In a flash poll conducted by the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA), over 90 per cent of physiotherapists said they have treated patients suffering after unnecessary and potentially harmful surgeries. This comes following a confronting exposé of Australia’s chronic pain industry on ABC Four Corners, which highlighted potential overuse of surgical procedures, despite physiotherapy treatment being considered part of best practice.

The NSW State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA) is going down the path of ‘Americanising’ healthcare by changing who patients can see for complex and serious low back medical problems.

SIRA has announced the seemingly innocuous removal of the term ‘physiotherapist’ from the clinical care pathway in its Low Back Pain Model of Care, replacing it with ‘physical therapies’ to allow NSW patients to be treated by non-Ahpra regulated and limited scope exercise providers. 

Chronic low back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide¹. The Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) is drawing attention to the condition and providing guidance on how physiotherapy can help.

Concussion is mentioned in daily news cycles, athletes are being medically retired on the basis of repeated concussions and community sport has adopted strict return-to-play protocols.

So why all the fanfare now about a condition that has been around for as long as blokes have had testosterone and the desire to strike each other’s heads? The simple answer is: medicine.

A new virtual reality treatment program has shown patients that there are new ways to think about and treat their pain.

The newly invented treatment was developed by Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) Pain Physiotherapist and Menzies Health Institute Queensland researcher Dr Daniel Harvie, who has focused on changing the brain’s perception of the body.

A landmark report released by the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) provides irrefutable evidence of the cost effectiveness and enhanced quality of life delivered by physiotherapy interventions.

The Value of Physiotherapy report launched today by Olympic athlete Jessica Trengove, delivers a comprehensive, independent analysis undertaken by the NOUS Group that demonstrates the economic benefits that physiotherapy provides to patients and the Australian healthcare system.

The extension of Stage 4 restrictions in Melbourne which only allow allied health treatment for patients meeting extremely narrow criteria is causing distress and potential long term harm to patients. The Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) is calling on the Victorian government to ease these restrictions and enable physios to treat patients who need their care.