Children’s health: sport and exercise

BPhysio BPodiatry Masters Musculoskeletal Physio

Podiatrist & physiotherapist

Ronnie Bateman attained his professional qualifications from LaTrobe University, Melbourne. In 1995, he graduated with a Bachelor of Physiotherapy and returned to study a Bachelor of Podiatry and a Masters of Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy.

Mr Bateman has worked in several sectors including elite sport, aged care and disability, occupational, public health, and private practice.

As a clinician, he promotes treatment pragmatism, and concedes that there are exceptions to most supported clinical and research-based beliefs.

As a podiatrist, he enjoys the challenge of complex foot/ankle conditions, in addition to assisting more proximal pathologies (such as knee pain) by altering distal biomechanics. Podiatric interventions he adopts can include one or more of the following: shoe alterations, insole alterations, over-the-counter orthotics, hand-made insoles/orthotics, strapping, padding, and off-loading. He continues to make devices from casting to fitting where necessary.

As a physiotherapist, Mr Bateman will consider evidence-based research and “old-school” manual therapy options in an attempt to make maximum improvement in the shortest timeframe.

As a lower-limb musculoskeletal practitioner, he can apply top-down (physiotherapy based) and bottom-up (podiatry based) approaches.

Principles and philosophies supported include:

• Mechanical problems have mechanical solutions.

• Maximal healing occurs in an environment of minimal symptoms.

• Rather than “no pain, no gain”, the preference is “more brain, less brawn”.

• Like bread, chronic soft-tissue scar invariably does well with a knead.

• “Trial and error” in musculoskeletal therapy is valuable if risks are understood and mitigated. Results-based therapy is about assessing, intervening with low-risk and re-assessing effect.

• The positive effect of braces in the acute phase are generally underrated and are invariably dispensed with too soon.