As physiotherapists, we specialise in treating all manner of musculoskeletal issues. Broadly speaking this means all the joints, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and anything else involved in the movement of the body. Whether it’s a new injury, chronic pain, stiffness or weakness holding you back from being active in your day-to-day life, we can help.

All of our physiotherapists regularly deal with sporting injuries, from the local amateur level right through to the professional level. Several of our physiotherapists have significant experience in sports-specific physiotherapy. We work with clients from all types of professional and leisure sports backgrounds, including the football codes, netball, runners, tennis, golf, lawn bowls, cricket, basketball, rock-climbing, hiking, cycling and everything in-between.

Physiotherapists can help you with a number of issues relating to you sports and physical activities, including:

• Acute Injuries – Joint sprains, muscle strains and injuries from knocks or falls are common and can occur in any sport or activity. Intervention with a physiotherapist can help in all stages of your recovery – from initial pain management, through to rehabilitating the area for a return to sport, as well as planning and advice on ongoing injury prevention.
• Chronic Injuries – These can include repetitive injuries to a specific area, chronic pain, stiffness, or a lack of mobility. Chronic pain can have a negative impact on both our performance and our enjoyment of our chosen activity. Assessing and getting to the root cause of the problem, and not just managing the symptoms, is key in understanding and managing these issues.
• Performance Issues – There are many physical attributes that affect our performance. Our strength, balance, mobility and flexibility all contribute to how we perform, and an issue in any one of these areas can hold us back from reaching our potential. Whether that be improving our swing, our kick, our throw or bowling action. Assessing the issue and developing a plan with your physiotherapist to address this, can be a huge contributor in improving your performance, at any level of sport.

Physiotherapists are experts in the treatment of spinal conditions, injuries, pain and loss of function related to the spine and associated joints and muscles. Back and neck issues are among the most common issues seen by our physiotherapists. We can assess your condition and provide the most appropriate treatment and advice on exercise, posture and work set up to help you overcome your condition.

• Low Back Pain – Low back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide, affecting an estimated 540 million people! (WHO, 2018). Many secondary symptoms can be associated with low back pain, including loss of movement, loss of strength, referred pain, and numbness or pins and needles in the legs. Low back pain can be acute or chronic and has many and varied causes, including posture, repetitive movements, lifting, and accidents.
• Thoracic and Neck Pain – Pain in the middle and upper back can also come from a variety of causes, with poor posture being one of the leading triggers. Neck pain is often associated with pain and symptoms into the shoulders and arms, and is one of the leading causes of headaches, referred to as cervicogenic headaches.
• Spinal Conditions – We treat and advise on most conditions relating to the spine. This includes scoliosis, kyphosis, Scheuermann’s disease and other disorders affecting the shape of the spine. Degenerative conditions such as osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, degenerative disc disease, or spondylosis and similar conditions affecting the vertebrae are also treated in our practice. In addition, we can help with immune or inflammatory conditions such as ankylosing spondylitis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Vertigo and dizziness can present as a sensation that the room is spinning, light headedness, a foggy feeling, nausea and unsteadiness. The condition be very unsettling, reducing our sense of balance and posing a significantly increased risk of falling and sustaining other injuries. Often this occurs due to problems with the vestibular system.

What is the vestibular system?

The vestibular system is located in our inner ear. Our ear has two primary functions – the outer ear helps us with hearing and the inner ear helps us control our head movements by providing feedback to the brain about our body and head position. This helps us regulate our normal balance, and movements of the head.

The vestibular system is made up of three semicircular canals and two otolith organs. These structures are responsible for detecting any forward/back and up/down movements – such as when you turn your head, when a car stops suddenly or when you jump up and down.

Strong nerve connections between your ears, eyes and neck muscles provide information to your brain to maintain balance and to coordinate movements.

What causes vestibular problems?

There are many different disorders that can affect our vestibular system. The most common include:

• BPPV (Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo)
• infections or fluid build-ups
• neuromas
• trauma (hard head knocks, concussions, car accidents)
• post stroke.

Vestibular rehabilitation

Vestibular rehabilitation consists of a thorough evaluation by a trained vestibular physiotherapist.

Evaluation includes collecting a detailed history, analysing your symptoms and conducting an in-depth assessment. Our clinic uses specialised video goggles to assist with our assessment and treatment. These video goggles are used to evaluate and record your eye movements which give us valuable information about the workings of your vestibular system. This helps us to diagnose, provide treatment, and monitor the progress of your condition.

Rehabilitation and treatment can consist of several treatment techniques and exercises. Treatments may include:

• Canalith repositioning, or Epley manoeuvre
• gaze stabilisation exercises
• static and dynamic balance exercises
• gait training with and without head movements
• strength and endurance exercises.

Pilates is a method of whole body exercise, with a strong emphasis on the core, back, low back and pelvic regions. It emphasises control, posture and balance to achieve a strong, balanced and mobile body. Pilates can be used to treat a variety of physical issues, most commonly it is used in the treatment, recovery and prevention of spinal conditions, low back pain or core and pelvic disorders and injuries.

Pilates can be undertaken in mat/floor form or by using a specialised multi-exercise machine called a reformer, which we have at Castlemaine Physiotherapy.

Pilates can be used in isolation or in conjunction with other treatments as part of the whole treatment plan. Your physiotherapist can guide you through these exercises, helping you to develop the technique, strength and endurance required to reach your goals. We will also provide you with home exercise plans to complement the work done in the clinic.   

WE TREAT UNDER WORKCOVER

Whether it is office based work or highly physical work, there are a range of physical issues that can occur in the workplace. This could be an accident or single incident, or the outcome of poor posture or repetitive movements over time. Whether it be working pain free, returning to your usual duties, or getting back to work, we can help.

Ergonomics

The term ergonomics refers to set up of our working environment, and our interactions with it. Ergonomics in your workplace could include the height of desks or work benches, the types of chairs, positioning of computer monitors, types of machinery or equipment used, and how products, items or equipment is used and transported in the workplace.

An ergonomic assessment with Castlemaine Physiotherapy can review how you operate within your workplace and make recommendations to reduce your risk of acute, repetitive or postural injuries, and increase efficiency.

Assessments are available on both an individual, or group level, for single desks/work stations, or an entire workplace. For information or quotes regarding onsite group or full workplace assessments, please contact our office.

Pre-Employment Screening

Castlemaine Physiotherapy has been offering pre-employment screenings for both businesses and individuals for the past several years. This screening can help identify any risk factors that may be associated with the new job or role, providing advice in reducing any risks associated with this.

Our pre-employment screening is thorough evaluation of an individuals readiness to start employment in a new workplace or new role. It covers a full assessment of an individuals posture, mobility, strength and lifting capabilities, with a physiotherapist experienced in occupational health.

This screening can help identify any risk factors that may be associated with the new job or role, and provide advice in reducing any risks associated with this.

Upon completion of a screening, a thorough report is provided, including any recommendations on findings from the screening. Screenings for larger groups can be accommodated, please contact our office for further information.

Castlemaine Physiotherapy are excited to now be offering online consultations. There are many reasons that an online consult could be the best option for you.

• Difficulties in making it into the clinic due to other commitments
• Mobility or other health issues making traveling into the clinic difficult
• Travelling or living out of the region
• Being in self-isolation or quarantine.

An online consultation is completed via a video link/call using our private and secure software. During your session your physiotherapist will take a detailed history of your symptoms and carry out an assessment of your movements via video. Based on this, your physiotherapist will provide advice and a treatment plan specific to your issues.

This could include exercise plans, stretching activities, Pilates plans, postural and ergonomic education and advice, and much more. After your session you will receive a copy of any exercises, or treatment plans, that you can access through your email, or on our dedicated mobile app, PhysiApp.

Whether a weekend warrior, a social walker, bushwalker, or a professional athlete, a professional video analysis can pick up the root cause of an issue, sometimes when nothing else can.

We conduct the assessment and analysis over the space of two sessions. In the first session, we talk to you about your history, aims and goals, complete a thorough physical assessment, and complete a video recording of your gait.

This video will placed through specialised software, analysed by your physiotherapist, and a report provided to you. Based on this report, we will provide advice, guidance, and exercise plans to appropriately address any issues picked up in our analysis. Armed with a plan based on our analysis we can get you back out there with reduced pain, improved performance, or reaching for any other goals you have in mind.

Did you know that physiotherapy is the leading, non-pharmacological treatment for headaches, both acute and chronic? One of the leading type of headaches is Cervicogenic Headaches, which refers to headaches caused by neck, and often postural factors. Physiotherapy is the leading treatment option for these types of headaches especially.

Your physiotherapist will take a thorough history, and complete through a physical assessment. This includes analysis of your movements, your posture and assessment of the neck muscles and joints.

Based on this assessment your physiotherapist can provide a targeted plan to both treat the headaches and address the underlying causes to reduce the occurrence of the headaches altogether.

Treatment commonly includes;

• Trigger point therapy, massage or dry needling
• Mobilisation of the neck or jaw
• Neck stretches and exercises
• Postural exercises and education
• Ergonomic advice.

Pain and disorders of the TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint), more commonly known as the jaw, are surprisingly common. Despite the fact that it is the most used joint in the body, problems with the TMJ are unfortunately misdiagnosed and poorly managed far too often.

Common symptoms of TMJ disorders can include;

• Clicking and popping
• Difficulty fully opening the mouth, or with chewing
• Grinding of the teeth
• Headaches
• Neck Pain
• Tinnitus (ringing ears)

At Castlemaine Physiotherapy we can help treat your jaw or related pain. Once diagnosed, your physiotherapist can provide the best treatment tailored to your specific condition.

Treatment can include;

• Joint mobilisation
• Soft tissue or muscle releases of the jaw and neck
• Jaw relaxation or stabilisation exercises
• Postural exercises

If you think you have a TMJ disorder call us today to book an assessment.

Castlemaine Physiotherapy are proud to now be providing physiotherapy services to both Self-Managed, and Plan-Managed NDIS participants.

We believe in a collaborative approach to your health. We listen to, and work with you, to set goals, and put plans in place to help you achieve them. This includes physiotherapy services, but often collaboration with other health providers as well, to achieve the best all around outcome for you, the client.

Currently, under the NDIS, Castlemaine Physiotherapy provides;

• Physiotherapy services
• Advice on mobility aids
• Home Visits
• Physiotherapist supervised strength training classes
• Group Hydrotherapy.

Call our office today to book an assessment, or to go over any questions you have getting started with physiotherapy.

When booking please tell us that you are covered under the NDIS and have any relevant details ready to make the process as easy and efficient as possible.

Alternatively, you can complete the referral form and we will get in touch with you.

We understand that sometimes it can be hard to make it into the clinic. Whether this is due to recent surgery or mobility issues, we can help. Castlemaine Physiotherapy has practitioners available to attend homes in the Castlemaine, Maryborough and surrounding areas (some call out fees may apply). Please call the clinic if you require further information or to book a home visit.

Areas covered include:

• Castlemaine
• Maryborough
• Harcourt
• Campbells Creek
• Barkers Creek
• Chewton
• Muckleford
• Newstead
• Elphinstone

• Taradale
• Fryerstown
• Guildford
• Maldon
• Ravenswood
• Kangaroo Flat
• Carisbrook
• Daisy Hill