Back pain is everywhere.

For most people, it settles or becomes managed.

But for some, pain remains a big problem and people understandably look for big solutions.

Spinal surgery feels like one of them—a logical physical solution to what may be understood as a physical problem.

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. 

Kate Newton MACP remembers the first vestibular patient she treated as a junior physiotherapist. She was working in a private neurological physiotherapy clinic and her patient had benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, a common inner ear issue. 

‘Their symptoms had resolved by the end of that session and I felt like I had a magic wand. 

‘They think you’re a magician. 

Physiotherapy academic Dr Ryan McGrath APAM has found a way to combine his two clinical passions—physiotherapy and psychology. 

Ryan’s research focuses on the intersection between mental health and physiotherapy. 

From hands-on practice in South Australia to international collaborations in Kenya, Colombia, Scandinavia and Thailand, Specialist Occupational Health Physiotherapist (as awarded by the Australian College of Physiotherapists in 2008) Dr Rose Boucaut FACP has built a career around one goal—helping people stay safe and well at work. 

Curiosity has always driven APA Titled Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist Laura Hanson MACP—curiosity about how the body works, how people heal and how teams thrive. 

For Stephanie Hawkins APAM, physiotherapy and teaching have always been intertwined. 

As a clinical educator at Austin Health, she’s combining both interests to improve how clinicians learn and how patients benefit. 

For Dr Rachel Coghlan APAM, physiotherapy was never about sport or injury—it was about people. 

‘Unlike many of my peers, who went into physiotherapy with a view to going into sports physio or private practice, I think I was always in it for the caring aspect. 

Led by moderator Nils Vesk, a business innovation expert, the panel discussion revolved around the evolution of Australia’s allied health landscape and where physiotherapy sits within it. 

Bronwyn Morris-Donovan, the CEO of Allied Health Professions Australia, kicked off the discussion with an examination of the allied health landscape.