Physio Gems

20/04/2026

Rib pain is very common with scoliosis as the curve in the spine cases rib mal alignment. This causes some ribs to be closer together on the compressed side, and some ribs to have too much space on the open curved side.

Activity and muscle fatigue can cause pain after exercise. This pain may be because the body is finding it hard to hold your spine upright whilst it is fatigued, tight, or sore.

Spikey balls 🎾 (or tennis balls or handballs) are my favourite targeted release. If I could afford physio or a massage every time my back hurt that would be amazing but I can’t. So this is my next best thing and it is awesome that I can help my back pain!

I place the two spikey balls between my shoulders either side of my spine and I begin mini sit up motion focusing on the backwards motion, supporting my head in my hands. Knees bent, feet flat on the floor.

This release helps my ribs to move again after being stuck or stiff, it helps my spinal muscles relax, and relieves pain. I repeat this until the movement gets easier or for a few minutes whichever comes first.

Do not do this exercise if you have not tried it with your physio first, if it makes your headache worse, you’ve had a recent back injury, you have pins needles or numbness symptoms, or you’re unable to do the sit-up motion due to pain.

17/04/2026

Do you have scoliosis?

🩻 Scoliosis is a 3D curve of the spine, beyond normal parameters. Scoliosis will change how you care for and look after your body!

Scoliosis is not something to be scared of, but by identifying it early you can learn to look after your back and keep it healthy as you age.

I have scoliosis! The question is, do you?

12/03/2026

Come with me to Oceania Academy Conference in Hobart Tasmania 2026! 🎥 🦔 🍃 🦘 🎤

This reel outlines:
- what I got up to each day as a year 1 PhD student and physiotherapist
- my outfit diaries (because I always wish I made note of what worked well last conference)
- key takeaways and reflections
- memories with colleagues, clinicians and lived experience experts

🩷 I hope this video shows you what attending a research conference is like to encourage clinicians, families with lived experience, and new researchers to attend future events.

If you have any questions or would like to know more, please send me a message! 💭

11/03/2026

Hello Everyone!

🏃 As some of you are aware, in July I will be completing my first half marathon with Run Melbourne as a charity superstar for UsherKids Australia, an organisation supporting children with Ushers Syndrome. Ushers is a genetic syndrome that causes progressive hearing and vision loss across the lifespan most commonly causing individuals to lose both senses and rely on tactile sign language or braille to communicate. 👋🏼

This run is important to me for two reasons:
1. I am passionate about the work of UsherKids Australia as I have friends and connections living with Ushers Syndrome who have benefited from the work and connection UsherKids has provided them.
2. ⁠As someone with severe scoliosis this will be a large personal achievement and milestone signifying strength and resilience to myself and my scoliosis-strong peers.

💰 If you would like to donate please follow this link to my donation page: https://runmelbourne26.grassrootz.com/usherkids-australia/gemma-duff

Alternatively I will also take donations in the form of positive affirmations, running advice, or you are more than welcome to join me in July. 🏃

Thank you!
Gem

26/01/2026

📍 Robe Street Playground, South Australia

One of my favourite things as a kids physio is to checkout the local playgrounds as I travel. 🧩 This playground I came across whilst travelling the Great Ocean Road from Melbourne to Adelaide.

☕️ Cute cafe next to the park.
👀 Good visibility within the park
🪴 Small community garden at the back of the park
🛝 Lots of different play equipment for diverse play opportunities

Accessibility considerations:
- gravel footpaths
- bark surrounding equipment
- ramp access to some play equipment
- diverse equipment allowing for different abilities
- rope net swing
- limited accessibility specific play equipment or features
- paved basketball area
- fair contrast between equipment although some wooden based obstacles on bark are hard to see.

16/01/2026

Ally is kickstarting 2026 with a plan! ✨

Our second year of virtual and face to face mentoring is looking jam-packed full of webinars, workshops, book launches (yes!), school workshops, and conference content. 📆

Ally is in an exciting and dynamic phase of her physiotherapy career where she has unlocked the flexibility to pursue her niche interests and passions whilst continuing clinical work.

As Ally’s mentor, I am very excited to celebrate what 2026 brings! 🎉

Follow along at: and

28/12/2025

CME and DMI are popular interventions for paediatric physiotherapy often seen on instagram and Facebook. However, they are not evidence based. Meaning that they are not best practice and are not recommended by current research studies.

If you want to know why, read this article.

Let’s keep physio safe and impactful. We have many skills we can use and social media “instagrable” content does not mean it is best for your child.

I believe that foundational theories and components of DMI and CME can be used beneficially. These components include: alignment, biomechnics, strength, balance, range of motion. These components are not unique to DMI and CME. Physios are experts in these foundational skills, irrespective of these privatised courses that are expensive to both therapists and families.

(These are all the personal views of Physio Gemma Duff and no affiliated organisations).

Dynamic Movement Intervention (DMI) and Cuevas Medek Exercises (CME) are promoted as innovative neurorehabilitation methods for children with neurological disabilities, yet both rely on outdated reflex-hierarchical models rather than contemporary motor learning principles. A review of the literature reveals that CME, despite 5 decades of use, is supported only by a few case reports and 2 small, biased comparative studies. DMI, introduced in 2021, has no published empirical evidence beyond a single conference abstract. Families often pay thousands for intensive, noncovered therapies that may displace meaningful participation in education and social life. Therapists have a professional responsibility to avoid legitimizing unproven practices and to prioritize interventions supported by robust evidence. Pediatric rehabilitation should shift toward child-led, functional, and task-specific approaches grounded in modern motor learning science, with professional bodies and insurers withholding endorsement of nonevidence-based methods.

🌟 CanChild Co-Author: Ginny Paleg

🔗 Read more: https://ow.ly/3MoW50XNUEs

26/12/2025

Happy Holidays ✨

Check out this great little video on scoliosis showcasing a severe scoliosis specimen.

Nowadays this person would have been detected 🧍‍♀️, imaged 🩻, and referred for surgery 👩‍⚕️.
Potentially at a younger age this person would have been braced IF the scoliosis was detected young enough!

As physios we would also educate 🧑‍🏫 the person about their spine 🦴, posture, movement 🏃🏻‍♀️, mental health 🧠, and long term health management.
Physios play an integral role in the long term management and care of individuals with scoliosis from early detection to life long management.

BUT physios need training! Few physios in Australia have scoliosis specific detailed training.

I am a scoliosis educator and if you are interested in learning more about scoliosis as a physio, allied health professional, parent, or person. Contact me at PhysioGems.contact@gmail.com

✨🎄🙋🏻‍♀️🩷🩻

10/12/2025

2025 has been outstanding!

From packing up my home and moving states, to being welcomed by a diverse team of amazing people. 2025 has been jam packed of professional and personal milestones. 🥰

Congratulations to all of the award recipients from the 2025 School of Health Sciences Excellence Awards! 🏆

Special shout out to my colleagues from the Paeds Co-LAB (Paediatric Collaborative for Learning, Allied health research and Beyond) who claimed the Interdisciplinary Research Innovation Award.

I am grateful to be a member of this engaged group of researchers, allied health professionals, and lived experience experts.

We have an exciting year ahead, bring on 2026!

07/12/2025

Muscle tone is a complex and dynamic term used to describe the passive tension of a muscle. This means, how tense the muscle is at rest.

Some people have high muscle tone, or hypertonicity where the muscle is contracted/or contracts even when relaxed.

Some people have low muscle tone, or hypotonicity where the muscle is more relaxed or flexible than a normal resting muscle.

Both forms of muscle tone are suboptimal and can result in fatigue, poor posturing, difficulty with movement patterns, increased risk of falls, and other symptoms.

Muscle tone can be assessed by a physiotherapist experienced in neurological assessment. Muscle tone is assessed both at rest and during movement. Muscle tone can be reflective of a neurological injury such as brain injury, or altered neurological pathways.

If you have concerns about muscle tone, or are confused by your muscle tone diagnosis please speak to your physiotherapist, or specialist for further information.

16/11/2025

Let’s Talk Shoes 🦶🏼
With Physiotherapist Gemma! 💎

There’s are lots of fancy shoes at the shops for young children, but do you know what really matters?

For babies, infants, and toddlers you want to prioritise time in barefoot, without shoes. 🍃

Shoes are appropriate if your toddler is at risk of injury or damage to their foot from things such as hard bark, rocks, or sticks. Shoes should be wide at the toes to allow for their feet to spread and feel the ground. They should be flexible so that they can move and walk naturally using the correct muscles and balance. The shoes should be light and not hinder their normal barefoot mobility. 🪨

If your child has difficulty walking due to a known condition, disability, or diagnosis they may be recommended a special shoe by their physiotherapist to help their walking. These shoes may be rigid, or different to this advice and that is ok! Shoes are unique to each child’s needs! 🧩

If you are unsure about what shoes are best for your child, speak to a paediatric physiotherapist or paediatric podiatrist!



Not sponsored! I just like these shoes. The brand is and they have some very cute designs. 🎀