About Us

Southern Rehabilitation was created in 1998 when the four directors  were involved in postgraduate education in management of musculoskeletal pain conditions, and recognised a paradigm shift occuring in this field. In particular, there was a shift away from the traditional biomedical model of low back pain which recognised pain as signalling tissue damage and leading directly to disability and encouraged a dualistic “mind-body” division. According to this model, direct treatment of the injured tissue should relieve pain and disability. However, increasingly the model did not seem to account for the clinical phenomena, and some experts in the field raised concers that traditional treatments based on this model beyond the acute post-injury phase might be contributing to escalating rates of back pain related disability. Increasingly it was being recognised that pain is not always analygous to tissue injury, and approaching treatment of low back trouble via the biomedical model does not address complex sensory and emotional human response to pain and disability.

The biopsychosocial model was proposed as a working alternative. This model recognises interaction between the person, their social environment, physical dysfunction, illness behaviour, beliefs and coping strategies. Research based on this model has increasingly recognised the role of behavioural and psychosocial factors in mediating protracted disability in response to a back injury and back pain.

With evidence supporting the biopsychosocial model of disability due to low back pain, and increasing emphasis within the compensation environment on purchasing treatments which represent best practice that demonstrate efficacy, the Directors of SRI recognised an opportunity to provide more integrated treatment in a community setting.

Southern Rehabilitation is a pioneer in the development of community-based interdisciplinary rehabilitation and it continues to be the largest private provider of rehabilitation services in Canterbury and it continues to be one of the largest providers in New Zealand.

Southern Rehabilitation now offers a comprehensive and seamless service which also includes Vocational Rehabilitation Services, Training for Independence Services, Concussion Clinics and Neuropsychological Assessments.

In line with the increased range of services, Southern Rehabilitation has developed a strong clinical team.

• Our Philosophy