HOW WE HELP
Exercise Physiology
Why Exercise Physiology at HFRC
Our expert team of Exercise Physiologists are here to help you reduce your pain, improve your physical function, and accelerate your recovery in a friendly and caring environment. Our experience and commitment to ongoing research ensures you receive expert care, combined with extended appointment times to ensure you receive the care and treatment you deserve.
What is Exercise Physiology
Exercise Physiology utilises varying forms of clinical exercise to promote healing in injured tissues, reduce pain in your joints or muscles and improve your physical function after injury or surgery. Exercise Physiologists are recognised allied health professionals with a minimum of four years of university training. Our commitment to excellence has driven many of our Exercise Physiologists to pursue further training at PhD and Master’s level.
Book your initial assessment now to start your journey to less pain, accelerate your recovery from surgery, lose weight or get physically fitter in a safe and supportive environment.
We recommend Exercise Physiology for:
Pre-surgery – get fit for surgery
Post-surgery rehabilitation
Arthritis management
Musculoskeletal pain or injury recovery
Returning to exercise after injury or illness
Losing weight and getting fitter
ACL rehabilitation and return-to-sport assessments
Physiotherapy
Why Physiotherapy at HFRC
Our experienced Physiotherapists' thorough, structured approach to assessment and diagnosis of your issue will help you get to the root causes of the problem and allows for individually guided treatment plans that work. If you have a barrier to performing at your best, whether it's pain or restriction in movement, Physiotherapy treatment by our expert team can help.
What is Physiotherapy
Physiotherapists have a particular expertise in diagnosing the cause of your pain, symptoms and movement issues using a combination of physical assessment and their knowledge of how the body moves and operates. This is paramount in getting a realistic prognosis and plan. Physiotherapists treat with a wide range of tools and hands-on skills to help ease pain, mobilise stiff joints, wake up lazy muscles and relax excessive tension - promoting tissue healing and better biomechanics. This can include manual therapy, assisted movements, shockwave therapy, electrotherapy and exercise prescription to promote and keep these areas moving optimally in both the short and long term.
Book your initial assessment now to start your journey to less pain, accelerate your recovery from surgery, lose weight or get physically fitter in a safe and supportive environment.
Who provides the service
We recommend Physiotherapy for:
Back and thoracic pain
Neck pain and headaches
Vertigo and dizziness
Plantar fasciitis, heel pain and tendinopathy (shockwave therapy)
Sports injury diagnosis and treatment
Hip, knee and shoulder pain
Metabolic Health
What is Metabolic Health and Weight Loss
Understanding your metabolism is the key to your health, weight management, diabetes control and well-being. Our metabolic health programs are designed to get you burning stored fat, which is key to optimal health and weight management. Each program is individualised to work with your metabolism and includes:
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Metabolic measurement
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Tailored nutrition
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Personalised activity programs
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Evidence-based protocols
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Experienced health professionals
Most diet and weight loss programs guess your metabolism based on factors like your age, height and weight; however, research has shown these are inaccurate and misleading, up to +/- 30%. At HFRC, we take out the guess work. We use ECAL technology (developed here in WA) to measure your individual metabolism and energy needs. A simple breathing test is conducted while you rest. From these results we will design an individually tailored solution to get you metabolically healthy. Continuous monitoring tracks your progress and guides required changes to diet or exercise to achieve optimal metabolic health.
Book your initial assessment now to start your journey to less pain, accelerate your recovery from surgery, lose weight or get physically fitter in a safe and supportive environment.
Who provides the service
Signs you may not be metabolically healthy:
Feel sleepy after eating a main meal?
Find it difficult to lose weight?
Regain weight quickly?
Lack motivation to exercise on most days?
Forget things easily?
Have cold hands or feet?
Experience stomach bloating or indigestion?
Sleep loudly?
Experience cravings for sweet foods?
Find it difficult to sleep soundly?
Heart Health & Diabetes
Heart Health and Diabetes Management
If you have a heart condition, heart disease or at risk, you need regular physical activity as much as anyone else. Research shows that people who begin to engage in regular physical activity and make other healthy changes after a heart attack live longer and have a better quality of life than those who don't. "Cardiac rehabilitation doesn’t change your past, but it can help you improve your heart’s future."
Diabetes and insulin resistance greatly increases your risk for heart issues. Our Heart Health program is also highly effective for the exercise management of diabetes. Combining regular exercise with good nutritional advice can be an effective way to manage diabetes without drugs.
HFRC’s Heart Health and Diabetes Management program is an exercise-based program that aims to strengthen your heart, manage blood sugars and improve your overall health. This program is supervised by experienced Accredited Exercise Physiologists who have completed at least four years at University learning how to design safe and effective exercise interventions for people with health conditions.
See our full brochure for more information.
Who provides the service
Cardiac Rehabilitation is recommended for you if you’ve had:
Risk factors for heart attack including diabetes, high blood pressure or family history of heart disease
Coronary heart disease
A heart attack or admission for angina
Angioplasty +/- cardiac stent
Heart surgery (bypass, valve or artery surgery)
Heart failure and cardiomyopathy
Heart transplant
A device insertion, for example a pacemaker or implanted defibrillator
A cardiac arrest
In-heart electrical rhythm problems, such as atrial fibrillation
High blood pressure in your lungs (pulmonary hypertension)
A stroke or mini stroke (TIA)
Hydrotherapy
What is Hydrotherapy
Hydrotherapy is water-based exercises conducted in a purpose-built pool where the water temperature is maintained between 34° - 36°C. Hydrotherapy allows you to perform exercises you might not be able to do on land as the buoyancy of the water reduces the weight-bearing stress on affected joints, helping to reduce pain throughout and after the exercise session. The warm water is also soothing on sore joints and its hydrostatic pressure acts like a full-body compression garment, with the pressure increasing the deeper you are, which promotes increased circulation and helps to reduce swelling.
Key Benefits of Hydrotherapy include:
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Reduced pain during and after exercise
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Reduced weight-bearing load through affected joints
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Promotes circulation leading to improved blood flow and reduced oedema and swelling
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Increases muscle strength and endurance
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Helps to improve joint range of motion.
Book your initial assessment now to start your journey to less pain, accelerate your recovery from surgery, lose weight or get physically fitter in a safe and supportive environment.
Who provides the service
We recommend Hydrotherapy for:
Arthritis (osteoarthritis, rheumatoid)
Post-surgery rehabilitation (e.g. joint replacement / reconstruction)
Chronic pain
Back and neck pain
Lymphoedema
Neuromuscular conditions (e.g. Parkinson’s, MS, stroke)
Early stage injury rehabilitation where weight bearing is restricted
Remedial Massage
What is Remedial Massage
Joint and soft tissue injuries are complex in nature, and often best managed by a multidisciplinary approach to treatment. At HFRC, we strongly encourage the addition of remedial massage in your treatment program.
Remedial massage supports your recovery and performance in several ways by addressing pain, swelling and muscle tension and tightness, in addition to reducing your anxiety and stress. It also encourages better sleep and relaxation.
A range of Remedial Massage Treatment options are available to suit you:
Short Treatment (30 mins) - Treatment of one specific/injured area only.
Standard Treatment (45 mins) - Treatment of the affected and surrounding areas.
Comprehensive Treatment (60 mins) - Full treatment targeting affected area or full body massage.
If you are unsure which treatment option is best for you, contact our team for a comprehensive discussion.
Our expert team of fully qualified Remedial Massage Therapists are registered with all health funds.
Book your initial appointment now to start your journey to less pain, accelerate your recovery from surgery, lose weight or get physically fitter in a safe and supportive environment.
Who provides the service
Lisa Heyns
We provide Remedial Massage for conditions such as:
Back pain
Headaches
Neck and shoulder pain/tension
Lower limb swelling or 'heavy legs'
Sporting injuries
Pre- and post-surgery management
Postural correction
Whiplash injuries
Hip, knee and ankle injuries
Limited mobility
Rehab at Home
Can’t come to us? We can come to you.
HFRC at Home
Our expert team is regularly on the road, providing services in the comfort and convenience of your own home. HFRC can provide home visits for Physiotherapy and Exercise Physiology services.
Rehab In The Home is perfect for those who can’t travel due to recent surgery or injury. HFRC is also registered as a Rehab In The Home (RITH) provider following joint replacement for some major health funds (contact us for more detail).
HFRC online
HFRC online aims to provide the best in exercise rehabilitation, available to everyone, anywhere. This enables early exercise rehabilitation, support and expertise, no matter where you live. The advances in telecommunications, now means we can deliver expert treatment services to you, in the comfort of their own home, workplace or wherever they are. Research also demonstrates that these services are equivalent to the standard of the face-to-face services also offered.
Engaging in telehealth is easy. You utilise your mobile phone, tablet or computer to conduct a video call through purpose-built telehealth software with the highest levels of security and privacy. This allows us to deliver our expertise and services face-to-face, not just no in person.
Ergonomic Assessments
and Expert Reports
Ergonomic Assessments
HFRC has expertise in the management of musculoskeletal conditions, including proactive strategies to prevent such injuries and return rehabilitated individuals to a safe work environment. Ergonomic assessments of workstations and systems of work help companies identify and control injury risk, especially using a ‘participatory ergonomics’ approach.
Expert Reports and Opinions
Common Law claims for damages resulting from (i) negligence in the workplace, or (i) hazardous spaces or environments, often rely on reports and opinions from a variety of experts, including ergonomists and OSH specialists.
Who provides the service?
Timothy Ackland, PhD FASMF – Principal Ergonomics Consultant
Professor of Applied Anatomy and Ergonomics, The University of Western Australia
Professor Ackland has over 30 years’ experience as an ergonomics consultant, with 150+ reports for the Supreme Court, WA District Court, Federal Court and various Tribunals and Commissions. He has also worked with leading organisations in mining, transport and police.
Who provides the service
Shockwave Therapy
What is Shockwave Therapy (SWT)?
Shockwave Therapy (SWT) is one of our physiotherapy services at HFRC. Bruce Paulik, Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist, was Internationally Certified in 2016 in the use of SWT for the treatment of chronic tendon and fascia pain, and all our physiotherapists are trained in its use.
It s a non-invasive treatment that uses acoustic pressure waves to deliver a mechanical force to the body’s tissues. SWT, in addition to providing immediate pain relief, has been found to be effective for promoting tendon repair.
How it works
SWT activates the body’s normal self-healing capabilities. It does this by stimulating the growth of new blood vessels into the tissues, promoting growth factors, increasing cell proliferation, decreasing inflammation and mobilising stem cells.
Shockwave therapy uses a pneumatically powered handpiece that generates radial shockwaves, which are transmitted to the site of the injury through a conducting gel.
Each treatment session uses 2000-3000 pulsed shockwaves into the affected area and lasts approximately 3-10 minutes. Most patients will notice some pain relief immediately after therapy, but it can take up to 4-8 sessions to achieve significant pain relief.
The body’s natural healing process continues after the prescribed course of shockwave therapy. Your treatment plan will also include advice on how to manage your condition and rehabilitation exercises to strengthen the area, which will minimise the risk of re-injury.
Up to 92% of patients report significant improvement in their tendon pain after a course of shockwave therapy.
Who provides the service
Shockwave Therapy can help conditions such as:
Tennis and golfers elbow
Achilles tendinopathy
Plantar fasciitis and heel spurs (Shockwave therapy is often ranked number one for best outcome and considered “best practice”.)
Patellar tendinopathy
Hip - greater trochanteric pain syndrome/gluteal tendinopathy
Hamstring insertion tendinopathy
Shin splints
Calcific tendinopathy of the shoulder
Other tendinopathies around joints
Iliotibial band pain
There is strong clinical research evidence for the treatment of these chronic tendon problems.