Running & Sports Injuries · Townsville

Stubborn running and sports injuries
that just won't settle

If your injury has been hanging around for weeks or months, keeps flaring when you try to do more, or never seems to fully resolve — this page is for you.

At PhysioPM, I help runners and active people make sense of persistent injuries, rebuild confidence, and return to training with a clear plan.

Book an Initial Appointment See How I Help

Longer appointments. Clear diagnosis and direction. Practical rehab for active people.

Mick McGovern, PhysioPM Townsville — sports and running injury physio

Is this for you?

You're in the right place if…

Some injuries follow the usual recovery timeline. Others don't.

You may have rested, stretched, foam rolled, strengthened, had treatment, or even taken time off — only to have the pain return the moment training picks up again.

That usually means you don't need more random treatment. You need a clearer understanding of what is driving the problem, what your body currently tolerates, and how to rebuild properly.

You have had pain for weeks or months, not just days
Your injury improves, then flares again when training increases
You are unsure whether to rest, push through, or change your program
You have tried treatment before, but still feel stuck
You want a plan to return to running, lifting, training or sport with confidence

The pattern I see most

Rest. Feel better. Train again. Pain comes back. Repeat.

That cycle usually continues when treatment focuses only on symptom relief and not enough on understanding the bigger picture — load, capacity, recovery, movement, and what you are actually asking your body to do.

Book an Initial Appointment

Why injuries linger

When an injury keeps hanging around, it is rarely just about one sore spot

Long-term sports injuries are often more complicated than "tight muscles" or "just inflammation."

Sometimes the issue is load management. Sometimes it is strength or capacity. Sometimes it is a mismatch between what your body can currently tolerate and what you are asking it to do. Sometimes the pain system has become more sensitive after a long period of repeated irritation.

The answer is not usually complete rest forever. It is also not blindly pushing through.

The goal is to work out what is actually driving the problem, then build a plan that helps you move forward — without repeatedly ending up back at square one.

The usual cycle

↓

Pain flares upTraining drops off or stops entirely

↓

Symptoms settleFeels better with rest, so training resumes

↓

Pain returnsLoad increases and the problem reappears

↓

Back to square oneMore frustration, more uncertainty, less confidence

Breaking this cycle means understanding what is driving the problem — not just managing symptoms when they flare.

Common presentations

Common problems I help with

This may be a good fit if you are dealing with things like:

Recurrent calf or hamstring strains
Achilles pain that keeps returning
Stubborn knee pain with running, squats or stairs
Ongoing hip pain with training
Persistent back pain stopping you from running or lifting
Tendon pain that has not settled with standard rehab
Pain that keeps interrupting training blocks or return to sport

Not sure if this fits your situation?

If your injury keeps coming back, hasn't followed a normal recovery timeline, or you still don't feel clear on why it's happening — that's exactly what this service is built around. Book an initial appointment and we'll work it out together.

Book an Initial Appointment

How I work

How I help active people get unstuck

Most people who come in have already tried a lot. The difference here is taking the time to actually understand what's driving the problem before deciding what to do about it.

Understand the full picture

We look at how the injury started, what has happened since, what makes it worse, what you have already tried, and what your training and recovery currently look like.

Identify what is most likely driving the problem

That might include tissue capacity, training load, movement strategy, strength deficits, recovery, fear of flare-ups, or a rehab plan that never matched your goals.

Build a practical return plan

You will leave with a clear direction — what to keep doing, what to modify, what to stop overthinking, and how to build back up.

Rebuild confidence and capacity

The goal is not just to calm pain down. It is to help you return to running, training or sport with better confidence, better capacity, and less fear of ending up back where you started.

At a glance

Step 01

Understand

Full history, training load, and the bigger picture around the injury.

Step 02

Identify

Work out what's actually driving the problem — not just where it hurts.

Step 03

Plan

A clear, practical return plan built around your sport and life.

Step 04

Rebuild

Progressive rehab and coaching back to full training with confidence.

Book an Initial Appointment

A different approach

Why this feels different from generic injury treatment

Many active people get stuck in the same loop: pain flares up, training drops off, symptoms settle a bit, training resumes, pain returns. That loop usually continues when treatment focuses only on symptom relief and not enough on understanding the bigger picture.

At PhysioPM, the focus is on:

Making sense of why the injury is still hanging around
Giving you a realistic plan that fits your sport and life
Progressing rehab in a way that actually supports return to performance
Helping you stop second-guessing every flare-up

The cycle — and how to break it

Pain flares up

↓

Training stops

↓

Symptoms settle

↓

Training resumes

↓

Pain returns

↓

Understand the real driver — break the cycle

Right fit?

Who this is — and isn't — for

This is a good fit if…

You are a runner frustrated by repeated setbacks
You are active and want to keep training, not just be told to rest
You want more than a quick rub, needle or temporary relief
You value a proper assessment and a real plan
You want someone who understands both pain and performance

This may not be the best fit if…

You are only looking for a one-off passive treatment with no plan for rehab or progression

Your physio

Mick McGovern

Physiotherapist · PhysioPM Townsville

I'm a Townsville physiotherapist with a special interest in persistent pain, complex injuries, and helping active people return to running, training, and sport.

I've spent years in gyms, played rugby, and provided both on-field and off-field care for women's and men's AFL. That experience has given me a strong understanding of the demands of sport, the realities of injury, and the frustration that comes when pain keeps interrupting the things you care about.

I work with runners, lifters, and active adults who are tired of recurring flare-ups, conflicting advice, and rehab that does not seem to lead anywhere.

My approach combines detailed assessment, clear explanation, and practical rehab so you can stop second-guessing the problem and start moving forward with confidence.

Learn More About Mick

Common questions

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Not always. In many cases, the better approach is to modify load rather than stop everything. That depends on your symptoms, irritability and current capacity — and we'll work that out together in the first appointment.

That's common. Many people come in after trying other treatment but still not feeling clear on the problem or confident in the plan. We take the time to understand what has and hasn't worked, and build from there.

Yes — that is exactly the kind of presentation this service is built around. Persistent injuries that haven't followed a normal timeline are the main focus of this practice.

Usually yes, but the goal is not to hand you a generic program. The goal is to give you the right rehab and progression for your situation — something that makes sense for your sport, your schedule, and where you're currently at.

Not necessarily. Many injuries can be assessed well clinically. If further medical review or imaging seems useful, I'll let you know — but you don't need to have anything organised before booking.

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Ready when you are

Ready to stop the cycle of flare-up, rest, repeat?

If your injury keeps interrupting training and you want a clearer path back to running, lifting or sport, book an initial appointment. We'll work out what is most likely driving the problem and build a plan that actually makes sense.

Book an Initial Appointment Contact the Clinic

Stubborn running and sports injuriesthat just won't settle

You're in the right place if…

When an injury keeps hanging around, it is rarely just about one sore spot

Common problems I help with

How I help active people get unstuck

Understand the full picture

Identify what is most likely driving the problem

Build a practical return plan

Rebuild confidence and capacity

Understand

Identify

Plan

Rebuild

Why this feels different from generic injury treatment

Who this is — and isn't — for

This is a good fit if…

This may not be the best fit if…

Mick McGovern

Common questions

Ready to stop the cycle of flare-up, rest, repeat?

Stubborn running and sports injuries
that just won't settle