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Julie Goodwin's next move following injury on Dancing With The Stars

<p>Julie Goodwin's highly anticipated debut on Dancing With The Stars has been postponed, following an injury. </p> <p>The 53-year-old was forced to withdraw from the first round on Sunday night after suffering two serious tears to her calf muscles during rehearsal with her dance partner, Andrey Gorbunov. </p> <p>She was taken to hospital and immediately treated. </p> <p>"I was jumping on poor Andrey here and something snapped. Fortunately, it was my leg and not his back," she told DWTS show hosts Sonia Kruger and Dr Chris Brown during the premiere. </p> <p>But on Monday, she appeared in good spirits and vowed to hit the dance floor again. </p> <p>“Despite being told that I probably should withdraw, I’m going to give it everything I’ve got, so I don’t quit easy,” Goodwin told <em>The Morning Show </em>hosts<em>. </em></p> <p>“And the beautiful thing about this production is that they’ve got some marvellous people. They’ve got the dance doctor in Bondi, who is all over this.</p> <p>“So I’m getting acupuncture, homeopathic treatment, massage. I’m swimming, I do healing meditations and listen to healing tones in my headphones.</p> <p>“So, I’m absolutely going hell for leather to get as well as I can in the hope that I can be up and dancing again very soon.”</p> <p>Goodwin is rumoured to return on the show in the third episode. </p> <p>In the interview, she also praised her dance partner, saying: "He’s amazing and he’s also very patient. He’s also very strong. And he’s also just so capable."</p> <p>“He would just be so patient and I’ve loved it. He got me sort of doing steps that I never, ever thought I would do. As you can see from the footage, we have laughed and laughed.”</p> <p><em>Images: Seven</em></p>

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"Lucky to be here": Gordon Ramsay reveals brutal injury after bike crash

<p>Gordon Ramsay has been left shaken after a bicycle crash left him in need of trauma surgery. </p> <p>The celebrity chef took to social media on Sunday to tell fans that he had been in an accident while biking in Connecticut US early last week.</p> <p>"This week I had a really bad accident while riding my bike in Connecticut. I'm doing ok and did not break any bones or suffer any major injuries but I am a bit bruised up looking like a purple potato," he wrote in the caption of the one minute-clip. </p> <p>In the video, he said that the accident "shook" him and added" Honestly, I'm lucky to be here.'</p> <p>Ramsay showed the horrific bruise covering his torso and stressed on the importance of wearing a helmet. </p> <p>"Those incredible trauma surgeons, doctors, nurses, who looked after me this week, they were amazing but honestly you've got to wear a helmet," he said.</p> <p>"I don't care how short the journey is, I don't care [about] the fact that these helmets cost money, but they're crucial. Even with the kids, or a short journey."</p> <p>He also shared a before and after photo of his cycling gear, with parts of his helmet broken and his clothing ripped. </p> <p>"Now, I'm lucky to be standing here. I'm in pain, it's been a brutal week, and I'm sort of getting through it," he said. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C8PYfVNxxFC/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C8PYfVNxxFC/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Gordon Ramsay (@gordongram)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The comment section was flooded with messages of support and well-wishes from concerned fans. </p> <p>"I thought it might have been a small crash but my god that bruise says otherwise! Glad you’re doing okay," wrote one fan. </p> <p>"The way my heart sank when you lifted your shirt," added another.</p> <p>"The world needs you chef!! Beyond happy to hear you are going to be okay, and thank God for that helmet! Happy Father's Day and speedy recovery goat!!"</p> <p>"Glad you're ok and hope you heal up quick!" added another. </p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p> <p> </p>

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Sam Kerr's Olympic dream shattered

<p>Matildas captain Sam Kerr has been forced to sit out of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games after still feeling the after effects of an injury she sustained early in the year.</p> <p>In early January, Kerr suffered an ACL injury while on a training camp and despite her best efforts to recover for the Games, Football Australia confirmed she would continue her rehabilitation program in her home club environment and will not be available for selection. </p> <p>Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson said the team has been dealing with a lot of difficult injuries, which has affected who will be eligible for the team selection. </p> <p>“Unfortunately we have had a very very tough period with injuries,” Gustavsson said. </p> <p>“I just got the summary sheet here a week ago and 15 out of these 37 players are either injured or just coming back from injury which means some of the players that are selected now is selected to be evaluated where they are with their physical status in the gym window and see where they will potentially be come the Olympics."</p> <p>“I think everyone can do the math here and understand that obviously the Olympic roster will be based mostly out of those that are in camp. “</p> <p>Gustavsson already has a clear picture of which players he wants in which positions to form the best possible team to send to Paris, but knows he may have to wait to see who is actually available as the Matildas pursue a first ever Olympics medal. </p> <p>“This window will be a tough one for me and my staff in terms of evaluating players, where they are, and then the final selection process for Paris,” he said.</p> <p>“With the Olympics approaching, selection is about seeing the overall picture over four years of performance and assembling the best team possible. We are pleased and confident we have those options across the pitch.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: James Whitehead/SPP/Shutterstock Editorial </em></p>

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Tennis star "heartbroken" as injury puts life on hold

<p>Aussie tennis star Storm Hunter has suffered a devastating injury just one day before the nation's qualifying tie against Mexico. </p> <p>The 29-year-old has had to put her Olympic dream and plans to crack the world’s top 100 on hold, after she fell and ruptured her right Achilles tendon. </p> <p>The incident occurred on Thursday’s final practice session for Australia’s Billie Jean King Cup qualification tie against Mexico on Friday. </p> <p>Hunter took to Instagram to announce the bad news, with a picture of herself during one of the games.</p> <p>“I am devastated and heartbroken but incredibly grateful to be around the team and I know I have a great group of people around me that will help me get back on court as soon as possible,” she wrote. </p> <p>“Thank you so much everyone for the messages of support and love, I’m excited to stay for the tie and support our Aussie girls.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C5pE4RDPdpG/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C5pE4RDPdpG/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by STORM HUNTER (@stormcsanders)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>In a following update, she shared a photo of herself in crutches holding a bouquet of flowers that she received from the rival team. </p> <p>"Thank you team Mexico for the flowers" she captioned the photo, with a heart emoji and the Mexican flag. </p> <p>Recovery time for a ruptured Achilles is at least four months, but can take up to a year depending on the injury. </p> <p>This means that the tennis star is set to miss the Olympic Games in Paris later this year, where she could've featured in all three disciplines.</p> <p>She was set to team up with Ellen Perez for the clash with Mexico, but has since been replaced with Daria Saville. </p> <p>“Storm went to take off for a ball and unfortunately has sustained a very serious injury, so she’s going to be getting an MRI tonight,” Team captain Sam Stosur said on Thursday. </p> <p>“Obviously the tie still continues and we’ve made a decision. Dasha’s going to go in place of her to play tomorrow, but obviously we’re all rallying behind Storm and wishing her the very, very best and the quickest recovery possible.”</p> <p>Hunter has had a career-high singles mark of 114 at the start of April, and finished 2023 as the world No.1 in doubles alongside Elise Mertens. </p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p> <p> </p> <p> </p>

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Nat Bass reveals injury that landed her in hospital

<p>Natalie Bassingthwaighte has shared the details of a gruesome injury that landed her in hospital. </p> <p>The Aussie singer and actress was performing at a music festival in Tasmania, just hours before sustaining the injury. </p> <p>On Sunday night, the 48-year-old took to her Instagram stories to tell her followers what happened, while laying in a hospital bed. </p> <p>"Now I have ended up in here 'cause I have just cut my wrist, I [am] tired, happy Sunday," she said. </p> <p>Later, she gave her followers a further update when she was released from hospital, explaining what happened. </p> <p>"OK I decided to do a little video because I'm getting so many messages asking if I'm OK, I am OK, I'm very tired, but I'm OK, thank you for your concern," she said.</p> <p>"I did end up in emergency because in Byron there's no doctors or anything open on Sunday nights."</p> <p>She went on to share with followers what happened to her, saying, "Cut my wrist on a glass picture frame that had a crack in it."</p> <p>Bassingthwaighte continued, detailing her treatment at the hospital, adding, "Anyway I got straight in [to the hospital] and they put anaesthetic in it which killed."</p> <p>"A lovely doctor cleaned it up, made sure there was no glass in there and put a little glue on it."</p> <p>Recording her update with wet hair, she explained her recovery process. "I can't shower or no I can shower, I can't get it wet for a few days so I just sat in the bath and my daughter washed my hair which was quite lovely."</p> <p>She concluded her explanation with a shout-out to her followers. "But thank you for all your concerns. I'm okay, happy Sunday."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram </em></p>

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Lisa Curry’s son suffers brutal injury

<p dir="ltr">Jett Kenny has suffered a brutal injury just after making his TV debut on the Channel 10 rebooted series of <em>Gladiators</em>.  </p> <p dir="ltr">Lisa Curry’s son was only on the show for one episode before it all came crashing down for the Aussie athlete. </p> <p dir="ltr">Ahead of the episode airing, Kenny shared a photo to Instagram, with his Olympian mum commenting, “My Viking”.</p> <p dir="ltr">During one of the first games of the episode, Kenny, aka Viking, was seen tackling a contestant in an effort to block him from dropping a ball into a basket and scoring a point.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, as they fell to the ground in a brutal battle the star appeared to land awkwardly on the ground. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C2JWx6AB3a2/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C2JWx6AB3a2/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Jett Kenny (@jettkenny)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">While his rival jumped up and continued with the game, Kenny remained laid on the floor seemingly writhing around in pain. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Fingers crossed it looks worse than it was,” said some of his fellow Gladiators as the narrator revealed that the injured star had been rushed to the medical team for treatment. </p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s really unfortunate to see. Man, he was tough out there,” said contestant Chris, who was the one that tackled the star to the ground.</p> <p dir="ltr">Concerned viewers flocked to share their shock on social media with one person tweeting: “I was expecting only the contestants to get maimed,”, while another hoped Kenny was alright, adding: “Poor Jet I know he was out a while after that”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Later in the show, it was revealed that Kenny wouldn’t return for the rest of the episode after seemingly dislocating his shoulder, but would hopefully be back later in the season. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Instagram</em></p> <p> </p>

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Home and Away star shares shocking injury

<p>Beloved <em>Home and Away</em> star Lynne McGranger has documented a shocking injury she sustained while she was walking her daughter's dog. </p> <p>The 70-year-old shared that she "face planted the road" after taking a tumble and not looking where she was going. </p> <p>She shared a before and after photo of the accident, sharing how quickly her morning had changed.</p> <p>“One minute walking your daughter and son-in-law’s dog with your MOG (mother of the groom). Nek minit (sic) you’ve face planted the road 😳😱😢🤦‍♀️,” she captioned the post.</p> <p>Addressing her caption she later added, “I must’ve been shaken up. I made punctuation mistakes 🤣😱🤦‍♀️”.</p> <p>The close-up of the injuries showed the actress with a bloodied lip and bruising on her chin, right cheek and nose.</p> <p>Friends and followers shared their best wishes for a speedy recovery after the painful accident. </p> <p>“Oh gosh Lynnie!!!! Sending love - I was hoping that was on-set makeup 😮 xx,” former <em>Home and Away</em> actress Sarah Roberts said.</p> <p>“Aww Lynny ❤️❤️❤️ hope you’re all good!” Johnny Ruffo’s partner Tahnee Sims wrote.</p> <p>“Damn, that looks pretty badass! Hope you’re all good though Lynne ❤️,” Home and Away’s Ethan Browne said.</p> <figure><picture>Diehard fans of the show also shared their messages of support, with one person writing, "<source srcset="https://images.7news.com.au/publication/C-11885705/0db0b6f348379d14736b4992660d3fa675b2b0fd.jpg?imwidth=100&impolicy=sevennews_v2 100w,https://images.7news.com.au/publication/C-11885705/0db0b6f348379d14736b4992660d3fa675b2b0fd.jpg?imwidth=150&impolicy=sevennews_v2 150w,https://images.7news.com.au/publication/C-11885705/0db0b6f348379d14736b4992660d3fa675b2b0fd.jpg?imwidth=250&impolicy=sevennews_v2 250w,https://images.7news.com.au/publication/C-11885705/0db0b6f348379d14736b4992660d3fa675b2b0fd.jpg?imwidth=320&impolicy=sevennews_v2 320w,https://images.7news.com.au/publication/C-11885705/0db0b6f348379d14736b4992660d3fa675b2b0fd.jpg?imwidth=414&impolicy=sevennews_v2 414w,https://images.7news.com.au/publication/C-11885705/0db0b6f348379d14736b4992660d3fa675b2b0fd.jpg?imwidth=500&impolicy=sevennews_v2 500w,https://images.7news.com.au/publication/C-11885705/0db0b6f348379d14736b4992660d3fa675b2b0fd.jpg?imwidth=640&impolicy=sevennews_v2 640w,https://images.7news.com.au/publication/C-11885705/0db0b6f348379d14736b4992660d3fa675b2b0fd.jpg?imwidth=828&impolicy=sevennews_v2 828w,https://images.7news.com.au/publication/C-11885705/0db0b6f348379d14736b4992660d3fa675b2b0fd.jpg?imwidth=1024&impolicy=sevennews_v2 1024w" media="(min-width: 0px)" sizes="(max-width: 767px) 95vw,(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1020px) 50vw,650px" data-ratio="1080:1350" />Ouch, now how to write that into the script.”</picture> <p>“Oh Lynne. I hope you are ok. That’s a mess. On the plus side, it could make a great story for Irene. Hope you heal quickly, love you lots xxx,” another agreed.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram</em></p> </figure>

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Scariest moment of Matilda's victory over Denmark

<p>Sam Kerr, the captain of the Matildas, finally made her long-awaited debut in this Women's World Cup during the recent match against Denmark, when she took to the field as a substitute at the 79-minute mark, contributing to Australia's 2-0 victory and securing a spot in the quarterfinals.</p> <p>After weeks of speculation about her fitness, Kerr's left calf muscle has dominated conversations across the nation – making her presence on the pitch a relief to many who had been closely following her situation.</p> <p>During her brief appearance on the field, and following her arrival that saw the 75,874-strong crowd on its feet, there were very positive signs of her competitive readiness – before a heart-stopping moment of tension arose when she slipped on the slick turf and experienced what appeared to be a groin issue.</p> <p>Kerr addressed the incident in the post-match conference, saying: “I just slipped. I have terrible groins and just fell over like a normal thing. I think it’s just on a microscope because I’ve been injured the last three weeks. But it’s nothing.”</p> <p>However, her unexpected fall could not help but catch the attention of coach Tony Gustavsson in that terrifying moment, who expressed his concern through wildly animated gestures as he attempted to determine what had gone wrong. However, he later confirmed that Kerr had assured him she was capable of continuing to play.</p> <p>During the press conference, the Gustavsson coach was asked to share his emotions when Kerr encountered the mishap, while refraining from using strong language. In response, after a moment of laughter, he said, “I know I can tend to swear too much at times when I get passionate, but today I’ll try to stay away from that. I got very nervous. I didn’t see the slip until she was on the floor. But when I saw that obviously you go: ‘Oh!’</p> <p>“And then straight away communicate with her: ‘How are you doing, you need to come off? You good?’</p> <p>“She wanted to stay on so hopefully that means she’s OK.”</p> <p>Kerr had been adhering to a rigorous training regimen since suffering the injury just two days before the tournament's commencement. After the match, she revealed that the physiotherapists were meticulous in overseeing her recovery, even prohibiting her from participating in warm-down runs with her teammates.</p> <p>Reports also suggest that the training staff advised Kerr against engaging in running and jumping during the post-game celebrations with her team.</p> <p>When asked about Australia's upcoming match as the tournament deepens, she responded, “I don’t even know when it is. I have a plan, the physios have a plan – I asked them if I could run after (the match) and they said no!</p> <p>“So I’m sure I’ll be following their plan like I have the past few weeks.”</p> <p><em>Images: Getty / Channel 7</em></p>

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Rebel Wilson hospitalised after on-set mishap

<p>Rebel Wilson found herself in need of immediate medical attention after a stunt went awry on the set of her upcoming film, <em>Bride Hard</em>.</p> <p>The Aussie A-list superstar took to her Instagram account to share a photograph of her injuries, updating her fans on her condition following a "stunt accident at 4 am" on a Thursday during filming in Savannah, Georgia. The accident resulted in her requiring "three stitches."</p> <p>In the caption accompanying the image – a close-up showcasing her bloodied and swollen nose – Wilson expressed her disappointment, stating: “NOT the way I wanted to end this movie. Three stitches and in hospital last night after a stunt accident at 4am.”</p> <p>The star of <em>Bridesmaids</em> labeled her post with a crying emoji and depicted herself with a nose that was swollen and bleeding. </p> <p><em>Bride Hard</em>, according to IMDB, revolves around the takeover of an extravagant wedding by a group of mercenaries. The plot takes an unexpected twist when it's revealed that the maid of honour is, in fact, a covert agent.</p> <p>Amid these developments, Rebel Wilson disclosed her aspirations to expand her family by adding another child. She revealed that she's considering undergoing IVF treatments to realise this dream.</p> <p>The 43-year-old actress, <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/rebel-wilson-shares-first-photo-of-baby-s-face" target="_blank" rel="noopener">who welcomed her daughter Royce Lillian</a> through a surrogate last November, spoke to E! News about her desire to provide her child with a sibling. </p> <p>She acknowledged the potential role of IVF in achieving this goal, saying, “It’s just like, well, is that possible? I have to do IVF. We’ll see how it goes."</p> <p>Regardless of the outcome, Wilson expressed contentment with her role as a mother, regardless of the size of her family. She fondly referred to her daughter as a "miracle."</p> <p>Wilson's daughter Royce Lillian is the result of her <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/relationships/rebel-wilson-drops-huge-relationship-news" target="_blank" rel="noopener">partnership with Ramona Agruma</a>. The couple announced their engagement in February of the previous year.</p> <p>Wilson noted the transformative impact her daughter has had on her life, admitting that her parenting style turned out differently than anticipated. She finds herself to be more soft-hearted than she initially expected.</p> <p>The actress spoke of the heartwarming moments shared with her child, particularly after waking from a nap. She described the joy they experience upon reuniting as if they had been apart for only a short time. Wilson explained, "It's like we've only been separated for 45 minutes." The actress emphasised the depth of her affection, showering her daughter with affectionate hugs.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

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Opioids don’t relieve acute low back or neck pain – and can result in worse pain, new study finds

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/christine-lin-346821">Christine Lin</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/andrew-mclachlan-255312">Andrew McLachlan</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/caitlin-jones-1263090">Caitlin Jones</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/christopher-maher-826241">Christopher Maher</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a></em></p> <p>Opioids are the one of the most prescribed pain-relief for people with low back and neck pain. In Australia, around <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00586-017-5178-4">40% of people</a> with low back and neck pain who present to their GP and <a href="https://qualitysafety.bmj.com/content/28/10/826">70% of people</a> with low back pain who visit a hospital emergency department are prescribed opioids such as oxycodone.</p> <p>But our <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)00404-X/fulltext">new study</a>, published today in the Lancet medical journal, found opioids do not relieve “acute” low back or neck pain (lasting up to 12 weeks) and can result in worse pain.</p> <p>Prescribing opioids for low back and neck pain can also cause <a href="https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/taking-opioid-medicines-safely">harms</a> ranging from common side effects – such as nausea, constipation and dizziness – to <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/illicit-use-of-drugs/opioid-harm-in-australia/summary">misuse, dependency, poisoning and death</a>.</p> <p>Our findings show opioids should <em>not</em> be recommended for acute low back pain or neck pain. A change in prescribing for low back pain and neck pain is urgently needed in <a href="https://www.tga.gov.au/resources/publication/publications/addressing-prescription-opioid-use-and-misuse-australia">Australia</a> and <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/commissions/opioid-crisis">globally</a> to reduce opioid-related harms.</p> <h2>Comparing opioids to a placebo</h2> <p>In our trial, we randomly allocated 347 people with acute low back pain and neck pain to take either an opioid (oxycodone plus naloxone) or <a href="https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/placebo-effect">placebo</a> (a tablet that looked the same but had no active ingredients).</p> <p>Oxycodone is an opioid pain medicine which can be given orally. <a href="https://www.nps.org.au/radar/articles/oxycodone-with-naloxone-controlled-release-tablets-targin-for-chronic-severe-pain">Naloxone</a>, an opioid-reversal drug, reduces the severity of constipation while not disrupting the pain relieving effects of oxycodone.</p> <p>Participants took the opioid or placebo for a maximum of six weeks.</p> <p>People in the both groups also received <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1836955321000941">education and advice</a> from their treating doctor. This could be, for example, advice on returning to their normal activities and avoiding bed rest.</p> <p>We assessed their outcomes over a one-year period.</p> <h2>What did we find?</h2> <p>After six weeks of treatment, taking opioids did not result in better pain relief compared to the placebo.</p> <p>Nor were there benefits to other outcomes such as physical function, quality of life, recovery time or work absenteeism.</p> <p>More people in the group treated with opioids experienced nausea, constipation and dizziness than in the placebo group.</p> <p>Results at one year highlight the potential long-term harm of opioids even with short-term use. Compared to the placebo group, people in the opioid group experienced slightly worse pain, and reported a higher risk of <a href="https://academic.oup.com/painmedicine/article/20/1/113/4728236#129780622">opioid misuse</a> (problems with their thinking, mood or behaviour, or using opioids differently from how the medicines were prescribed).</p> <p>More people in the opioid group reported pain at one year: 66 people compared to 50 in the placebo group.</p> <h2>What will this mean for opioid prescribing?</h2> <p>In recent years, international low back pain guidelines have shifted the focus of treatment from drug to non-drug treatment due to <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140-6736(18)30489-6/fulltext">evidence</a> of limited treatment benefits and concern of medication-related harm.</p> <p>For acute low back pain, <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00586-018-5673-2">guidelines</a> recommend patient education and advice, and if required, anti-inflammatory pain medicines such as ibuprofen. Opioids are <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00586-018-5673-2">recommended only</a> when other treatments haven’t worked or aren’t appropriate.</p> <p>Guidelines for <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33064878/">neck</a> pain similarly discourage the use of opioids.</p> <p>Our latest research clearly demonstrates the benefits of opioids do not outweigh possible harms in people with acute low back pain and neck pain.</p> <p>Instead of advising opioid use for these conditions in selected circumstances, opioids should be discouraged without qualification.</p> <h2>Change is possible</h2> <p>Complex problems such as opioid use need smart solutions, and another study we recently conducted provides convincing data opioid prescribing can be successfully reduced.</p> <p>The <a href="https://qualitysafety.bmj.com/content/30/10/825">study</a> involved four hospital emergency departments, 269 clinicians and 4,625 patients with low back pain. The intervention comprised of:</p> <ul> <li>clinician education about <a href="https://aci.health.nsw.gov.au/networks/musculoskeletal/resources/low-back-pain">evidence-based management</a> of low back pain</li> <li>patient education using posters and handouts to highlight the benefits and harms of opioids</li> <li>providing heat packs and anti-inflammatory pain medicines as alternative pain-management treatments</li> <li>fast-tracking referrals to outpatient clinics to avoid long waiting lists</li> <li>audits and feedback to clinicians on information about opioid prescribing rates.</li> </ul> <p>This intervention reduced opioid prescribing from <a href="https://qualitysafety.bmj.com/content/30/10/825">63% to 51% of low back pain presentations</a>. The <a href="https://emj.bmj.com/content/early/2023/04/02/emermed-2022-212874">reduction was sustained for 30 months</a>.</p> <p>Key to this successful approach is that we worked with clinicians to develop suitable pain-management treatments without opioids that were feasible in their setting.</p> <p>More work is needed to evaluate this and other interventions aimed at reducing opioid prescribing in other settings including GP clinics.</p> <p>A nuanced approach is often necessary to avoid causing <a href="https://theconversation.com/opioid-script-changes-mean-well-but-have-left-some-people-in-chronic-pain-156753">unintended consequences</a> in reducing opioid use.</p> <p>If people with low back pain or neck pain are using opioids, especially at higher doses over an extended period of time, it’s important they seek advice from their doctor or pharmacist before stopping these medicines to avoid <a href="https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/opioid-withdrawal-symptoms">unwanted effects when the medicines are abruptly stopped</a>.</p> <p>Our research provides compelling evidence opioids have a limited role in the management of acute low back and neck pain. The challenge is getting this new information to clinicians and the general public, and to implement this evidence into practice.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/203244/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/christine-lin-346821">Christine Lin</a>, Professor, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/andrew-mclachlan-255312">Andrew McLachlan</a>, Head of School and Dean of Pharmacy, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/caitlin-jones-1263090">Caitlin Jones</a>, Postdoctoral Research Associate in Musculoskeletal Health, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/christopher-maher-826241">Christopher Maher</a>, Professor, Sydney School of Public Health, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/opioids-dont-relieve-acute-low-back-or-neck-pain-and-can-result-in-worse-pain-new-study-finds-203244">original article</a>.</em></p>

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AFL star rushed to hospital

<p>Geelong captain Patrick Dangerfield played out the Cats’ 38-point loss to Port Adelaide on June 15 with a partially collapsed lung and a cracked rib after being hit from behind.</p> <p>The star midfielder wasn’t taken to hospital until after the game, despite the nasty blow to his lower back region following a collision with Dan Houston in the second quarter of the game.</p> <p>The club confirmed later that night that he had been taken to a hospital in Adelaide “as a precaution for further assessment”.</p> <p>According to the <em>ABC</em>, Dangerfield was taken in an ambulance.</p> <p>The following day the Cats confirmed he had suffered internal injuries.</p> <p>In a statement, the club said, “Dangerfield was taken to hospital after the game where he underwent further assessment and scans, he returned to the team hotel on Thursday night and will return to Melbourne on Friday by car.</p> <p>“The Cats medical team will continue to monitor Dangerfield to determine a return to play timeline.”</p> <p>SEN’s Sam Edmund took to Twitter to note the football club also had concerns about the star player’s kidneys.</p> <p>Coach Chris Scott wasn’t able to provide much information on Dangerfield’s injury.</p> <p>“He got that knock and he just progressively seized up more and more to the point where, he’s a warrior, but it looked to us like he couldn’t move,” Scott said.</p> <p>“He said that he wanted to keep trying, but it was clear he just couldn’t have an impact on the game from pretty early in the second quarter.</p> <p>“Our medical staff are brilliant and they will be providing the best care possible.</p> <p>“I could say that it’s a back spasm or something like that, but the honest answer is ‘I don’t know’.”</p> <p>The night of the incident was Dangerfield’s first game back after a hamstring injury suffered from old side Adelaide at GMHBA Stadium in round 8.</p> <p>Cats’ midfielder Tanner Bruhn also suffered from the game as he was subbed out after half-time with a shoulder injury.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty</em></p>

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“It pains me”: Tennis star shares sad news

<p dir="ltr">Emma Raducanu has revealed that she will have to miss the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open, as she undergoes three “minor” surgeries on both of her hands and left ankle.</p> <p dir="ltr">The twenty-year-old posted the update to Instagram on Wednesday, revealing that she has kept the severity of her injuries private for some time.</p> <p dir="ltr">Raducanu shared a snap from her hospital bed with a cast on her right hand, after undergoing the first of her three planned procedures.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It is safe to say the last 10 months have been difficult as I dealt with a recurring injury on a bone of both hands,” she wrote in the handwritten statement.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I tried my best to manage the pain and play through it most of this year and end of last year by reducing practice load dramatically, missing weeks of training as well as cutting last season short to try heal it, unfortunately it’s not enough.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m disappointed to share that I will be out for the next few months and while I am at it will have another minor procedure that is due on my ankle.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It pains me that I will miss the summer events and I tried to downplay the issues so I thank all my fans who continued to support me when you did not know the facts.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Looking forward to seeing you all back out there,” she ended the note with a hand drawn heart.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 2021 US Open champion has been struggling with a string of injuries as she tried to adjust to the demands of being a professional tennis player.</p> <p dir="ltr">Her most recent hand injury forced her to withdraw from the Billie Jean King Cup finals at the end of the last year. At the beginning of this year, she rolled her ankle mid-match in a tournament in Auckland.</p> <p dir="ltr">Raducanu is set to have the operation on her left hand this month after getting surgery for her left ankle in the coming weeks.</p> <p dir="ltr">She hopes to train on the tennis court again by the end of the summer, but her team has refused to predict an exact return date.</p> <p dir="ltr">Many fans and fellow tennis players have commented their support and well wishes for the star.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Rest up, Emma, and come back stronger 💜💚,” commented the official Wimbledon Instagram account.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Speedy recovery ❤️,” wrote Ukrainian tennis player, Marta Kostyuk.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Surgery is never nice, always a little scary, well done,” commented one person.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Get well soon Emma and you have many fans around the world supporting you and having your back,” wrote another.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Get well soon Emma!, we will be waiting for you when the moment is right, wishing you the best,” commented a third.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

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Aussie tourist makes disturbing claim about Fiji resort where young boy was killed

<p>An Aussie tourist has spoken out about an injury he sustained while holidaying at Club Wyndham Denarau Island resort in Fiji, where an 8-year-old boy died last week. </p> <p>Cairo Winitana passed away while on holiday with his family, after he was chasing frogs in the five-star resort’s flower garden when he allegedly touched a light that delivered him a fatal electric shock. </p> <p>Now, an Aussie tourist who visited the resort last year says he too received an electric shock on the grounds of the luxury villa. </p> <p>The unnamed holiday-goer says he was shocked by an exposed light fitting, where wires were draped between two lampposts where they got wet from the rain. </p> <p>The damaged light delivered a hefty shock to the tourist, but he walked away relatively unharmed. </p> <p>After Cairo was found unresponsive in the gardens of the resort, desperate guests tried to revive him, as they shared the distress for the young boy. </p> <p>Thomas Meier told <a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=DTWEB_WRE170_a_NEW&amp;dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailytelegraph.com.au%2Fnews%2Fnsw%2Fsydney-boy-cairo-waitana-dies-at-fiji-resort%2Fnews-story%2F0da28333a98b983059b5e07871498679&amp;memtype=anonymous&amp;mode=premium&amp;v21=dynamic-low-control-score&amp;V21spcbehaviour=append" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Telegraph</a> that he found the youngster unconscious in a garden bed.</p> <p>He told the publication he believed the child had been fatally injured after innocently playing with frogs near a bolt which was screwed into the ground where a live current was coming from.</p> <p>“As we were walking through the gardens we just saw this boy face down in the garden,” Mr Meier, 24, said.</p> <p>“My uncle went up to him and we were trying to tap him on the shoulder to see if he was responsive and he wasn’t moving.”</p> <p>He explained that his uncle received an electric shock as he assisted Cairo, before bystanders rushed to help.</p> <p>The child’s mother, Amber de Thierry, was soon found by resort guests, with Mr Meier describing her intense distress.</p> <p>“Eventually the mum turned up and she was screaming, crying, calling out to her son Cairo. She had one of her relatives hugging her,” he said.</p> <p>“We were all just sitting around hoping this little boy is going to wake up after a couple of shots of this defibrillator.”</p> <p>A post-mortem examination on Tuesday day confirmed Cairo’s cause of death was electrocution, as previously suspected.</p> <p>A devastated Ms de Thierry has also shared an <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/health/caring/my-heart-aches-mum-of-young-boy-who-died-in-fiji-speaks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">emotional tribute</a> to her beloved boy on social media.</p> <p>“I loved you my son, from the moment I found out I was carrying you and will love you forever more my beautiful blue eyes,” she wrote.</p> <p>Loved ones have since set up at <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/qte4ja-help-bring-our-boy-home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoFundMe</a> page to help Ms de Thierry and her partner Clarke Winitana bring Cairo’s body home.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Facebook / GoFundMe</em></p>

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Nick Kyrgios shares post-surgery update

<p>Nick Kyrgios has shared an update with his fans after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his knee. </p> <p>“Surgery complete,” the 27-year-old tennis player announced in his caption, “I’ll be doing everything I can do to get back to my best. to the real ones checking in and sending the vibes…. I love you.” </p> <p>The news was delivered on Instagram to Kyrgios’ 3.3m followers, and featured Kyrgios in a white hospital gown, lying in bed, and giving the camera the middle finger.</p> <p>Kyrgios’ announcement that he would be withdrawing from the 2023 Australian Open due to injury came on January 16, when he told reporters that a parameniscal cyst was growing in his left meniscus, caused by a tear in his lateral meniscus. </p> <p>On Monday, Kyrgios told fans that he would be undergoing surgery for the injury, and his update came hours later. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CnvmOyNyj5d/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CnvmOyNyj5d/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Nick Kyrgios (@k1ngkyrg1os)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>It is expected that the World No 21 will miss three to four weeks of play, with Kyrgios admitting that his decision did not come easily to him. He aims to recover in time to be back on the court for the Indian Wells Masters in March.</p> <p>“I’m devastated, obviously. It’s my home tournament, I’ve had some great memories here,” he said, “Obviously, last year winning the title in doubles and playing the best tennis of my life probably.</p> <p>“Then going into this event as one of the favourites, it’s brutal. All I can do now is just look forward, do what I need to do, and come back.”</p> <p>Will Maher, Kyrgios’ physiotherapist Will Maher, confirmed that Kyrgios had explored every avenue to try and compete in the Open.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Get well soon, Nick ❤️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AusOpen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AusOpen</a> • <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AO2023?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AO2023</a></p> <p>— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) <a href="https://twitter.com/AustralianOpen/status/1614867283347922945?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p>“It has been a pretty interrupted and difficult lead into the Australian Open unfortunately and during the last week or so Nick’s experienced some discomfort in his knee,” Maher told reporters. “It’s not a significant injury in the sense that it is going to be career-threatening or anything like that.</p> <p>“Even at that stage it was still worth persevering to see if we could do anything to get him back on court. To Nick’s credit he did try everything - to the point even last week he was having a procedure called fenestration and drainage where they use a syringe to try and drain the cyst.”</p> <p>Maher went on to stress that withdrawing was the right decision for Kyrgios and his future in tennis, and gave fans of the tennis star hope that they’d soon see him take the courts again. </p> <p>“I think we made the sensible decision to withdraw him because at this stage he wants to feel mentally comfortable that he can go seven matches, he can go the distance,” Maher stated, “we wanted to prevent him from causing further injury or making that injury worse …</p> <p>“It won’t interrupt his year tremendously despite the fact that it’s a great disappointment to withdraw from the Australian Open home Slam. The prognosis is good, he’ll be fine and we’ll just go back to work and make sure everything’s fine for him and we go again.”</p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

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Former MP reveals "devastating" Covid vaccine side effects

<p>Former federal MP Dr Kerryn Phelps has revealed both she and her wife have suffered continual health issues after receiving the Covid vaccine, while implying the true rate of adverse effects is higher than reported. </p> <p>In an explosive submission to Parliament’s Long Covid inquiry, the former Australian Medical Association (AMA) president has broken her silence about the "devastating" experience. </p> <p>“This is an issue that I have witnessed first-hand with my wife who suffered a severe neurological reaction to her first Pfizer vaccine within minutes, including burning face and gums, paraesethesiae, and numb hands and feet, while under observation by myself, another doctor and a registered nurse at the time of immunisation,” the 65-year-old said.</p> <p>“I continue to observe the devastating effects a year-and-a-half later with the addition of fatigue and additional neurological symptoms including nerve pains, altered sense of smell, visual disturbance and musculoskeletal inflammation. The diagnosis and causation has been confirmed by several specialists who have told me that they have seen ‘a lot’ of patients in a similar situation.”</p> <p>“Jackie [Kerryn's wife] asked me to include her story to raise awareness for others,” she said.</p> <p>“We did a lot of homework before having the vaccine, particularly about choice of vaccine at the time. In asking about adverse side effects, we were told that ‘the worst thing that could happen would be anaphylaxis’ and that severe reactions such as myocarditis and pericarditis were ‘rare’.”</p> <p>Dr Phelps revealed she was also diagnosed with a <a href="https://www.news.com.au/finance/economy/federal-budget/covid-vaccine-injury-payouts-explode-to-77-million-budget-reveals/news-story/df39fcf430c6cadb487a9914df7a3422" target="_self" data-tgev="event119" data-tgev-container="bodylink" data-tgev-order="df39fcf430c6cadb487a9914df7a3422" data-tgev-label="finance" data-tgev-metric="ev">vaccine injury</a> from her second dose of Pfizer in July 2021, “with the diagnosis and causation confirmed by specialist colleagues”.</p> <p>Dr Phelps said both reactions were reported to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) “but never followed up”.</p> <p>She revealed she had spoken with other doctors “who have themselves experienced a serious and persistent adverse event” but that “vaccine injury is a subject that few in the medical profession have wanted to talk about”.</p> <p>“Regulators of the medical profession have censored public discussion about adverse events following immunisation, with threats to doctors not to make any public statements about anything that ‘might undermine the government’s vaccine rollout’ or risk suspension or loss of their registration,” she said.</p> <p>“There has been a delay in recognition of vaccine injury, partly because of under-reporting, concerns about vaccine hesitancy in the context of managing a global pandemic, and needing to find the balance between risks and benefits on a population level.”</p> <p>According to the TGA’s most recent <a href="https://www.tga.gov.au/news/covid-19-vaccine-safety-reports/covid-19-vaccine-safety-report-15-12-2022" target="_self">safety update</a>, there have been a total of 137,141 adverse event reports from nearly 64.4 million doses — a rate of 0.2 per cent.</p> <p>There have been 819 reports “assessed as likely to be myocarditis” from 49.8 million doses of Pfizer and Moderna.</p> <p>Fourteen deaths have officially been linked to vaccination — 13 after AstraZeneca and one after Pfizer.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p>

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Big jump in e-scooter injuries following Melbourne trial

<p>With many Australian states reviewing the laws around electric scooters, new data from Victoria suggests more can be done to prevent serious injuries.</p> <p>Data from Monash University’s Victorian Injury Surveillance Unit shows a doubling in the number of scooter injuries in the state this year.</p> <p>Some 427 people attended emergency departments with injuries from e-scooters in 2021/22, a 234% increase on the previous year.</p> <p>The data comes from 38 Victorian public hospitals with 24-hour emergency departments. Around a third of the emergency department presentations were admitted to hospital. </p> <p>Reflecting trends seen in Queensland, the majority of Victorian e-scooter injuries involved males (68% in 2021/22), with head and neck injuries common. </p> <p>Younger people aged 10 to 39 consistently made up more than 70% of emergency department presentations in 2020/21 and 2021/22.</p> <p>But urban transport specialists say e-scooters should still be taken seriously as a method of transport which offers environmental and health benefits.</p> <p>Professor Hussein Dia from Swinburne University, an expert in future urban mobility, argues it’s important to consider the broader benefits offered by micromobility transport options, particularly as an alternative to private car use for shorter commutes, and for connecting people to nearby public transport.</p> <p>“I think we need to take them seriously because they can make a big difference in terms of reducing congestion, improving livability in our cities, because they can be accessed very easily, and also they can be a force for a good change in reducing emissions.”</p> <p>“Transport contributes around 18% of [greenhouse gas emissions], particularly road transport and specifically private vehicles. So, the more we move people out of private vehicles towards public transport, e-bikes and e-scooters, the better for everyone. And then also, let’s not forget about the health benefits. But we need to prioritise safety,” he says.</p> <p>Victorian Injury Surveillance Unit data shows there were more than 11,400 emergency department presentations related to cycling injuries, more than 5,500 for motorbikes, and more than 7,600 related to cars in 2021/22. While e-scooter injury numbers are relatively small in comparison to these other transport modes, it’s difficult to compare statistics directly given the lack of information on the proportion of trips made by e-scooter.</p> <p>Transport accidents are the third highest cause of serious injuries and fourth highest cause of deaths, 2019-20 data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows. Car occupants and motorcyclists experienced the highest rates of serious injuries and deaths. </p> <p>Dia says while each city is different in terms of its infrastructure and transport policies, a UK study found e-scooters were five times safer than bicycles and nine times safer than motorbikes. </p> <p>Professor Mark Stevenson, an expert in transport and public health at the University of Melbourne, says when e-scooters and e-bikes replace car trips this reduces air pollution in the form of particulate matter from car tyres and combustion.</p> <p>Stevenson says injury data typically doesn’t distinguish between regulated use of e-scooters as part of the trial in Melbourne, and illegal or unregulated use. This is an important distinction because vehicles in the trial have safety measures in place such as speed limitations and helmet requirements.</p> <p>“If we embrace them and also ensure that we can deliver a safe transport infrastructure for them, we could see enormous utility out of these vehicles, one that will deliver in spades,” he says.</p> <p>The year-long trial of 1,500 rent-and-ride e-scooters operates in the inner city councils of Melbourne, Yarra and Port Phillip. To date, Melburnians have taken more than a million trips on e-scooters according to the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria.</p> <p>Private e-scooters remain illegal to use in public spaces, including roads and footpaths in Victoria. It’s estimated 100,000 e-scooters are privately owned in Victoria, according to reports in The Age.</p> <p>A spokesperson for Neuron, one of the companies participating in the Melbourne trial, says its vehicles include safety technology that controls where e-scooters are ridden and parked, and how fast they can travel.</p> <p>“Safety is our top priority, we have a robust rider education program focused on ensuring riders know the rules and how to ride and park responsibly. We run regular safety campaigns and ScootSafe events and deploy ‘Safety Ambassadors’ to city streets to engage one-to-one with riders and the general public,” the spokesperson says.</p> <p>According to the Victorian Injury Surveillance Unit, the most common injuries were fractures (35%), dislocations or sprains (11%) or open wounds (11%) in 2021-22.</p> <p>Most injuries occurred as a result of people falling from e-scooters (81%), 7% collided with a car or van, 1% collided with a bicycle, and 1% with a pedestrian.</p> <p>Queensland recently introduced new rules and penalties for e-scooters in an effort to improve safety, and South Australia looks set to reform e-scooter laws in 2023.</p> <p><strong>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/cosmos-briefing/victoria-e-scooter-injuries/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Petra Stock.</strong></p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

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Why do I sprain my ankle so often and how can I cut the risk of it happening again?

<p>Are you one of those people who seems to be forever spraining their ankle?</p> <p>To some extent, ankle sprains are <a href="https://meridian.allenpress.com/jat/article/54/6/603/420863/Epidemiology-of-Ankle-Sprains-and-Chronic-Ankle" target="_blank" rel="noopener">part and parcel</a> of being active.</p> <p>But if it’s happening again and again, here’s what may be going on – and how you can reduce your risk of recurrent ankle sprain.</p> <h2>One sprain can lead to another… and another</h2> <p>A large <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-013-0102-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">review</a> of ankle sprain studies in the journal <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-013-0102-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sports Medicine</a> found most people who actively play sport or train can expect to have a fairly low incidence of ankle sprain per 1,000 hours of training time. But it also said:</p> <blockquote> <p>Females were at a higher risk of sustaining an ankle sprain compared with males and children compared with adolescents and adults, with indoor and court sports the highest risk activity.</p> </blockquote> <p>The most frequent type of ankle sprain occurs if the ligaments on the outside of the ankle are stretched or torn when the joint moves beyond the normal range of movement. This is known as an inversion or lateral ankle sprain.</p> <p>Strong evidence from <a href="https://meridian.allenpress.com/jat/article/56/6/578/466668/Lateral-Ankle-Sprain-and-Subsequent-Ankle-Sprain" target="_blank" rel="noopener">studies</a> suggests once people sprain their ankle, they are more likely to re-sprain it. As one <a href="https://meridian.allenpress.com/jat/article/56/6/578/466668/Lateral-Ankle-Sprain-and-Subsequent-Ankle-Sprain" target="_blank" rel="noopener">review</a> of the evidence put it:</p> <blockquote> <p>a history of lateral ankle sprain is known to disrupt the structural integrity of the ligaments and sensorimotor function, likely impairing an individual’s ability to avoid injurious situations.</p> </blockquote> <p>Some ankle sprains might seem to be very minor, with almost no swelling or mobility problems. But some people can end up with what’s known as chronic ankle instability, where they tend to re-sprain their ankle again and again.</p> <p>Another <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-017-0781-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">review</a> looking at factors contributing to chronic ankle instability found</p> <blockquote> <p>feelings of instability and recurrent ankle sprain injuries (termed chronic ankle instability, or CAI) have been reported in up to 70% of patients. The subsequent development of CAI has adverse health consequences including reduced quality of life and early-onset osteoarthritis.</p> </blockquote> <p>Once an ankle fracture is excluded, busy hospital emergency departments often send patients home with instructions to ice the ankle and keep off it for a day or two. There’s often no advice to follow up with a physio for rehabilitation.</p> <p>This is unfortunate, as evidence suggests people with a history of ankle sprains will likely:</p> <ul> <li> <p>become progressively <a href="https://meridian.allenpress.com/jat/article/50/7/742/112426/Physical-Activity-Levels-in-College-Students-With" target="_blank" rel="noopener">less active</a></p> </li> <li> <p>have <a href="https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/50/24/1496.long" target="_blank" rel="noopener">higher</a> body mass indices</p> </li> <li> <p>report more general body <a href="https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/50/24/1496.long" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pain</a> and</p> </li> <li> <p>generally tend to have a lower <a href="https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/50/24/1496.long" target="_blank" rel="noopener">quality of life</a>.</p> </li> </ul> <h2>Even the other ankle may be at risk</h2> <p>Research suggests people who sprain their ankle may be more likely to have <a href="https://meridian.allenpress.com/jat/article/56/6/578/466668/Lateral-Ankle-Sprain-and-Subsequent-Ankle-Sprain" target="_blank" rel="noopener">injuries</a> to other joints on the same leg, or even the opposite leg. A review in the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4196323/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">International Journal of Sports Physiotherapy</a> noted “an ankle sprain is linked to both re-injury and subsequent injury to the contralateral side”.</p> <p>Why? It may have something to do with the brain’s tremendous ability to continually adapt.</p> <p>Just as <a href="http://www.ajnr.org/content/36/11/2048" target="_blank" rel="noopener">extended bed rest</a> or prolonged microgravity exposure in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-68201-3_3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">astronauts</a> can cause changes in the brain and the way it relates to movement, perhaps our brains subconsciously compensate after an ankle injury.</p> <p>That could be by, for example, via limping or a slight change in the way you walk; perhaps you subconsciously don’t want to challenge the ankle due to fear of re-spraining. This may put other joints or the opposite limb at heightened risk.</p> <p>This neuroplasticity adds new challenges to the assessment or rehabilitation of ankle injury, and to predicting who is likely to be at increased <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00913847.2020.1780098?journalCode=ipsm20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">risk of subsequent injuries</a>.</p> <h2>What can you do to reduce the risk of re-spraining your ankle?</h2> <p>If you’re getting recurrent ankle sprains, see a physiotherapist. They will be able to teach you how to reduce the risk.</p> <p>Currently the best evidence for reducing the chances of re-spraining your ankle sprain comes down to two main things:</p> <p>1) Protecting the joint with an ankle brace when active</p> <p>This could mean using a <a href="https://meridian.allenpress.com/jat/article/54/6/650/420871/Prevention-of-Lateral-Ankle-Sprains" target="_blank" rel="noopener">professionally fitted external support brace</a> (not an elastic sleeve). This is a relatively low cost and effective means of risk reduction.</p> <p>2) Using balancing exercises and ‘proprioceptive training’</p> <p>Examples of <a href="https://meridian.allenpress.com/jat/article/52/11/1065/112804/Proprioceptive-Training-for-the-Prevention-of" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proprioceptive training</a> include:</p> <ul> <li> <p>balancing on each leg, one at a time, while throwing and catching a ball against a wall</p> </li> <li> <p>balancing on an ankle disc or wobble board for three to five minutes daily.</p> </li> </ul> <p>These exercises can help strengthen the muscles and ligaments in your ankle. As one literature review put it:</p> <p>Proprioceptive training is a cost- and time-effective intervention that can benefit patients who have sustained a previous ankle sprain during physical activity and can subsequently reduce the risk of further complications.</p> <p><strong>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-do-i-sprain-my-ankle-so-often-and-how-can-i-cut-the-risk-of-it-happening-again-190751" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</strong></p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

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Sports watches could help reduce falls and injuries in elderly people

<p>Falls are a significant health issue in Australia – in <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/injury/falls" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2019-2020</a> they were the largest contributor to hospitalised injuries and the leading cause of deaths due to injury.</p> <p>But people aged 65 and over are more likely to be hospitalised or die due to a fall compared to any other age, so Australian researchers have created an algorithm that could be used to help improve their walking stability and reduce the risk of falls.</p> <p>When paired with a wearable technology device, like a smartwatch, The Walk Watch algorithm accurately measures walking steadiness and speed.</p> <p>The algorithm was developed in a new study <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-20327-z" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">published</a> in <em>Scientific Reports</em>.</p> <p>One of the lead authors of the paper, Lloyd Chan, PhD candidate at Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) and the University of New South Wales Medicine &amp; Health, says this is the first time an algorithm for measuring gait quality has been widely tested in real-world environments and will be made commercially available.</p> <p>“We know that the way people walk is a predictor of their health. For example, people who walk more slowly, infrequently, in smaller steps or for shorter distances are typically more likely to suffer a fall,” says Chan.</p> <p>“Our goal was to capture this data through looking at how people naturally walk in their daily lives – and then test this broadly on over 70,000 individuals.”</p> <p>Digital gait biomarkers are measurements of a person’s gait – such as posture, cadence, walking speed and length of stride – that can provide insight into their overall health, functional decline, and can predict their likelihood to fall.</p> <p>But conventional digital gait biomarker measurements are usually geared towards walking on treadmills in the lab and so they don’t accurately assess gait from walking activities in real-world environments.</p> <p>Also, studies have shown that wearable devices positioned on the lower back and ankle can provide reliable digital gait biomarkers, but these placements can be awkward for the people wearing them.</p> <div> <p>Devices worn on the wrists are much more convenient, but measurements can be less reliable due to arm movements and being situated further from a person’s centre of mass.</p> </div> <p>This study aimed to address both of these issues.</p> <p>In the first stage, 101 participants between 19 and 81 years old, wore the UK Biobank wrist sensor and were recorded performing structured mobility routines in their homes and while walking and running in a lab setting.</p> <p>Using this new data, the researchers then developed a digital gait biomarker extraction algorithm – Watch Walk – that could measure the gait quality of the individuals wearing the wrist sensor device.</p> <p>In the second stage of the study, they then tested the validity of the digital gait biomarkers on 78,822 participants aged 46 to 77 years from the UK Biobank database.</p> <p>Participants wore a sensor on their dominant wrist for seven days, producing a total of 11,646 four-second recordings of movement. These recordings were then classified into ‘walking, running, stationary or unspecified arm’ activities and the Watch Walk algorithm was found to measure these activities with a 93%, 98%, 86%, and 74% precision, respectively.</p> <p>The authors acknowledge that the digital gait biomarkers were not validated in participants who use walking aids, and walking speed accuracy was lower for walks slower than 0.7 metres/second and faster than 1.8 m/s – so further studies are still needed.</p> <p>“Our findings build on advances in wrist-worn accelerometer technology, which have previously been more limited to measurements of step count and sleep,” explains Chan.</p> <p>“As a measurement tool, Watch Walk has so many possibilities. Individuals can gain reliable feedback on their gait and track their improvement over time.</p> <p>“In the future, we hope to be able to analyse how people walk and predict their risk of disease or mortality,” says Chan.</p> <p>A Watch Walk app is currently in development and slated for release in late 2023.</p> <p><!-- Start of tracking content syndication. Please do not remove this section as it allows us to keep track of republished articles --></p> <p><img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=217683&amp;title=Sports+watches+could+help+reduce+falls+and+injuries+in+elderly+people" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><!-- End of tracking content syndication --></p> <div id="contributors"> <p><em><a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/algorithm-smart-watch-falls-elderly/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/imma-perfetto" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Imma Perfetto</a>. Imma Perfetto is a science journalist at Cosmos. She has a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Science Communication from the University of Adelaide.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p> </div>

Technology

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4 tips for looking after an injured partner

<p>As hard as it can be to recover from an injury yourself, it can be just as difficult to watch your partner go through the same pain. Whether it’s a fall, a simple sprain, back pain or something more serious, there are lots of easy ways in which you can help them on their path to recovery.</p> <p><strong>1. Make your home more accessible</strong></p> <p>If your partner’s injury affects their strength or ability to walk, you need to take a good look at your home and see what you can do to make mobility easier. Removing possible obstructions like plants and pieces of furniture is a good way to start. If you have any rugs, temporarily move them or at the very least ensure they are stuck down securely and won’t be able to trip anyone up.</p> <p><strong>2. Communicate</strong></p> <p>Open up the path for communication with your partner and encourage them not to suppress what they’re feeling. People’s pride often prevents them from admitting they’re in pain, so make sure your partner knows how important it is to you that they are open and honest throughout their recovery. Plus, it’s always easier when you have a shoulder to cry on or someone to vent to.</p> <p><strong>3. Keep them busy</strong></p> <p>It’s easy for formerly active people to slip into depression when suddenly finding themselves stuck indoors. Therefore, it’s just as essential to look after their mental health as it is their physical health. Suggest ways they can keep themselves occupied and productive. Why not learn a language? There are hundreds of free educational apps and resources out there to keep your partner busy and maybe even teach them a new skill.</p> <p><strong>4. Treatment</strong></p> <p>Stubborn partners can be a real pain to treat. First you have to get them to the doctor, then you have to make sure they’re actually going through with the treatment. However hard it may be, though, if your partner doesn’t receive immediate treatment, their condition could simply keep getting worse.</p> <p>Have you ever had to care for an injured partner? We’d love to hear your advice. Share your tips with us in the comments below.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

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