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Physiotherapy plays an important role in managing arthritis. It can help you to maintain independence through improving your mobility, strength and flexibility.

Physiotherapists can devise simple exercise programmes that you can practise at home to help you build your strength and flexibility.

Exercise is especially important for people with arthritis. It can help to reduce pain and increase mobility.

Respiratory physiotherapy can assist to treat or manage many breathing and chest problems.

These include:

• Reducing shortness of breath
• Clearing lungs
• Reduction of chest infection
• Improve wellbeing
• Treatment of emphysema, chronic bronchitis and asthma
• Pneumonia
• Pulmonary fibrosis

Gym programs are a great, safe way to exercise. Build strength, balance, flexibility and fitness with an exercise program designed by our qualified professionals.

At Deane Stephens Physiotherapy we have qualified physiotherapists that perform functional assessments and individual program development.

A carefully formulated exercise program can assist with:

• Chronic back pain
• Arthritis
• Diabetes
• Respiratory conditions
• Hypertension
• High cholesterol
• Risk of heart disease, stroke, some cancers

Splinting was introduced as an alternative to long-term immobilization, using the solid plaster cast. Plaster casts are heavy, cumbersome and non-porous material causes excessive perspiration. Splints, be they made to fit individually from thermoplastic material or ready made, allow the patient to remove the support. This means easy removal for exercises or physiotherapy treatment, while providing support to the limb or joint when needed.

Splints allow the patient to apply and remove the support. This means easy removal for exercise physiotherapy and physiological stresses in order to stimulate and assist the healing process for a smooth and full recovery.

Splinting is common for:

• osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis in hands
• Knee injuries
• Ankle injuries
• Elbow injuries
• Carpal Tunnel syndrome
• Fractures

Chronic lower limb pain commonly manifests as a constant dull ache in the hip, knee, foot or ankle joints with sharper pain noticed during aggravating activities. It can either be referred pain (e.g. sciatica from the lower back) or from true pathology in the specific region of pain.

Treatments can include:

• Hip Capsulitis or Bursitis
• Nerve root compression
• Sacro-iliac dysfunction
• Patello-femoral pain syndrome
• Tendonitis
• Sciatica
• Femoro-acetabular Impingement
• Arthritis and inflammation
• Stress fractures
• Circulation disorders
• Surgical rehabilitation

Chronic upper limb pain commonly manifests as a constant dull ache in the shoulder, arm or hand with sharper pain noticed during aggravating activities.

It can either be referred pain with associated tingling, numbness or weakness (e.g. nerve root compression in the neck) or from true pathology in the specific region of pain (e.g. rotator cuff tear).

Problems commonly treated include:

• Rotator Cuff injury
• Tennis Elbow
• Nerve root Compression
• Frozen Shoulder
• Golfer’s Elbow
• Tendonitis or Tenosynovitis
• Fractures
• Recurrent Dislocations or Subluxations
• Joint inflammation
• RSI & De Quervains
• Circulation disorders
• Surgical Rehabilitation

The rate of joint replacement surgery has been increasing rapidly for many years, and this trend is anticipated to continue as the Australian population ages. As rehabilitation following joint replacement surgery is critical to ensuring optimal joint function and improving quality of life it is essential for you to understand this process to ensure the best recovery possible.

After your joint replacement surgery your physiotherapist will develop a rehabilitation program comprising a number of different components. Once pain is treated and controlled, a home program can be implemented involving functional strength, stretching and self-release strategies for management of your new joint long term.

Treatments can include:

• Hydrotherapy
• Soft tissue release
• Strength training
• Functional exercises

Orthopaedic rehabilitation is aimed at returning patients who have undergone orthopaedic surgery to their pre injury status as soon as possible. Orthopaedic rehabilitation will vary depending upon the type of surgery that you have, however, the general goal post-operatively is to regain mobility and functional strength whilst seeing a reduction in post-operative pain.

The team at DSP will work closely with your Orthopaedic Surgeon, to produce the best possible outcome for you.

Surgeries requiring physiotherapy rehabilitation can include:

• Knee Replacement and Revision
• Anterior/Posterior Cruciate Reconstruction
• Medial and Lateral Meniscectomy
• Chondroplasty
• High Tibial Osteotomy
• Fractures
• Arthroscopy
• Achilles tendon Repair
• Rotator Cuff Repair
• Shoulder Stabilisation
• Shoulder Joint Replacement
• Arthroscopy
• Fractures: Open Reduction and Internal Fixation, Closed Reduction
• Lumbar Laminectomy
• Spinal Fusion

Good posture is not just good for your appearance; it affects your general health as well. Postural correction may be necessary in patients who have had a neurological dysfunction, but it may also be helpful for persons who do not have a clinical complaint.

Poor posture can contribute to breathing problems, back, neck and shoulder pain, fatigue, indigestion and sleep problems. In other instances, poor posture may be the result of pain, for which the person is trying to compensate.

Deane Stephens Physiotherapists are very concerned about the posture of their patients, as it can make a huge difference in a person’s recovery.

Pre and post-natal care can help you to better cope and manage with the many changes that you can experience as a pregnant woman and for a short period soon after giving birth.

Hormonal changes prepare the body physically for birth, causing postural changes and in turn a level of discomfort and stress that’s different for every woman and every pregnancy.

Issues can include back pain, pelvic floor weakness, sacroiliac joint pain, sciatica, carpal tunnel syndrome, abdominal separation and more.

Treatments can include:

• Soft tissue release
• Joint mobilisation
• Postural education
• Taping and bracing
• Flexibility and core stability exercises
• Exercise classes
• Appropriate pre & post natal exercise education