Persistent Pain & Complex Conditions
Comprehensive support for persistent pain and complex presentations, including second opinions.
When pain doesn’t make sense, a fresh approach can.
Persistent or complex pain can leave you feeling frustrated, uncertain, or unheard — especially after trying several treatments or hearing conflicting advice from different practitioners.
A fresh, thorough assessment often brings clarity. It won’t always have every answer straight away, but it’s a genuine step toward understanding what’s going on and finding a way forward.
Perhaps You’ve…
- Been given conflicting advice
- Had scans that scare you
- Had scans that don't explain your symptoms
- Tried treatment that only helped temporarily
- Been living with pain longer than expected
- Lost confidence in movement
- Wondered whether anything has been missed
- Been told you'll just have to live with it
Complex Problems Deserve Thoughtful Assessment
Persistent symptoms are rarely explained by a single structure or a single cause. A thoughtful assessment starts with listening — understanding your movement and function, previous injuries, any imaging findings, your medical history, lifestyle, and what treatment you’ve already tried.
Bringing that picture together, alongside your own goals, is what allows a genuinely individualised plan — rather than another version of what hasn’t worked before.
Experience Matters
Matthew has spent almost two decades in musculoskeletal practice, including emergency physiotherapy, spinal services, and leading a rapid access back pain clinic at Austin Health — working closely alongside surgeons and physicians throughout. You can read more about that background on the About Matthew page.
That experience includes many patients whose symptoms didn’t fit a simple pattern — presentations that needed a more careful, complex musculoskeletal assessment rather than a standard protocol.
A Different Approach
When symptoms persist, simply repeating the same treatment often produces the same result. A different approach starts by understanding why previous treatment may not have helped, whether the original diagnosis still fits, and what factors might still be contributing to your symptoms.
From there, an individualised plan can be built — one that reflects what’s actually going on for you, not a repeat of what’s already been tried.
How We Can Help
- Clarifying the diagnosis
- Making sense of previous scans or opinions
- Restoring confidence in movement
- Improving day-to-day function
- Developing a realistic recovery plan
- Supporting long-term self-management
When Further Investigation or Referral May Be Appropriate
Persistent and complex pain sometimes benefits from input beyond physiotherapy alone — further investigation, specialist review, or a coordinated approach with your GP or other health professionals. Recognising when that’s appropriate is part of good clinical care.
Where this applies to you, it will be discussed with you clearly and openly, as part of building a realistic and honest plan for your care — with a referral to your GP or an appropriate specialist recommended where relevant.
Book Your Assessment
Speak with an Advanced Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist about persistent or complex pain.