Become a Purple Regular

Each week, we run hundreds of sessions with regular clients who have committed to their rehab. With a mix of Gold Coast locals and folks who travel from Brisbane, Northern NSW, the Sunshine Coast, and surrounding areas, our facilities are full of people just like you working towards their goals. 

EXISTING CLIENT NEW CLIENT
Local support

A Space that just feels right

Whether you’re fresh to your injury or diagnosis or have been living with it for a while, it’s never too late (or too early) to start experiencing the benefits of being a regular Making Strides client. 

Make Strides Part of Your Weekly Routine.

As a leading, world-class provider of spinal cord injury (SCI) rehab, the Purple Team offers local clients access to its wealth of knowledge and resources. 
Our local clients enjoy a range of benefits, including:

  • Periodisation of programs with continuity of care. Your lead trainer and specialised team will create a structured, long-term training program tailored to your needs, abilities and goals. 
  • Regular re-evaluations and reporting to track progress. Every six months, our team will run you through a re-evaluation. This allows us to track your progress and update your training goals. Tracking your progress also assists in applying for and maintaining funding with the NDIS and insurance providers. 
  • Case conferences with your wider healthcare team. Our trainers can write reports and will work closely with your healthcare team to maximise your funding and curate your training per your health goals and requirements. 
  • Training with your mates in a fully accessible facility. Once you enter the purple shed, you’ll quickly realise why we call it a purple family. All of our clients benefit from training alongside people who have lived experience with disability and SCI. 
  • Access to our extensive Allied Health Team. From orthotists to OTs, nurses, wound care, psychosexual therapists, and more, we can connect you with other healthcare providers who specialise in neurological conditions and SCI. 

Who Can Train Regularly at Making Strides?

Anyone! We welcome anyone with an SCI or neurological condition to train at Making Strides, provided they have the funding, motivation, and means to come. 

Our team has experience helping clients, young and old, with a range of conditions, including: 

  • Quadriplegia
  • Paraplegia 
  • Tetraplegia
  • Transverse Myelitis 
  • Stroke
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Cerebral Palsy 
  • Acquired & traumatic brain injuries
  • Functional Neurological Disorder
  • Friedreich Ataxia
  • Spina Bifida
  • Other neurological conditions

The Importance of Consistency in Training

Consistency is key when it comes to rehabilitation, especially for those living with SCI and neurological conditions. Regular sessions with an exercise physiologist can help improve strength, mobility, and overall function. As you can imagine, these gains are best achieved and maintained through ongoing effort. Keeps you out of the hospital and can reduce the risk of pressure sores, UTI’s 

At Making Strides, we know that progress doesn’t happen overnight. That’s why a consistent routine is so important. Better yet, adding ancillary therapies like hydrotherapy, FES, remedial massage, and physiotherapy to your routine can complement your rehab by supporting muscle activation, reducing spasticity and pain, promoting circulation, and improving overall well-being. 

Through consistent support and a strong understanding of neurological presentations, we help clients move toward their highest potential. Together, these services create a holistic approach that supports long-term outcomes, independence, and a better quality of life.

Services

As an approved provider through the NDIS and state selective insurers.

Everyone’s diagnosis, lifestyle, goals, and funding differ, so we don’t copy and paste people’s routines. Instead, we’ll help curate a weekly, fortnightly or even monthly schedule around what works for you.

Find out about each service here.

FES Pack Hydro Specials

Hydrotherapy

Exercise Physiology

Physiotherapy

Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES)

Group Exercsie Sessions

Massage / Dry Needling

“

“4 YEARS SO FAR AND LOVING IT! MAKING STRIDES IS A BIG PART OF MY LIFE, I LOOK FORWARD TO EACH SESSION AND I KNOW THAT I AM IN GOOD HANDS. EVERYONE IS EXPERIENCED, KEEPS YOU MOTIVATED AND ENCOURAGES YOU TO BETTER YOURSELF.
ATTENDING STRIDES HAS MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE TO MY LIFE!”
BRETT

C5/6 CI

Even locals Still Have Questions!

First things first, fill out our new client intake form. From here, one of our team members will be in contact to discuss availability and start planning your visit!

Before your first appointment, please supply us with relevant medical records, previous assessment reports, and information about current medications. We’ll also need a copy of your NDIS goals, details, or insurance information if you have funding. 

Please make sure you bring comfortable clothing that allows movement and assessment and any mobility aids or assistive devices.

Our facilities feature state-of-the-art equipment, including two 20m overground gait training tracks, multiple body weight support systems, private treatment rooms with padded tables for pressure injury prevention, specialised Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) devices, wheelchair-accessible weight machines, custom-designed adapted gym equipment, and fully accessible amenities.

Absolutely! It is never too late to invest in yourself and make small improvements that can significantly impact your life. We are constantly blown away by the changes we see in clients, despite being several years post-injury or initial diagnosis.

No, you don’t need a referral to access our services. You can contact us directly and book through our website or by visiting one of our facilities.
 
However, we request medical clearance from your doctor or specialist before beginning rehabilitation programs, ensuring we can tailor the program to suit each individual.

Everyone is different in their presentation, which means we can’t guarantee any specific results without having a better understanding of what you’re facing. With things in mind, we have seen a wide array of results from our current and past clients, including:
– Changes in ambulation (walking)
– Strength changes
– Learning to transfer in and out of cars to begin driving again
– Progressing out of the chair and using KAFO’s to walk
– Progressing from a power chair to a manual chair
– Improvements in bowel, bladder and sexual function
– Reduction in pain
– Improved mobility
– Higher levels of confidence and improved mental health
– Peer learning
– && Fun
 
As you can see, we aren’t a one-stop shop, and there is heaps we can do to help you. It’s also important to note that it’s not always about increasing function – but rather about feeling stronger, reducing pain, increasing your mobility and having a higher quality of life as part of the Strides community.

Our facilities are open 8:30 am – 3:30 pm Monday to Friday, and 7:00 am – 1:00 pm on Saturday. If these times do not align with your schedule, please reach out to our team, as we offer early and later weekday sessions on a case-by-case basis.

Yes, we have plenty of accessible parking spots available at both our Burleigh and Ormeau facilities. 

To manage bookings effectively and ensure fairness for all clients, cancellations must be made by 3:00 PM on the business day before your scheduled appointment. Late cancellations or no-shows will incur a fee equal to the full cost of the booked service.

Our team is highly trained, compassionate and fully understands that things don’t always go to plan when you’ve got a spinal cord injury or neurological condition. If an accident occurs, we will help as much as possible to avoid making a fuss. Likewise, we have strict protocols in place to follow should a medical emergency occur (e.g. autonomic dysreflexia, seizure, changes in blood pressure).

We encourage all clients to be prepared with spare clothes. Also, have a shower if needed