PHYSIOTHERAPY
Extended PHYSIOtherapy services FOR MAITLAND, NEWCASTLE & THE HUNTER VALLEY.
Experienced, evidence-guided, exercise-based.
When do you need a Physiotherapy appointment?
You should consider seeing a physiotherapist when you have a specific musculoskeletal injury or condition that requires a thorough assessment, diagnosis, and a structured rehabilitation plan tailored to your condition. For injuries such as a sprained ankle, torn ligament or herniated disc, it is advisable to see a Physiotherapist.
Xceed Health Physiotherapists are well equipped for nearly any type of rehabilitation and conditioning under the sun. What’s more, if you’re unable to make it to the clinic, with enough notice we’re able to perform home visits to certain locations (just give us a heads up and we’ll let you know if we can make it to you).
our physiotherapy services include:
(click each service for more information)
HAND THERAPY
Hand therapy is an extended scope of physiotherapy.
The hand is the most dextrous part of the body, and is used with nearly every day-to-day task, from driving to cooking, and from typing to throwing. Injuries to the hand often come at a temporary cost of functionality of the hand in addition to pain, swelling, or weakness. Hand therapy is a niche area of physiotherapy that looks into the biomechanics, functionality, and usability of the hand following injury or when pain is present, and optimising recovery through manual techniques and tailored exercise prescription.
Hand Therapy encompasses many conditions affecting the hand, including:
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Cubital Tunnel Syndrome
- DeQuervain’s Tenosynovitis
- Skier’s Thumb
- Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Tennis and Golfer’s Elbow
- Broken bones of the elbow, wrist, hand, and digits
- Muscle overuse and overloading presentations
- Stroke and other neurological conditions impacting the hand
- Rehabilitation after various hand surgeries
In hand therapy, function is paramount, and being able to accurately diagnose and promptly treat hand conditions is crucial in establishing use of the hand quickly. This involves assessment of movement, strength, co-ordination, and dexterity, and relating it back to how you normally use the hand. Mason will use this information to develop strategies both in-clinic and for his patients to perform at home to get back to doing everything at home, work, sport, and socially.
If you have an issue affecting your hands and how you can do day-to-day tasks, book in with Mason using the link below, including a brief description of what’s been happening in the appointment notes.
PELVIC FLOOR PHYSIOTHERAPY
Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy involves the management of incontinence, pelvic muscle weakness, pelvic pain, and sexual dysfunction.
While more common than anyone would like to think, pelvic floor issues affect both men and women across the lifespan. From bedwetting in later childhood, to incontinence in middle and later years; as well as pelvic pain at rest and with intercourse, and a myriad of conditions that impact on the pelvic organs – including prolapse, cervical cancer, and endometriosis in women, and orchalgia, prostatitis, and prostate cancer in men.
Physiotherapy for pelvic floor conditions routinely involve improving your awareness of the pelvic muscles, and how and when they should work. In some cases the muscles are overactive (as in overactive bladder syndrome and vaginismus), and in other cases underactive or otherwise have difficulty working when under stress (full bladder, emotional stress, physical exertion with exercise). Exercise is the foundation of rehabilitation of the pelvic floor in all its forms – strengthening, relaxation, and co-ordination.
Seeking help for pelvic floor-related conditions can be daunting, so we welcome having a support person or partner present during the initial consultation as Mason discusses contributing factors to what’s been happening and how we can help you recover. Depending on the nature of your presentation, an internal examination may be required to better understand the “how” and “why” of your concern. This will be discussed with you in the clinic, and alternative assessment strategies can be devised if you are not comfortable with an internal examination in the initial consultation.
If you are experiencing pelvic floor issues day-to-day at rest, in bed, or playing sports; or if you are experiencing pelvic or deep abdominal and groin pain, book in with Mason using the link below, including a brief description of what’s been happening in the appointment notes.
SPORTS PERFORMANCE
Performance Physiotherapy involves sport-specific training to overcome mental and physical barriers.
If there’s one thing athletes hate to do, but still do more frequently than they’d like, is get injured. Injury in sports, despite allowing for healing and returning to the field, can often limit how far athletes can get in their career afterwards unless they have the right tools under their belt, and sound advice from their sports medicine team.
Sports performance physiotherapy exists both in and out of the presence of injury. While many athletes seek physiotherapy advice when they are injured to help recover their movement, strength, agility, and sport-specific skills; physiotherapy is also used in the uninjured athlete to optimise your performance – be it your biomechanics when they lift, run, throw, or tackle; or how you recover after their sport, including mobility and flexibility drills to maintain joint and muscle health after extreme efforts.
In high performance athletes, psychological barriers can develop both in the presence or absence of physical injury, with mental blocks stopping them from moving faster, lifting heavier, or being more confident in your participation. Sports physiotherapy can include mental training in the athletic setting to assist with visualisation, body awareness, performance habits and rituals, and overall improving mental and physical drive.
If you’re trying to recover from acute or recurrent injury, have plateaued in your performance, or feel like you are missing something in your training or recovery programme, book in with Mason using the link below, including a brief description of what’s been happening in the appointment notes.
RHEUMATOLOGY & PHYSIOTHERAPY
Physiotherapy works with a lot of rheumatological conditions.
People can be affected by rheumatological conditions across the lifespan, with some developing as early as adolescence. The effects of these conditions are varied, however many cause stiffness and inflammation in joints through the body, making it difficult to participate in daily activities, go to work, and spend time with family and friends.
Rheumatic joints love to move, but initially they don’t like loading, which is often what contributes to “flare-ups”. Physiotherapy aims to introduce progressive loading while maintaining movement, and improving overall strength and ability – whether the mid-back is stiff from ankylosing spondylitis, grip strength is reduced from rheumatoid arthritis, or you are run down by the effects of polymyalgia rheumatica; there is often a light at the end of the tunnel to improving quality of life. Other rheumatological conditions that physiotherapy can assist in the management of include:
- Osteoarthritis and Hyperostosis
- Infective and Reactive Arthritis
- Fibromyalgia
- Spondyloarthropathies
- Hypermobility Syndromes (including Ehlers-Danlos and Marfans)
- Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
- Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
While the effects of rheumatological conditions aren’t reversible, physiotherapy aims to give you the tools and knowledge you need to be able to notice when the body is reacting or when you have overworked and when you should pace yourself, but also finding ways to gradually increase tolerance to exercise and loading to keep you healthy and active.
If you are having difficulty managing some of the physical effects of a rheumatological condition or the associated pain, book in with Mason using the link below, including a brief description of what’s been happening in the appointment notes.
DANCE PHYSIOTHERAPY
Local Dance Physio in Maitland, Newcastle & The Hunter Valley. Helping dancers put their best foot forward.
Dance in all its forms requires years of commitment, and an abundance of strength, co-ordination, and balance. The volume of practice, routines, and recitals can sometimes lead to overuse conditions and aches and pains – or can arise from compensatory movement patterns to make up for reduced flexibility or strength elsewhere. Physiotherapy for the dancer involves assessment of the dancer performing techniques and positions familiar to their dance style, as well as their mobility, flexibility, motor control, and strength; relating it back to their pain or limitation to help return back to the stage through a combination of both hands-on and exercise-based rehabilitation.
In addition to treating injuries, Mason is also familiar with dance proficiency and pre-pointe requirements, having performed pointe assessments for dance academies across the Hunter Valley over the past five years. For ballet dancers advancing from “intermediate foundations”, as well as tap, jazz, and contemporary dancers rising through the ranks, proficiency and suitability assessments can be performed to determine if any skills need to be refined, or strength needs to be homed in on before they progress to the next stage of their dance pathway.
If you’re finding yourself getting consistently sore during practice and routines, having trouble recovering, or are in need of a proficiency assessment performed, contact us or book an appointment with Mason below
DRY NEEDLING
Dry needling assists with pain relief and restoring movement.
Using a needle similar to that in acupuncture, Dry Needling is the stimulation of muscle fibres by inserting a thin needle into the belly or tendon. Useful in managing pain for an assortment of muscle issues, including tightness, and both overactivity and underactivity-associated movement dysfunction. Dry Needling can also be used as part of treatment to stimulate muscle impacted by stroke, and down-train other muscles that are overshadowing underactive groups.
We have a number of therapists who are are qualified Dry Needlers, with Lachlan able to needle most major muscle groups in the body – the chest, shoulder, back, buttocks, and leg. Mason can in addition needle the face, neck (excluding the neck flexors), hands and feet, groin, pelvis, and abdomen. Proper administration and hygiene practices are always exhibited during needling for our clients’ and our own safety.
While the risks of Dry Needling are minimal, it is important to let your therapist know about the following, as there are some contra-indications and risks associated with the following demographics:
- First-trimester pregnancy
- History of DVT or other emboli
- Haemophilia or use of anti-clotting agents (aspirin, warfarin, etc.)
- Blood-transmitted diseases (Hepatitis, HIV, etc.)
- Fear or unease with needles or donating blood
- Fresh tattoos over the area of concern
If you have an issue that you think may benefit from dry needling, or if you have had it before and found good effect in managing your pain, click below to book in with Lachlan or Mason at their respective clinic.
Can’t find what you’re looking for? No sweat!
Even if the treatment you’re looking for is not listed, we can still help out. With existing relationships with both GPs and specialists from nearly every medical field in Maitland, Newcastle, and the Hunter Valley, we work collaboratively with other health services to make sure your recovery and care are maintained, and no one falls through the healthcare cracks.
Meet Your Physiotherapists
Mason Neal
APA Sports & Exercise Physiotherapist
Physiotherapy, Pelvic Floor Therapy, Dry Needling, Sports Performance, Hand Therapy, Dance Therapy, Rheumatology and Pain Therapy.
A Hunter Valley local of 20 years and graduating from the University of Newcastle in 2015, I have spent the last five years developing my skills in treating all forms of sports injuries and shoulder-to-hand conditions. Having worked alongside surgeons and sporting teams, parents and players alike; I pride myself on being able to educate those I treat about the “how” and “why” of injury or pain, in conjunction with hands-on and exercise-based rehabilitation.
My sports of interest include Rugby league and Union, Bodybuilding and Powerlifting, Functional training and CrossFit, Basketball, Tennis and Squash, Dance and Ballet.
While primarily seeing shoulder-to-hand injuries, I welcome all presentations from top-to-toe, sporting or not. I additionally treat pelvic floor conditions, including post-surgery, postpartum, and incontinence; and have a strong interest in treating people in “pain” when there may not be a true injury or reason for it being there.
Outside of the clinic, I am a regular at CrossFit Maitland, however averagely I may be at it. I also played many sports growing up – tennis, rugby, water polo, and dance – and all this has provided me knowledge of the workings of the body as well as the expectations of the sport to help my patients both recover from injury and return better than before.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Hons.)
- Masters of Sports Medicine
- Level 1 Spine Physiotherapy
- Level 1 Pain Physiotherapy
- Dry Needling Masterclass Certificate
- KLT Strength and Conditioning
Amber Bailey
Physiotherapist
“Feel better, move better, live better”
This saying is a little cliché, but it holds a lot of weight in the way I treat people. I like to look at the whole picture of someone’s injury including their lifestyle, occupation, and hobbies. This helps me tailor my treatment plan as the aim of the game is to ultimately get people back doing what they enjoy. This is where I get my kicks out of the job!
I pride myself on empowering my patients through a better understanding of their presentation and the rationale of certain treatment methods and exercise prescription. I find if people understand what is happening in their body and why, they are more likely to do the work to feel better.
I enjoy treating a wide range of presentations and love a challenge. I pride myself on having a friendly, down to earth, caring approach.
Outside of the physio world, I enjoy keeping fit as I have young children to chase around! I love playing soccer and camping/boating with my family.
Additionally, I am a Bowen Therapist. I enjoy this holistic approach as it gives a different viewpoint of treating the body.