Esperance Physiotherapy

09/09/2025

We are celebrating our profession's birthday!

September 8 is World Physiotherapy Day, and we are focusing the month on reducing falls and improving strength capacity in older adults.

It is natural for our strength to decline as we age, in fact, we lose 10% of muscle mass per decade after 30. This rate can increase for women through menopause. While this is a natural process, like grey hair and wrinkles, we can influence the RATE at which this process occurs through strength training.

By staying strong, we reduce our fall risk, can garden for longer, hit the golf ball further, and pick up our grandchildren more easily. Life is better when we are strong!

If you would like to improve the quality of your life, we are here to assist.

31/08/2025

Gluteal Tendinopathy Syndrome

If you are a female over 40 years old, you or a friend may have experienced pain in the area outside the hip joint.

It is commonly worse when lying in bed at night on your side, crossing your legs when sitting, walking up stairs or uphill and standing with your weight mainly on the sore side.

The onset of pain may have been triggered by a;
* Change in fitness routine (Springing into Spring!)
* Change in normal activity e.g., a holiday, restarting after a break
* Slip or Fall
* Hormonal change during menopause +/- Weight gain

Dr Doug has just returned from a 2-day training course that focused on the most recent advances in the management of tendinopathies. Research has clearly demonstrated that this group of conditions are best managed with education and exercise.

In the case of gluteal tendinopathy, participants reviewed at 8 weeks and 52 weeks in the education and exercise group reported a higher success rate in global improvement than those who received a corticosteroid injection or those who adopted the wait-and-see approach.

Research article link https://www.bmj.com/content/361/bmj.k1662

If you are experiencing pain on the outside of hip joint area and would like to have this assessed and treated please contact the clinic.

21/08/2025

Did you know that 1/3 of the population is experiencing poor sleep?

Poor sleep can negatively impact your mood, and increase your stress and pain levels. We spend a 1/3 of our lives sleeping, we should do it properly. If you aren’t getting 7-8 hours of sleep a night and/or are lying awake for hours each night trying to fall asleep, we can help you!

Esperance Physiotherapy offers the Sound Sleep Program which includes:
- Assessment of sleep quality and effect
- Face-to-face assessment, education and treatment to improve your sleep quality.

Call us on 90715055 to book your Sound Sleep Program assessment today!

07/07/2025

We are up and running. Literally! You can now book your running assessment with Dr Doug Cary to sort out that ongoing ni**le

We use the treadmill in addion to functional tests, strength tests and flexibility tests to determine how best you can improve running, walking and hiking.

07/07/2025

🏃‍♀️ Running/hiking/walking pain? 🏃‍♂️

We have taken delivery of out new treadmill and will now be available to provide runners, walkers and hikers with vieo analysis of their gait pattern as part of their assessment

13/02/2025

***** Concussion Resources ****

As we move into the season of contact sports, the focus towards concussion will start to build. SMA has produced a collection of resources including management guidelines and a poster resource that would be a great addition to your club room, trainers' area or as a training resource for general player discussion.

You can download your copy here:

Concussion Management Concussion Management Course Sports Trainer Connect SMA Position Statements Concussion in Australian Sport Concussion is a serious matter, and information regarding its short and long-term health implications continues to evolve, creating a real challenge for those responsible....

24/12/2024

And just like that, another year has come to an end! We are now closed for Christmas and New Year. Thank you to all of our wonderful clients for your support in 2024. We will be back with bells and whistles on Monday, January 6th. While we are away, appointments can be booked online by visiting our website.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all! We hope to see you in 2025. 🎅🎄🎁

12/12/2024

Wondering how you can stay healthy over the Christmas period? 🎄🎅

Here are some tips to stay active and not overdo it;
1. Limit the sitting so all your 2024 hard work doesn’t fade away. Think backyard cricket, a dip in the ocean, or a bike ride along the foreshore. Make your usual exercise routine fun so that everyone can get involved! 🚴🌊🏏
2. Limit your alcohol consumption. 🍻 Make sure to stay hydrated with water in between drinks, pace yourself and don’t overdo it.
3. Enjoy the dips, pastries, cakes, chocolates, etc., in moderation!
4. With the weather heating up, don’t forget to slip, slop, slap! 🌞

Are you planning a road trip to see family or friends? Here are a few tips we’ve picked up from assisting travellers.
· Preparation: Sort out your aches and pains a month before travelling to allow solutions to take effect.
· Cockpit: Adjust your car seat to engage the base horizontal and lumbar support. If you need more support, try a small pillow behind your lower back. Ensure the mirrors are correct and you have a water bottle nearby for regular hydration.
· Planning: Look at your distance and plan for activity breaks every 250-300kms. If travelling with children or you are older than 50, consider more frequent stops.
· Equipment: Pack a football, tennis ball or frisbee and mark local sports grounds or schools on your GPS for your activity stops.
· Driving Technique: Consider driving with a small pillow on your lap to support the weight of your arms. Try holding the steering wheel at 8 and 4 o’clock as this lessens neck, shoulder and arm drag and fatigue = greater comfort and safety.
· Activity: When driving, remain active. Wiggle side to side, pelvic rock, and shrug shoulders. Music helps. Pick an appropriate, safe time to perform these movements.

Preparation is key for both the driver and car. Book a PhysioCheck appointment to receive the right advice on minimising neck and shoulder risk while driving.

17/11/2024

Don't let hip or knee pain hold you back

Transform your hip and knee arthritis management with the GLA:D exercise program—an evidence-based initiative to reduce pain and improve mobility.

This comprehensive 12-week course combines professional assessments, 12 supervised exercise sessions over six weeks, and a personalised home-based program for the next six weeks.

Reviews at 3 and 12 months ensure progress and long-term benefits.

Proven outcomes make GLA:D a trusted choice, and costs can be covered through a GP-referred Enhanced Care Plan and/or your private health insurance (e.g., HBF or HCF). Talk to your GP or Physiotherapist to join the growing community of GLA:D participants today!

Call Nikki to secure your place in the next GLA:D program at Esperance Physiotherapy

14/11/2024

Your Win-Win PhysioCheck Appointment!

Private health insurance is about to ‘roll over’ for 2024, which means any remaining benefits will be lost. Why not use this opportunity to determine and set your health goals for 2025 with a PhysioCheck appointment?

Your next PhysioCheck appointment will include a full-body musculoskeletal assessment scan, during which your Physiotherapist will identify areas of muscle weakness and joint stiffness. You can let us know if you are experiencing pain. With this information and knowing your health goals for 2025, like sufficient strength to go camping or garden in comfort, play with your grandkids, and prepare for ski season, we can start you on a personalised pathway to that goal.

​You win by using your insurance benefit. You win by improving your health.

​PhysioCheck appointments are ideally conducted every 6 months. Call 9071 5055 to book.

24/10/2024

Workout 4 Women Challenge 💪🏃‍♀️

Looking for a challenge that is also for a good cause? Well, in November, you can join Workout 4 Women by registering to move 4km each day and inviting your friends and family to sponsor you. The cause raises funds for those who have been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. For more information or to sign up for the challenge, you can visit https://workout.ovariancancer.net.au/

17/10/2024

👨‍💼👩‍🔧 National Safe Work Month 👷👩‍🌾

October encourages individuals and organisations to prioritise work health and safety and take preventative action to reduce workplace injuries, illnesses and fatalities.

Here are some ways Esperance Physiotherapy can help you take the first steps in your workplace.

1. PreHarvest CabChart Assessments🚜

With Harvest on the horizon for our farmers, now is the perfect time to book your employees' PreHarvest Assessment to aid in injury prevention.

The assessment assists farmers in improving productivity by reducing the risk of muscle and joint injuries (an injured worker doesn't work as effectively). We can achieve this with a fitness assessment that covers mental, sleep, and physical health. This is followed up with a customised program to target the identified problem areas. Ideally, the assessment would be completed 8-10 weeks BEFORE harvest starts to allow sufficient time for changes to be achieved. We also provide a unique, in-cab exercise program called CabChart to assist in maintaining fitness and alertness while operating machinery over the peak harvest period.

For farms with 10+ employees, we can travel to you if you can provide a suitable venue. To book your PreHarvest assessments, call Nikki on 9071 5055.

2. Ergonomic Assessments

Esperance Physiotherapy provides an on-site ergonomic workstation assessment service. Dr Doug will attend your workplace to observe, measure, and advise on optimal office setup, productivity, and workstation layout and provide recommendations for appropriate equipment if required. Each assessment takes 30-60 minutes, depending on complexity, and a report can be provided.

If you want to optimise your employees’ productivity and prevent injuries by ensuring their workstations are correctly set up, contact us at 9071 5055 to book your team in for their assessments.