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WorkSafe / WorkCover and TAC Atlas Physio is happy to provide services to clients on behalf of the TAC and WorkSafe. Receiving treatment as a TAC or WorkSafe client is different to receiving treatment as a private client, so take note of the following: 1. You will need a claim number. As part of subsidised services, you will have received a TAC or WorkSafe claim number. It is important to have this ready when you meet your therapist - it's how we bill for our services. If you do not have your claim number, you will need to provide us with your name and date of birth. - TAC clients must also have the date on which the accident occurred. - WorkSafe clients must also have the date on which the injury occurred, the date of surgery if available, and details of your claim. If you cannot provide a claim number, and do not have the details of your accident available, you will not be eligible for subsidised rates at the time of your appointment. You will still be able to access physiotherapy services at standard rates, and you will still be provided with receipts. 2. You do not need a medical referral to start TAC or WorkSafe treatment with us. As part of TAC and WorkSafe services, you do not need a medical referral to start physiotherapy treatment. All you will need is a claim number, and you will be eligible to begin treatment. 3. TAC and WorkSafe treatment will require reassessment and reporting. As part of receiving subsidised physiotherapy treatment, Atlas Physio is obliged to conduct ongoing reassessment of your progress, and provide reports of your progress to the relevant authorities and individuals when requested as well as at regular intervals. This means that details of your treatment and your response to it will need to be submitted. Atlas Physio will take every measure to respect your privacy and minimise exposure of your information. For more information, you can refer to our consent form, and ask any questions you may have regarding TAC or WorkSafe procedures. 4. Subsidised treatment rates are different to standard rates. The schedule of fees published by WorkSafe and the TAC specify the maximum amount that these organisations will pay for in an appointment. Atlas Physio WILL NOT charge you more than this rate for a standard consultation. You will still be liable for gym memberships, equipment purchases, and any out-of-clinic expenses.

Work Injuries Many people who work experience injuries related to their obligations at work. Everyone is at risk of experiencing a Work Injury, regardless of the nature of their jobs. Injuries like sprains, Back Pain, Shoulder Pain and Knee Pain are highly represented in physical jobs such as Trades and Technical fields, while conditions like Carpal Tunnel, Neck Pain, Headache are commonly represented in Desk jobs. ​ If you experience a Work Injury, it is important to be assessed and treated quickly. This will minimise the time spent off work, improve the likelihood of returning to work at your previous duties, and will also ensure a productive relationship between yourself and your care provider. If you suspect you have experienced a Work Injury, you should speak to your treating clinician or doctor. ​ As part of treatment for your Work Injury, you may be eligible for subsidised treatment under WorkCover / WorkSafe. At Atlas Physio, we do NOT charge a gap fee in addition to any subsidised cost of treatment. However, the cost of gait aid prescription, gym or pool membership as part of rehab, as well as imaging or reporting may not be covered under the schedule of subsidised fees. Make sure to discuss this with your treating clinician. ​ Management of your Work Injury will depend on the nature of that injury, your physical obligations at work, the time you need to return to work, as well as your schedule. The treatment you receive will be tailored to address the specific cause of your pain, and will focus on minimising pain, maximising your ability to move pain free, and developing a plan to minimise the risk of a flare-up in the future. At Atlas Physio, we will provide you with education, a structured Return to Work plan, and ongoing monitoring of your pain both in and out of the clinic. We will also be happy to liaise directly with your insurer, legal representatives, and employer if required. Contact us to arrange an assessment, and to take the first step on a course of corrective care today.

Post Surgical Physiotherapy Post-Surgical Physiotherapy refers to any physiotherapy intervention undertaken following, and in the context of, surgical management of a problem. Timely physiotherapy intervention in the form of post-surgical rehab has been established as a highly effective means of ensuring a good outcome following surgery, minimising the risk of an adverse outcome, and best preparing someone to meet the demands of their lives. Post-Surgical Physiotherapy can be conducted as soon as less than twenty-four hours of an operation, depending on the surgeon's orders as well as the state of the patient following the procedure. This physiotherapy is routinely conducted within the hospital, on ward or in a specific rehabilitation gym designed to provide a safe and supportive environment in which exercise can be undertaken, and where patients can be monitored and cared for in the event of an issue. After leaving the surgical ward, patients may receive physiotherapy treatment in a rehabilitation ward where they stay for the duration of their treatment, via a home-visit service in their place of residence, in a hospital clinic during daytime appointments, or in a community rehabilitation center. There are many options for someone to receive physiotherapy treatment following surgery, some of which may be more or less favourable depending on the type of surgery that has been performed and the best management plan following the procedure. It is common for patients who are already seeing a private physiotherapist prior to their surgery to maintain contact with and involvement from that same clinician after their surgery. This ensures continuity of care, appropriate patient management, and minimises the likelihood of information loss or confusion due to multiple handovers between professionals and clinics. Your private practitioner will liaise with the surgical team and other staff as needed to ensure appropriate management. Management of your discomfort depends on its causative factors, how it feels and changes during the day, what makes it better and worse, and the length of time you have been experiencing that pain. All of these factors will be addressed in your initial assessment, which is the first step toward managing and minimising any pain or discomfort. The treatment you receive will be tailored to address the specific cause of your discomfort, and will focus on minimising pain, maximising your ability to move pain-free, and developing a plan to minimise the risk of a flare-up in the future. At Atlas Physio, we will provide you with education, structured management, and ongoing monitoring of your pain both in-clinic and out. Contact us to arrange an assessment, and to take the first step on a course of corrective care today.

Jaw Pain Jaw Pain is a general term that refers to any kind of pain or discomfort felt in the Jaw. Jaw Pain is a common problem that people experience, and may affect three in five people over the course of their lives. Jaw Pain is felt in one or both sides of the jaw, though you may feel the pain in areas of your face, the head, and in your neck if there is inflammation which irritates the nerves. Because of the number of nerves that pass over and around the jaw, pain may be felt in the head, eyes, neck, lips, and within the teeth. Jaw Pain may last from weeks to months depending on the nature of the pain, the cause, the progression, and the speed with which treatment is sought. Jaw Pain is caused by irritation of the Jaw Joint, also called the Temporomandibular Joint. The specific cause of the pain depends on many factors like the age of the person experiencing the pain, their occupation, whether the pain was caused by an accident or started rapidly, as well as other variables. Jaw Pain can come about due to grinding of the teeth (also called Bruxism,) following dental surgery, following infection or illness, and following trauma. Jaw Pain can also be caused by stress. Psychological stress can result in physical behaviours like grinding the teeth during waking or sleeping hours, and clicking or locking of the Jaw Joint. Stress can also have an adverse effect on pain, as well as affecting the effectiveness of treatment performed in clinic. With this in mind, if stress is suspected to be a contributing factor to your Jaw Pain, appropriate referral will be discussed. Jaw Pain may be experienced as a constant pain on one or both sides of the Jaw. Additionally, Jaw Pain may be accompanied by clicking, grinding, and locking of the jaw joint if there is weardown of or damage to the internal strutures or capsule of the jaw joint. Jaw Pain commonly presents with a headache as well as neck pain. During your assessment, you will be asked whether or not you experience headaches, and if so, the frequency and nature of your discomfort. You will also be assessed for evidence of grinding of your teeth, and if so, if you have sought input from a dentist. Management of Jaw Pain depends on the cause of the pain, how it feels and changes over the day, what makes it better or worse, and the length of time you have been experiencing the pain. All of these factors will be addressed in your initial assessment, which is the first step towards minimising and managing any pain or discomfort. The treatment you receive will be tailored to address the specific cause of your Jaw Pain, and will focus on minimising pain, maximising your ability to move pain free, and developing a plan to minimise the risk of a flare-up in the future. At Atlas Physio, we will provide you with education, structured management, and ongoing monitoring of your pain both in and out of the clinic. Contact us to arrange an assessment, and to take the first step on a course of corrective care today.

Ligament Injuries Ligament injuries refer to sprains and partial or complete tears of ligaments. Ligaments are bands of connective tissues that join two bones, often over a joint. People who are active participants in sports are more likely to experience ligament injuries in their lives, but otherwise normally active people have the potential to experience these injuries as well. Ligament injuries are commonly felt as sharp pain which may be accompanied by swelling and tenderness that takes time to subside. The pattern of pain and its resolution depends on the nature of the injury to the ligament, as well as the joint over which the ligament is passing. Most of the joints in the human body are supported by ligaments, which act as scaffolding and rigging to maintain stability and optimal movement. Ligament Injuries are organised by grade of severity. Grade one Ligament Injuries are the least severe, and refer to strains or minor tears of the ligament. Such injuries will be accompanied by a sharp pain which may resolve into a dull, persistent ache that may resolve quickly or slowly, depending on the nature of the injury. Grade one Ligament Injuries generally resolve themselves, though monitoring is needed to ensure they do not worsen. Grade two Ligament Injuries refer to partial tears of the ligament. In this case, the bundles of connective tissue that compose the ligament become separated, and this is accompanied by pain, swelling, tenderness, and aggravation of pain when the joint becomes unstable. Typically, these Ligament Injuries are managed conservatively through pain and symptom relief followed by a strengthening and balance program, combined with monitoring to minimise the likelihood of complications. Grade three Ligament Injuries refer to almost total or total separation of the ligament fibers. This is the most severe injury that a ligament may experience, and as a consequence they need to be managed appropriately. Depending on the demands of your life and your desired return to activity, surgical repair of the ligament may be necessary, followed by active rehabilitation that takes place in and out of the clinic. Management of Ligament Injuries depends on the cause of the pain, how it feels and changes over the day, what makes it better or worse, and the length of time you have been experiencing the pain. All of these factors will be addressed in your initial assessment, which is the first step towards minimising and managing any pain or discomfort. The treatment you receive will be tailored to address the specific cause of your Ligament Injury, and will focus on minimising pain, maximising your ability to move pain free, and developing a plan to minimise the risk of a flare-up in the future.

Shoulder Pain Shoulder Pain refers to any kind of pain or discomfort felt in either one or both of the shoulders. The assessment and management of Shoulder Pain is sometimes complicated, because of the number of structures that comprise the shoulder and the manner in which they all interact. One third of men and one quarter of women are likely to experience Shoulder Pain over their lives, with people working in manual jobs more at risk than others. Shoulder Pain may be felt in the mid-back, the top of the neck, the side or middle of the arm, and within the shoulder joint itself. Because of the nerves that travel through the shoulder to reach the arm and the hand, Shoulder Pain may be felt elsewhere in the body. Shoulder Pain is caused by irritation, inflammation or wear-down of structures that make up the shoulder. Typical causes of Shoulder Pain are traumatic injuries, rotator cuff injuries, tightness of one muscle, inflammation of a muscle belly or tendon, and arthritis in older individuals. The specific cause of Shoulder Pain depends on assessing the interplay between structures, movements, painful positions, and activities that cause pain. Shoulder Pain can arise due to muscular, bony, joint, ligamentous, or neurological causes. Management of Shoulder Pain depends on the cause of the pain, how it feels and changes over the day, what makes it better or worse, and the length of time you have been experiencing the pain. All of these factors will be addressed in your initial assessment, which is the first step towards minimising and managing any pain or discomfort. The treatment you receive will be tailored to address the specific cause of your Shoulder Pain, and will focus on minimising pain, maximising your ability to move pain free, and developing a plan to minimise the risk of a flare-up in the future. At Atlas Physio, we will provide you with education, structured management, and ongoing monitoring of your pain both in and out of the clinic. Contact us to arrange an assessment, and to take the first step on a course of corrective care today.

Transport Accidents Transport Accidents refer to injuries sustained during the operation of personal and commercial motor vehicles, bicycles, trams, and motorbikes. Transport Accidents can affect the drivers of vehicles, pedestrians, bystanders, and responders to accidents. Transport Accidents can affect many people, and we are all at risk of experiencing one in our lives, due to the extent to which we are dependent on road-based transportation to engage with the spatial demands of our lives. Given this dependent relationship between cars and the community, the Transport Accident Commission was established in 1987, to provide compensation "in respect of persons who are injured or die as a result of transport accidents." A key feature of the Act establishing the Transport Accident Commission, being the Transport Accident Act 1986, was the combination of no-fault and common law benefits. The term "No Fault" means that care is provided regardless of who was at fault in an accident, a concept which first emerged in 1971 with the establishment of the Road Accident Hospital Accounts Committee, or the RAHAC, which paid 70% of an injured person's hospital bills through two insurers (SIO and RACV) before compensation matters were considered by the courts. This notion led to the formal establishment of the Motor Accident Board in 1974, which enshrined the no-fault concept into law and allowed payment of both medical expenses and weekly income, until such time as the accident victim's common law claim was settled. The MAB was disbanded following financial insolvency, but the notion of a no-fault provider of medical and support services was effective enough that the TAC was established in 1986. Transport Accidents have the potential to cause a broad spectrum of injuries. When two vehicles strike each other, when a vehicle strikes a body, or when a body comes to rest abruptly as a result of the rapid deceleration of its transport or due to impact with an external object, the relative momentum of those bodies at the time of impact generates physical force that has the potential to cause injury. The fragility of the human body in movement has been well-understood throughout history, regardless of whether the injury was caused by fall from height, fall from a horse, or tumbling. Understanding this fragility and minimising the risks it presents while using cars and machines has been an ongoing endeavour. From the introduction of seatbelts in the 1960s, to the development of roll-cages in 1979, and the deployment of airbags in the 1990s, the first line of managing the injury risk posed by Transport Accidents has been to modify the vehicle to minimise the effect of physical force on the human body. From this point, management of Transport Accidents is dependent on the nature of the injury to the human body and its severity. Physical injuries require management as per best practice guidelines to promote healing of the tissues and structures as well as functional rehabilitation. Headstrikes and trauma to the neck require focused intervention to minimise the risk of whiplash or cervicogenic complicating elements. Rapid deceleration can cause concussion, internal visceral injury, and damage to the organs of the abdomen. Traumatic force can result in symptoms similar to traumatic encephalopathy. All of these elements, big and small, are taken into consideration when developing a program of rehabilitation that is designed to manage the injury, its impact on the life of the person, and the barriers it presents to recovery. Management of your discomfort depends on its causative factors, how it feels and changes during the day, what makes it better and worse, and the length of time you have been experiencing that pain. All of these factors will be addressed in your initial assessment, which is the first step toward managing and minimising any pain or discomfort. The treatment you receive will be tailored to address the specific cause of your discomfort, and will focus on minimising pain, maximising your ability to move pain-free, and developing a plan to minimise the risk of a flare-up in the future. At Atlas Physio, we will provide you with education, structured management, and ongoing monitoring of your pain both in-clinic and out. Contact us to arrange an assessment, and to take the first step on a course of corrective care today.

Exercise Therapeutic exercise is the development, prescription, and monitoring of an exercise program with the aim of improving and consolidating function over time. ​ The use of exercise as medicine has been well-established since the sixteenth century, and the benefits of an exercise program are extensive. Independent exercise programs offer simple, flexible, and adaptable means by which you as the patient can continue to enjoy free and easy movement outside of the clinic. ​ Simple exercise programs involve the prescription of basic movements to capitalise on gains made in the clinic. For example, if stretching, massage and manipulation of one joint improves its flexibility, you will receive a program of exercises designed to maximise and maintain those improvements out of the clinic as well. These exercises will most likely be based on the exercises that you performed in clinic, and will be developed in consultation with your treating clinician. ​ More complex exercise programs involve the prescription of programs composed of many different movements. These programs may require initial supervision in a gym environment as well as monitoring to make sure the prescribed exercises are appropriate. These programs may be developed in consultation with doctors or physiologists to maximise their effectiveness. ​ Not every patient will be immediately appropriate for exercises. The exercises you receive will be tailored to you and your desired clinical outcome, as well as closely monitored for effectiveness. Feel free to discuss your exercise program with your clinician, either in or out of the clinic.

Wry Neck Wry Neck refers to a series of conditions that result in a painfully twisted and tilted neck. Wry Neck may be present from birth due to congenital or anatomical factors, and is referred to as permanent Wry Neck. Wry Neck may also occur during the course of everyday life for people who do not have any predisposing anatomical factors, and this presentation can be quick to resolve. Some people go on to develop recurrent Wry Neck symptoms that eventually become chronic, requiring ongoing management and treatment to ensure their appropriate care. Wry neck can be inherited, developed in the womb, and can arise from damage to the muscles of the neck or the arteries that supply those muscles with blood. Wry Neck Pain can also be caused as a result of other diseases, such as an ear infection or a cold. Wry Neck that develops as a consequence of other illness is generally quick to resolve, though has the potential of becoming recurrent if not properly addressed and managed. Wry Neck may develop slowly, and be characterised by symptoms such as head and neck stiffness, difficulty aligning the head, headache, and dizziness. Management of Wry Neck depends on the cause of the pain, how it feels and changes over the day, what makes it better or worse, and the length of time you have been experiencing the pain. All of these factors will be addressed in your initial assessment, which is the first step towards minimising and managing any pain or discomfort. The treatment you receive will be tailored to address the specific cause of your discomfort, and will focus on minimising pain, maximising your ability to move pain free, and developing a plan to minimise the risk of a flare-up in the future. At Atlas Physio, we will provide you with education, structured management, and ongoing monitoring of your pain both in and out of the clinic. Contact us to arrange an assessment, and to take the first step on a course of corrective care today.

Back Pain Back pain is a general term that refers to any kind of pain or discomfort felt in the back. Back pain is the fifth most common reason that people visit their doctors, and affects nearly four in five people through their life time. Back pain can be localised to different parts of the spine and the nearby muscles, and can also be distinguished by how long the pain has been present. An episode of back pain that lasts for less than six weeks is called Acute Back Pain. Pain that lasts longer than six weeks but less than twelve is called Sub-Acute Back Pain, and pain that lasts longer than twelve weeks is called Chronic Back Pain. Back pain of any kind can be caused by a number of factors, given the complex anatomy of the spine and surrounding muscles, ligaments, nerves and other bones. Because of this, back pain can be referred to as a bio-mechanical problem. Pain can arise due to muscular, bony, disc, or neurological causes to name a few, and diagnosis of back pain may be affected by the length of time you have been experiencing the pain. Back Pain can be further complicated by physical factors like weakness or stiffness, practical factors like your work environment, and fear surrounding treatment and progression of the pain. Management of Back Pain depends on the cause of the pain, how it feels and changes during the day, what makes it better and worse, and the length of time you have been experiencing that pain. All of these factors will be addressed in your initial assessment, which is the first step toward managing and minimising any pain or discomfort. The treatment you receive will be tailored to address the specific cause of your Back Pain, and will focus on minimising pain, maximising your ability to move pain-free, and developing a plan to minimise the risk of a flare-up in the future. At Atlas Physio, we will provide you with education, structured management, and ongoing monitoring of your pain both in-clinic and out. Contact us to arrange an assessment, and to take the first step on a course of corrective care today.