Physiotherapy

We treat your pain and dysfunction with a comprehensive range of best practice physiotherapy treatments.
We offer a variety of treatments to assist in your recovery including: Integrated systems model; Deep tissue massage; Trigger point and release techniques; Exercise rehabilitation; Taping techniques; Mulligans technique; Mackenzie technique; Maitland technique; Electrotherapy including ultrasound, and dry needling.

We partner with you through the treatment process and focus on developing self-management techniques that reflect your lifestyle, so you can move better for life.

At Move Better for Life and Sports Rehabilitation we treat injuries acquired during and after, intense loading, or high intensity exercise and sport.

Sports rehabilitation includes attention to the specific injury area to reduce swelling, improve range of movement, strength and agility.

We focus specifically on the demands placed on your body by your sport and develop specific rehabilitation programs tailored to your unique needs so you can return to your sport and conditioning program.

Our priority is to get you safely back in the game as soon as possible.

We work closely with our contracted Aged Care facilities to develop programs that best suit each resident and designed to enhance their individual quality of life.

We undertake an assessment of new residents, conduct regular reviews and ongoing management of current residents.

Working closely with the physiotherapy aide and clinical care coordinator in each facility we aim to set up individual programs for all residents.

We work as part of the multidisciplinary team to assist people and their families through periods of ill – health. This includes liaising with doctors, nursing staff and the occupational therapist on a day to day basis to ensure the needs of our patients are met.

We are available to attend to patients at the request of doctors or nursing staff and our services include:

• Post –op care following orthopaedic surgery including hip, knee and shoulder surgery. We attend to the patient’s mobility and required aids, setting up exercise programs tailored to each patient and progressing patients through a range of strengthening exercises to ensure optimum post-operative mobility and strength.
• Falls management strategies including advice and prescription of exercises
• Post – op abdominal surgery care including breathing exercises and mobility.
• Mobility and walking assessments and treatment for patients recovering from major health events affecting their physical condition.
• Advice and treatment of musculoskeletal conditions including acute back pain.
• Assessments and treatments of lung conditions including pneumonia and lung infections.
• Attendance to DVA/Veterans Affairs patients including accessing equipment for mobility aids.
• Spirometry lung assessments as required by the doctors

We also provide follow – up care for patients once they have returned home by attending our clinic at 214 Rusden Street Armidale, just one block from the Armidale Private Hospital. Alternatively, we also attend to home visits and are happy to organise visits prior to discharge from hospital.

Dry needling is used to treat pain and dysfunction caused by muscle problems, sinus trouble, headaches. It is a very successful medical and physiotherapy treatment which uses very thin needles without any medication (a dry needle).

How does dry needling work?
Dry needling works by changing the way your body senses pain (neurological effects), and by helping the body heal stubborn muscle spasm associated with trigger points (myofascial effects). There are additional electrical and chemical changes associated with dry needling therapy which assist in the healing process. It is important to see the needles as just one part of your overall rehabilitative treatment. Dry needling is not a miracle cure – it is a normal part of muscle therapy. It is vital that you do the exercises and follow the advice your therapist gives you in conjunction with the needling, application of ice, stretches and applications of heat for optimal recovery.

Isn’t dry needling the same as acupuncture?
Acupuncture is part of Traditional Chinese Medicine, while dry needling is a western medicine and physiotherapy technique. Dry needling is based on Western anatomical and neurophysiological principles, and there is a growing body of scientific evidence supporting the benefits of needle insertion on the electrical and chemical communications that take place in our nervous system. Dry needling is accepted by primary care, orthopaedic, neurologic and pain management physicians.

Could I benefit from dry needling?
Dry needling is designed to target and restore muscle function, with an emphasis on improving tissue healing and restoring normal tissue function. It is common to initiate dry needling at the beginning of your treatment program to break the pain cycle. Dry needling is useful in relieving pain however it does not necessarily address the source of pain. When combined with conventional treatment options dry needling can accelerate pain reduction, healing and the restoration of the normal tissue function. Discuss with your physiotherapist whether dry needling could benefit your treatment program.