Anna Lewis supervises a rehabilitation session at NISC Sydney.

Photo: LCDR Mick Gallagher

By LCDR Mick Gallagher and Anna Lewis

An innovative rehabilitation program now operates at the Navy Indoor Sports Centre (NISC) HMAS Kuttabul.

“The purpose of the program is to facilitate injured RAN members return to work and functional activities,” said Anna Lewis, who initiated the program.

The program is also to rehabilitate injuries, provide preventative strategies to reduce the risk of reoccurrence of injury, and attain seagoing MEDCAT status for readiness for deployment.

Lewis is a sports physio at HMAS Kuttabul. She is recognised Pilates Clinician and holds a Postgraduate in Sports Physiotherapy.

With the assistance initially of WOPT Ian Sutton followed by WOPT Michael Winter, a designated area was set aside within the NISC and progressively purpose built and equipped over a 12-month period.

This area has been equipped with a clinical pilates reformer and trapeze table, combo chair, thoracic barrel, foam rollers, fit balls, theraband, wobble and jump boards and other appropriate rehabilitation and exercise equipment.

Each participating member has an individual program designed to meet their particular goals and needs, and home program prescribed to increase self-management of their condition and further reinforce program participation.

Rehabilitation sessions are conducted on a daily basis of one-hour duration with a maximum of four attendees per session.

This allows time to work through a regime of warm up, mat work, equipment and a cool down.

“I am thankful to Anna and her program for my rehabilitation and return to medical fitness,” said LSMT Matthew Yaxley from FIMA-Sydney.

LSMT Yaxley was to have been discharged medically owing to a back injury but thanks to the program has been rehabilitated.

A preliminary survey of members has been carried out to evaluate progression of the program, which has produced some very positive results.

Seventy-one per cent of participants said the program had been very beneficial in treatment/rehabilitation of the injury.

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