Vestibular Physio

Dizziness, vertigo, visual disturbances, impaired balance and poor gait pattern are common symptoms associated with vestibular conditions.

North Perth Physiotherapy have trained physiotherapists who specialise in assessing and treating patients with vestibular disorders. There are a number of vestibular conditions that can be effectively treated including Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV), Meniere's disease, Labrinthitis and Neuronitis.

An initial assessment is crucial to differentiate between these conditions for correct diagnosis and treatment which includes habituation exercises, visual exercises and gaze stability with a focus on functional retraining to return to full activity.

Chronic Pain

Our team play a vital role in assisting the management of chronic pain conditions with education on pain, desensitisation of painful tissues, pain coping strategies and graded exercise programs to steadily increase exercise tolerance which empowers people to manage their conditions.

Pain can be defined as chronic when it persists beyond the normal healing time of 3 months. Whilst the term chronic gives an indication of the duration of the pain, it doesn’t provide an indicator of the severity or type of pain. Chronic pain can sometimes be traced back to an injury, however becomes complicated when causation is unknown. Approximately 1 in 5 Australians are currently suffering from chronic pain.

The experience of pain relates to the activity of the ascending/descending neural pathways and the central processes of the spinal cord and brain (central nervous system or CNS). In the presence of chronic pain when the CNS becomes affected this is known as CNS sensitisation. When this occurs, factors such as a patient’s past experiences and their thoughts and emotions can play a role in affecting their state/degree of pain.

Pain is a complicated system and therefore is at the forefront of physiotherapy and medical research currently. The complexity of pain encompasses more than just biological factors such as genetics, biomechanical function and the presence of inflammation.

It is also influenced by psychological factors including mood, personality, behaviour and social aspects such as culture, family and socioeconomics. This has led to the term the “biopsychosocial model” of pain, in which it is imperative that all of these elements, associated with pain, are managed.

This can be achieved with good communication between health practitioners, including pain management specialists, psychologists, physiotherapists and exercise physiologists, to create a plan for reduction of chronic pain.

Also an important goal of the intervention will involve promoting return to normal activities, both in the workplace and recreationally, in addition to establishing new activities which may have previously been avoided due to the influence of pain.

Pilates - See Exercise Physiology Timetable & fees schedule below...

Pilates sessions are offered with an accredited Exercise Physiologist to improve muscle balance and control and strengthen the neck, back and/or other problem areas. Our Exercise Physiologists will also prescribe a personalised home exercise program to maintain results.

A challenging, low impact, total body workout that focuses on strengthening the core and elongating rather than bulking musculature. It is a resistance-based exercise that uses tension to strengthen and stretch, allowing the body to develop a long, strong, lean form.

Pilates was originally developed in the early 20th century by a boxer and gymnast named Joseph Pilates. In fact, the method was created to train athletes and recovering soldiers. Ageless and genderless, Pilates can benefit anyone: the athlete, the office worker, those with physical challenges or injuries, the flexible and inflexible, the dancer, the boxer, and the expecting mother. With hundreds of exercises, Pilates will push you further than you ever thought your body could go.

Pilates will complement your existing workouts whether they be running, cycling, or weight-lifting and improve your posture and muscle structure, making you quicker, leaner, stronger, and your workouts , outside of our studio, more explosive. It is a designed workout developed to strengthen and tone the entire physique. We create a challenging and safe workout that offers focused attention to each individual client, with our state of the art reformer machine and seasoned instructors that are there to help you every step of the way. We employ a contemporary approach rooted in a classic time-proven methodology while incorporating the latest understanding of physical therapy techniques.

Our bodies are our space for life, our tools for experiencing happiness and joy. No matter the current state of your body, Pilates can help you re-shape and sculpt. Pilates will give you flexibility you never thought attainable, strength in muscles you didn’t know about, internal focus and external stamina. Pilates is the backbone to any healthy and active workout, from cycling and rowing to intense weightlifting and strenuous trending classes. We focus on strengthening your muscles from deep within. By educating you about your body and teaching intelligent movement, Pilates can help you do your best and prevent injury no matter what type of workouts you enjoy.

North Perth Physiotherapy offers an exercise service like no other! Our Accredited Exercise Physiologists are university educated and highly trained. Our exercise prescription is based on the latest research to give you the best possible results. Research shows that resistance exercises should be conducted 2 to 3 times per week (ACSM Guidelines), which can be assisted by the prescription of home exercises specifically tailored to you in conjunction with our sessions.

If you are an existing client of North Perth Physiotherapy, our Exercise Physiologists can work in collaboration with your treating physiotherapist to deliver the best possible service.

Our Exercise Physiologist will conduct an initial assessment (see Pilates Fee Schedule below) to discuss your medical history & determine goals, evaluate your posture, strength and flexibility and cover the basic principles of muscle retraining. From there, you will transition into a small group (maximum 3 people) and you will receive your own personal program that will diversify from session to session.

Sports Injury

Successful treatment of all sport injuries for professional athletes to the weekend warriors. Our highly experienced team have worked with athletes at the Hopman Cup, WAFL State Academy and various other sporting clubs including soccer, volleyball and swimming.

A sports injury is damage to the body that occurs during exercise or whilst playing sport. A sports injury can fall into one of two categories: acute or chronic. Acute injuries usually occur from direct trauma, such as body contact with an opposition player or due to failure of a ligament or muscle.

Chronic, or overuse injuries, occur when someone has exercised or played a sport for a long period of time. These chronic injuries can be more complicated to diagnose and treat due to them often being multifactorial in nature.

What treatments are available for a sports injury?

When can I return to sports/exercise following an injury?

This conversation is best had with your physiotherapist who will guide you through the rehabilitation process and is aware of strategies to assist preventing future injury.

Dry Needling

Dry needling acupuncture functions to provide muscle relief and pain reduction and can be effective for people with chronic pain through to treatment of elite athletes. Our qualified physiotherapists have been trained in dry needling techniques with the application to specific pathologies.

Dry Needling is an effective technique used by physiotherapists to treat pain arising from muscles and/or nerves, involving the placement of a needle into a trigger point. A trigger point is a point within the muscle that can be painful to touch and can produce significant pain over a large area. These trigger points may be too deep to be effectively treated by other treatment techniques and by using needles, the treatment is far less painful.

The evidence base for dry needling in physiotherapy has increased substantially over the past decade. Research provides evidence-based support for dry needling in the treatment of acute and chronic back pain, chronic neck pain, tension and migraine headaches, pelvic girdle pain, knee osteoarthritis, lateral elbow pain and shoulder conditions.

Paediatric Physio

Provision of innovative, progressive and personalised services to infants, children and adolescents in the assessment and management of musculoskeletal and neurological conditions.

North Perth Physiotherapy offer specialised services for babies, children through to adolescence.

Emphasis will be on teaching children how to be their own 'best therapist' and for them to feel empowered by learning how to control and coordinate their own movement.

Exercise Rehabilitation

Our team of professionals offer experience in rehabilitating patients post injury and maximising performance for the athlete. To personalise exercise programs our exercise physiologists can also provide consultations at patients’ individual gyms.

North Perth Physiotherapy have physiotherapists and accredited exercise physiologists to manage your injuries from acute stages to return to full function or sport. We can provide an initial assessment in order to test your fitness capacity, body composition, along with general postural screening for injury management and prevention.

Programs are individualised based on your chosen goals from improving fitness, weight loss or management of chronic health related conditions like diabetes, cardiovascular disease and musculoskeletal conditions. We also offer services for healthy populations wishing to reestablish an exercise routine to those looking at achieving ample function. Exercise consultations can take place in-house, at your local gym or we can set you up with a home based exercise program.

Remedial Massage

Effective in the treatment of muscular stiffness, soreness and tension resulting from sport or injury and can aid return to normal health for those with musculoskeletal disorders. Our trained remedial massage therapist can also work in conjunction with your physiotherapist and/or Exercise Physiologist as required.

Remedial massage is a specialist massage technique where practitioners are highly trained and educated on ailments impacting the human body. North Perth Physiotherapy provides professional remedial massage specialising in headaches, pregnancy, sport injuries, injury rehabilitation along with relieving general muscle soreness and tension.

If you are unsure whether Remedial Massage Therapy would be appropriate for your condition, it is recommended you book an appointment with a physiotherapist for an assessment prior to commencing Remedial Massge Therapy.

Real Time Ultrasound

Real time ultrasound is offered in conjunction with physiotherapy treatment for assessment and muscle retraining, including the pelvic floor, deep abdominals and hip musculature.

Real time ultrasound uses sound waves to view deep structures such as muscle, tendons and connective tissue. It is a clinically effective way of assessing stability, strength, motor control and co-ordination of certain muscles. Our physiotherapists are trained to use real time ultrasound as a biofeedback tool for retraining muscles for incontinence and pelvic floor muscle weakness, pre and postnatal complaints of incontinence, pelvic instability and low back pain.

Hydrotherapy

Our hydrotherapy program aims to introduce self-management into your treatment plan and can assist relieving pain, mobilising joints, strengthening muscles, developing balance and coordination, improving general fitness and heart/lung function and with clinical rehabilitation.

Hydrotherapy is a low impact option for those requiring a gentle reintroduction to exercise following injury, post-operative rehabilitation or for those wanting to improve balance, coordination and general fitness.

Headache Care

Headache and migraines are often cervicogenic in nature (neck related), which our physiotherapists can assist via manual therapy, exercise prescription and ergonomic advice.

Headaches can literally be a pain in the neck!

They are frequently caused by joint or muscular dysfunction in the neck, poor posture, emotional tension or a combination of these. Headaches originating from or relating to neck dysfunction can be very successfully treated and prevented via physiotherapy.

What is a Cervicogenic Headache?

Cerrvicogenic headaches are headaches caused by abnormalities in the neck and head region. The cause of headaches can be referred from the upper cervical (neck) nerve roots, segments of the cervical spine, which can irritate some of the sensory nerves. Headaches can also be caused by trigger points in the neck and head muscles.

How Physiotherapy can help

Physiotherapy treatment can assess and treat abnormalities found in the joints, muscles and neural structures. As well as provide education on posture and work practices and address other potential causes of headaches such as hydration status, stress and inactivity.

Posture correction – recommendations via specific exercises, posture awareness techniques, taping or a postural brace.

Stretching – stretching of the neck and shoulder muscles can help alleviate headaches.

Stress & tension management – Often this leads to tightness in the upper back and neck muscles. Identification and reduction of the sources of stress and tension needs to be incorporated.

Soft tissue work & massage – Your physiotherapist may use various massage techniques to help release the muscles in your neck and upper back.

Dry needling – dry needling is the placement of very thin needles into specific locations in the body and it is very effective in helping alleviate headaches.

Workplace / ergonomic assessment – your chair, desk height and/or computer angle may result in poor posture contributing to neck strain. Your physiotherapist can advise on office and workplace set up.

Decrease neural tension – abnormal neural tension can also contribute to cervical headaches. Your physiotherapist will assess this and provided appropriate exercises as required.