You’re always welcome at
Rehab & Repair Physio
QUALITY HEALTH CARE YOU CAN TRUST
OUR PHYSIOTHERAPY SERVICES
We cater for a range of general sports and musculoskeletal injuries in addition to women specific pelvic health conditions. Continue to read on for more information about our typical Physiotherapy services and our additional services in Upper Limb Therapy, Continence and Pelvic Health, Dry Needling, Occupational Health, and Core Strengthening Classes.
Physiotherapy for everyone
 PhysiotherapyManual Therapy |  Injury Assessment |  Low Back Pain |
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 Dry Needling |  Sports Injury |  Knee Pain |
 Physiotherapy |  Electrotherapy |  Neck Pain |
 Taping |  Strengthening |
Keeping you moving for a healthier you!
Physiotherapists are highly qualified health professionals who work with you and your doctor to help you recover from illness or injury. Physiotherapists can assess, diagnose and treat injuries, pain, stiffness, weakness and other movement issues.
At Rehab and Repair Physio our physiotherapist Melissa will provide the very best of care using evidence based research and advanced manual techniques.
Physiotherapists work closely with GPs, Surgeon's and other health clinicians to plan and manage your treatment holistically. Rehab and Repair Physio has a very good working relationship with the local medical clinics, which is an example of why GP's refer people to physiotherapists than any other healthcare profession.
Upper Limb Therapy
 Hand Arthritis |  Custom Made Splints |  Hand Assessment |
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 Finger Injury |  Hand Pain |  Bracing |
 Thermoplastic Hand Splints |  Manual Therapy |  Shoulder Strengthening |
 Bracing |
Your Hands are in Safe Hands at Rehab and Repair Physio.
Melissa has previously worked in the Hand Therapy area both in Public Hospital and Private Practice for over 6 years. She spent 2 years in the Burns, Hands and Lymphodema unit at Royal Adelaide Hospitals which involved hand therapy, splint fabrication and scar management for plastic surgery, orthopedics and burns. Subsequent to this she spent 3.5 years in a private Adelaide Hand Therapy clinic treating both acute and chronic upper limb conditions.
Melissa has extensive experience and skill in thermoplastic splint fabrication for the fingers, thumb, wrist and upper limb in addition to scar management and hand specific exercise prescription.
Sudden onset finger, thumb and hand injuries(sprains, dislocations and fracutres) are particularly common in sports such as netball, baseketball and football in addition to traumatic injuries, repetitive strain injuries sustained in workplaces.
Slowly developing conditions such as carpal tunnel, tennis elbow and hand arthritis are also very common hand/upper limb conditions which can often be helped with education, splinting, bracing and exercises.
You don't have to put up with hand pain or stiffness. Why don't you call us and see if Melissa can use her expertise to help you.
Dry Needling
 Dry Needling | |  |
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Managing Pain, muscle tension and dysfunctional muscle patterns
Melissa first trained in Dry Needling in 2007 and now has 14 years experience with this technique. Dry Needling is an additional Physiotherapist skill which is most frequently used in musculoskeletal and sports injuries. Dry Needling involves the gentle insertion of very fine, sterile, solid filament needles into soft tissue structures (muscles, ligaments, joints, neural lines). The needle is gently manipulated and then left in place for a short period of time (5-10mins). Melissa will discuss with you if she feels this may be an appropriate treatment for you and a more detailed explanation as to why. This is not a compulsory component to treatment and may not be appropriate for your condition or concurrent medical conditions.
Women's Health
 ultrasound photo |  Pelvic Floor Strengthening |  Post Natal Strengthening |
|---|---|---|
 Back and Pelvis Care During Pregnancy |  Tailored Strengthening Advice |  Spinal care during pregnancy |
You are the world to someone, so take care of yourself.
Rehab and Repair Physio are passionate about providing the best care in women's health. Melissa has completed her Masters in Physiotherapy: Continence and Pelvic Health and is an APA Titled Continence and Women's Health Physiotherapist. This level of competency based training in Women's Health provides her advanced skills in assessment and management of pelvic floor weakness, bladder and bowel incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, overactive bladder, peri-post menopausal changes and maternal health during and after pregnancy. With two young children, she understands the rigours of pregnancy and the physically challenging post natal period involving lactation, potential pelvic floor dysfunction, abdominal separation, pelvic pain and upper limb complaints common for a post-partum woman.
If booking a Women's Health Consultation with our caring reception staff, while details do not need to be discussed please alert them that the appointment relates to Women's Health and additional time will be put aside to ensure an extended consult time can be provided.
Occupational Health
Work Related Low Back Pain |  Manual Handling Advice |  Office Ergonomics |
|---|---|---|
 Injury Prevention |  Home Office Set up |  Risk Assessment |
Ensuring safe workplaces and successful return from injury
Occupational Health is the promotion and maintenance of the highest degree of physical, mental and social well-being of people in the workplace. We work with people from any occupational background by preventing injuries, controlling risks and with the workers input use ergonomic training to adapt the workplace to fit the worker.
Research supports that patients experience better health outcomes with an early return to work following workplace injury. However, for this to happen, the work environment needs to be safe and we can help ensure that happens. Melissa has experience in work site assessments, has post graduate qualifications in Occupational Health and Safety and has worked for Return to Work SA as an early intervention consultant. She endeavours to make sure you always feel comfortable, well-informed and safe. We can look after all your physio needs from injury rehabilitation, work site assessments, ergonomic advice, office assessments and return to work planning.
RECENT NEWS
Continence and pelvic health qualifications and awards
2022-2024 has been a very busy period for Melissa, as she underwent Masters qualification in Continence and Pelvic Health and presented in National and International conferences. Only two universities in Australia provide this high level training, and Melissa travelled back and forward to Curtin University, WA multiple times in 2022-2023 for practical weeks, intensive blocks and clinical placements. This involved nearly 2000 hours of study and just a little stress, but was so incredibly worth it. With strong performances in clinical placements, research projects, case studies and practical examinations she was also fortunate to achieve the top graduating mark in the year level and was awarded Dux of the graduating year in 2024.
The Masters course also included a research project which investigated pessary management practices for pelvic organ prolapse amongst Australian health care practitioners and Melissa and her fellow researchers were thrilled to have this accepted for publication in the International Journal of Urogynaecology in 2023. In 2023 Melissa presented this research to the Australian National Conference on Incontinence, winning the best scientific presentation and subsequently presented in the UK Continence Society Conference in Cheltenham (UK) in 2024.
In July 2024, as evidence of her experience and training she was awarded with the Title of APA Continence and Women's Health Physiotherapist by the Australian College of Physiotherapists.
When dealing with sensitive issues such as pelvic health and continence conditions, completing intensive study such as this, with continual assessment of safety practices and competency is vital. She is the only physiotherapist in the mid-north region to have undergone university level competency based assessment in pelvic floor examination techniques such as trans-abdominal ultrasound and vaginal examinations. Melissa is in a prime position to work with you and help optimise your pelvic health and continence to give you the confidence to live your life to its fullest!
OUR STORY
Get to Know Us a Bit Better
Rehab and Repair Physio was founded by Physiotherapist Melissa Harris. She has been a Clare Valley resident for 13 years and lived in Auburn for 12 of those. She started Rehab and Repair Physio in 2014 with the aim to bring quality physiotherapy and health services to the southern end of Clare Valley.
She graduated with a Bachelor of Physiotherapy from the University of South Australia in 2003 and has 20 years physiotherapy experience in hospital settings and private physio clinics. Her areas of particular interest include providing hands on treatment and exercise prescription for hand and upper limb conditions, women's health, general musculoskeletal conditions and occupational injuries.
Due to an increasing interest and an urgent need for more speciality continence and women's health care in the regional areas, she engaged in Masters training in Continence and Pelvic Health Physiotherapy through Curtin University and completed this in 2023. She completed this degree not only with the highest mark for Clinical Placement unit, but also received the honour of Dux, Master of Clinical Physiotherapy (Continence and Pelvic Health) with the highest GPA of all graduating students. This level of training provides competency assessed advanced skills in pelvic health examinations and treatments which may include (but are not limited to) ultrasound assessment and internal examinations of pelvic floor muscles.
Upper Limb Therapy is also a particular passion of Melissa's, having previously worked in this area both in Royal Adelaide Hospital and in a Private Hand Therapy Practice in Adelaide. Her Upper Limb experience has included areas such as acute injuries (fractures, dislocations, lacerations, nerve/tendon repairs) burns and scar management. She has also been involved with conservative management and surgical management of finger/thumb/wrist arthritis, nerve compression syndromes (thoracic outlet, cubital tunnel, carpal tunnel syndrome) and repetitive strain injuries such as De Quervain's, tennis elbow, golfers elbow and shoulder impingement to name a few. She has skills in thermoplastic splint fabrication for the fingers, thumb and upper limb in addition to scar management and hand specific exercise prescription.
Additionally she completed post graduate qualifications through Adelaide University in Occupational Health and Safety Management in 2012 which culminated in winning the Award for Top Graduating Student of 2012 from the Safety Institute of Australia. She utilises the broader training this study provided her with when assessing, and rehabilitating industrial injuries and when conducting occupational physio services.
Please like and follow us on Facebook so we can keep you updated with exercise class details, alterations to clinic opening hours and any other fresh and exciting news.
Mon: 9:30am - 4:30pm (Pilates 5:30pm-7:30pm) (no reception -see note below)
Tues: 9:30am-3pm (no reception -see note below)
Wed: 10:30am - 4:30pm (Pilates 9:30-10:30 & 5:30pm-7:30pm)
Thurs: 9:30am - 3:00pm
Fri: Clinic Closed (Pilates 9-10am)
Please Note;
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The reception desk is not always attended, and the front door may be locked if treatment is in progress.
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Drop in appointments are not available.
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Please leave a phone message or email if you have an enquiry, and be aware it may take 24 hours to return your message)