Dr Nathan Johns MBBS (Hon) FAFRM (RACP)
Dr Nathan Johns is a specialist Rehabilitation Medicine Physician (also known as a Physiatrist) with over 20 years working in and studying Rehabilitation Medicine.
Dr Johns graduated from Monash University with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery in 1996. He has been a Fellow of the Australasian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine (AFRM, RACP) since 2005.
Dr Johns has speciality training and clinical experience in all aspects of rehabilitation medicine including persistent pain (back pain, neck pain, musculoskeletal pain, post-surgical pain, post-fracture, arthritis, fibromyalgia, neuropathic) neurological rehabilitation (for stroke, traumatic and acquired brain injury), orthopaedic rehabilitation, reconditioning, amputee medicine and the rehabilitation of Older Adults.
Dr Johns has been the Clinical Director of Rehabilitation Medicine, Aged Care, Palliative Care and Persistent Pain at Peninsula Health since 2022. Prior to this he has held positions of Head of Unit Rehabilitation Medicine at Peninsula Health, Medical Director at St John of God Frankston Rehabilitation and he has been a visiting specialist at Epworth Healthcare since 2006.
Dr Johns provides rehabilitation medicine consultations at Brighton Spine and Sports on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.
Dr Johns lives in Melbourne, Australia with his wife, 3 children and his golden Cocker Spaniel dog Lola.
Pain Rehabilitation
Dr Johns sub-specialises in pain that persists after surgery and has published research investigating pain after knee replacement. He has developed an online pain rehabilitation program called Kneed for people with persistent pain after knee replacement. Together with a multidisciplinary team at Brighton Spine and Sports, he treats people with pain that persists after knee, hip, shoulder and spinal surgery. The team takes a biopsychosocial approach and focuses on helping you to understand why your pain persists after surgery and then provides you with a personalised rehabilitation program of targeted exercises and strategies to reduce your pain, improve your function and return to you to your enjoyable activities.
Dr Johns has vast experience in treating people injured at work or in motor vehicle accidents with no out of pocket expenses for approved WorkSafe and TAC clients. This includes the management of soft tissue injuries that result in neck, back and joint pain and recovery after surgery with expertise in helping people return to enjoyable activities and work.
General Rehabilitation
Dr Johns also provides pain and rehabilitation treatment for people after stroke, with Parkinson’s disease, following falls and fractures, following spinal cord injury, following traumatic brain injury and following treatment for cancer. Treatment focuses on your goals which may include reducing pain, reducing fatigue, improving function, returning to work, returning to exercise and sports and returning to activities such as gardening and social events.
Rehabilitation for older adults
Dr Johns has a special interest in the rehabilitation of older adults helping them to manage conditions such as osteoarthritis, joint pain, neck and back pain, spinal canal stenosis, falling and balance problems. He provides rehabilitation programs for deconditioning after hospitalisation, illness or surgery. He has expertise in prescribing exercise in the setting of complex problems to help improve fitness, strength and balance and expertise in prescribing or rationalising medication for pain when there are multiple medications or chronic conditions complicating management.
