Contact Details
- Phone
- +64 3 479 5235
- cathy.chapple@otago.ac.nz
- Position
- Senior Lecturer
- Qualifications
- PhD M Manip Phty PGrad Dip Manip Phty BSc(Hons) Grad Dip Phty
- Research summary
- Osteoarthritis, physiotherapy management of musculoskeletal conditions, manual therapy
- Teaching
- Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy
- Clinical skills
- Patient-centred care
- Undergraduate and Postgraduate teaching
- PhD/Masters/Honours research supervision
- Memberships
- Executive Committee of the New Zealand Manipulative Physiotherapists Association
- Physiotherapy New Zealand
- CHARR (Centre for Health Activity and Rehabilitation Research)
- Pain at Otago Research Theme
- OARSI (OsteoArthritis Research Society International)
- Clinical
- Musculoskeletal clinical practice
Research
My main research focus is on the physiotherapy management of knee osteoarthritis (OA). I currently hold the Stanley Paris Research Fellowship that is funding a fully powered RCT investigating the optimal frequency of manual therapy for people with knee OA. Research projects are:
- Investigating exergaming as an intervention for people with knee OA
- The effectiveness of combining physiotherapy with anti-inflammatory medication for people with knee OA
- The role of splinting for people with thumb OA
Other research interests explore clinical questions that have the potential to directly influence physiotherapy practice and patient care. They include:
- The role of the cervical spine in headache and concussion
- Stratified care for the management of low back pain (STarT Back)
- Acupuncture for the management of low back pain
Previous research has included the physiotherapy management of hip and knee OA (MOA trial), the incremental effects of manual therapy and booster sessions in addition to exercise for people with knee OA, and pre-habilitation for people with hip OA.
Research findings were translated into practice with the development, implementation and evaluation of “The Joint Clinic” – a physiotherapy-led service in a New Zealand hospital for people with hip and knee OA.
Additional details
I supervise PhD, Masters and Honours students, and welcome enquiries from prospective research students interested in the management of people with OA, manual therapy and physiotherapy management / stratified care for people with low back pain.