Rate My Professor Karen Richards

Dr. Karen Richards is a teaching and research academic at the Curtin School of Allied Health within the Faculty of Health Sciences at Curtin University. She holds a Doctor of Clinical Physiotherapy (DClinPhysio) from Curtin University completed in 2016, a Master of Manipulative Therapy (MManipTher), and a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Physiotherapy (BSc(Hons) Physiotherapy). As Course Coordinator for the Bachelor of Science (Physiotherapy), she teaches musculoskeletal physiotherapy topics. Recognized as an APA Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist and Advanced Scope Physiotherapist, Richards focuses her clinical and academic expertise on musculoskeletal conditions.

Richards' research investigates neck posture clusters, their relationship to neck pain, and biopsychosocial factors, particularly in adolescents and young adults. Her doctoral thesis, titled 'An investigation of neck posture clusters; their relationship to neck pain and biopsychosocial factors,' was submitted in 2017. Notable publications include 'Neck Posture Clusters and Their Association With Biopsychosocial Factors and Neck Pain in Australian Adolescents' (Physical Therapy, 2016), 'Well Characterised Neck Posture is Not Related to Neck Pain in Adolescents in a Large Community-Based Sample' (2016), 'Is Neck Posture Subgroup in Late Adolescence a Risk Factor for Persistent Neck Pain in Young Adults? A Prospective Study' (2021), 'Non-traumatic Musculoskeletal Pain in Western Australian Emergency Departments' (Emergency Medicine Australasia, 2019), 'Interventions to Improve the Quality of Low Back Pain Care in Emergency Departments: A Systematic Review' (Internal and Emergency Medicine, 2024), 'Is Emergency Department Care for Low Back Pain Meeting Contemporary Standards? A Medical Record Audit' (2026), 'Managing Non-Traumatic Musculoskeletal Conditions Presenting to Emergency Departments' (Australian Emergency Care, 2025), and 'Short Waits, Happy Patients and Expert Care: Moving Basic Musculoskeletal Care from the Emergency Department to a Physiotherapist-Led Diversion Clinic' (Emergency Medicine Australasia, 2024). Her findings have influenced understanding of posture and pain, demonstrating that slumped postures are not inherently linked to neck pain, as featured in Curtin University media releases and ABC Radio National. Richards contributed to the Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy Team's Teaching Excellence and Innovation Award. She serves on the Early Career Research committee and received a Nursing and Allied Health Grant for research on child recovery from sprains.