School of Physiotherapy

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Recent Deposits

Walking towards health: Does size matter?

Mabire, Leon (Thesis, Doctor of Philosophy, 2017)

Physical activity is recommended for health, wellbeing, and to assist with weight management. Walking is the most popular leisure-time physical activity. National and international guidelines for the prescription of physical ...
Acupuncture for the management of low back pain

Liu, Lizhou (Thesis, Doctor of Philosophy, 2017)

Background: Low back pain is an extremely common health problem, and is associated with significant economic and social impact. Acupuncture is one of the most frequently sought complementary and alternative medicine ...
He Kiteka Hauā i Murihiku. Perspectives of disability and wellness of hauā Māori living in Murihiku

Bryant, Katrina Anne Pōtiki (Thesis, Master of Physiotherapy, 2016)

Disability is of considerable concern for Māori as they are over represented in this area and have more severe disabilities than the non-Māori population in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Whilst many initiatives have been put forward ...
Exploring low back pain and spinal movement asymmetries in people with non-dysvascular lower limb amputation

Devan, Hemakumar (Thesis, Doctor of Philosophy, 2016)

Background and aim Low back pain (LBP) is a major secondary impairment following lower limb amputation including those with transfemoral (TFA) and transtibial amputation (TTA). The two main aims of this thesis were to ...
Leisure participation of children with movement impairments in New Zealand

Kanagasabai, Parimala S (Thesis, Doctor of Philosophy, 2016)

Background: Involvement in leisure activities is crucial for the physical, social and psychological development and wellbeing of children with movement impairments. However, children with movement impairments are at risk ...
Acupressure for the management of symptoms in acute sports injuries

Mącznik, Aleksandra Katarzyna (Thesis, Doctor of Philosophy, 2015)

Background The most common sport-related injuries are musculoskeletal injuries which are often painful. Using strategies that reduce pain, and decrease negative psychological symptoms, may optimise recovery. Acupressure ...
Neuropathic pain: Outcome measures and their psychometric properties

Mehta, Poonam (Thesis, Doctor of Philosophy, 2015)

Neuropathic pain (NeP) is one of the most common chronic pain conditions, causing activity limitations and participatory restrictions among adult population. Diabetes is considered to be the most common cause of NeP in ...
Exploration of factors that influence the reporting of postconcussion-like symptoms during daily life activities and following exercise or sports participation in university students

Balasundaram, Arun Prasad (Thesis, Doctor of Philosophy, 2015)

Background: Concussion is an injury that commonly occurs in the collision sports such as rugby union, rugby league and American football. A player suspected of a concussive brain injury is usually assessed using a multifaceted ...
Clinical measures of balance for people with cerebellar ataxia: Use and recommendations

Winser, Stanley John (Thesis, Doctor of Philosophy, 2015)

This thesis aimed to recommend a core set of clinical measures for the assessment of balance of people with cerebellar ataxia. It comprised four studies: Narrative review, Systematic review, Delphi survey and Psychometric ...
The relationships between body composition phenotypes, postural instability and strength in people with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease

Diab, Abdul Kareem Shehab (Thesis, Doctor of Philosophy, 2015)

Background and Aim Postural instability has been identified as one of the main causes for injurious falls in people with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (IPD). Muscle weakness in older adults is one of the identified factors ...
Development of a safe, effective and accessible physical activity intervention for people with rheumatoid arthritis

Baxter, Susan Victoria (Thesis, Doctor of Philosophy, 2015)

This thesis focuses on physical activity among people with Rheumatoid Arthritis (PwRA). Despite proposed functional benefits, adherence to regular physical activity remains difficult for PwRA. There have been few systematic ...
Feasibility of Using Pedometer-Driven Walking to Promote Physical Activity, and Improve Health-Related Quality of Life Among Meat Processing Workers.

Almansi, Suliman (Thesis, Doctor of Philosophy, 2014)

In New Zealand, meat processing populations face many health problems as a result of the nature of work in meat processing industries. Workplaces are a sedentary setting for many workers, which can increase the risk of ...
Physiotherapists’ and strength and conditioning coaches’ knowledge of anterior cruciate ligament injury risk factors and prevention strategies in high performance Netball New Zealand.

Kearney, Sharon Anne (Thesis, Master of Physiotherapy, 2014)

Background Netball is a female dominated dynamic and power-based sport with an inherent risk for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. The Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) statistics (Accident Compensation ...
“There are risks to be taken and some just push it too far”: A mixed methods exploration of human risk factors in agricultural quad-bike incidents in New Zealand

Clay, Lynne (Thesis, Doctor of Philosophy, 2014)

Quad-bike incidents are a major cause of occupational injury and fatality on New Zealand farms, warranting health and safety attention. Factors pertaining to the rider, quad-bike and environment have been identified as ...
Reliability of chewing kinematic measurements in the neutral and forward head posture

Zulkifly, Ezharzihni (Thesis, Master of Physiotherapy, 2014)

Aim: The purpose of this study was to examine the within and between-sessions reliability during chewing in two different head-neck postures. Methods: Asymptomatic participants were recruited for this study. Mandibular ...
Outcomes of a Community-Based Rehabilitation Programme for People with Diabetes/Prediabetes

Higgs, Christopher David (Thesis, Master of Physiotherapy, 2014)

Aim Diabetes is a chronic condition that requires ongoing healthcare management and is increasing in prevalence. Exercise is known to be effective in diabetes management as well as ongoing patient education and support. ...
The role of yoga in the symptom management of musculoskeletal conditions

Ward, Lesley Judith (Thesis, Doctor of Philosophy, 2014)

Background. Musculoskeletal conditions comprise a diverse group of disorders, united by a commonality of biopsychosocial symptoms including pain, functional disability, and decreased quality of life. Yoga is a popular form ...
Effects of External Pelvic Compression on Electromyographic Activity of Lumbopelvic and Thigh Muscles During Two Weight-Bearing Functional Tasks and Thigh Muscle Torque During Isokinetic Testing of the knee in Sportsmen With and Without Hamstring Injuries

Arumugam, Ashokan (Thesis, Doctor of Philosophy, 2014)

Background: Hamstring injuries are common injuries in sports involving sprinting, high-velocity running and kicking. Assessment and rehabilitation of hamstring injuries follow multi-factorial strategies that include ...
Exploring the changes in pain, function and sympathetic activity when a thoracic spine manipulation is used as an adjunct to the treatemnt of Achilles tendinopathy

Kingston, Laura (Thesis, Master of Physiotherapy, 2013)

Achilles tendinopathy is a common musculoskeletal condition that contributes to pain and disability in both the active and sedentary populations. It’s pathogenesis is complex, and therefore it can be difficult to treat. ...
The Development of a Facebook Concussion Management Intervention for Young Persons with a Sports Concussion

Ahmed, Osman Hassan (Thesis, Doctor of Philosophy, 2013)

Background: A concussion is a brain injury caused by direct or indirect forces to the head, and is common in contact and collision sports. The high proportion of younger individuals who participate in contact and collision ...