Our Staff
Adelaide West Physio has continued to attract the best physios, remedial massage therapists and support staff as a result of our culture and our values. And fine coffee.
We make mentoring our staff and continuing education a priority which increases our own satisfaction and enjoyment with what we do. Most importantly, we know that it helps the outcomes for our patients.
Russell Mackenzie
Russell graduated from UniSA in 1994.
He was on the staff at TQEH as Orthopaedic and Rheumatology Senior Physiotherapist between 2001 and 2004.
With Tobey, Russell started Adelaide West Physio + Pilates in 2009, with the key principles of hands-on treatment, exercise therapy and education.
Since then, he has become a Credentialed McKenzie Therapist, which means he is one of only three Credentialed McKenzie Therapists in Adelaide.
Russell became a Watson Headache® Certified Practitioner in Sydney in February 2014, and is now the one of a handful of Watson Headache Certified Practitioners in Adelaide.
He created Adelaide West Headache Clinic in 2014 to signal his dedication and passion in the cause of helping headache and migraine sufferers.
His other passion is helping patients with persistent pain problems through the use of a ‘whole person approach’ (otherwise known as a biopsychosocial approach). This includes pain biology education and novel therapies like Graded Motor Imagery (GMI).
He is a member of the APA Sports Physiotherapy Group, the APA Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy Group and the APA Pain Group.
Lisa Vernon
Lisa joined Adelaide West Physio in 2016.
After graduating from UniSA in 2012 with a Bachelor in Physiotherapy, she spent four years working at a very reputable practice in the north eastern suburbs.
Lisa became a mum in September 2019, and since then she has been excited to further her knowledge in the field of women’s health.
She’s passionate about how the right education and treatment can genuinely transform someone’s quality of life—especially when it comes to bladder function.
Whether it’s tackling urinary incontinence or navigating pelvic floor muscle dysfunction, she’s all about helping people regain control and confidence.
Lisa enjoys guiding expectant mothers in the preparation and then their recovery after their pregnancy.
Lisa loves getting people to achieve functional goals- whether that be a day in the garden, playing with children or grandchildren or just a more comfortable day in the office chair.
She loves giving people simple but effective exercises that are manageable within today’s busy life. She also appreciates that many people need a time, place and program to get exercise done and loves setting up exercise programs and supervising our Physiotherapy group exercise sessions.
Lisa also continues to enjoy managing a variety of musculoskeletal issues including low back pain, headaches and migraines.
After all, her personal experience with low back pain is the reason she was passionate to become a physiotherapist in the first place.
Lisa has worked with sporting teams including the Glenelg Football Club League and Reserves teams, Tango Netball Club State League , the Lockleys Football Club and Adelaide Lutheran Football Club.
In March 2024, Lisa was voted the Best Physio in the Western Suburbs in The Advertiser.
- Level 2 Women’s pelvic health physiotherapy Level 2
- Level 1 Women’s pelvic health physiotherapy Level 1
- Level 1 Women’s health through the life stage
- Paediatric Physiotherapy Level 1
- Watson Headache Approach Level 1
- Part A McKenzie Method of Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy, McKenzie Institute Australia
- Part B McKenzie Method of Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy, McKenzie Institute Australia
- Jenny McConnell Approach to Problem Shoulders
- Dry needling
Kimberley Wilson
Kimberley and Russell worked together just after the turn of the century before they joined forces again at Adelaide West Physio in 2017.
Kimberley has the following special interests in physiotherapy:
- back and neck pain, including disc injury
- persistent pain
- osteoarthritis
- headaches
- stiffness
- nerve pain
- sporting injuries
After graduating from the University of South Australia in 2003, she started her career in the UK working for the NHS.
On return to Australia she continued her physiotherapy career at the Royal Adelaide Hospital working in Orthopaedics, Burns and ICU before branching out into private practice.
It was here that she began to focus on her study of the McKenzie Method, Pilates and pain education.
She believes in a hands-on approach to treatment and also in enabling clients to take control of their injury or pain.
Kimberley was voted the Best Physio in the Western Suburbs in May 2022 in The Advertiser.
Outside of physiotherapy, Kimberley is busy! She lives an active life playing basketball and is currently a mum of 3.
She loves food, coffee and a good red wine.
Matthew Robinson
Matt graduated from Endeavour College of Natural Health in 2010 as a Remedial Massage Therapist and joined Adelaide West Physio in 2019.
He has gained more than a decade of experience, which has included sports injury and post-operative management at Wakefield Sports Clinic and SportsMed SA.
Matt has provided massage for Olympic and Paralympic Gold medallists, travelling sporting teams and national sports carnivals including the National Police Games Basketball Championships 2022.
He has been involved with professional tennis tournaments since 2016. One of Matt’s biggest career highlights was working with South Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinakis during his run to win his first ATP title in Adelaide in 2022.
Matt played tennis at an elite level as a junior, holding National Ranking Points. To this day, he still competes at a high level of competition throughout the year, and intends to continue this as long as he can.
Off the court, Matt enjoys his time outdoors, either at the beach or the walking trails and completed the Kokoda Track, Papua New Guinea, in 2016.
Matt has provided massage at many sporting events, including;
2023 – SANFL u18 Talent Hub Training Camp
2023 – Adelaide International ATP 250 1 & 2
2022 – Australian Police Academy Basketball Championships
2022 – Adelaide International ATP 250 1 & 2
2020 – Adelaide International ATP 250
2019 – World Tennis Challenge Adelaide Exhibition
2019 – Playford International ATP Challenger 1 & 2
2018 – Playford International ATP Challenger
2017 – City of Onkaparinga ATP Challenger
2016 – City of Onkaparinga ATP Challenger2016 – Australian National Netball Carnival
Whether you need help recovering from an injury, training for an event, or simply looking to unwind at the end of a stressful work week, Matt has the skills to suit your needs.
Madeleine Milne
Maddie joined us from Lyell McEwin Hospital in 2021.
She has brought experience across many areas, including orthopaedics and musculoskeletal physiotherapy.
Before physiotherapy, Maddie trained in dance but she chose a change of direction due to injury and the onset of persistent pain.
Her own experience with persistent pain and her journey back sparked her interest in helping people in a similare situation with ongoing pain.
She loves helping patients experience their own ‘lightbulb moments’ as they learn about their own body and its amazing protective pain system.
In her own pain journey, Maddie uncovered a new addiction for running, which has so far included a half marathon!
She has furthered her knowledge in pain by completing Explain Pain with the Neuro-Orthopaedic Institute (NOI) and starting a Master of Science in Medicine (Pain Management) through the University of Sydney.
Her philosophy with health is based in a ‘whole-person approach’.
She places great importance on education, helping clients understand their condition and believes in an active approach to recovery.
Maddie is always up for a chat, particularly travel stories (and particularly where things didn’t pan out exactly as planned).
Maddie is currently on maternity leave.
Lachlan Sutherland
Lachy joined Adelaide West Physio in 2021.
He has a wide experience in private practice after graduating with a Bachelor of Physiotherapy from UniSA in 2016.
Attending a range of professional development courses has helped him to discover what he enjoys.
Lachy has a passion for headache and migraine treatment and management.
He has now joined a small group of people in Adelaide who have completed the Level 3 certification in the Watson Headache® Approach, and his headache and migraine work is becoming the largest part of his workload.
Another area of expertise is his treatment and rehabilitation of tendon problems, particularly lower limb tendon problems like Achilles tendinopathy, patellar tendon tendinopathy and gluteal tendinopathy.
Lachy enjoys helping people return to sport after injury. This means taking people from the acute stages of their injury right up to the ‘end-stage’ rehabilitation as they get back to full participation.
He particularly loves soccer, both watching it and also helping people return to soccer and working through all the unique demands of the sport.
Lachy is interested in cycling and cycling injuries. When the weather suits he always enjoys getting out on the bike (definitely a fair weather rider!)
Howard Wu
We are really excited to announce that Howard has joined Adelaide West Physio + Pilates as a full-time physiotherapist.
Howard earned his Bachelor of Health Sciences and Master of Physiotherapy from Flinders University, where he also served as Vice President of the Student Association.
Howard is really relatable. He is also keen and empathetic, which together are probably the three key features of a good physio.
Another thing that is really obvious is how keen he is for continuing to learn and grow as a physio which will stand him in good stead through his career.
Passionate about sports, Howard loves helping both elite athletes and casual weekend warriors return to the activities they enjoy.
His five years of experience as a sports trainer – across football, soccer, basketball, and even ice hockey – complements his current role as he continues his second year working with the Norwood Flames NBL1 squad.
Believing in a balanced approach, Howard combines manual therapy with active self-management.
He is dedicated not only to providing effective treatment during sessions but also to equipping his patients with the tools they need to manage their conditions independently.
Being a physio early into his career, Howard believes in continuous growth and development as a practitioner through additional training outside of work and staying up to date with the latest scientific literature.
Outside the clinic, Howard is an avid NBA follower, a keen photographer, and has an obsession for cars.
Aniket Dhabade
We are really pleased to welcome Aniket Dhabade to Adelaide West Physio + Pilates as a full-time physio.
Aniket graduated from Flinders University in 2020 a Bachelor of Health Science and a Masters in Physiotherapy in 2022 for his troubles.
He has worked for the past three years at Back In Motion Mount Barker and EPSA, where he has acquired experience in acute and subacute musculoskeletal injuries, care of chronic painful conditions and rehabilitation.
Aniket has also worked as team physio for Mount Barker United Soccer Club, assessing and treating a range of sports-related injuries.
He is skilled in managing a wide range of conditions, including sports, musculoskeletal, vestibular, neurological, and cardiorespiratory issues.
His main interest is vestibular physiotherapy, helping people with
- Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)
- vestibular hypofunction
- cervicogenic dizziness and
- persistent postural perceptual dizziness (PPPD).
He is also trained in dry needling, and Pilates and exercise class management and how to help everyone get the best from an exercise class.
More important than qualifications or experience, Aniket is just a really nice guy – calm, easy to talk to, keen and genuinely caring.
Outside of his professional life, he is passionate about maintaining an active lifestyle.
He regularly gets to the gym and enjoys cycling around the Happy Valley Reservoir, bouldering with friends, and participating in social sports such as volleyball, basketball, and badminton.