Update from the Australian Physiotherapy Conference
Star Physio’s Dr Merv Travers, James Debenham and Damian Oldmeadow have recently returned from the biannual Australian Physiotherapy Conference. James is chair of the musculoskeletal group of the APA and was heavily involved in the conference.
The major messages to come out of the conference is how much more information we now have about the complicated nature of how pain works, and how carefully tailored rehabilitation on exercise programs are the cornerstone of treatment for almost every physiotherapy client. What was particularly exciting was that the major topics of the conference presented by some of the best physios in the world, were exactly the topics that our Clinical Director Merv has been presenting in our recent staff education sessions. We are very fortunate to have Merv with us and to know that Star Physio continues to be at the cutting edge of physiotherapy.
Major topics included the importance of identifying chronic or persistent pain, and you can see in the flow chart here how we as physiotherapists need to look at this and provide a different approach to treatment than for someone who just has an acute onset of pain. Other interesting topics included how pain can be effected by emotional and psychosocial factors, as well as previous experiences and even genetics. This information suggests that if your parents have had significant pain problems you are predisposed to this also! Scary stuff but very important to identify or at least understand this in some of the more complicated injuries and pain problems we deal with every day.
On a lighter note, this conference also had the inaugural meeting of the Australian Physiotherapy Association Cycling Injuries and Bikefit Group led by Paul Visentini from Melbourne, of which Damian was an important contributor, leading and directing much of the discussion. It is widely acknowledged that Damian does more physiotherapy assessment and bikefits per week than any other physiotherapist in Australia. All agreed that Physiotherapists were ideally trained to assist in the process of Bikefitting, particularly when pain or injury during cycling are involved, and that combined with the necessary knowledge of cycling biomechanics and bike mechanics, should be ideally placed to provide exceptional bikefits. Pic of Damo
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