Physiotherapy
Tina Koutsoullis, is a highly qualified practitioner able to treat a range of conditions in all areas of the body. Treatments are one-to-one and last up to 30 minutes in a private treatment room. Tina is a member of the Australian Physiotherapy Association and continues to attend ongoing educational seminars to keep up to date. She is passionate about her work and really LISTENS in order to work out your issues, be they acute or chronic. Treatment sessions also include individualised exercise programs for all ages.
TELEHEALTH CONSULTATIONS ARE NOW AVAILABLE
Consultations and Rehabilitation Programs available online
A video or telephone conversation provided here.
How Does Physio Telehealth Work?
- Assess, diagnose and treat online
- You will be asked questions about your condition or injury
- Advice will be given on how to manage your symptoms
- You will be given a personalised exercise program using Physitrack, which will be developed to help you during your recovery period
- You will also gain access to short videos on how to do the prescribed exercise.
Download the free PhysiApp so your progress will be monitored by Tina.
For those of you in self isolation or working from home, please contact our clinic on 02 9544 1900 to book a Telehealth Appointment with the Physiotherapist, Tina.
- For private patients as of 14th April 2020, some conditions will be covered by your Health fund i.e., 1. Chronic musculoskeletal condition. 2. Post orthopaedic surgery rehabilitation (e.g. Total hip or knee replacement). Check with your health fund. Private Patients will be billed for the consultation.
- Consultations will only be Bulked Billed straight to Medicare ONLY if you have an Enhanced Primary Care Plan issued from your GP
Physiotherapy Treatments
Sports Injuries
Have you wondered why you can’t stand on one leg like a stork without wobbling? If you’re a dancer, skateboard rider, runner or jumper, you may not have noticed. The wobbliness is most likely due to instability in the pelvis. Certain muscles on the sides above your hips may not be working to stabilise the pelvis. These can be affected after a fall or sporting injury or surgery and may affect performance. Physiotherapy can help restore stability and strength in the pelvic girdle. For instance, an athlete recovering from an ACL reconstruction will have a better recovery if focus is also on pelvic stability and not just how strong the knee or leg is.
Physiotherapy can help with a variety of sporting injuries to the neck, shoulders and lower limbs. Support braces and sporting tapes are also available to aid in recovery.
Tina’s special interest is in treating sports injuries in children and adolescents. These include Rep players and State Representatives – AFL, netball, oztag, soccer. Gymnasts and dancers (jazz/ballet) are also welcome.
Orthopaedic Care
Treatment for all orthopaedic surgeries is provided. Individual exercise programs are given with detailed instruction. Fibreglass casts (waterproof), splints, CAM boots, braces can be provided.
Back Pain
Have you had a back injury that has prevented you from doing normal activities, or has led to suspension of gym membership until you recover?
Move! Back pain can be quite debilitating in all ages. Evidence-based treatments are used. Exercises to improve motor control/core stability are given with detailed instruction. Swiss balls and resistive bands are also available. Physiotherapy treatment and advice on management and exercises can help get you back to doing your normal daily duties.
Breathe! Diaphragmatic breathing techniques are taught to help with relaxing the muscles around the ribcage which can tighten and further contribute to perpetuating back pain.
Headache and Neck pain
Many people now sit for too long and sit with the wrong posture which contributes to tension in the neck and shoulders. Tension headaches and neck pain can result in days off work. Physiotherapy treatment for headaches and neck pain are gentle. Advice on management and exercises is also given. The focus of the treatment is also on postural correction and how you sit at a computer desk.
Jaw Pain and TMJ Derangement
Tina also has a special interest in treating jaw pain. Most people think this pain is coming from tooth pain but it is actually coming from the jaw/TMJ and even the neck. Physiotherapy treatment to the jaw and exercises can help ease symptoms.
Pregnancy Care
Back pain can increase during stages of pregnancy. This may be due to ligament laxity that occurs when the relaxin hormone is released to loosen ligaments. Physiotherapy can help address pelvic girdle instability/back pain during pregnancy and post-partum. The treatment is safe for both mum-to-be and baby. Pelvic belts to give support can be provided as well as advice on exercises.
Balance/Vestibular Problems
Patients at risk of falls are treated using methods such as balance beam/mat setup, recumbent bike and other balance exercises.
Patients with vertigo (BPPV) can be treated to ease the dizziness or spinning sensation. A simple treatment of moving the head into various positions over a few minutes can cure the condition in many cases. This treatment uses gravity to move tiny crystal fragments away from where they are causing problems. Exercises with instruction can be given to do at home.
Workers Compensation
Tina is also an InjuryNET physiotherapist. With insurance company pre-approval an injured worker can be treated here. The focus will be on a speedy return to work.
Third Party
With insurance company pre-approval people injured in motor vehicle accidents can be treated.
Dry Needling
Background
Many people who suffer from chronic pain become frustrated and depressed when medication and therapies, even surgery, don’t help to give them longer lasting relief. Painkillers and other analgesic medications only mask the pain. There are various therapies available. The one discussed here is dry needling, a technique developed in the 1970s.
The technique used in this clinic is based on the principles developed by Dr Chan Gunn from Canada. He developed a process called dry needling/intramuscular stimulation (IMS) to treat ‘neuropathic pain’. He introduced the term ‘neuropathic pain to describe pain that occurs when nerves malfunction following minor irritation.
Dr Gunn stated that “Most chronic, persistent pain arises not from injury, but from subtle dysfunction in the Nervous System … called neuropathic pain … muscles shorten and pain worsens.”
Nerves and nerve-endings become extremely sensitive and cause signals to become perceived as painful ones; even a subtle touch becomes painful or ’supersensitive’.
According to Dr Gunn, the goal of dry needling treatment is to stimulate the nerves to relax the tight/shortened muscles which press on the irritated nerve. The supersensitive areas can be desensitised and the persistent pull of shortened muscles released, taking the load off tendons and joints.
Dry Needling – Frequency of Treatments
Treatments are usually once a week (but can be spread out to 2 weeks) to allow time between the treatments for the body to heal itself. The number of treatments you require will depend on several factors such as the duration and extent of your condition, how much scar tissue there is and how quickly your body can heal. If the pain is of recent origin, one treatment may be all that is needed.
Patient education is important to teach self-management skills and assistance with the correction of dysfunctional movement patterns through exercises should also be considered.
Occupational Health Physiotherapy
Is a growing field of expertise identifying and addressing the key factors that influence injury and subsequent time off work.
Is able to promote a better work culture for both employer and employee by identifying and resolving these key factors that are critical to return to work.
Our services include, but are not limited to:
- Functional capacity evaluations
- Pre-employment screening
- Ergonomic assessments
- Work station assessments
- Job safety analysis
- Work site assessments
- Task specific education sessions
- Manual handling assessment and education
- Task analysis
- Reports and recommendations.