Dr Alana Dinsdale APAM started working clinically in 2012, predominantly in the musculoskeletal space, but didn’t initially think about getting into research.

However, after treating many patients with neck problems, and particularly temporomandibular disorders (TMDs), she realised there was a gap in the research for TMDs from a physiotherapy rehabilitation perspective.

Smallest worthwhile effect of ACL reconstruction

A group of Australian researchers conducted a benefit–harm trade-off study to estimate the smallest worthwhile effect of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction plus rehabilitation – compared with rehabilitation only – for improving knee function and return to sport. First author Fahd Dibsh agreed to answer some questions about the study. 

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.

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. 

MOTOR RECOVERY AND REHABILITATION AFTER STROKE 

Researchers from Australia, the USA and the Netherlands summarised five years of research into motor recovery and rehabilitation after stroke. Two of the authors, Dr Emily Dalton and Associate Professor Natalie Fini, agreed to answer some questions. 

We are a profession that takes evidence seriously and rightly so. The body of research underpinning physiotherapy practice is robust, growing and genuinely impressive. 

From pain neuroscience to exercise prescription, manual therapy protocols to chronic disease self-management, we have developed a sophisticated clinical toolkit, one grounded in decades of rigorous investigation, peer review and outcome measurement. 

Physiotherapist Matthew Ash APAM has spent much of his career working with people whose pain persisted long after an injury should have healed. 

Across the globe, there is an increasing prevalence of Parkinson’s disease (PD), which has motor and non-motor symptoms such as bradykinesia, cognitive impairment and anxiety, seriously affecting quality of life.