A boutique Auckland practice for the days before and the months after surgery. We work in close consultation with your surgeon, so the protocol on your file is the protocol in the room.
Amy Schischka, Director
BHSc Physio · Certified Mulligan Practitioner
The shift
"Post-surgical rehab deserves its own discipline."
— Amy Schischka, Founder
Surgery is rarely the end of a journey — it's the middle. The work either side of the theatre door is what decides whether you reach your goal, on time, without setback.
We're a revolutionary physiotherapy practice built around a single idea: that pre- and post-surgical care deserves a clinician who reads the operative report, knows the protocol, and speaks regularly with your surgeon.
Leading up to surgery, you may be referred for prehab. After surgery, you receive comprehensive hands-on treatment plus exercise rehabilitation designed in close consultation with your surgeon.
Clear communication between surgeon, patient and physiotherapist — that's the difference. It's why we keep our caseload small and our protocols meticulous.
Your rehab follows your surgeon's recommendations — not a generic template.
Manual therapy is core to what we do — not a five-minute warm-up before machines.
Surgeon, patient, physio — kept in the same loop, from first consult to discharge.
Services
Every service below sits inside a wider rehabilitation plan — chosen, sequenced and timed against the protocol your surgeon set.
A hands-on approach — deep tissue massage, joint mobilisation, manipulation, passive stretching and taping. The manual side of physio that's increasingly hard to find.
The stronger, fitter and more flexible you are walking into theatre, the better you walk out. We work with you and your surgeon to keep you as active as your injury allows.
A rehabilitation program specific to you, your goals, and your surgeon's recommendations. We follow the four canonical phases — protected, progressive, functional, performance.
A powerful modality used to modulate pain and accelerate the body's natural healing processes. Our physios are trained in Western Acupuncture — every needle has a neurophysiological rationale.
We stock and fit a range of post-surgical braces and rehabilitation equipment. Hire and purchase — sized in clinic, ready the day you need them.
Scar appearance is a real concern for many people after surgery. We use a combination of massage, frictions, acupuncture and gel compression — and liaise with cosmetic surgeons across Auckland when review is warranted.
· Transparent fees · ACC partner clinic · Direct referrals from Auckland's leading surgeons ·
Clinicians
You see the same clinician each visit. Both directors. Both registered. Both trained in post-graduate surgical protocols.
01 — Amy Schischka
Amy is the founder and principal physio at Surgical Rehab Specialists. She graduated with a BHSc (Physiotherapy) in 2011 and has worked in the musculoskeletal field ever since, developing a strong interest in diagnostics, biomechanics, sports-specific physiotherapy and surgical rehabilitation.
After seeing a need for patients to be provided with quality care before and after surgery, Surgical Rehab Specialists was born. Amy has dedicated hours observing Auckland's top surgeons at work and reviewing their rehabilitation protocols.
Outside the clinic — Competitive horse rider (Showjumping & Eventing), gym regular, keen foodie, and head coach at her local pony club.
02 — Patrick Peng
Patrick is a high-performance, sports-specific physiotherapist. Fifteen years of gymnastics at the international level — two Commonwealth Games and five World Championships — gave him a pretty good idea of what the human body is capable of, and what happens when it decides to fail.
He graduated alongside Amy from AUT in 2011, then continued to post-graduate study in Acupuncture and gained CMP status. After a two-year stint in London working across sports physiotherapy practices, he returned to New Zealand.
Specialism — High-level rehabilitation, return-to-sport progressions, and the gymnast's-eye view of strength & control.
What to expect
A surgical-rehab journey isn't five generic sessions. It's a phased plan that maps to your operative protocol — written, sequenced, and adjusted as your tissue heals.
We read your operative report, talk to your surgeon, and build a plan around the protocol on file before you ever step onto the table.
Strength, mobility and education in the weeks before theatre. Better tissue going in. Faster milestones coming out.
Protected → progressive → functional → performance. Hands-on every visit. Exercises updated weekly. Surgeon kept in the loop.
Back to work, back to sport, back to you. Discharge only when the milestone tests say so — not the calendar.
"Amy understood the surgeon's protocol better than the registrar who handed it to me. Three months out, I was back to running."
"The prehab is what made the difference. I walked into surgery stronger than I had been in years."
"Patrick treated me like an athlete recovering, not a patient recovering. That mindset changed the outcome."
Visit
Free street parking at both sites. Both clinics are wheelchair accessible. Both are ACC partner clinics.
Main clinic — surgical-rehab specialism
Satellite clinic — extended weekday hours
Get in touch
Have a referral or a date in the calendar? Send us a brief and we'll be in touch within one working day to confirm a clinician, location and time.
· Transparent fees discussed at booking. ACC partner clinic — surcharges where applicable. Direct billing supported for most ACC-registered claims.
