The Practice Centre

27/03/2025

I think my favourite piece of Pilates Equipment is the Wunda Chair. Joseph Pilates actually designed it to double as a chair in the home and then could be utilised for exercise. The reasons I like it that as a physiotherapist it is in my opinion more functional offering challenges to the patients that I see many who have issues with sitting and standing balance. Don't get me wrong I do love all the equipment and at The Practice we have a fully equipped studio and our patients have their particular favourites. Our physiotherapists work in the studio with clients undergoing rehabilitation but our Pilates teachers come from both Classical and Contemporary Pilates backgrounds

04/02/2025

Media reports that Jeremy Clarkson has discovered the benefits of Reformer Pilates. The Rise of the Reformer(s) has seen studios opening at such a high rate that Im sure there will be one or even two on every high street soon. In my opinion and it is just that anything that gets people moving is great. As a physiotherapist I always advocate movement as therapy and believe the key is to find something that you will enjoy as you are more likely to stick to it. However, there is a caveat Mr Clarkson is doing his Reformer classes privately and not in large groups. My advice and it is just that; if you have injuries do let the instructor know and maybe do not go for the larger group sessions for now. I am old school with the emphasis nowadays on old and do Pilates utilising the full array of equipment. As an ex dancer Reformer is ok and I have attended some great studios but I wouldn't have been a complete dancer if I only did barre?

11/09/2024

I have nothing to say!

10/09/2024

This amazing lady is 93 years old and has been doing Pilates at The Practice for more than 15 years. PIlates for me is not about beautiful bodies who can stick their toe in their ear. It is of benefit for all age groups and especially for the aging population and or those with health issues including Parkinson's, Multiple Sclerosis and Musculoskeletal issues such as low back pain. The Physiotherapists and the Osteopaths at The Practice all have post graduate qualifications in Pilates including Clinical Pilates and Comprehensive Pilates. Our director ex professional dancer and physiotherapist has 22 years of experience having initially studied Pilates with Brent Anderson the founder of Polestar Pilates in 2001.

03/05/2024

Happy Birthday! Today we celebrate 21 years since The Practice Physiotherapy and Pilates Centre opened its doors in 2003.
What started as a single practitioner practice has grown into a multidisciplinary clinic offering Physiotherapy, Osteopathy, Sports Massage Therapy and Pilates.
The early days were a steep learning curve and there were many sleepless nights wondering if I had perhaps taken on a bit too much.
However, we are still here and I would like to thank those that have been on this amazing journey with me. The front of house administration staff and clinicians past and present.You are all stars! The patients who have by far been our biggest advertisement for what we do and my clinical colleagues who refer patients to The Practice. It has and will continue to be a team effort. Time for cake methinks.

30/04/2024

In a world where we are encouraged to take exercise which is a great thing an issue sometimes not discussed is the problem of overtraining. On social media everyone seems to be doing Hiit classes or participating in Crossfit or extreme sports such as ultra distance running. I can talk from personal experience as someone with over 50 years of exercise participation from Professional Dance, to Taekwondo, Marathons, Crossfit, Olympic Weightlifting and Distance Swimming. There have been times where I have pushed myself to train when I have been exhausted and where my diet and sleep have not been optimal and as a consequence suffered injuries. In my role as a physiotherapist there are times where I have to slow clients return to activity and advise on a graded return to sport. If you find yourself with recurrent niggling injuries that seem to never fully recover see a Sports Physiotherapist who will offer a diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation. They may also advise that consultation with a nutritionist or sports psychologist is advisable to return you to optimal fitness and in the end to something that should be an enjoyable activity.

03/03/2024

There is no consensus as to the best exercise for low back pain. However, where there is general agreement is that exercise is the key to recovery and prevention. As an ex dancer I come from a Pilates background as this was an exercise regime that is used as an adjunct to dance training and in rehabilitation.
The key if you are to stick to any programme is to find an exercise discipline that you enjoy! Our physiotherapists at The Practice will guide you in the early stages but once recovery is well under way we are more than happy to offer advice going forward.

22/02/2024

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The Iliopsoas muscle is probably one of the most interesting muscles in the body. It consists of two separate muscles the psoas and the iliacus. The muscle has two main functions' to flex the hip and to flex the trunk forward. It is often implicated both in low back and anterior hip pain. I have patients who complain that this muscle is tight and however much they stretch it doesn't seem to make a difference. In many cases in clinic at The Practice when I have assessed this the problem is not one of tightness but more one of overactivity. The problem sometimes is due to a weak lower abdominal strength and or core (midline) stability. I ask th patient to stop stretching and teach a physiotherapy programme of what is called "hip dissociation" where the patient learns to move the hips independently of the pelvis in conjunction with lower abdominal/ core exercises. Sometimes muscles react by becoming overactive think upper trapezius with forward head posture. In that case would you simply stretch or correct?

15/02/2024

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Over my physiotherapy career I have had number of patients who following a course of antibiotics have suffered with tendon issues. Fluoroquinolones have an affinity for connective tissue and the use of this class of antibiotics has been shown to negatively affect collagen fibrils in tendons, leading to an increased risk of tendon rupture and tendinitis. It will not just effect the Achilles tendon but will be an issue for tendons at risk of increased load such as the biceps tendon. Physiotherapy is useful in the treatment and rehabilitation of these problems. Physiotherapists at The Practice all have experience of working with tendon issues such as tendinopathies, partial and total ruptures whether managed conservatively or post operatively. #

29/01/2024

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The squat is known as the universal position. it is how we sit, we jump and prepare to lift. In the gym it is a also a squat with or without load. It is also a deadlift and when modified to single leg variations it is a split squat, a single leg squat, a step up or step down. It is a compound exercise; that means it is an exercise that recruits multiple major muscle groups, i.e. two or more bangs for you buck! More importantly this is a fundamental human movement that the majority of small children are able to do with ease. In my role as physiotherapist at The Practice I always assess this in my patients with low back pain as decreased mobility in the hips can result in increased load at the low back back and result in stiffness and or pain. In brief check with your trainer or physiotherapist and if ok do squats daily.

24/01/2024

03/01/2024

Genu recurvatum otherwise known as sway back knees are one sign of hyper-mobility. Hyper-mobility confers an advantage when it comes to participating and working in activities such as classical ballet, gymnastics and swimming. However, in some people this can also result in problems such as joint and muscular pain , gut issues and even heart problems. At The Practice we have been working with patients who present with neuromuscular issues as a result of joint hyper-mobility for 20 years. We are a multidisciplinary centre offering Physiotherapy, Osteopathy, Strength and Conditioning and Clinical Pilates in our in house fully equipped Pilates studio.