Annah McPherson

Understanding
the journey

 

​Masters of Physiotherapy Practice (2023),

BSc Nutrition (2023), University of Auckland

Originally from Hawke’s Bay, Annah studied at the University of Auckland, graduating with a Masters in Physiotherapy Practice and a BSc in Nutrition. 

 

Drawn by the outdoor sporting and recreational opportunities on offer, she began her professional career in Christchurch. She then returned to Auckland to work at Axis Sports Medicine as a sports physiotherapist (2024 - 2026). During this time, she was also the physiotherapist for the Auckland Hearts cricket team.

​

Coordinating with the team strength and conditioning coach, Annah worked with players at training sessions, and travelled with them to away matches for two six-month seasons. Her work supported the team’s proactive approach to strength and conditioning, creating player-specific injury prevention strategies, as well as post-match recovery and injury rehabilitation programmes. Common injury concerns included lower back and shoulder issues, hand injuries and hamstring strains.

 

Annah’s career then took a course less ordinary. She decided to volunteer for Mercy Ships New Zealand and spent three months living and working on a floating hospital anchored off Freetown, Sierra Leone. She joined a multi-national team of medical professionals which included surgeons, anaesthetists, doctors, dentists, radiographers, nurses and physiotherapists. 

 

It was an incredibly rewarding experience, both personally and professionally, and saw Annah working with children suffering from the effects of dietary deficiencies and orthopaedic issues such as Blount’s disease. There were plenty of opportunities to learn new skills, including applying a plaster cast and using a cast saw. She even learned a little Krio, the local dialect.

 

Now back on home ground in Hawke’s Bay, Annah supports post-operative orthopaedic patients at Royston Hospital. She spends her mornings on the ward, and afternoons at our outpatient clinic. She brings her unique perspective on recovery and prevention, physiotherapy and nutrition, and her ability to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team. 

 

Having packed in a lot of experience in her two plus years since graduation, Annah is able to make a valuable contribution to all phases of the recovery journey.​

​

Clinic and days of work:

​

Royston Clinic
Monday to Friday
1pm - 5.30pm