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.
Kate works with surgical and non-surgical patients who have complex spinal problems. She helps guide and support them through their rehabilitation journey. Since qualifying, Kate spent 4 years working as a physiotherapist before taking on an exciting role as a medical sales representative for a spinal implant company for almost 10 years. Her contact with spine surgeons in this capacity has advanced her knowledge of spines and inspired her to return to her profession as a physiotherapist at BackSpace. She loves overseas travel, especially to any ski destination! She also enjoys music, running, outdoor activities and food. She has two young girls and a cute French bulldog named Fred.
Alice’s role at BackSpace, is to care for patients immediately after surgery. These patients are closely monitored at Alice’s post-operative appointments in the clinic. She really enjoys the team environment at BackSpace and the collaborative approach to care that helps us work towards better patient outcomes. When she isn’t at work, Alice is usually playing social tennis or netball, or out visiting her family near Stanthorpe. She also loves to draw realistic graphite portraits and livestock from her rural upbringing.
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.
Felicity is our senior exercise physiologist. Her interest in rehabilitation developed following a 15-year career as a gymnast. She graduated from QUT in 2016 and has worked at BackSpace since its opening in 2017. Outside of BackSpace, she also assists with managing her family’s gym and enjoys traveling overseas with friends and family.
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.
Jack is a Remedial Massage Therapist and Acupuncturist with 14 years of experience. His career in the healthcare sector began in his homeland where he obtained a Bachelor of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Two of the most common forms of Eastern medicine practiced in Australia are Accupuncture and Remedial Massage and it is these practices that Jack continued after emmigrating to Australia. He also commenced a Bachelor of Nursing but was drawn to manual therapies and embarked on further study to obtain a Bachelor Physiotherapy which is due to be completed in 2024. Jack is a very caring practitioner who embodies the BackSpace philosophy of coordinated and comprehensive care. In his spare time, Jack enjoys going to the gym, watching movies and photography.
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.
Kathleen has been nursing for 12 years and has extensive experience as a Radiology Nurse assisting Radiologists with interventional procedures such as CT guided injections (nerve root blocks and facet joint injections and many more), biopsies, peripheral and central lines, and exercise stress tests. She accepted a nursing position as a Clinical Nurse for Spine Surgeon Dr Paul Licina in 2019 and feels she has found her true calling in the healthcare sector; treating people suffering from all types of spinal conditions. Kathleen’s role at BackSpace involves assessing patients’ conditions, liaising with the Spine Surgeon and Pain Specialists, and coordinating timely treatment plans. This type of nursing sub-specialization in the fields of Radiology and Spine Surgery is rare! BackSpace is fortunate to have such a caring and dedicated nursing professional as part of the team.
Bachelor of Science | QUT
Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics | Griffith University (due to graduate in 2023)
Grace joined BackSpace with years of sales and customer service experience. She is currently studying Nutrition and Dietetics at Griffith University with a plan to study medicine in the future. Grace’s extensive experience in varying industries, educational qualifications and her pursuit of a career in healthcare has helped shape the empathetic and caring person she is today. Grace enjoys yoga and surfing when she steals a minute for herself but finding that minute can sometimes be a little difficult so she fills that void with food which makes her happy – especially cheeseburgers and banana bread.
Clare completed her Bachelor of Clinical Exercise Physiology at the Queensland University of Technology in 2018. During Clare’s undergraduate degree and following her graduation, Clare was involved in the development and launch of BackSpace. During this time Clare’s research interests developed, which would see her undertaking a PhD in the spinal rehabilitation field. Clare’s particular interests are in combining behaviour change interventions and exercise after elective spine surgery. Clare assesses functional capacity and health-related quality of life outcomes in patients’ with anxiety, depression, and kinesiophobia prior to surgery. More recently, Clare has started investigating the applicability of functional assessments in patient’s with low back pain, with the objective to develop a functional testing battery that can be administered across different disciplines. She is passionate about exercise for its health benefits and social interaction.
Xanthe completed a Bachelor of Laws at the University of Qld in 2016. After making a decision to change her career and enter the health services sector, Xanthe has also completed a Bachelor of Exercise Science with the view towards 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.
Chelsea completed her Bachelor of Health Sciences in 2018 as part of the Provisional Entry pathway for the Doctor of Medicine Programme at the University of Queensland. She accepted a position to work with Spine Surgeon Dr Paul Licina in his administrative team, designing pathways and protocols for surgical patients. More recently, Chelsea has worked as a Clinical Assistant for Dr Licina, helping patients navigate the surgical journey. This involved the implementation of a data-derived triage process to direct patients with spine pathology to the appropriate clinician. Chelsea’s previous research has focused on fusion rates and patient-reported outcome measures for patients undergoing lumbar fusion surgery with three different bone graft materials. Chelsea’s experience, knowledge and education has proved valuable to the research being conducted at Backspace.
We are affiliated with SpinePlus, a group of medical specialists who treat spinal disorders. They include Dr Paul Licina, Spine Surgeon, Dr Brendan Moore, Specialist Pain Physician, Dr Ben Manion, Specialist Rehabilitation Physician, Dr Sami Ahmad, Specialist Pain Physician and Dr Angus Forbes, Occupational Specialist Physician.
