Balance Works Physiotherapy

Welcome to Balance Works Physiotherapy At Balance Works we are passionate about returning you to the activities you love the most. Enhancing your quality of life starts with improving your health and independence. We wil encourage you to achieve more, always focusing on the goal of A BETTER LIFE.

Rebekah, Katie, Grace and Ann have over a combined history of 40+ years of practising, our Balance Works team specialises in vestibular and neurological rehabilitation. 

Our passion is to restore our clients independence and quality of life by assisting them to overcome obstacles, injuries and medical conditions. 

Whilst vestibular and neurological rehabilitation is our main focus, we are also able and happy to treat many other conditions including;

• Inner ear disorders
• BPPV
• Vestibular Migraine
• Vestibular neuronitis
• Labrinthitis
• Dizziness and imbalance due to concussion
• Post-concusive Syndrome
• Mild traumatic brain injury
• Stroke rehabilitation
• Falls
• MS or other neurological conditions

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Dizziness                                             

People describe dizziness in many ways. They may feel as if

• Everything is Spinning
• Wobbly
• Feeling floaty or light-headed
• Giddiness

Balance

People with Balance difficulties often find they are  

• Tripping
• Banging into things
• Having to use walls to steady themselves
• Falling

Visual Disruption

The inner ear works with the visual system to keep objects in focus when the head is moving. Many people experience

• Blurring 
  
• Visual lag (eyes not keeping up with head movement)
• Double vision

Meet the Team

Rebekah Miller,

                              Director, Physiotherapy Specialist

Rebekah has been awarded the title of Physiotherapy Specialist by the NZ Physiotherapy Board which recognizes her expertise in the area of vestibular rehabilitation. She runs courses, providing education to physios, paramedics and has had GP registrars visit her. If you would like to learn more about anything vestibular please get in touch. She is studying towards her PhD and has been able to integrate new research directly into her practice. She continues to attend courses and conferences to update her practice including NOTSA. She has been working with clients who predominantly have balance and dizziness issues but continues to see people with concussion, moderate to severe head injuries or strokes and other neurological disorders. 

Katie Lucas, Senior Physiotherapist 

Katie trained as physiotherapist in the UK gaining a 1st class honours degree in Physiotherapy from the University of East London in 1999.  Katie has gained a wide breadth of experience within neurology and brain injury and since moving to New Zealand with her family in 2012, she chose to specialise in concussion and vestibular rehabilitation which aligned well with her neuro background. She recently completed a practice unit in Audiology at Canterbury University and at the end of last year did a course in advances in vestibular rehabilitation through AUT.

Grace Barker, Senior Physiotherapist 

Grace trained as a Physiotherapist in the UK at Cardiff University in Wales. Following graduation Grace stayed in Wales and worked within a wide variety of speciality areas developing her skills and broadening her knowledge base. Having developed an interest in Neurology she moved to London to work in a couple of teaching hospitals specialising in this area. During this time she has worked within acute, outpatient and community settings alongside clients who have a wide variety of neurological presentations. With a strong foundation in Neurological Physiotherapy, she spent time developing her skills in vestibular rehabilitation while working at a central London Hospital. Since joining the team Grace has attended further courses on concussion including the widely recognized Vestibular rehabilitation course held at Auckland University.

Ann Saul, Senior Physiotherapist

Ann is a German-Dutch trained physiotherapist with 15 years of clinical experience in neurological rehabilitation and vestibular physiotherapy. Her first job was at the German Centre for Vertigo and Balance Disorders. She also worked with a practice that had a pioneering role in modern evidence based neurological therapy in Germany, here she accompanied patients with an acquired brain injury in an interprofessional team on their way back to independence. For the last 8 years, Ann was self-employed in Germany seeing patients with dizziness, imbalance or oculomotor disorders. In 2015 Ann first set foot on Aotearoa New Zealand ground and walked the Te Araroa from Cape Reinga to Bluff falling in love with the country and its people from the very beginning.