Our physiotherapists are experts in spinal conditions. They work collaboratively with our medical specialists, exercise physiologists and remedial massage therapists to help achieve the optimal outcome. Our physiotherapists will assess you, diagnose your problem, and formulate a treatment plan which may include correcting biomechanical abnormalities, modifying your movement patterns, improving your posture and developing guidelines for return to normal activity.
Bachelor of Exercise and Nutrition Science / University of Queensland
Bachelor of Physiotherapy | Australian Catholic University
Theres treats surgical and non-surgical patients who have complex spinal problems. Her role as a Physiotherapist at Backspace is to make clinical assessments and offer suitable treatment options for a range of back and neck conditions, taking into consideration the patient’s own health goals and lifestyle. Together with the rest of the clinical rehabilitation team, Theres helps guide and support patients through their rehabilitation journey. As a qualified Clinical Pilates instructor, Theres also develops and teaches goal-oriented Pilates programmes to incorporate with other treatment options.
Backspace is very fortunate to have such an experienced, caring and dedicated healthcare professional as part of the team.
Bachelor of Science | University of Queensland
Masters of Physiotherapy Studies | University of Queensland
Rebecca joins BackSpace with many years of clinical physiotherapy experience in private practice. Her primary role at BackSpace is to care for patients who have undergone spine surgery. Rebecca greets patients immediately after their surgical procedure in the recovery area in hospital then closely monitors every patient’s rehabilitation after surgery as part of the clinical team at post-operative appointments in the clinic. Rebecca really enjoys the team environment at BackSpace and the collaborative approach to care that helps us work towards better patient outcomes. Clinical Pilates is also an area of physiotherapy that is of particular interest to Rebecca as it allows patients to adopt an active approach to their rehabilitation.
Our exercise physiologists specialize in clinical interventions which are exercise-based, provide education, advice and support. There is a strong focus on achieving behavioural change. They will look at your lifestyle and goals, and design an exercise programme taking into account the physiotherapy recommendations. They will prescribe the right exercises, show you how to do them and monitor your progress during your recovery.
Bachelor of Clinical Exercise Physiology | Queensland University of Technology
Felicity is a founding clinician at Backspace and our senior Exercise Physiologist with many years of specialized experience in treating patients with back pain. She is responsible for the design and development of the BackSpace rehabilitation programmes. These programmes include Pilates and Stretch Therapy. Felicity’s approach is to tailor exercises that suit the patient’s needs, lifestyle and fitness goals.
Being a former gymnast, Felicity is a sports fan and is passionate about Formula 1 car racing.
Bachelor of Clinical Exercise Physiology | Queensland University of Technology
Masters of Philosophy in Exercise Physiology | Queensland University of Technology (to be completed 2024)
Matt is an ESSA Accredited Exercise Physiologist with 15 years of experience delivering personal, group, corporate and community health services for diverse patient populations. He is skilled and experienced in multidisciplinary and multimodal rehabilitative and preventative settings. Matt joins the Backspace clinical team with a commitment to delivering high quality, evidence-based, person-centred clinical care and outcomes to patients in musculoskeletal and chronic pain rehabilitation.
Our remedial massage therapists are trained to provide specialized treatment for all spinal conditions. They will treat painful and tight areas with massage, stretching cupping, and dry needling, working collaboratively with our physiotherapists and exercise physiologists. They will decrease pain, release muscle tension and release tight tissues to decrease pain and speed up your recovery.
Diploma of Remedial Massage / Australian Natural Therapies Association
Bachelor of Psychological Science / Queensland University of Technology (due to be completed 2025)
Julian has joined BackSpace with the highest praise for his skills as a Remedial Massage Therapist. He specializes in assessment, treatment, and management of soft tissue injury, pain, and dysfunction of the musculoskeletal system. Having worked as a hands-on-therapist, clinical director and lecturer in areas of remedial massage and soft-tissue therapy, Julian is passionate about health and fitness viewed through a bio-psycho-social lens. This passion has evolved into further study to obtain qualifications as a Clinical Psychologist.
Bachelor of Physiotherapy / Veiga de Almeida University, Rio de Janeiro
Diploma of Remedial Massage Therapy / The Australian College of Eastern Medicine
Advanced Diploma of Myotherapy / Mastery Institute Australia (due to be completed in 2024)
Luan joins Backspace with an impressive knowledge of the human body, having practiced as a Physiotherapist for many years in his native Brasil. His area of special interest is Orthopaedic trauma and sports injury rehabilitation. Moving to Australia has meant that Luan must complete further studies to receive accreditation to practice as a Physiotherapist in Australia. As he works towards this goal, he has obtained qualifications in Remedial Massage Therapy and completing additional studies in Myotherapy. Luan’s knowledge and experience add to the already expert team of practitioners at Backspace who together possess extensive skills in helping patients with back and neck issues.
Diploma of Remedial Massage Therapy / Australian Learning Group
Clinical Pilates Instructor, Level 3 / Pilates Institute of Queensland
Backspace welcomes Mirko to the dedicated Backspace team of practitioners. Mirko has extensive experience working in multi-disciplinary healthcare environments as a Remedial Massage Therapist and Clinical Pilates Instructor, working to achieve optimum results for his patients. He is a passionate sportsman who enjoys marathons and an avid traveller.
As part of medical professional team, our nurse is the liaison between our medical specialists and our allied health professionals. She is involved in the assessment and management of your condition.
Bachelor of Nursing | University of Sunshine Coast
Bachelor of Business | Torrens University
Alicia’s career experience is predominantly in the hospitality industry where she learned to appreciate the art of listening to her customers and provide customer service that catered to their needs. Her desire to broaden her career into the world of business and in particular the healthcare industry has resulted in a Bachelor of Business qualification that arms her with the core skills of running a business such as BackSpace. Alicia’s compassionate nature and organization skills are a great fit with the rest of the BackSpace team.
Bachelor of Psychological Science | Bond University
Graduate Diploma in Psychology | University of Adelaide (to be completed 2025)
Natasha is a founding team member of Backspace and responsible for the administrative processes that are so important in the clinical care of patients. Her role involves the regular analysis of administrative processes to ensure that clinicians and management are able to perform their roles optimally. Natasha also coordinates the clinical placements for university students who rotate through Backspace. Another aspect of this task for Natasha is to ensure that Backspace’s philosophy of nurturing students of health sciences and encouraging professional development of its team members is maintained to the highest standard. Natasha’s career goal is to become a practicing Clinical Psychologist in the field of Child Psychology after the completion of her qualifications.
Natasha is also fascinated by the psychology of pain and how it can be applied in the management of pain in everyday life. Her insight in this field makes her a valuable and treasured member of the Backspace team.
Bachelor of Exercise & Sports Science | Australian Catholic University
Bachelor of Science (Honours) | University of the Sunshine Coast
Graduate Certificate in Clinical Exercise Rehabilitation | Australian Catholic University
Doctor of Philosophy | University of Queensland (to be completed 2027)
Patrick leads the research team at BackSpace and coordinates all the research projects. He is currently working very hard to complete his studies and intends to gain acceptance into the post-graduate Bachelor of Medicine degree with a desire to become a doctor. His role involves liaising with medical professionals, allied health professionals, research participants, university research departments, and spinal implant companies. Another key aspect of Patrick’s role is the presentation of the team’s research at medical conferences around Australia and the world. This has led to wonderful travel and professional development opportunities.
Among other projects, Patrick heads the research team currently studying the Reactiv8 system which is an implantable neurostimulation system that uses a new rehabilitative therapy that stimulates the nerves of the muscle directly responsible for stabilizing your lumbar spine. The therapy is designed to restore lumbar muscle control and aims to interrupt the back’s cycle of pain, degeneration, and loss of function.
Bachelor of Clinical Exercise Physiology | Queensland University of Technology
Masters of Philosophy in Exercise Physiology | Queensland University of Technology (to be completed 2024)
In addition to joining the Backspace team of treating Exercise Physiologists, Matt has also dedicated his professional life to education and research in his field. He currently holds a position as an academic Tutor and Assessor for Musculoskeletal, Neurological & Occupational Disorders, AEP Business Practice, and 4th Year Practicum at QUT. Matt brings to the research team further studies in advanced research skills, critical evaluation of information and effective management of information and research data, and a special interest in returning patients to functional capacity post-orthopaedic surgery, as well as the neuroscience of pain.
Bachelor of Biomedical Science | University of Queensland
Graduate Diploma of Health and Medical Science | The University of Notre Dame, Sydney
Megan joined the research team with a keen interest in clinical research and the opportunities it provides for further medical study. She is passionate about healthcare and is working hard to secure a position in the post-graduate degree of Bachelor of Medicine in the near future. Apart from research, Megan performs varied administrative roles at BackSpace, and has previously worked alongside Dr Paul Licina as his Clinical Assistant at SpinePlus. This gives Megan a deep understanding of back pain, surgical options, and rehabilitation. Her knowledge of all aspects of a patient’s journey to wellness make her a valuable member of the research team.
Bachelor of Laws (Honours) | University of Queensland
Bachelor of Exercise and Sports Science | Griffith University
Masters of Physiotherapy | University of Queensland (to be completed 2025)
After making a decision to change her career from Law and enter the health services sector, Xanthe has also completed a Bachelor of Exercise Science with the view toward completing a Masters in Physiotherapy. She has always been interested in human movement and injury rehabilitation. The satisfaction of helping people recover from injury and the learning opportunities that each person offers explains why Xanthe was drawn to clinical research.
Among other projects, Xanthe is part of the research team currently studying the Reactiv8 system which is an implantable neurostimulation system that uses a new rehabilitative therapy that stimulates the nerves of the muscle directly responsible for stabilizing your lumbar spine. The therapy is designed to restore lumbar muscle control and aims to interrupt the back’s cycle of pain, degeneration, and loss of function.
We are affiliated with SpinePlus and AXXON Pain Medicine. The medical specialists in these businesses are experts in treating spinal disorders. They include Dr Paul Licina – Spine Surgeon, Dr Brendan Moore – Specialist Pain Physician, Dr Sami Ahmad – Specialist Pain Physician and Dr Angus Forbes – Occupational Specialist Physician.
