Speaker topics

Speaker topics

• Keynote Susan Biggar, National Manager Regulatory Experience and Engagement, Ahpra: Understanding practitioner distress. Should regulation be kinder?

  Abstract to come. 

• Keynote Associate Professor Buckland, Adjunct Professor Pearce and Andrea Miles: How the science and lived experience of CTE can inform osteopaths in clinical practice

  International concern is growing about those at risk of multiple concussions and repetitive neurotrauma in sports. This lecture will provide the latest research on the signs and symptoms, the underlying physiology and neuropathology, and the first-hand lived experience of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and to inform osteopathy pactitioners working with patients exposed to repetitive neurotrauma.Speakers: Keynote speaker Associate Professor Michael Buckland is joined by Adjunct Professor Alan Pearce and Andrea Miles.

• Keynote Martin Fletcher, CEO Ahpra: What does it mean to be an intelligent regulator? Perspectives on risk, foresight and trustworthiness

  Professional regulation operates in an increasingly volatile world. The external environment in which we all work, the big systemic issues we face as a society and how these impacts on the work of regulation is being talked about in a way that it wasn’t even a decade ago. Longstanding models of professional regulation are being challenged from many directions, partly because these systems in which we work are increasingly complex and dynamic. Consumers are better informed, more digitally engaged and more likely to raise concerns.

  How should regulators respond? This presentation will consider the need for more data informed, intelligence-led and risk-based regulatory systems. Regulators need to be able to respond to health care disruptors. And regulators need to think in new ways about the public interest we are here to serve. A contemporary approach suggests that regulators also need to engage with big systemic issues too, such as racism, misinformation and environmental sustainability.

   

• Keynote Associate Professor Gary Fryer: Osteopathic professional identity

  Hear from Associate Professor Gary Fryer on how the Australian Osteopathic identity has evolved greatly over the last century, but many are unaware of the profession’s history and role in shaping the present. There is widespread angst about the tension between traditional and modern models of practice, scope of practice, and where the profession is heading in the future.

• Keynote Jason Haxton, MA, DO (h.c.): Acknowledging the 150 year anniversary of the osteopathic profession

  Abstract to come.

• Keynote Doctor Robert Piccinini: Clinician wellness and burnout - perspectives from a regulator and practitioner

  Abstract to come.

• Keynote Frank Willard, Ph.D.: Low Grade systemic inflammation in health and disease

  Abstract to come.

• Dr Danielle Baxter (Osteopath): Exploring the role of osteopaths in aged care settings

  In Australia, one in six people are aged 65 and older, with that number increasing in coming decades. The aged care system provides subsidised care and support for older adults. Hear from Dr Danielle Baxter (Osteopath) why the role and scope of osteopaths in aged care settings is unclear, prompting a need for research.

• Dr Raymond Blaich (Osteopath): Anatomy within osteopathy: In practice and in osteopathic education in Australia and New Zealand.

  Anatomy plays a major role in osteopathic practice and forms a vital component of osteopathic education; however, little is known of anatomy education within osteopathic training. Dr Raymond Blaich (Osteopath) reveals the findings of a study conducted across osteopathic educational institutions in Australia and New Zealand which gathered information on anatomy within osteopathic education including class time dedicated to anatomy, anatomy teaching resources, anatomy teaching facilities, anatomy staffing qualifications, and staff to student ratios. 

• Dr Roger Engel (Osteopath): Osteopathic intervention for inflammatory conditions of the lactating breast

  Inflammatory conditions of the lactating breast (ICLB) include mastitis, a common condition affecting 25% of lactating mothers. Pain associated with ICLB is a key reason for early cessation of breastfeeding. Hear Dr Roger Engel (Osteopath) talk about the consensus on treatment for ICLB including the role osteopathy could play in managing the condition.

• Ana Christina Certain Curi D.Sc: Osteopathy and physiotherapy compared to physiotherapy alone on fatigue in long COVID

  Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms in long COVID. Hear the insight given by Ana Christina Certain Curi D.Sc on the study she conjointly undertook which compared the effectiveness of osteopathic manipulative treatment (TMO) associated with physiotherapy treatment (PT) compared to FT alone on fatigue and functional limitations two months post-randomization in adults with long COVID.

• Dr Michael Fleischmann (Osteopath): A clinician's guide to performing a case series

  The literature is relatively scarce on designing and reporting on case series studies for techniques/interventions or interventions that may be considered outside the medical model. Dr Michael Fleischmann (Osteopath) proposes a set of thirteen design attributes and an adapted checklist for consideration by clinicians when considering a case series design focused on a non-surgical intervention.

• Joel Friedlaender: Safeguarding health data: privacy, security, and AI insights

  Join Joel Friedlaender, founder of Cliniko, to learn why data and digital security are crucial for regulatory best practice, compliance, and privacy in the health sector. Discover how AI can be your ally, not something to fear.

• Dr Rudi Gerhardt (Osteopath): Post-concussion syndrome

  Hear Dr Rudi Gerhardt (Osteopath) explain why our understanding of concussion is rapidly advancing, and more and more healthcare professionals are stepping up to address the needs of this patient population. This presentation aims to provide delegates with an understanding of the intricacies involved in diagnosing, assessing, and treating patients with post-concussion symptoms.

• Dr Kirsty Greenwood (Osteopath): Osteopathic intervention for infants with breastfeeding difficulties

  While the World Health Organisation recommends breastfeeding for the first six months after birth, many mothers stop breastfeeding in the first month reporting difficulty sucking as the primary reason. As feeding involves infant musculoskeletal tissue, Dr Kirsty Greenwood (Osteopath) talks about why musculoskeletal dysfunction may be a key reason why effective breastfeeding is not established.

• Dr Amanda Hannaford (Osteopath): Why breast cancer patients need our help

  Join us to hear from one of Australia’s leading experts on breast cancer soft tissue trauma, Dr Amanda Hannaford (Osteopath). Discover the challenges that the industry faces in patient recovery from surgery, radiation therapy and reconstruction, and why osteopathy is ideally suited to address side effects like scarring, cording, seroma, adhesions, and fibrous tissue changes.

• Dr Elizabeth Howard (Osteopath) and Dr Amy Corcoran (Osteopath): Complex Pelvic Pain-Interdisciplinary care at a tertiary pelvic pain clinic

  Join Dr Elizabeth Howard (Osteopath) and Dr Amy Corcoran (Osteopath), experts in pain management, for their Complex pelvic pain workshop, using a real complex pelvic pain case seen by the interdisciplinary team at the Women's Health & Research Institute of Australia in Sydney.

• Dr Don Hunter (Osteopath): Shoulder Impingement Syndrome (SIS) is a tough case for many health practitioners. But does it have to be?

  Join Dr Don Hunter (Osteopath) as he explores the connection between shoulder function and thoracic posture. Discover how the osteopathic muscle energy technique (MET) to the thoracic spine can improve pain and disability in SIS patients compared to placebo.

• Dr Sam Kayll (Osteopath): The effect of footwear and orthotics on patellofemoral joint loads in adults during gait

  Join Dr Sam Kayll (Osteopath) for an insightful presentation on how footwear and insoles can be low-burden treatments to alleviate patellofemoral pain. Discover the findings from a systematic review and meta-analysis on their impact on joint loads in adults with and without patellofemoral pain and osteoarthritis.

• Assistant professor Hyungsuk Kim: Effects of wet cupping on erector spinae near thoracolumbar junction for non-acute low back pain: A pilot randomised controlled trial

  Hear Assistant professor Hyungsuk Kim present his findings on wet cupping treatments targeting the erector spinae near the thoracolumbar junction and the significant effects shown on-acute low back pain.

• Dr Kylie McWhirter (Osteopath): Primitive reflex assessment in paediatric clinical practice: a feasibility study.

  Active primitive reflexes have been found in the literature to be associated with a variety of paediatric developmental disorders, including ADHD, Autism, motor and learning deficits. Hear Dr Kylie McWhirter (Osteopath) talk about the study which explores the feasibility of primitive reflex assessment (PRA) as a useful and reli able clinical tool for assessing paediatric populations.

• Antonio Pilotto: Barriers and enablers in implementing competency-based CPD activities in healthcare: a scoping review and application to osteopathic settings

  Most CPD curricula in healthcare across the world are content-based. However, recent evidence coming from several medical institutions advocate for a competency-based framework in CPD as the most effective means of fostering competence in health professionals. Italian physiotherapist and osteopath, Antonio Pilotto, has used his MSc in Medical Education to reveal the barriers and enablers that will impact this shift in the pursuit of CPD.

• Dr Alison Sim (Osteopath): The experiences of clinicians delivering care to compensation patients

  Delivering care to compensable patients adds layers of complexity to basic clinical care. Patients tend to be more distressed than those without a compensation claim and the administrative burden can be prohibitive. Dr Alison Sim (Osteopath) talks about the evidence behind why clinicians refusing to treat compensable patients is an emerging problem.

• Dr Andrew Timos (Osteopath): Using biomechanical alterations on females with Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS)

  Join Dr Andrew Timos (Osteopath) to explore the latest concepts on knee valgus during dynamic movements and its relationship to PFPS. Learn about predisposing factors, biomechanical compensations, and rehabilitation techniques to improve lower limb positioning and reduce symptoms.

• Dr Brett Wiener (Osteopath): (Workshop) Medicinal cannabis is transforming healthcare globally, and osteopaths are at the forefront!

  Join Dr Brett Wiener (Osteopath) to explore how allied health professionals can harness its therapeutic potential. Gain actionable insights and best practices to integrate medicinal cannabis into osteopathic practice confidently. Learn to bridge the gap between regulations and clinical applications, navigate access barriers, address patient equiries, and collaborate effectively in multidisciplinary teams.