an intro to australian sports medicine.

Today we had our first lecture. It was given by Sally Petrie, a physiotherapist (physical therapist) who practices in Lennox Head. She specifically discussed the physiology of surfers, and common injuries for surfers including their mechanisms and treatment. Sally was a great speaker and I learned so much. It was extremely interesting to learn about something I learn everyday in class from a different perspective and about a sport that I don't know much about. Something Sally mentioned was that Australians are heavy believers in manual therapy as opposed to modalities, which is something that I have been exposed to from the way my past clinical instructors practice. She also mentioned that when they do use a modality like electrical stimulation they don't pair it with kryotherapy, which is something that we do in the US and I never really questioned. Additionally, she explained a little bit about the Australian health care system which seemed to be a bit more effective than the US. She even mentioned that an MRI costs $250.....for those that don't know an MRI in the US costs about $2000. Overall, extremely thought provoking lecture that got me excited for our surf lesson tomorrow!

After lecture, Kaitlyn and I went on another run since the day was so nice. We ran even further than yesterday and to an even more beautiful viewing spot that was higher up. We then ran back to the cabin along the beach and inhaled fresh sea air while we stretched. 

For lunch we walked back into town and walked around the shops. We went to a fruit shop that sold fresh fruit and other healthy grocery items. It was like a mini, Australian Whole Foods. I bought some fresh kiwi, a fruit called paw paw (very similar to papaya), and ordered a juice drink that was made out of apple, pineapple, orange, carrots, and spinach. We walked around some more and glanced around the surf shops, but could not get over how expensive everything was. I was warned that the cost of living in Australia was high, but still blown away by how high it truly is. Someone I met informed me that minimum wage was about $19, which truly shows how expensive it is to live here.

Our afternoon lecture was given by Marian Pentecost, an exercise physiologist that works with aboriginal people specifically practicing hydrotherapy. She gave us a history and background on the aboriginal people as well as the health issues that they face. They seemed to have a very similar background as Native Americans on the US. It was really touching to see how passionate Mariam got when educating us about the aboriginal people and made me want to learn more about their culture and historical struggles. Mariam also showed us a bit of what she does when she assesses her patients for the first time. Similar to a PPE, she checks their vitals but afterwards she focuses on gait analysis and balance & mobility testing. Overall she was also a wonderful speaker and her passion about what she does and Australia really showed through. I'm excited for tomorrow, after our surf lesson, when she is going to show us more about specific hydrotherapy exercises.