Accredited Exercise Physiology for Townsville & North Queensland

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An Exercise Physiologist provides rehabilitation services to help you maximise your health and wellbeing. Having an input from an Accredited Exercise Physiologist is important as they can help you discover the best way to exercise for your condition, the safest way to exercise, as well as the most effective exercises and options available to you.

What is an Accredited Exercise Physiologist?

Accredited Exercise Physiologists (AEPs) specialise in clinical evidence-based exercise interventions to improve and manage health conditions. They work to prevent and manage a broad range of health issues from acute, sub-acute, or chronic medical conditions, injuries, or disabilities.

These interventions are provided by focusing on prescribing physical activity, education, advice, support, and lifestyle modification with a strong emphasis on achieving behavioural change. They use their extensive knowledge of the human body and their experience in building motivation to optimise mental and physical wellbeing.

Visit ESSAExercise Physiologists at Alliance Rehabilitation are accredited through Exercise and Sports Science Australia (ESSA), the peak professional body and only accrediting authority for Accredited Exercise Physiologists. They are required to complete an annual continuing professional development program and are required to keep up with the latest evidence-based practice.

Conditions that Benefit from Exercise Physiology

Our Accredited Exercise Physiologists treat participants with cardiovascular, metabolic, respiratory/pulmonary, musculoskeletal, neurological, cancer, and renal conditions. We focus on wellness over illness and always ensure our plans are centred on your goals and tailored to your individual needs.

We offer disability services as a registered NDIS provider and an intensive Community-Based Rehabilitation Service through our partnership with the Townsville Hospital. We also see participants through Medicare GP Management Plans, Private, WorkCover, NIISQ, DVA, and Corporate referrals.

So how are Exercise Physiologists Different to Physiotherapists and Personal Trainers?

There are many misconceptions surrounding Exercise Physiology. People compare an AEP to physiotherapists or consider them to be a glorified personal trainer. Exercise Physiologists are university qualified allied health professionals trained in the design and prescription of clinical exercise interventions. Exercise Physiology primarily focuses on behavioural change and empower participants to successfully manage their health independently.

Physiotherapists will typically assess, diagnose, treat, and manage conditions in human movement through physical techniques. Often Exercise Physiologists will work in conjunction with Physiotherapists in a multidisciplinary team setting.

A personal trainer will use exercise to improve health but does not have the extensive knowledge and training in physiology to prescribe safe exercise for complex health conditions.

There are many benefits to seeing an Accredited Exercise Physiologist. An exercise physiologist can work with you, your family, and support network to increase your motivation and achieve regular exercise. Working with an allied health professional to encourage behavioural change is beneficial in creating long lasting habits and will improve your overall quality of life.

Benefits include:

  • Minimising the impact your condition has on your daily life
  • Chronic Disease management (Diabetes, Asthma, Arthritis, etc.)
  • Increased independence
  • Improved emotional wellbeing (management of anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions)
  • Improved mobility, flexibility, and range of movement
  • Improved cardio-respiratory function and fitness
  • Improved strength and endurance
  • Improved posture, coordination, and balance
  • Reduced pain and stiffness
  • Reduced need for surgery
  • Reduced chance of injury and prevention of re injury
  • Weight management
  • Improved energy levels
  • Improved sleep
  • Enhanced sporting performance
  • Management of conditions without medication (if safe to do so)

Conditions exercise physiology may be able to treat include (but are not limited to):

Cardiovascular conditions:

  • Hypertension
  • Coronary Artery Disease
  • Peripheral Vascular Disease
  • Myocardial Infarction
  • Heart Failure
  • Dyslipidemia

Metabolic conditions:

  • Diabetes
  • Obesity
  • Fitness and wellness education

Neurological conditions:

  • Stroke
  • Parkinson’s Disease
  • Spinal Cord Injuries
  • Traumatic and Acquired Brain Injuries
  • Cerebral Palsy
  • Neuromuscular Degenerative Disorders (ALS, MND, MS)
  • Functional Neurological Disorders
  • Balance disorders
  • Orthogeriatric Rehabilitation
  • Vertigo

Musculoskeletal conditions:

  • Osteoarthritis
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis
  • Osteoporosis
  • Muscular dystrophy
  • Spina Bifida
  • Limb Amputation
  • Back and neck pain
  • Sporting injuries/sprains/strains
  • Pre- and post-natal (pregnancy)
  • Incontinence
  • Orthopedic replacement surgery

Mental health conditions:

  • Anxiety and Depression
  • Eating Disorders
  • General Mental Health

Cancer:

  • All types of cancer

Pulmonary conditions:

  • Asthma
  • Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
  • Cystic Fibrosis

Persistent Pain Management

Exercise Physiology Services Provided at Alliance Rehabilitation

Exercise means different things to different people – no matter your goals we individualise our treatments to suit your needs. This can be walking around the shopping centre, taking the kids to the playground, participating in CrossFit, walking the dog, or competing in sports competitions. Services we provide include:

General Therapy Services

  • Neurological rehabilitation – Evidence based exercise interventions with a focus on neuroplasticity (the brain’s ability to adapt and change). Conditions include Parkinson’s Disease, Stroke, Spinal Cord Injuries, Brain Injuries, Multiple Sclerosis, and Cerebral Palsy.
  • Paediatric and adolescent services – Fun and creative exercise interventions to keep children engaged in sessions and increase meaningful activities in social settings. Conditions include Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy.
  • Aquatic therapy – hydrotherapy services available at three local pools in group and individual sessions.
  • Individualised treatments – Each service is tailored for each specific person; one size does not fit all.
  • Prescription of home exercise programs.
  • Behaviour change/ lifestyle modification – positive health improvements and coaching to challenge and change negative behaviours and mindsets.
  • Gym integration – we offer gym equipment at our facility or can book community visits to introduce you to the gym in your area.
  • Return to sport support.
  • Transition Care Program – detailed assessment and home visits (as required) for urgent care needs. (Hospital referral only).

Hydrotherapy

Our exercise physiologists offer a water-based rehabilitation service called hydrotherapy. Hydrotherapy is a specialised approach which uses the support of the water to improve balance, range of movement, muscle strength, and cardiovascular fitness. Targeted water-based activities help ease physical stress on the body and can help you feel more relaxed and supported than you would with land-based exercise. Often you will have a greater capacity to exercise in the pool then you would on land, which means greater improvements/changes.

We offer one-on-one and group-based therapies out of three pools in Townsville, dependent on your specific needs. We hope to see you progress from hydrotherapy to exercising on land. We can’t always float, so we like to help you build back strength in the supported environment of the pool and translate it back into land-based therapy. Read More >

Lee Silverman Voice Treatment Big (LSVT BIG)

At Alliance Rehabilitation we offer a specific exercise physiology program for people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) called LSVT Big. The program is based on the principle that the brain can learn and change (neuroplasticity) to correct or bypass unhelpful brain pathways.

In Parkinson’s Disease, the brain thinks the body’s movement are normal sized but in reality, the movement is small and slow. This is why people with PD often shuffle when they walk, have small handwriting, or speak with a soft voice.

The aim of the intensive LSVT Big program, offered through our service, is to improve your ability to make bigger movements and bigger (louder) sounds. Our specialist interdisciplinary team can then help you generalise these skills to different functional activities and situations in your daily life such as getting in and out bed, doing up your buttons, or walking over uneven surfaces.

Our LSVT Big program runs four days a week for four weeks and trains the brain to work around the PD movement pattern. It trains the brain to move big with lots of energy. The program is split between Occupational Therapy and Exercise Physiology with two sessions for each a week.

The program is intensive and requires a lot of energy. It helps the brain to understand when you move big, this is a normal way of moving and when you move big you can walk faster and will not have as many falls. Visit LSVT Global for more information

Group Sessions

Many participants benefit from exercising in a group setting. Everyone is assessed by a clinician first and provided with an individualised program to works towards your specific goals, which is progressed regularly. We encourage you to take ownership of your exercise activity sheets and record your repetitions of exercises to show change and improvement over time.

Once you are familiar with the exercises, you are encouraged to participate in the small groups which are supervised by an Allied Health Assistant (AHA). This encourages independent practice and allows for increased intensity of practice. We encourage family members and support workers to assist in these small groups too, if required. This allows for carryover of exercises into the home environment.

To take part in a group you must be able to perform some exercises independently. The AHA can provide some supervision, but their attention is shared across all group participants. Family and support workers can also supervise more challenging exercises.

What to expect from an initial Exercise Physiology session?

An initial exercise physiology session is important to help your clinician get to know you and for you to get to know them. Your rehabilitation is a partnership, and you should feel comfortable in your sessions. You should wear comfortable clothes and sneakers (or closed in shoes) to your sessions. The initial will involve a detailed assessment including reviewing your medical history, lifestyle, likes, dislikes, previous level of function, history of falls, current level of motivation, and goals. Our service is tailored to each individual and we want to find out what you would like to get out of your exercise physiology appointments at Alliance Rehabilitation.

Your assessment will include the analysis of your strength, core stability, cardiovascular fitness, endurance, balance, flexibility, or mobility. The Exercise Physiologist uses these results to prescribe the right intensity of exercise. At Alliance Rehabilitation, our treatment is client-focused and goal-oriented. We want to focus on what is important to you and establish meaningful long-term goals. We will break these down to more achievable short-term goals, while keeping the long-term in mind.

Based on the information you provide and the initial assessment, your clinician will then create a tailored exercise program for you; suited to your current ability and identified goals. The initial assessments will allow us to track your progress and modify your plan as you advance, to suit your changing needs and building confidence.

Referral Options

There are multiple ways for you to be referred to our facility. We also travel to different locations in North Queensland, so location is never a barrier to your health and recovery. Our main office is in Townsville with outreach locations available in Ayr, Charters towers, Richmond, Hughenden, Ingham, Palm Island, and Magnetic Island. Our Exercise Physiologists can also provide community visits, telehealth appointments, and home visits – assessed on a case-by-case basis.

National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) aims to provide all Australians under the age of 65, who have a permanent and significant disability, with the reasonable and necessary support they need to enjoy an ordinary life and achieve their goals. Alliance Rehabilitation is a registered NDIS provider, and we have a dedicated coordination team who can help you identify whether exercise physiology is right for you or if another service is better suited. Read More >

NDIS Therapy Supports (over 7 years)

The NDIS provides therapy support funding for participants with an established disability to facilitate functional improvement. When maximum medical improvement has been reached, this funding allows for adjustment, adaption, and building capacity for independence within the community. Maintenance care can be claimed for a participant to receive ongoing support to maintain their level of function, or to prevent functional decline. Where a skilled therapist is involved in establishing a therapy program for a participant, funding can include the development of a plan and training for a therapy assistant, or informal/funded carers, as part of usual care.

National Injury Insurance Scheme Queensland (NIISQ)

The National Injury Insurance Scheme Queensland (NIISQ) provides care and support to those who sustain serious personal injuries in a motor vehicle accident in Queensland. Alliance Rehabilitation can help provide your treatment, care, and support services. Read More >

Veterans’ Health Services (DVA)

Our exercise physiologists can provide services to Department of Veterans’ Affairs veterans or entitled persons with a valid GP referral. The valid form is a D904 and allows you to see a clinician for a cycle of visits. Each visit is funded by the DVA – certain services require assessment for suitability and funding such as hydrotherapy and group sessions. Read More >

WorkCover

If you have been injured at work, you may be eligible to a WorkCover claim. It can depend on if your employer is self-funded or managed by WorkCover Queensland. We help you regain the skills, strength, and movement needed for you to return to work and help prevent re-injury. To be referred for WorkCover a doctor or specialist needs to complete a Work Capacity Certificate. Read More >

Private and Corporate

We accept all private and corporate referrals. We have an online referral form you can fill out for us to contact you or you can call and book. We generally ask if you are seeing us privately, to send through some history of the condition we will be treating for the clinician ahead of the session. We also accept referrals through Medical Healthcare Plan, CTP and other insurers, private health funds, and community organisations such as My Aged Care. Read More >

Medicare (Bulk Billing)

From 1st January 2023 Alliance Rehabilitation will require gap payment for Team Care Arrangements (TCA), Mental Health Care Plans (MHCP), & Eating Disorder Management Plans (EDP) services. Limited Bulk Billing spots will be reserved for participants who are experiencing financial hardships. Read More >

NDIS
DVA
WorkCover
NIISQ
CTP INSURANCE
My Aged Care
Self funded

How is Alliance Rehabilitation Different?

Alliance Rehabilitation is a community rehabilitation facility designed to provide comprehensive and collaborative allied health services. Our client-centred, goal-oriented approach to service ensures you are experiencing the best quality of care. Our multidisciplinary team focus on wellness over illness and take the time to really understand the needs of each person’s rehabilitation journey to provide an individualised service.

We don’t need to preach about the benefits of exercise and how it can help your heart, lungs, body, and mind. Engaging with an Accredited Exercise Physiologist will ensure you have the tools to implement exercise into your life and commit to the changes. An AEP will help you overcome challenges, maximise your engagement in the community, increase your independence, improve your motivation, and encourage you to feel confident in your day-to-day life.

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References

Table of Contents

What is an Accredited Exercise Physiologist?
Conditions that Benefit from Exercise Physiology
A Point of Difference
Benefits of Exercise Physiology
Injuries & Conditions
Exercise Physiology Services Provided at Alliance Rehabilitation
What to expect from an initial session?
Referral Options
How is Alliance Rehabilitation Different?

Our Exercise Physiology Team

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