with a variety of activities including Australian Rules football (Fitzroy Football Club 1963–83), tennis (Pat Cash), and motor racing (Porsche Racing Team).

Zuker is, however, perhaps best remembered for his work with the Australian Olympic team. His involvement dates from the early 1960s. Concerned about the high number of injuries to the Australian Olympians at Rome in 1960, Zuker later sought out the team doctor, Howard Toyne, and offered his services. However, it was not until the 1976 Games, in Montreal, that a physiotherapist accompanied the Australian

team for the first time. Zuker was the chosen practitioner and he found it a significant challenge. Quite apart from the need to familiarise himself with all the athletes’ conditions before departure, he had to arrange for the acquisition and dispatch of all equipment. This, in itself, involved a lot of trial-and-error as he had little in the way of precedent to guide him.

Once at the Olympics, Zuker needed considerable powers of perseverance to counter the range of difficulties faced. The area allotted to the Australian team was ‘grossly inadequate’, particularly so for the medical services. These were housed in a basement, not easily accessed from the team’s location and whose stairs only served to aggravate injuries. The medical rooms were noisy, cramped, and without airconditioning or plumbing. The latter restriction prevented the preparation of ice which had to be obtained from the Canadian team treatment area. Space for physiotherapy was ‘totally inadequate’ with nothing more than a room ten feet by eight (3m × 2.5m). Most electrical equipment, which Zuker had expected to receive gratis from local companies, turned out to be available only for hire instead. As the costs exceeded the money available, Zuker had to survive with the bare essentials – two ultrasonic machines, several TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) machines,

and little else. Zuker performed a total of 180–200 treatments during the two week period of the Games, with more patients being directed to the general Games clinic. Thirty-six per cent of all Australian athletes were treated. Although chaotic, the lessons of Montreal led to improved planning and liaison being undertaken for future Olympic Games.

Peter Dornan was one of the first physiotherapists to specialise in treating sporting injuries in Queensland, beginning in 1967. Using primarily massage, passive stretching, exercise, infra-red, and shortwave diathermy, most of his work at this time was with chronic rather than acute problems. Over the years, this trend reversed with acute injury treatment becoming more pronounced. Dornan became involved with Rugby Union and Rugby League codes in Queensland in the 1970s, later working with the Australian Rugby Union team and at the 1984 Olympics. Sports physiotherapy has also been blessed with a number of other high profile practitioners. Barry Richardson (b. 1946) had the distinction of playing premiership Australian Rules football for the VFL club Richmond between 1965 and 1974. Peter Duras (b. 1940), whose father, Fritz Duras, was the founder and Director of the Department of Physical Education at Melbourne University, played a significant role in the development of sports physiotherapy in the APA. Greater cohesion in the field was fostered by the foundation of the APA Sports Physiotherapy Group in 1977.