22/07/2022
Accreditation in pain management a rural revolution
Growing up in the farming community of Denbarker fostered the love of a rural lifestyle for physiotherapist Karen RodgersSmart.
Starting her own clinic MoveSmart Physiotherapy in her new hometown of Pingrup in 2017, Karen enjoyed growing up in regional WA surrounded by pets and outdoor beauty.
“I was fortunate to spend my childhood on the family farm in Denbarker,” she said.
“When I completed my Bachelor of Science (Physiotherapy) at Curtin University in 2012, I relocated to Albany working at a busy private practice for four years.
“I then opened MoveSmart Physiotherapy, which is now in its sixth year of operation.
“When I graduated, I knew I wanted to start my career in a rural area and have now enjoyed being a rural physio for 10 years.
“My career objective is to provide high quality health care to my small rural community to a standard readily available in metropolitan areas.”
With this goal in mind and the help of Rural Health
West’s Health Workforce Scholarship Program, Karen recently finished her Professional Certificate in Pain Sciences through the University of South Australia.
The accreditation means Karen can now refine and
expand her treatment approaches for clients with
chronic pain.
“This program aims to improve the capacity of
regional and rural communities by increasing
evidence-based knowledge and management
strategies about chronic pain.”
The accreditation means that under Karen’s care, her patients would receive best practice pain care with a focus on active self-management strategies.
With one in five Australians suffering from chronic pain, Karen said the issue was very prevalent in rural and remote areas.
“It is well-known that geographical isolation results in poorer health opportunities and outcomes and chronic pain management is no exception.
“Chronic pain in farming communities is often
exacerbated by working long hours and seasonal
work demands, which cycle from very physical to
quite sedentary.
“Farming communities often have limited treatments available for chronic pain and can involve significant travel time (which is often very uncomfortable for someone suffering from chronic pain), travel costs (including the associated time off work) and time away from family.”
“As a clinician I am excited by this new knowledge and skillset, as my patients now have a health professional with additional training in chronic pain at their fingertips, reducing the need to
travel to access such services.”
“I look forward to the opportunity to provide my
clientele with best practice pain care, focusing on
increasing their pain knowledge.”
Karen is also excited to be part of Western Australia’s first cohort of Pain Revolution’s Local Pain Educator Program.
“This is the beginning of a bigger career development journey as I am now completing my mentorship with Pain Revolution.
“A component of the Local Pain Educator Program
is providing public outreach training, which will
involve me sharing this knowledge to other health
professionals in our community.”
In her spare time Karen said life in the country meant enjoying time on her mixed sheep and crop farm with her husband Jamie and young son Henry.
She offered this advice for anyone looking at a
tree change.
“Our rural areas are full of outdoor beauty. Living
and working in a rural community gives you the
opportunity to enjoy this beauty.
“Rural communities are very welcoming and will be
sure to value and appreciate what you have to offer.”
The Health Workforce Scholarship Program (HWSP) is an initiative of the Australian Government Department of Health, administered in Western Australia by Rural Health West.
The HWSP provides scholarships and bursaries to help health professionals in remote and rural Australia retain and enhance their skills, capacity and scope of practice. Applications for round 11 will open on September 1, 2022.
