Services
Management of acute and chronic pain
The role of physiotherapy in pain management and recovery encompasses several vital components:
Education on the Science of Pain: Physiotherapists educate patients about the mechanisms of pain, helping them understand how and why they feel pain. This knowledge can be empowering, as it demystifies pain and can change the patient's perception and response to it.
Hands-On Treatment: This may include techniques like massage, manual therapy, and mobilization, which can help in reducing pain levels, improving joint mobility, and facilitating muscle relaxation. These methods can provide immediate relief and aid in the overall recovery process.
Graduated Program for Recovery: Implementing a graduated exercise program is crucial in pain management and recovery. It involves slowly increasing the intensity and duration of exercises to build strength and endurance without exacerbating the pain. This controlled progression is essential for sustainable recovery.
Workload Pacing: This strategy is about managing daily activities and work tasks in a way that avoids overexertion. By pacing themselves, individuals can gradually increase their activity levels without triggering or worsening their pain.
Personalized Care Plans: Recognizing that each individual’s experience of pain is unique, physiotherapy offers personalized care plans. These plans are tailored to the individual's specific needs, limitations, and goals, ensuring a more effective and sustainable recovery.
Holistic Approach: In addition to physical treatments, physiotherapists often incorporate other elements such as stress management, relaxation techniques, and lifestyle advice to provide a comprehensive approach to managing pain.
In summary, physiotherapy plays a critical role in not only reducing pain levels but also in educating patients, helping them understand their pain, and guiding them through a recovery process that is safe, effective, and tailored to their personal needs and lifestyles. This holistic and patient-centered approach enables individuals to return to their normal activities, work, and sports with confidence and reduced risk of re-injury.
Why not try Aquatic Physiotherapy at Gordonvale Pool
Aquatic physio or hydrotherapy utilizes water for the treatment of various conditions, injuries and disabilities. Water gives buoyancy, resistance and hydrostatic pressure and can be used to facilitate rehabilitation and the feeling of wellbeing.
It is not swimming as such, but exercises in the water, sometimes utilizing specialized equipment and is suitable non swimmers and the frail. It is a great way to recover from injury as your body feels supported and relaxed.
Running Rehabilitation
Physiotherapy is an essential tool for addressing and recovering from running injuries. These injuries, often resulting from overload, improper technique, or inadequate footwear. Injury can range from minor strains to more severe conditions like stress fractures. Our physiotherapist, skilled in assessing and treating musculoskeletal issues, will first conduct a thorough evaluation to identify the root cause of the injury. This process typically includes examining the runner's gait, flexibility, muscle strength, and joint mobility.
Treatment plans are tailored to the individual's needs and may encompass a variety of techniques. These can include manual therapy to improve joint function, targeted exercises to strengthen weak muscles, stretching routines to enhance flexibility, and education on proper running form and footwear.
A significant aspect of physiotherapy is also injury prevention. Runners are educated on strategies to avoid future injuries, such as warming up correctly, incorporating cross-training, and gradually increasing training intensity. The ultimate goal of physiotherapy in this context is not only to heal the existing injury but also to equip runners with the knowledge and physical capability to enjoy running safely and sustainably
Aged Care - Add life to your years
Exercise functions like a form of medicine, offering numerous benefits for physical and mental health. However, when pain, weakness or shortness of breath presents a barrier to staying active and fit, physiotherapy plays a crucial role.
Tailored Exercise Programs: Physiotherapists are skilled in creating customized exercise programs that cater to individual needs. These programs can focus on enhancing overall general fitness, strength, flexibility, balance, and coordination. Such personalization is especially important for those dealing with specific physical limitations or health conditions like chronic lung conditions and arthritis.
Safe and Suitable Exercise Guidance: For those unsure how to exercise safely, especially in the presence of shortness of breath, pain or weakness, physiotherapists can provide invaluable guidance. They can assist in setting up exercise routines that are safe and effective, whether at a local gym, in a pool, or at home. This ensures that individuals can exercise without exacerbating their condition.
Exercise Groups for Strength and Balance: Many physiotherapy clinics, like Gordonvale Physiotherapy, offer group exercise sessions. These are often focused on improving general fitness, strength and balance, which are crucial for overall health and injury prevention. Participating in such groups can also provide social interaction and motivation.
Assistance with Booking and Scheduling: For those interested in joining these exercise groups, it's usually necessary to contact the clinic (like Gordonvale Physiotherapy) to book a session. This step ensures that each participant receives the attention and guidance they need in a group setting.
Collaboration with Aged Care Providers: Clinics like Gordonvale Physiotherapy often collaborate with various aged care providers. This partnership is particularly beneficial for older adults who may require specialized physiotherapy services as part of their care plan.
Involvement in Restorative Care Packages: Some physiotherapy services are involved in providing care for Short Term Restorative Care Packages. These packages aim to help individuals regain mobility, strength, and independence after an injury, chronic disease or due to aging-related physical decline.
In summary, physiotherapy provides a comprehensive approach to maintaining and improving physical health, especially for those facing challenges due to disease, pain, weakness, or aging. By offering personalized exercise programs, safe exercise guidance, and collaborative care options, physiotherapists empower individuals to stay active, fit, and healthy.
Special interest in Women's Health and Continence
Helen's qualifications,expertise and experience in both women's and men's health physiotherapy give you comprehensive and specialized care in these areas.
Pre and Postnatal Exercises: Guidance and support for women during and after pregnancy to stay healthy, maintain strength, manage pain, and recover postpartum.
These sessions are typically one hour in duration to ensure a comprehensive assessment and effective treatment planning.
Musculoskeletal Issues: Addressing pain and dysfunction in muscles and joints, which may be heightened during pregnancy or due to body changes.
Urinary Stress Incontinence: Offering strategies and exercises to strengthen pelvic floor muscles to improve bladder control in all ages.
Overactive Bladder: Providing techniques to manage and reduce symptoms.
Prolapse: Rehabilitation to support and strengthen the pelvic floor and alleviate symptoms of prolapse.
Bowel Incontinence and Pelvic Pain: Tailored interventions to improve bowel control and reduce pelvic pain through specific exercises and techniques
Pre and Post Prostate Surgery Rehabilitation: Guiding men through exercises and strategies to prepare for surgery and recover afterward.
Medicare Care Plan: For patients with a Medicare Care Plan, Helen's assessment can be divided over 2 or 3 sessions. This ensures that patients receive thorough and comprehensive care without the limitation of time in a single session.
Peadiatric Physiotherapy
Pediatric physiotherapy plays a vital role in supporting the development of children, especially those who may not be developing as quickly as expected. Here’s an overview of what this specialized area of physiotherapy offers:
Assessment and Support for Developmental Delay: Pediatric physiotherapists are skilled in assessing developmental delays in children. This can include delays in motor skills, such as crawling, walking, or coordination. Early identification and intervention are key in helping children catch up to their developmental milestones.
Customized Physiotherapy Programs: Based on the assessment, physiotherapists create personalized programs to assist children in maximizing their potential. These programs are designed considering the unique needs and abilities of each child, ensuring that they are both effective and enjoyable.
Play-Based Exercises and Activities: A significant aspect of pediatric physiotherapy is incorporating play into therapy. This approach makes the sessions engaging and fun for children, which not only helps in keeping them motivated but also facilitates learning and development. Play-based activities are crafted to improve specific motor skills, strength, coordination, and balance in a way that is appealing to young children.
Working with NDIS Clients: Pediatric physiotherapists often work with clients under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). This includes providing services to children with various disabilities and developmental challenges. The NDIS support enables access to necessary physiotherapy services, ensuring that all children, regardless of their background, can receive the help they need.
Collaboration with Families: Pediatric physiotherapists recognize the importance of involving the family in the child’s therapy. They work closely with parents and caregivers to ensure that the exercises and activities can be effectively incorporated into the child’s daily routine. This collaboration also provides families with the tools and knowledge to support their child’s development at home.
Holistic Approach to Child Development: The goal of pediatric physiotherapy is not just to address specific developmental delays but to support the overall development and well-being of the child. This includes fostering a positive and encouraging environment where the child can thrive and reach their full potential.