The Board welcomes our newest specialist – Rebekah Miller.

Rebekah is a neurological and vestibular physiotherapist from Ōtautahi.

She has concentrated her practice on both central (brain) and peripheral vestibular disorders over the past 18 years and has seen this area of physiotherapy grow from very few physiotherapists having knowledge and expertise to many people taking an interest and undertaking further learning in this area.

Rebekah graduated from the University of Otago in 2000 with a Bachelor of physiotherapy. In 2003 she returned to the University of Otago and completed a Master of Physiotherapy endorsed in neurorehabilitation. It was during her Masters degree that she became a clinical tutor and ran the Balance Clinic at the School of Physiotherapy. It was there that she began her journey as a vestibular physiotherapist.

Following completion of her Masters degree, she moved to Christchurch where she opened her business Balance Works Physiotherapy focussing on vestibular disorders, concussion and other neurological conditions. She has trained a number of physiotherapists to provide vestibular physiotherapy services and prides herself in the high level of expertise she, her staff and mentees offer their patients.

Rebekah is now undertaking an PhD through the University of Otago (Christchurch Campus). She is looking at the relationship between vestibular issues, noise sensitivity (hyperacusis), and psychological factors as predictors of the length of time to recover among adults with mild traumatic brain injury. She is close to halfway through this research and looks forward to presenting her findings as she concludes her studies.

As a Specialist Physiotherapist, Rebekah is looking forward to assisting other physiotherapists and their clients to manage complex vestibular issues as well as the opportunity of growing Vestibular Physiotherapy in New Zealand.