ABOUT US
Your Torbay physiotherapy practice
Finding the right physical therapist can put you on the right path to reducing pain and restoring your mobility following an injury, accident, surgery or illness. North Shore residents have entrusted our physiotherapists with their healthcare for generations.
Continuity of the right care
When it comes to injury treatment, pain management and rehabilitation, there is no one size fits all approach. We value our clients, and your needs are at the centre of your care which is why we do everything possible to ensure you get seen by the same therapist each time you come to see us.
Tailored physio treatment
Rushing physiotherapy treatments does not lead to effective healing. We take the time to hear and understand your goals. We offer longer initial consults to ensure effective diagnosis and we don’t just treat the injury; we will work with you to help develop better lifestyle choices.
All our practitioners are experienced, highly trained, registered ACC treatment providers and are expected to take part in regular professional development, so you get the best, and most up-to-date evidence-based care.
The physiotherapists North Shore residents know and trust
A well-established clinic, we have been a part of the Torbay community since 1970. We treat you like family, giving you the care and attention you deserve, offering hand therapy, physiotherapy, and podiatry services all in the one place.
Being local, we know the local North Shore area well and can help with advice on exercise opportunities, local events and support services.
We have a good relationship with local doctors, which makes for an easy flow of care and effective multidisciplinary management. We have long-standing professional relationships with other health professionals, insurance companies and ACC, so we can refer you on for different specialist care, such as x-rays and ultrasound scans, if necessary.
Meet our physiotherapy team
Christina Gallacher
Director, Registered Hand Therapist, Physiotherapist
Christina took over as Director of Torbay Physio and Hand Therapy in June 2019. Prior to this, she worked under the tutelage of Jan Airey (the clinic owner for the previous 17 years).
Christina has worked at Torbay Physio and Hand Therapy since January 2016. Christina was awarded the AUT Vice Chancellors Scholarship and completed her Bachelor of Health Science in Physiotherapy in 2015. She became a published journal article author in 2016. She went on to complete her Postgraduate Certificate in Health Science in Rehabilitation and began her hand therapy studies in 2018. She became a Registered Hand Therapist in 2020.
Christina grew up in the East Coast Bays area and so is a familiar face to many. She is passionate about driving people to reach their goals and is excited about seeing the results that come from hard work. In her spare time, she loves to be in the outdoors, pursuing activities such as walking and running around after her young daughter. Prior to motherhood taking much of her time, she was a keen netballer, and played for over 10 years at both school and premiere club level. During her studies at AUT, Christina took part in strapping courses and helped out with physical therapy care for one of East Coast Bays’ rugby teams, so has a lot of hands-on experience with managing sporting injuries and helping rehabilitate individuals back to playing again.
Paige Lloyd
Physiotherapist
Paige graduated from Auckland University of Technology as a physiotherapist in 2023. Paige has done further training in sports massage therapy, completing her basic and advanced courses at AUT in 2022. During her studies, she worked as a massage therapist and a physical therapy aide with a wide range of populations and injuries. Paige is known for her bubbly demeanour and enjoys helping people achieve their goals and improve their quality of life. Paige’s areas of interest are sports-related injuries, long-standing injuries, orthopaedics and back pain. Paige enjoys building connections with her patients and tailoring rehabilitation to suit their lifestyle.
Prior to studying at AUT, Paige competed internationally with cheerleading for over 10 years, and also coached cheerleading and parkour. In her spare time, Paige enjoys going to the gym, going for outdoor walks, and doing puzzles on a rainy day.
Katie Northfield
Registered Hand Therapist
Katie has been working as a Hand Therapist for 15 years now and became a Registered Hand Therapist in 2010. She started her career as a Physiotherapist working in the UK but has spent her recent years focussing on continuing to develop her hand therapy skills, which she is particularly passionate about. Katie completed her Postgraduate Certificate in Health Science in Acupuncture in 2011 and then went on to complete a Masters of Health Practice in Rehabilitation in 2012.
Katie enjoys spending time with her young family and yachting throughout the summer months.
Alison Coyle
Registered Hand Therapist (Locum)
Alison has 30 years of experience in Occupational Therapy and Hand Therapy. She graduated with a BSc degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Cape Town in 1993. She then spent several years overseas working in a range of fields, including neuro rehab, paediatrics and hand therapy. Alison moved to NZ in 1998 and has since developed her hand therapy skills in a range of settings including hospital (Middlemore Burns/Plastics and Hand Therapy) and private practice. Alongside her clinical caseload, Alison has followed her other passion in mentoring and has provided supervision and training to a large number of OT and Physio Hand Therapy colleagues as well as being heavily involved as an educator in the postgraduate Hand Therapy paper.
In her free time, Alison loves spending time with her family.
David
Receptionist
David joined the Torbay Physio and Hand Therapy team in 2021. David is our fantastic resident Scotsman who has a passion for providing high quality customer service as well as a great sense of humour.
Physiotherapy treatment supporting our community
Our staff are friendly, honest, and welcoming. We’re the physiotherapists North Shore residents call because we work very hard to make each client feel valued and looked after. We have developed trust over the last 50 years; to our team, integrity is of the utmost importance.
Please be sure to inform any of us of any specific needs or requirements you may have. We have female physiotherapists on staff, and we always strive to meet any special or cultural needs.
At Torbay Physio, we have a passion and a commitment towards helping patients achieve their goals through the provision of high-quality treatment based on ethical conduct, best practice, and the most up-to-date research.
Working Hours
Monday-Friday
8am - 5pm
Hand Therapy hours may vary
Get in touch
Please do not hesitate to contact our North Shore physiotherapists so we can help you get back out there doing what you love.