Ms Sonia Coates

Sonia is an APA Sports Physiotherapist, attaining this title in 2002 after completing her Masters in Sports Physiotherapy degree.  Since this time she has worked concurrently in private practice and as lecturer and convenor in undergraduate and postgraduate Musculoskeletal and Sports Programs at both Griffith University on the Gold Coast (Queensland, Australia) and at the University of Queensland (Brisbane, Australia) before joining ACU in 2012.

Sonia&rsquos special interest is in sporting biomechanics, particularly in tennis, as well as the identification of risk factors for injury prevention in athletes. Her clinical focus is on advanced clinical reasoning skills, principally in the prescription and progression of exercise rehabilitation programs which include the use of diagnostic ultrasound.

Sonia has over 20 years experience working in private practice which has seen her work closely with elite athletes as well as consult to various state and national sporting bodies including Tennis Australia and the Australian Paralympic Association. 

Sonia has published research on the effects of taping particularly with respect to lateral epicondylalgia and she is regularly invited to teach advanced taping techniques on professional development workshops to physiotherapists around Australia.

Bisset, L. M., Collins, N. J., & Offord, S. S. (2014). Immediate Effects of 2 Types of Braces on Pain and Grip Strength in People With Lateral Epicondylalgia: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 44(2), 120-128. 

 

Vicenzino, B.G., Brooksbank, J., Minto, J., Offord, S., Paungmali, A. (2003), Initial effects of elbow taping on pain-free grip strength and pressure pain threshold.  Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy  33 (7), pp 400-407

 

Bisset, Leanne Margaret; Offord, Sonia Suzanne; Collins, N. (2011), The efficacy of a specific forearm brace (Go-Strap) compared to a standard counterforce brace in participants with tennis elbow Gold Coast Health and Medical Research Conference, 

  http://www.griffith.edu.au/conference/gold-coast-health-medical-research-2011

 

Dunwoodie R, Blackwell L, Dalton M,  Kirwan G, Moller M, Offord S, Pellatt A, Stuart R, Teys P. (2011), Building sustainable capacity in physiotherapy clinical education: an innovative Queensland state-wide collaboration. World Physical Therapy Conference , Amsterdam; 2011

 

Tuttle NA., Newsham-West, R, Offord, S. (2009), Does an increase in active cervical rotation when sitting posture is corrected indicate the need for postural re-education? The e-Australian Journal of Physiotherapy 55: (4), Supplement, pp. 42-43

 

Vicenzino, B.G., Offord, S., Brooksbank, J., Minto, J., Paungmali, A. (2003), An evaluation of the initial effects of elbow taping on pain free grip strength and pressure pain threshold in lateral epicondylalgia Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy Australia, 13th biennial conference Multi-disciplinary symposium - Neck pain & Whiplash, pp. 74 – 83