About Our Team
Simon Wigg – Physiotherapist
Interests: Back & Neck Pain, Sports Injuries, Foot & Ankle Injuries and Golfing Injuries
Graduating in 1986 from Lincoln Institute, Simon has worked in a number of sports medicine clinics throughout metropolitan Melbourne and also the AIS Canberra before starting his own practice in 1990 Having worked in the private sector for the last 27 years he has an in depth understanding of neck and back injuries and their management, with a focus on early manual therapy to relieve symptoms, dry needling and education and core strengthening to reduce recurrence. Simon incorporates the latest research to treating his motivated clients and has a strong emphasis on patient education, self management strategies and hands-on manual therapy to enable them to return to their sport or workplace as quick as possible.
Qualifications & Memberships
- Post graduate Masters in Manipulative physiotherapy from LaTrobe University 1997
- Member of Sports Physiotherapy Australia
- Member of Australian Physiotherapy Association
- Simon has a long background in basketball (representing Vic Metro on a few occasions as a junior) and is still playing in an over 30s basketball competition weekly.
Simon has been the physiotherapist for:
- Kilsyth Senior Mens SEABL 1995-1999
- Knox Raiders Senior and Junior Mens and Womens SEABL and Big V 2000 to present
- NBL Hobart Tassie Devils Melbourne physiotherapist
- NBL Brisbane Bullets Melbourne physiotherapist
- U18 Vic Metro team physiotherapist 2005
- He has been court side as team physiotherapist for well over 500 elite level games and he feels very comfortable treating any basketball related injury because he’s seen nearly all of them over 20 years.
He has also had associations as club physiotherapist for:
- AFL Collingwood Football Club (assistant physio)
- Bayswater football club
- Knox Eagles football club
- He is a single figure handicap golfer and physiotherapist for:
- The Victorian Golf Open at the 13th Beach Golf Links in 2017
- as well consultant for many PGA professionals playing both locally and in the USA.
- World squash Championships 1991 physiotherapist
- Vic. Police physiotherapist (Eastern region) 1987- 2000
Simon has run in numerous half marathons and fun runs which allow him to have a broad knowledge in the diagnosis and treatment of sporting injuries, and returning you to your sport in better condition than you started. He also supports the mighty Hawthorn football Club. Simon is also a single figure golfer and is a consultant for PGA.
Dean Lucas – Physiotherapist
Interests: Back & Neck Pain, Headaches, Sports Injuries, Shoulder Complaints and Hydrotherapy
Dean was accredited with a Bachelor of Human Movement degree from The University of Tasmania in 2009, and completed his Master of Physiotherapy degree from The University of Sydney in 2011. Dean moved back to Melbourne in 2012 and has been an associate physiotherapist at Wigg’s Physio since.
Dean’s passion for physiotherapy was first obtained after performing volunteer work at Oakleigh Chargers Football Club, working alongside the Strength and Conditioning and Rehabilitation trainers during pre-season 2008 & 2009. Here he gained experience working with elite junior athletes and obtained an insight into the preparation, recovery and rehabilitation required for teams and individuals to perform and manage injuries.
During his studies, Dean gained practicum experience from working at the Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital where he was treating patients on the Acute Stroke Rehabilitation ward.
He worked at the 1st Health Support Battalion, Holsworthy. Dean’s role at the army barracks was acute injury and outpatient physiotherapy management.
Dean also was assigned to the Dubbo Base Hospital & Health Service where he gained experience and expert knowledge within the Intensive Care Unit, Orthopaedic, Cardiac and Respiratory wards.
Dean is our principle therapist for running both the hydrotherapy and clinical reformer Pilates classes. He has a keen interest in sports therapy and injury management / rehabilitation. Naturally it is important to note that he also supports the greatest football club, the mighty Bombers.
Qualifications & Memberships
- Bachelor of Human Movement degree from The University of Tasmania in 2009
- Master of Physiotherapy degree from The University of Sydney in 2011
He has also had associations as club physiotherapist for:
- Head physiotherapist for the Wantirna South Devils Football club (senior program) since 2016.
Kara Lucas – Physiotherapist
Interests: Women’s Health, Temporomandibular Joint [TMJ] Dysfunction (TMD), Headaches and Neck & back pain.
Kara completed her Bachelor of Exercise and Sports Science degree from Deakin University in 2013, She then went on to complete her Bachelor of Physiotherapy at The University of South Australia in 2017. Kara returned to Melbourne in 2018 and joined the team at Wigg’s Physio as a New Graduate.
Kara’s interest in physiotherapy was first sparked when she was competing in Victorian Championship basketball during her teenage years, when she herself sustained a sport related injury to her ankle in which she required physiotherapy treatment to rehabilitate. This interest was later sparked again whilst she was working as a sports trainer at a local football club where she developed a passion for helping people to be able to return to sport in the best condition that they can.
During her studies and allocated placements, Kara reinforced her interest in rehabilitation of sports related injuries and developed interests in work related injuries and Women’s health. She has since completed additional training in pre / post-natal physiotherapy targeting Incontinence, pelvic floor dysfunction, lumbo-pelvic pain and diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscle (DRAM). Kara has also undertaken additional study in the treatment of Jaw pain (Temporomandibular Dysfunction [TMD]) and neck and jaw related headaches.
Kara enjoys combining the knowledge obtained from both of her Bachelor degrees to provide a combination of manual therapy and tailored exercise prescription, including clinical Pilates to develop and achieve short and long-term goals where rehabilitation and prehabilitation can be used to treat acute and chronic conditions.
Although no longer participating in competitive sports, Kara now enjoys watching them, especially to note the Richmond Tigers who just quietly she has been a member of for several years.
Qualifications & Memberships
- Bachelor of Physiotherapy from The University of South Australia in 2017
- Bachelor of Exercise and Sports Science from Deakin University in 2013
- Member of Australian Physiotherapy Association
Stephen Smith – Personal Trainer & Myotherapist
Stephen Smith has been a Personal Trainer for 18 years, with senior experience at AFL as a Boundary Umpire for 10 years 1997-2007, working with Hawthorn Football Club 2009-2015 as a Myotherapist, Holden Race Team Assistant Fitness and Race Day Recovery Manager 2011, and just recently returned to the Eastern Football League as senior Boundary Coach and assistant Fitness Coach to the league umpires.
Stephen’s passion for the health and fitness industry at all levels, also see’s him coaching junior football at Vermont and this year heading up training programs for Little Athletics at Ringwood.
Personal Training Specific
- 1-1 Training to small group training
- Individual training Programs
- Catering for all areas of Fitness/ Health
- Specialised Sports specific programming & conditioning
- Weight Loss
- Cardivascular Training/ H.I.I.T
- Boxing
In conjunction to the physical training undertaken at Wigg’s Physio, Stephen has had a decade of experience as a Allied Health provider, working his way through massage modalities of Sports Trainer, Remedial Massage to becoming a Myotherapist. The advanced anatomy understanding of body activation and dysfunction, has him utilising many different techniques, to unlock tension and stressed through muscular system.