Research

A person holds a blue ribbon for prostate cancer awareness
INMOTION 02 Jun, 2025

Five facts about prostate cancer and pelvic health physiotherapy

Malina Kelly and Alison Wroth of the APA Women’s, Men’s and Pelvic Health national group present five discussion points about diagnosis of prostate cancer, side effects from treatment and the role of physiotherapy.

1. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in Australian men

Graphic of the prostate gland

The prostate gland sits beneath the base of the bladder in men.

Illustrated graphic of two heads representing the imparting of knowledge from one to the other
INMOTION 01 Jun, 2025

Supporting physio students to access high-quality learning experiences

The recipient of the Pat Cosh Trust’s first Strategic Grant will focus on enhancing the preparedness of new physiotherapy graduates to excel in private practice.

While around 40 to 60 per cent of new physiotherapy graduates gain employment in private practice, only a small proportion of them receive private practice placements before they graduate.

A woman in workout clothes is sitting crosslegged on a yoga mat in a living room.
INMOTION 30 May, 2025

Exercise adherence in low back pain

Researchers conducted a systematic review to identify barriers and enablers to exercise adherence for people with chronic low back pain. First author Matthew Jones agreed to answer some questions.

A person rolls out architectural plans
INMOTION 30 May, 2025

Resetting priorities for reform

General Manager, Policy and Government Relations Katherine Utry explores the APA Policy and Advocacy Strategic Blueprint 2023–26, its ongoing goals and its third-year reset.

In the feature article for May InMotion, Strategy and Policy Specialist Bronwyn Darmanin of the APA Policy and Government Relations team unpacked the APA’s 2025 federal election statement.

The image is of a group of older men and women doing a group exercise class
INMOTION 28 May, 2025

Exercise for low back pain in older people

A group of Brazilian researchers investigated the effect of group-based exercise for chronic non-specific low back pain in older adults. The first author, Dr Hytalo Silva, agreed to answer some questions about the trial.

A rhythmic gymnast with a ribbon is leaping through the air.
INMOTION 28 May, 2025

Pelvic floor muscle training in rhythmic gymnasts

A group of Norwegian researchers examined whether adding pelvic floor muscle training to an extended warm-up program could reduce urinary incontinence symptoms among competitive rhythmic gymnasts. The first author, Marte Dobbertin Gram, agreed to answer some questions.

The image shows a pregnant woman lying on a rug on her side. A physiotherapist has her hands on the woman's hip and belly.
INMOTION 28 May, 2025

Machine learning helps predict pelvic girdle pain

PREGNANCY Machine learning approaches have been used to identify the main risk factors for developing pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain, which may lead to a screening tool.

Pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain (PPGP) is a common complication of pregnancy affecting between 23 and 65 per cent of pregnant women worldwide. 

Distinct from low back pain, it affects the pelvic joints—in particular, the pubic symphysis and sacroiliac joints. 

Older woman on the floor struggles to get up after a fall
INMOTION 28 May, 2025

The fall factor: why prevention can’t wait

BRANCH EVENT From personal risk to public health crisis—Professor Cathy Said is on a mission to reframe how we think about and prevent falls. Marina Williams reports.

One in three Australians aged 65 and above will fall this year. 

It’s a confronting statistic that underscores an urgency of action in falls prevention and management in older people, says Associate Professor Cathy Said. 

A person clutches their knee in pain
INMOTION 26 May, 2025

A TOPS approach to knee OA prevention

A study on the prevention of knee osteoarthritis is exploring the benefits of weight loss and exercise.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the leading cause of disability in adults and is associated with comorbidities such as heart disease, metabolic syndrome and depression.

As there is no known cure for OA, efforts are focused on prevention, particularly in high-risk groups.

One of the leading risk factors and therefore a focus of prevention efforts is obesity.

A person clutching their back in pain
INMOTION 26 May, 2025

Taking WalkBack into the clinic

A recent recipient of a Seeding Grant is investigating the feasibility of implementing the WalkBack intervention into clinical practice

Tash Pocovi APAM is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Health Sciences at Macquarie University, Sydney.

As part of her PhD, she was a member of the team conducting the WalkBack trial, which examined the utility of using an individualised and progressive walking and education program facilitated by physiotherapists to prevent recurrences of low back pain (LBP).