Sunshine Coast Hinterland Times

Mary Bagshaw in the new physiotherapy clinic

Tim and Mary Bagshaw will tell you that their physiotherapy practice is all about backs, necks and knees and, after operating in Maleny for nearly 12 years, this professional couple is pleased that word of mouth recommendations are bringing more and more people through their door.
Mind you, that door has moved  from Banksia House and now opens into a spacious new suite of rooms at Shop 1 /70 Maple Street.
“We’ve now got better patient parking access at street level”, says Mary. “This is very important for people who are in pain, or if they are in a wheelchair or on crutches”.

Tim is delighted with the increased space he has for treatment and exercise classes

The three new practice rooms provide space for the three physiotherapists – Tim, Mary and Jean Coffey. The practice has grown says Tim because people’s awareness of physiotherapy is better than it was when they started and people realise it is a soundly based health therapy.
“We like to think of ourselves as doing what is evidence-based; what is proven to work”, says Tim.
“ We really try to keep up to date with a lot of the research that’s going on so we can say this or that has actually been clinically proven to work.”
“And we take a couple of useful courses a year”,adds Mary. “We make sure they’re relevant to the needs out there, and what is walking in the door in terms of problems.”
Retirees are usually those suffering with the aching backs, necks and knees explains Mary, simply because they are not content to be sedentary.  “They are interested in keeping well and active. They usually live on an acre or two, so they need to garden and they need to look after active grandchildren.”
At the other end of the age spectrum Tim and Mary are thinking about youngsters, particularly at this time of year with school on the horizon. Too often children are reporting sore backs, and that’s often because they carry too much in ill-fitting backpacks.
Tim and Mary have tips for youngsters and their backpacks. They also recommend the PhysioPak brand for primary and secondary students, a backpack which is endorsed by the Australian Physiotherapy Association. Their top tips for students are
• Don’t carry too much, limit your load
• Never carry more than 10 per cent of your body weight
• Pack heavy items in compartments closest to the spine
• Take regular short rests when carrying a heavy pack
• Always wear your backpack over both shoulders
As for the grown-ups and their backs, necks and knees Tim’s advice is “Come and see us if the pain is still there after 24 hours. The worse the pain, the quicker we need to see you”.

You don’t need a doctor’s referral to visit the Maleny Physiotherapy clinic, and they are open Monday to Friday from 8am – 5.30pm. Saturdays are by appointment and, if needed,  the physiotherapists will visit in the home, at Maleny Hospital and at the Erowal aged care facility.
Find out more about the PhysioPak at www.physiotherapy.asn.au