Karri Field MACP’s grandmother was among the first women to train as physiotherapists in New Zealand so Karri’s desire to follow in her footsteps was there from an early age. 

And while she was initially interested in applying her knowledge to dancers, she became interested in pain pathways as a student at Australian Catholic University. 

‘I started to learn about jaw mechanics and how the trigeminal pathway differs from the rest of the spinal pain pathways and I was hooked. 

‘I’ve been focusing on orofacial pain for about 12 years.’ 

For Karri, a Brisbane-based APA Titled Pain Physiotherapist, her interest lies in the multiple ways that people experience pain and control it. 

‘It’s the uniqueness of every experience that fascinates me. 

‘Each person’s ability to interpret and modulate their pain is different and specific education and intervention are needed if we are to address the pain on their terms.’ 

From Karri’s perspective, helping a patient with their pain is as much an art as it is a science. 

She spent some time after graduation working in Germany with physiotherapist Gunda Lambrecht, an expert in temporomandibular jaw dysfunction and a rehabilitation specialist with the European Space Agency. 

Karri says Gunda was a big influence on how she works with her clients today. 

Pain physiotherapist Karri Field is focused on orofacial pain and its mechanisms.

‘Her approach to giving clients tailored exercise programs to achieve their goals has been integral to how I’ve applied my research and evidence to my clients’ needs. 

‘Gunda said “Find the key to be able to help any person unlock their potential” and I’ve taken on that message from early on in my career.’ 

Dentist Dr Karen McCloy, who specialises in temporomandibular and orofacial pain, has been another important mentor to Karri. 

‘I’m fortunate to be in the same city as her so we can work together on clients who have complex needs.’ 

A vocal physiotherapy course with Annie Strauch, who specialises in working with singers, piqued her interest in vocal dysfunction too. 

‘I found it helped me treat some of the musculoskeletal conditions between the neck and the jaw and also gave me a greater understanding of the emotional side of it. 

‘I’m helping people be able to speak and eat, the basic human requirements to live a rewarding life. 

‘Each person’s journey is unique and I feel like a detective as I try to investigate and follow the clues—is their condition neurological or musculoskeletal? 

‘Is it peripheral or central? 

‘What are the different resources we can use as a team to help improve the daily lives of these people?’ 

She currently works at a clinic specialising in headache, neck and jaw pain, where she often works with patients with hypermobility disorders, including Ehlers-Danlos syndromes, in addition to nerve conditions affecting the face and jaw. 

Four years ago, Karri completed a Master of Science in Medicine in orofacial pain at the University of Sydney. 

She hopes to follow that up with a PhD in the near future. 

In the meantime, she has taken on the role of chair of the Queensland branch of the APA Pain national group. 

‘I grew up in regional Queensland so I care deeply for the healthcare workers practising there and the challenges they face accessing resources and staying current with PD and networking opportunities. 

‘One of the reasons I’ve stepped into my role as chair for the Queensland Pain group is to see if I can create PD that’s more accessible from a rural perspective, coinciding with the APA’s current focus on increasing its rural options for PD online.’