Our shoulder physiotherapists are experts in their field and will tailor treatment programs to your unique needs. Book an appointment now to see how we can set your shoulder on the path to recovery.
Dr Lyn Watson
Dr Lyn Watson is the Founding Principal and Director of Melbourne Shoulder Group (alongside Simon Balster).
Lyn is a Titled Sports and Exercise Physiotherapist (as award by the Australian College of Physiotherapist in 1999) and Titled Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist (as award by the Australian College of Physiotherapist in 1994) who has been working exclusively in the diagnosis, assessment and rehabilitation of shoulder injuries for the past 25 years.
Lyn graduated from Latrobe University in 1986, with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Physiotherapy (Honours). She completed her post-graduate training in Manipulative Physiotherapy in 1990 and was granted her Sports Physiotherapy title in 2000.
In 2016 Lyn was granted her Professional Doctorate of Physiotherapy from Latrobe University. Furthermore, Lyn is an Adjunct Professor of Research at Western University, Ontario Canada. Lyn has been conducting clinically relevant research projects and publishing her research since 1996. She has published research within very reputable journals (eg. Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery, Manual Therapy and British Journal of Sports Medicine), on topics such as the Rehabilitation of Multidirectional Instability (MDI), Frozen Shoulder & Hydrodilatation, Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, Glenohumeral Joint Instability, Scapula Biomechanics and Clinical Outcome Measures. Lyn’s rehabilitation program for MDI (The Watson Program), has been validated in a randomised controlled trial by Dr Sarah Warby (PhD).
Lyn’s research associates are currently:
Shoulder surgeons at Melbourne Orthopaedic Group (Mr Greg Hoy and Mr Shane Barwood) collecting data and researching the long-term clinical outcomes of many common shoulder surgeries and their physiotherapy rehabilitation programs
Tania Pizzari at Latrobe University, Melbourne Australia
Jacqui Sadi, Joy MacDermid and Ken Faber at Western University, Ontario Canada
The Physiotherapists of Melbourne Shoulder Group
Lyn is the physiotherapist to a variety of national and international sports teams and individual athletes. She has been treating members of the Australian Cricket Team since 1994, and working with Australian Olympic Level Swimmers, Water Polo, Beach Volleyball, Sprint and Slalom Paddlers, Rowers and professional Tennis Players for over 20 years. Her clinical practice has a balance of elite athletes, weekend warriors, office workers and manual workers of all age groups. As such, she treats the everyday typical shoulder conditions such as rotator cuff pathologies, instability, impingement and the stiff shoulder.
Lyn is an internationally renowned lecturer, course presenter and clinician. Over her 25-year carrier Lyn has developed logical and progressive approach to the assessment, diagnosis, rehabilitation and management of the shoulder and shoulder girdle. She continually refines her approach and validates it with the research she does. Since 1992, Lyn has been teaching her approach in her Shoulder Physiotherapy courses throughout Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Italy, USA, South Africa and Asia since 1992. She also lectures on the Masters of Manipulative Therapy and Sports Physiotherapy programmes for both Melbourne and Latrobe Universities.
Lyn is a member of Shoulder & Elbow Physiotherapists Australasia (SEPA) and is one of only five physiotherapists to have been awarded an affiliate membership of the Shoulder and Elbow Society of Australia (SESA).
Simon Balster
Simon is the Founding Principal and Director of Melbourne Shoulder Group (alongside Dr Lyn Watson).
Simon has spent 20 years working exclusively in the clinical assessment, diagnosis and management of orthopaedic conditions affecting the shoulder and neck.
Simon graduated with a Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours) from the University of Queensland in 1995 and he received a Bachelor of Science (Honours) majoring in Biochemistry from the University of Melbourne in 1991. Simon is a member of Shoulder & Elbow Physiotherapists Australasia (SEPA) and is one of only five physiotherapists to have been awarded an affiliate membership of the Shoulder and Elbow Society of Australia (SESA). He is a clinical supervisor and assessor of students completing their Sports and Musculoskeletal Masters of Physiotherapy at Latrobe University.
Simons professional opinion, guidance and management are regularly sort out by people of all demographics and from all over Australia. He’s a physiotherapist to high profile athletes and professional sporting organisations including members of:
Australia’s Olympic and Commonwealth Games Swimming and Track and Field teams,
Collingwood, Western Bulldogs and GWS Footballs Club,
Australian, Victorian and BBL cricket players,
Professional tennis & baseball players,
Australian ice hockey players
Professional racing car drivers.
He has also worked with professional artists includes internationally acclaimed conductors, concert pianists, dancers, painters and sculptors as well as everyday weekend-warriors, mums and dads, grandparents and children with shoulder problems or injuries.
Simon has worked closely with Dr Lyn Watson for twenty years. They are widely published and have been presenting their highly regarded Shoulder Orthopaedic Physiotherapy Courses around Australia and Overseas for the past 20 years (including the UK, Canada, France, Norway, USA).
Ross Lenssen
Ross Lenssen graduated from Auckland, New Zealand in 2007 and relocated to Melbourne in January 2008. Ross commenced working with the special interest of managing shoulder and neck injuries. Lyn Watson has closely mentored Ross with regards to diagnosing and managing shoulder injuries since early 2009. Ross is a well-established physiotherapist with substantial expertise in treating shoulders. Ross manages many of Lyn’s clients, particularly when she is away teaching.
Ross is a member of SEPA (Shoulder & Elbow Physiotherapists Australasia)and VSES (Victorian Shoulder & Elbow Society). Ross assisted with Lyn’s Doctorate research, Sarah’s PhD research and he tutors/teaches regularly on the shoulder courses run by Lyn Watson and the Melbourne Shoulder Group. Ross has also presented at the APA (Australian Physiotherapist Association) conference in Melbourne (2013), at the ICSES (international congress of shoulder and elbow surgery) in South Korea (2016), and on the APA sports level 2 course in Melbourne (2013, 2014 and 2019).
Through working with Lyn, Ross has excellent relationships with radiologists, sports physicians and orthopaedic surgeons within Melbourne.
Ross is a Melbourne Shoulder Group Principal and Founder.
Ross has co-authored several publications in reputable journals.
Dr Sarah Warby
Sarah Warby graduated from La Trobe University in 2007 with a Bachelor of Physiotherapy with Honours and completed her P.h.D in 2016 (La Trobe University). Sarah has worked in private sports clinics in Melbourne, Wimbledon Greenwich, and for the British Military of Defence in the United Kingdom. Sarah has been working with Lyn Watson and the Melbourne Shoulder Group since 2012 and has a keen interest in treating all types of shoulder problems, with a particular expertise in the treatment of shoulder instability. Sarah is passionate about helping patients to reduce pain, enhance participation in activity or sport and improve quality of life. Sarah implements a variety of techniques to treat her shoulder patients including motor-control training, muscle strengthening and brain re-education.
As well as her clinical practice, Sarah is passionate about innovative shoulder research that aims to improve the treatment of shoulder conditions. Sarah’s honours thesis in electrical stimulation of the shoulder was awarded the Bernard Retcher Research Prize in 2007. Sarah’s P.h.D revealed that a new rehabilitation program focusing on shoulder blade control (The Watson Program) significantly improved the outcomes of people with Multidirectional instability of the shoulder. This research was a world first and was awarded the 2016 Sports Medicine Australia ASICS medal.
Sarah assists in the coordination and development of numerous shoulder projects with Lyn Watson, Melbourne Shoulder Group, Melbourne Orthopaedic Group, La Trobe University, Swinburne University and Victoria House Medical Imaging. Sarah is a shoulder tutor on the sports masters course at La Trobe University and enjoys tutoring and assisting on the Lyn Watson shoulder courses. Sarah is a co-supervisor of Ross Lenssen’s doctoral thesis and Danial Verdon’s master’s thesis. Sarah is also a research coordinator for orthopaedic surgeon Mr Greg Hoy.
Sarah has authored and co-authored a number a publications in reputable journals.
Jane Nailon
Jane Nailon is a highly accomplished physiotherapist with two decades of experience in private practice and with elite sporting teams. Jane graduated from La Trobe University in 1997 and undertook postgraduate studies in Sports Physiotherapy at Sydney University in 2006.
After graduating Jane spent several years with the Victorian Institute of Sport as an athlete and professionally, looking after the women’s hockey and men’s soccer programs and at the Austin Hospital and Royal Talbot Rehabilitation centre.
Jane’s involvement in the VIS Mens Soccer program led to her becoming the first physiotherapist at the Melbourne Victory Football Club when it was established in 2004. She helped establish the physiotherapy team at the club and remained with them in their first 3 seasons before the birth of her first child.
Alongside her work in professional sport, Jane has also established a reputation for excellence in private practice, previously working at Prahran and Malvern Sports medicine centres and at the North Sydney Sports Medicine Centre.
Jane has worked with Lyn Watson and Simon Balster for the last 17 years, during which time she completed their Level 1, level 2 and level 3 shoulder physiotherapy courses. She now assists in teaching these courses.
Katherine Davis
Kat graduated from Physiotherapy at The University of Queensland in 2013 after completing a Bachelor of Exercise Science. She worked for a few years in Brisbane and then was asked to relocate to Melbourne by Lyn and Simon to join the Melbourne Shoulder Group. Kat has been working with the Melb.Sh.Group for the last 5 years and has developed enhanced physiotherapy skills in the diagnosis, assessment and rehabilitation of shoulder and shoulder girdle related pain and injuries.
During her clinical practice time in Brisbane, she worked at Allsports Physiotherapy clinics and was the sole physiotherapist for both high grade GPS rugby union and Grange Thistle soccer teams. She has also completed training in clinical Pilates through DMA and enjoys incorporating this aspect in to developing patient specific exercise programs for the rehabilitation and prevention of sports and postural related injuries.
Kat works alongside leading shoulder orthopaedic surgeons at the Melbourne Orthopaedic Group and assists with presenting and tutoring at Level 1 and 2 Lyn Watson Shoulder courses. As Kat herself has come from a sporting background she understands the importance of a holistic and individualised rehabilitation program to ensure optimal patient management.
Daniel Verdon
Dan graduated in 2010 from La Trobe University in Melbourne and has since been nurturing a special interest in shoulder pathology. He has completed advanced training with Lyn Watson and works with the rest of the Melbourne Shoulder Group team.
Dan has a passion for evidence based practice, contributing to the evolution of the physiotherapy profession through a number of shoulder research projects. Dan works alongside leading shoulder orthopaedic surgeons at the Melbourne Orthopaedic Group and OrthoSport Victoria, tutors at the Lyn Watson Shoulder courses run for physiotherapists both domestically and internationally, and has experience mentoring physiotherapists in regards to shoulder management.
Since graduating, Dan has been working in private practice to improve the lives of his clients through patient-specific management of shoulder issues, posture related problems, sporting injuries and post-operative rehabilitation. His patients range from desk workers & weekend warriors, right through to high level elite athletes (both young and older). He is a strong believer in empowerment through education, empathy driven rehabilitation and holistic care.
Bonnie Kerr
Bonnie Kerr has a special interest in upper limb conditions, including shoulder, elbow and neck pathology. She graduated from La Trobe university completing an undergraduate Masters of Physiotherapy as well as a post graduate Masters of Sports and Exercise Physiotherapy.
As well as her clinical practice, Bonnie tutors on the post graduate Sports Physiotherapy degree at La Trobe University and the Lyn Watson Shoulder Courses. She has co-authored several research publications in reputable journals and is currently involved in a research project on multidirectional instability (MDI).
Bonnie is a current member of the Shoulder & Elbow Physiotherapists Australasia (SEPA) and an associate member of the Victorian Shoulder & Elbow Society (VSES). She works closely with a network of sports physicians and surgeons to assist with patient care when required.
Bonnie has been the physiotherapist for the Australian Women’s and Under 25’s Woman’s Wheelchair Basketball team, travelling domestically and internationally, including the 2019 World Championships. She has held committee positions and organised professional development for the Australian Physiotherapy Association.
Bonnie is an avid snow enthusiast, plays touch football and loves adventures. She has also been fortunate to lead volunteering programs in Nepal and Cambodia.
Sam Lawrence
Sam is passionate about helping others to achieve their goals in health and life overall. He believes in a holistic evidenced based and individualised approach to rehabilitation that focus on empowering and educating his patients.
Before relocating from Canberra to Melbourne to pursue a career in physiotherapy he graduated from the University of Canberra with a degree in Human Biology.
After completing the Doctor of Physiotherapy program at the University of Melbourne in 2015, Sam has maintained a focus on continuing his knowledge and skill as a physiotherapist. He has completed the Graduate Certificate in Musculoskeletal physiotherapy at La Trobe University (2020) and now plans to undertake their Master’s program to become a titled musculoskeletal physiotherapist.
Developing a special interest in shoulder and neck related injuries, Sam has been mentored by Ross Lenssen in complex shoulder injury assessment and management since 2018.
Outside of physiotherapy Sam’s other passions are golf, rugby union, photography, snowboarding and exploring the great outdoors as often as possible.
Sarah Forsyth
Sarah graduated from La Trobe University in Melbourne with a Bachelor of Health Science and Masters of Physiotherapy. This was following the completion of Biomedical Science at Deakin University. Sarah is now finishing her Maters of Sports Physiotherapy Degree at La Trobe University.
Sarah has a special interest in sporting injuries, particularly shoulder and knee injuries. She enjoys helping people return back to sport, work and function to improve their everyday life. Sarah works closely with several of the Melbourne Orthopedic Group surgeons.
Sarah also undertakes part-time work for the AFL as a research consultant managing the soft-tissue injury registry which investigates all calf, quad and hamstring injuries across the AFL.
Sarah is a current Senior Physiotherapist at Balwyn Football Club and has previously worked with Geelong Football Club. In addition to this she also works with Cricket Australia and has travelled overseas and interstate for tournaments.
In her spare time, Sarah plays both premier hockey and cricket and is an avid skier. She is also a keen MCC Melbourne supporter and brunch enthusiast.