Movement Therapy in Canberra
Your body moves as a whole. Let’s assess and treat it that way.
If you’ve found your way here, there’s a good chance you’ve been dealing with something for a while. Maybe it’s your back, your hip, your feet or an injury that keeps returning. You’ve probably tried a few things already. Some may have helped, others not so much, but you’re still looking for a way forward.
I see this quite often in my clinic. People arrive having seen several practitioners, tried different treatments and followed exercise programs, yet they’re still not quite where they want to be. And I can understand why the thought of seeing another therapist might not be particularly appealing.
I’m Riccardo, and I’ve spent more than 18 years working with people experiencing pain and movement difficulties. My approach begins by looking at how your whole body moves, rather than simply concentrating on the area that’s causing trouble.
I want to understand how you stand, walk and move, which movements come easily and which ones your body seems to struggle with. From there, we can begin working on those movements and see what changes.
But there’s another important part of what I do. I want to teach you how to move your own body, so you can continue making progress outside the clinic.
The aim isn’t to have you coming back indefinitely for someone to work on you. It’s to help you understand your body, develop the movements and strength you need, and become more confident managing things yourself.
If you’re looking for a different approach, I’d be happy to help you find a way forward.
Is this why you’re here?
The same pain keeps returning, and you want to understand more than the sore spot.
Walking or movement feels restricted, even if you can’t quite describe what’s different.
An old injury still seems to affect what you do.
You’ve tried exercises or treatment but aren’t sure what they were meant to change.
You want to feel more confident doing something that matters to you—walking, training, working or simply getting through the day.
You’re interested in learning how to improve and manage your own movement
You don’t have to work out which body part is responsible before you arrive. Tell me what you’re experiencing and what you’d like to do more comfortably.
How do I look at movement?
I usually begin by looking at how you stand and walk. These everyday activities tell me quite a lot about how your body organises movement, distributes weight and coordinates different joints.
Walking is particularly interesting because almost every part of your body has a job to do. Your feet, ankles, knees, hips, pelvis and spine all need to move and respond to one another.
I’m interested in what happens when some of those movements become difficult.
For example, your ankle might struggle to rotate in a particular direction, your pelvis might not move as freely as expected, or your spine might have difficulty turning to one side.
These findings don’t automatically explain your pain, but they give us something to investigate.
I’ll examine those movements more closely, show you what I’m finding and help you explore ways of improving them.
Then we’ll reassess. Has the movement changed? Does something feel easier? Can you recognise the difference yourself?
Understanding what your body is doing is the first step. Learning how to change it is where the work really begins.
Why work with me?
I’ve spent more than 18 years working with people experiencing pain and movement difficulties, and much of that time has been devoted to understanding how the human body moves.
My background began in acupuncture and Classical Chinese Medicine before taking me further into biomechanics, functional anatomy, foot mechanics, walking analysis and strength and conditioning.
I’ve also spent many years studying Anatomy in Motion with Gary Ward, an approach that examines how joints move in three dimensions and how those movements work together during walking. I later became the first Anatomy in Motion instructor in Australia, teaching these principles to other practitioners.
All that experience has shaped the way I work today.
I don’t follow one particular treatment technique or give everyone the same exercises. I assess how you move, investigate what’s difficult, and work with you to improve the movements that may be relevant to your concerns.
Most importantly, I want you to understand what we’re doing and why.
The goal isn’t simply to feel better after an appointment. It’s to give you the knowledge and practical movements to continue looking after your body yourself.
Read more about me and how I work
What would you like help with?
Foot or heel pain? Whether it’s your first steps in the morning, longer walks or a foot that feels stiff, explore foot pain, heel pain or plantar fasciitis.
Knee, hip or back concerns? If everyday movement, walking or training has become difficult, explore knee pain, back pain or the whole-body assessment.
Neck, jaw or head concerns? Explore neck pain, jaw and TMJ concerns or cranial and airway treatment.
Walking, posture or breathing concerns? Explore gait and walking, posture and movement, or airway assessment.
Looking for a particular treatment? You can also read about acupuncture, dry needling and Nasal Release Technique.
If you’re unsure which appointment fits, call or text me on 0432 785 135. You don’t need to choose a treatment from a menu and cross your fingers.
What happens at your first appointment?
We’ll begin by talking about what’s been happening, what you’ve already tried and what you’d like to improve.
From there, I’ll assess how you stand, walk and move, looking at the areas that may be relevant to your concerns.
I’ll explain what I’m finding and we’ll begin treatment during the appointment. This might involve hands-on techniques, movement exercises or a combination of approaches.
We’ll then reassess to see what’s changed.
An important part of the appointment is helping you understand the movements we’re working on and how you can begin practising them yourself.
You’ll leave with an explanation of what we’ve found, a practical direction for your movement and a plan for what comes next.
Explore the Comprehensive Restoration Assessment
A few practical questions
Do I need a referral?
No. You can book directly.
Do I need to know what treatment I want?
No. If recurring pain or movement is your main concern, the Comprehensive Restoration Assessment is the place to start. If you specifically want acupuncture/dry needling , cranial treatment or nasal release technique, call or text me and I’ll help you choose the right appointment.
Where are you?
The Body Lab is at 21 Chisholm Street, Ainslie ACT 2602. Free parking is available in the driveway or on Campbell Street.
Find us on Google Maps
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Many people who come to see me have already tried physiotherapy, chiropractic, massage, exercise or other treatments. Some things may have helped, but the problem has returned or never quite made sense.
I’m not interested in dismissing what you’ve already done. I want to understand what helped, what didn’t and what we can learn from it. Where my approach may differ is that movement is fundamental to how I investigate the problem. I look at how you stand, walk and move as a whole, then use what I find to decide what might be worth exploring.
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If I look closely enough, I can find differences in everyone. One hip might rotate further, one foot might move differently or one side of the pelvis might behave differently. That doesn’t automatically mean something is wrong.
I combine what you’ve told me with what I see and what I find when I examine you. Then we can test whether changing a movement actually makes a difference. I’m not trying to correct everything that looks different; I’m trying to work out what, if anything, is relevant to you.
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There’s not much value in finding an interesting movement if we don’t do anything useful with the information.
What I find helps guide what we try. That might involve movement therapy, hands-on treatment, acupuncture, craniosacral therapy or exercise. Then we look again. Has the movement changed? Does something feel easier? Has it affected the problem you came in with?
That response helps us decide what makes sense next.
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It might not be. Pain is complicated, and I don’t assume every problem can be explained by the way someone moves.
Movement gives us one useful way of investigating what’s happening. If what I find doesn’t seem relevant, or your history suggests something needs further investigation, I’ll tell you. Sometimes the most useful conclusion is that we need to look elsewhere.
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We keep checking.
I’ll show you what I think is worth working on, we’ll try to change it and then reassess. Over time, the question isn’t simply whether I can make something move differently in the clinic. It’s whether you’re moving more easily, doing more of what matters to you and becoming less reliant on treatment.
Looking for a different way forward?
If you’ve been dealing with a problem that keeps returning, or you’re simply interested in understanding how your body moves, you’re welcome to come in for an assessment.
We’ll take the time to investigate what’s happening, explore movements that may be relevant and begin working towards the things you’d like to improve.
My aim is to help you understand your body and give you practical ways to continue making progress yourself.