Women in Sports

Physiotherapy for women in sports brings together the same evidence-based assessment used in our general sports rehabilitation service, with deliberate consideration of factors that affect female athletes differently. This service is led by Sophie Cuthbert, who holds a Doctor of Physiotherapy from Bond University, a Bachelor of Exercise Science from Latrobe University, and has completed additional postgraduate training in women's health and pelvic floor physiotherapy. Sophie has 12 years of competitive football and four years of touch rugby experience, so the demands of training and competing are familiar from both clinical and personal perspective.

Research over the past two decades has demonstrated that female athletes face different injury risk profiles, training-response considerations, and life-stage challenges compared with male counterparts. Examples include a higher rate of non-contact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, the relationship between low energy availability and bone health (often grouped under the term RED-S, Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport), pelvic floor symptoms that can present in high-impact and load-bearing sport, and considerations around training around the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and the postnatal return-to-sport journey. None of these factors mean female athletes should train less — they mean training and rehabilitation should be informed by them.

Our approach to women in sports physiotherapy is to combine a thorough subjective and physical assessment with a return-to-sport plan that is measurable, progressive, and accountable. Where relevant, screening may include movement quality, single-leg strength and power, hop testing, landing mechanics, and pelvic floor function. If you are returning to sport after pregnancy, the assessment also includes abdominal wall integrity, pelvic floor capacity under load, and a graded running and impact progression.

The Health Phyx is built around continuity of care: assessment, hands-on treatment, gym-based rehabilitation, and on-site recovery happen in the same clinic. For athletes balancing demanding training schedules, this means fewer touch-points and a faster turn-around between session and progression. Sophie also works closely with the wider Health Phyx team — including Sam Scarratt, whose clinical experience includes Premier League and English Football League settings — when collaborative input is helpful.

Whether you are a club-level player navigating an ACL rehabilitation, a runner working through pelvic floor symptoms, a CrossFit athlete returning postpartum, or a junior athlete looking to reduce injury risk in a growing body, the goal is the same: help you train harder for longer, with fewer setbacks, and an understanding of your own body that lasts beyond the rehab block.