Amy Archer Physiotherapy

10/09/2023

What a wknd!!!!
1. Birthday fri but kept low key as nervous for GNR 🙈 Although was lucky to have coffee with and lunch with ❤️
2. Mini GNR- first timers, was amazing atmosphere kids loved it!
3. GNR-first one in 13yrs!!! 4 children later also 🙈😂 insanely hot first 6 miles, upset tummy after this wasn’t great 😬 had the best cheerleaders tho!! Thank you and Glenn!!!managed to just get under the 2hours not a PB at 1hr 56 but a lots changed since a 1hr 49 time 🙈
4. Craziest after race!!! Walk to metro felt like the longest mile going! Biblical Rain in the queue, wading through water to get to the stairs, half way up sent back down metros cancelled 😩no alternative option other than to find a pub and have an Ale with
5. Walked another however many miles to get to where the hubby had managed to drive too! 5 hours after finishing race got home 🙈
What a day!!! Definitely won’t forget that for a while 22miles covered 36,751 steps done now time for a wine 🍷😂!!!

Well done to everyone who took part and a massive thanks to all those who volunteered and came out to support!! Also sending love to all those who were affected by the heat and didn’t make it to the end hope they all made it home safe thanks to

09/03/2023

Looking for Mothers Day gift ideas that aren’t the usual chocolates and flowers?

The Mummy Mot is a comprehensive postnatal assessment that can be done from 6 weeks postnatal onwards (no end time limit)
It’s suitable for those who want advice on how their body is recovering after birth, want to return to exercise safely, struggling with incontinence, prolapse, painful in*******se, general aches and pains or tummy muscle seperation.

To purchase a voucher call:07783433461 or email: amyarcherphysiotherapy@outlook.com

02/11/2022

DRA is a separation of the abdominal muscles. Associated with pregnancy and postnatal recovery. But can affect men and athletes! Those with DRA often describe symptoms of a feeling of lack of control in their tummy, lack of back support when lifting, jelly tummy, still feel like they look pregnant, intermittent bloating. For some the gap will resolve at about 8 weeks postnatal for others this can take a lot longer.

DRA can also lead to pelvic floor issues due to a lack of control of core pressure- so symptoms of Incontinence and prolapse can be associated with DRA. Some may also experience lower back pain.

Lots of us will have read all the DONTS for DRA in the past…. Dont do crunches/don’t do planks/don’t lift heavy weights the list goes on!!! What can I do is often a question I get asked?!!!!!!!!

The advice on DRA rehab is changing rapidly & instead of don’t do things we are focusing on what a client can do!!!!

What we know is that:
➡️Rehab needs to be client specific
➡️It needs to be challenging enough to make a change to the abdominal muscles
➡️You need to work ALL of the abdominal muscles
➡️It takes time to see changes
➡️It’s not all about closing the gap in fact when we create tension in the linea alba to control the pressure in our core then this may initially increase the gap!! And that’s not a bad thing 😱
➡️Doming and bulging does not necessarily mean you have to stop a specific exercise you may have to adapt it or may be able to work with it
➡️You may need treatment to your pelvic floor at the same time or before starting your rehab
➡️You will probably need to work on your breathing
➡️A small number of people may need surgery but this is generally a last resort, rehab is always the first port of call

If you think you may have DRA or want an assessment to check for this then I advise making an appointment with a pelvic health/womens health physio for a thorough assessment and detailed treatment plan.

16/09/2022

Wondering whether a Mummy Mot can help you….
It’s a comprehensive assessment and treatment plan which covers the following:

➡️Back/Neck/pelvic pain
➡️Incontinence
➡️Prolapse
➡️Wind control- back passage or front
➡️Tummy muscle separation
➡️Core strength
➡️Generally fitness levels
➡️Lower and upper limb strength
➡️Posture
➡️Scar management- Csection, episiotomy or perineal tears
➡️Return to exercise
➡️Rib position/movement
➡️Painful in*******se
➡️Anxiety associated with returning to in*******se

For more information or to book an appointment call: 07783 433461 or email: amyarcherphysiotherapy@outlook.com

31/08/2022

Sound familiar? It can be hard fitting everything in after having a baby, in between feeds, nappy changes, naps, comforting, sorting the house, sorting food, trying to drink plenty and possibly looking after other children there aren’t many minutes let alone hours left in the day!!!

Remember though a new mum rarely sits still especially one with a toddler or older child in tow!!!

➡️How often do you go up and down the stairs (step ups) to get nappies, find socks, get nappy cream, spare outfit, find the favourite toy the list goes on.

➡️How often do you pick things up off the floor (squat/lunge) the constant tidying of toys or dirty washing, the trail of destruction left by a little one!

➡️How often are you putting your baby in and out of the cot (deadlift). Day naps, night feeds, comforting.

➡️How often are you pacing up and down the hallway rocking your baby to sleep or walking round the block with the buggy or heading down to the park with the other kids (walking)

➡️How many times a day/week are you lifting (bicep/chest/shoulders) a car seat, carrying into the house or shops. Lifting a toddler or baby for cuddles. Carrying shopping bags with or without a baby in a sling, putting shopping away (core/back).

All of the above are examples of exercise. You might not be in your gym kit or in an actual gym but you are still moving your body and using your muscles. All of these functional tasks are a great starting point for then progressing exercise.

It’s important though that postnatally you don’t rush things too, your body needs time to heal, your muscles need to strengthen and lengthen in some areas. Returning to high impact exercise too quickly can cause issues with incontinence, pain or prolapse. If your unsure of how to progress and where your body is at in the healing process then please seek help.

A Mummy Mot is a great place to start to get the advice you need to progress your fitness.

To book a Mummy Mot call: 07783 433461 or email amyarcherphysiotherapy@outlook.com

31/08/2022

Posted • Midwife Marie Louise] P E L V I C F L O O R •
Sometimes you can get birth injuries that are brushed off as ‘normal’ postnatal pain. If you think something is off anytime after birth it probably is and it’s so important to get checked. Birth can be like running a marathon, muscles can get pulled and torn and nerves can be damaged.

Peeing yourself is very common but it's not normal; despite the ads you may see normalising it. You shouldn’t have to put up with incontinence and there’s a lot you can do to both prevent it before and cure it after birth.

In France they have perennial re-education, it's standard care to get referred to a physio therapist and they assess the strength of the pelvic floor and help you recover individually. They see it as essential in caring for new mums. After all, this is an investment in long term perineal health. Which is important for not only normal urinary and bowel function but also s*xual function. Your s*x life matters. I know we don’t offer this on the NHS so if friends or relatives want to buy you something maybe suggest contributing to physio or . How was your postnatal recovery? X
Photo by

➡️ reposted from Midwife Marie Louise] thank you for raising awareness on these postnatal issues ❤️
*xualhealth

27/06/2022

18/05/2022

Posted • If I could have a sign on my desk, I think it would be this 🙌🏼 EVERY recovery is different. EVERY body is different. EVERY pregnancy is different. One thing they all have in common is it takes time 💕

YES TO THIS!!!!
How many of us- myself Included with first baby, thought we would reach 6 weeks postnatal, have our GP check and boom be back to prebaby fitness/energy/lifestyle/body shape etc

Your body goes through a huge amount of change during pregnancy both physical and mental. Posture changes affecting back/pelvis/feet, muscle weakness, some muscles shorten some lengthen, for some women pelvic floor weakness for others pelvic floor over activity (tightness). For some birth is traumatic and this leaves physical and emotional scars.

For some yes they will reach 6 weeks and feel great and be healing and recovering well however for others 6 weeks is early days and there is a longer recovery ahead. So don’t panic if you reach 6 weeks and you barely feel any progress at all each postnatal journey is individual and for some takes time.

If you are struggling with incontinence, pain, weakness in your core or don’t know where to start with exercise then seek help from a pelvic health physiotherapist they can assess you fully and advise on a postnatal recovery plan that fits you and not one plan for all.

11/05/2022

Don’t just presume the area of your symptoms is the cause of your symptoms!!

A Physiotherapy assessment should always start with a subjective assessment whereby we ask you a lot of questions about your symptoms- how they started, where they are located, what makes them better or worse, what affect does time of day have on your symptoms, what medical history you have, what medication you take, what your hobbies or occupation is! It can feel like a lot of questions! but this part of the assessment is really important. It’s like a jigsaw we piece the answers together to gain a good picture of what’s going on. By the end of the questioning your therapist should have a pretty good idea of what the cause is and the following objective assessment- looking at your movement, strength, special tests, feeling around the area etc should confirm or deny this.

So sometimes the questioning might not seem that relevant to you but trust me there is always a reason behind what we ask.

Referred symptoms, ie pins and needles, weakness, pain etc, are symptoms that come from one area but present in another for example pins and needles in the hands, elbow pain, sharp shooting pain down the arm or reduced grip strength can all be as a result of an issue with your neck. Pain in the buttock, pain to the outside of the knee or foot, pins and needles in the foot or weakness in the leg may be as a result of a back issue. Hip issues can cause knee pain, neck issues can cause headaches. The list goes on!!

If you have symptoms and your not sure what the cause is what the diagnosis is and don’t know where to start with treatment then see a physiotherapist for further assessment. You can self refer to NHS Physiotherapy in many areas now or seek an assessment/treatment session privately.

14/02/2022

Due to cancellations I have a couple of slots available now for tomorrows clinic. Space available for physio assessment/treatment or Mummy Mot. To book call: 07783 433461 or email: amyarcherphysiotherapy@outlook.com

12/02/2022

The benefits of Pilates for treating lower back pain!

DOI:10.1002/14651858.CD009790.

10/02/2022

Thank you to for raising awareness of the need for postnatal care and waving the flag for ❤️

Posted • Thank you for helping us raise awareness of the importance of a postnatal check! ♀️

A Mummy MOT is a one-hour assessment that checks your posture, functional movement, abdominal and pelvic floor from six weeks after birth.

It is SO important to look after your body after growing a baby.

Please visit our website for more information or DM us.

We have two clinics in London. If you are outside of London we can connect you with a Mummy MOT practitioner in your area.

Please do not suffer. We are here to help you.

26/01/2022

If you’re interested in mindfulness, wanting to learn more about what it involves or thinking about giving something new a try this year, then this could be the course for you!
A great course to improve well being and learn some strategies to help with daily stresses and anxiety. For more info or to book onto this course contact

24/01/2022

I have some last minute availability for tomorrows clinic in Low Fell. If your struggling with back pain, neck pain, or any other pain or injury and would like a private physiotherapy appointment please do get in touch. I also offer the Mummy MOT for anyone who is 6 weeks postnatal onwards. If you would like some further information about the services I provide or to book an appointment you can contact via Facebook messenger, Instagram, email:amyarcherphysiotherapy@outlook.com or call: 07783 433461

11/01/2022

Iv seen a lot of women recently who are trying to do their do pelvic floor exercises which is GREAT! But often complain they don’t make any difference or feel like they aren’t doing much, NOT SO GREAT.

When I ask how they are performing them, most respond with I’m just squeezing. Any attempt at the exercises is a good start in my eyes, however like with any exercise if your not doing the right technique then you won’t be getting the most out of it.

There are lots of different ways people teach Pelvic floor exercises and not every prompt or cue works with everyone, however I often find two key things that are missed:
1. The pelvic floor isn’t actually just at the front of your pelvis. The pelvic floor is a group of muscle surrounding the back passage all the way to the front. Therefore when we do our exercises we need to think about getting that contraction at the back as well as the front.
2. Inhaling when setting the pelvic floor works against the contraction therefore try relaxing as you inhale and contract as you exhale.

See below for some tips on how to get a good pelvic floor contraction.
Have a try see how it feels!

* Breathe in relax, breathe out to start contraction.
* Start by imagining your in a busy room of people and you’re trying to stop yourself breaking wind (this should get the contraction around back passage) keep this contraction.
* Then imagine a zip between your back and front passage and zip from back to front. Keep this contraction.
* Finally imagine you are either trying to stop yourself having a wee or sucking a blueberry up into your va**na! Simple 😉

It takes some practice as with any exercise. Eventually you should be able to hold for 10sec, repeat 10x and do 3x day. You should also be able to do 10 quick reps 3x day. The NHS can help as a reminder to do the exercises.

If you have done the exercises and they aren’t helping or they are making your symptoms worse please seek help from a womens/pelvic health physiotherapist.

06/01/2022

Please read and sign this petition to stop women having to wait an extra 2 years for a cervical smear sadly more lives will be lost if women have to wait 5years between appointments 😥

Keep cervical screening to 3 years and not extended to 5 years.

02/11/2021

Prenatal Physiotherapy:
*Wanting to stay fit during your pregnancy?
*Not sure what you can and can’t do exercise wise?
*In pain and don’t feel you can manage to keep active?

Did you know it is safe to see a physiotherapist whilst pregnant?

Physiotherapy during pregnancy can be a great way of assisting you to keep active during pregnancy, prepare your body for the birth ahead and reduce aches and pains as your body adapts to your growing baby. Treatment may include advice, exercises, hands on therapy, taping or a combination of them all.

It is believed that inactivity during pregnancy may put women at risk of long-term inactivity. Keeping active and staying fit during pregnancy has so many benefits:

* Decrease weight gain

*Improves cardiorespiratoty fitness

*Helps reduce high blood pressure problems

*Prevents gestational diabetes

*Improves sleep

*Improves mood and helps with anxiety and stress

The UK Chief Medical Officers physical activity guidelines produced in 2019 advise that pregnant women should aim for 150mins of moderate intensity activities every week. Including 2 sessions of muscle strengthening exercises per week. If you are new to exercise, then start gradually. If you have any pregnancy complications or concerns, then speak to a medical professional before starting exercise.

There is no current evidence to say that exercise during an uncomplicated pregnancy is harmful! However, do make sure that during exercise you do not bump the bump!

If you are anxious about starting to exercise during pregnancy, not sure what exercises to do or need help to reduce pain so that you can exercise more comfortably then seek advice from a Physiotherapist.

There are also lots of great pre and postnatal fitness instructors sharing advice, information, classes and courses on their pages. are a few of the people I have personally followed during my last pregnancy and found their pages really useful and helped me to keep active and strong throughout 👍

02/11/2021

I have been very quiet on Instagram for many months now it seems having 4 children aged 6yrs and under makes life pretty busy and doesn’t leave much brain space for informative physiotherapy posts 😂!!! I’m slowly trying to get the brain in gear and hope to start sharing more informative posts on my page over the coming weeks and months. However, we all know that as we approach the winter, we approach that time of year where there are bugs galore being passed around the family so bear with me!!!!

I read a post this morn by the amazing .pelvichealth she is an inspiring women’s health physiotherapist, women’s coach and all-round lovely person! She wrote a gentle reminder to go at your own pace, compassionately, profoundly and unapologetically. This was just what I needed to hear this morn when I felt like I was behind with work, behind with house jobs behind with self-care the list goes on……..

Juggling work, children and everything that goes with children can be tricky at times. Sometimes we crack it all and life is great but other times we fail at one part, or all parts and life doesn’t feel so great! Instagram/social media is a snippet of people’s lives and I’ve learnt not to take everything you read at face value. Everyone faces ups and downs but choose what they show on social media which is absolutely fine but remember that, and try not to compare your life to others from what you see on someone’s page alone. If you’re in the juggle whatever that may look like for you take a deep breath and give yourself a break you are doing amazing 🙌. If you’re not having the best day then remember tomorrows a new day and you get a chance to make things better 😘x