Chronic low back pain (CLBP) remains one of the leading causes of disability worldwide.

In Australia, it is the most common chronic condition among people aged 45 to 64, affecting almost four million people.

Current treatments show only small to moderate effects and these are usually short-lived.

The APA has partnered with the Royal Life Saving Society – Australia (RLSSA) to enhance the RLSSA Hydrotherapy Rescue Award.

As part of that work, a recent project focused on the development of updated online learning content.

Building on a longstanding partnership between the two organisations, this latest update incorporates contemporary aquatic physiotherapy expertise while maintaining RLSSA’s established aquatic safety and rescue framework.

Professor Rana Hinman FACP (a Specialist Research Physiotherapist as awarded by the Australian College of Physiotherapists in 2025) is no stranger to editorial boards. 

Urgent Care Clinics (UCCs) have become a vital hub for delivering quality healthcare, taking pressure off emergency departments (EDs) across Australia. 

To date, little research had been carried out on the role that primary contact physiotherapists (PCPs) play in UCCs. 

Simulation-based education is a learning approach that supports the training of health practitioners by exposing students to realistic scenarios that prepare them for clinical practice. 

One method of simulation-based education has actors, or sometimes fellow students, portraying the role of the patient. 

As chair of FOCUS26, I am genuinely excited about what we have created for this year’s conference in October in Cairns (Gimuy). 

The passion, creativity and dedication of the team have shaped a program that I believe will inspire, challenge and connect physiotherapists from across Australia. 

There are many moments I am looking forward to but three stand out. 

First, it’s an opportunity for our community to come together. 

How do these courses help physiotherapists move into occupational health roles? 

These courses are designed to provide a clear, structured pathway for physiotherapists looking to expand their practice into occupational health physiotherapy (OHP). 

I arrive at the mission hospital on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, relieved. I survived the morning traffic once again. My first patient is from the countryside. 

They seem uncomfortable with me – the foreigner. I ask a question and the patient’s daughter starts laughing. Apparently, I mixed up the word for ‘nausea’ with ‘crazy’.