Treatment

Introduction

Treatment is carried out in the best / most convenient setting for you. This can be based at our well-equipped clinic and/or your home (which includes care homes). Prior to treatment an in-depth assessment is undertaken to gain an understanding regarding your problems, and the cause of these, and what you hope to gain from treatment. We will discuss your options and suggest our initial treatment plan with you. This is likely to evolve as we work together and progress takes place.

You may decide to contact us to discuss the possibility of treatment- if you want to, for example:

improve / maintain balance and reduce the risk of falling
improve movement in your leg(s) to improve your walking and make this easier for you
improve movement of your arm and enable you to use both arms in everyday activities
reduce / eliminate pain which will enable you to move more easily and improve your sleep

Stroke and neuro specialist physiotherapy and occupational therapy is provided by either Wendy Wilson or Sarah Radcliffe. This can be with the support of a rehabilitation assistant.

Wendy Wilson

Wendy is a highly skilled occupational therapist with over 25 years experience in working with people who have suffered a stroke or who have another neurological condition (such as brain injury, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, motor neuron disease) in both hospital and the community setting. Wendy has over 20 years of working in the NHS; she was the lead therapist at the Community Rehabilitation Unit at St. Mary’s Hospital in Leeds. Prior to this she had the position of Clinical Specialist Team Manager for the Community Stroke Team in East Leeds. Wendy led this service from its outset in 2004. In 2009 Wendy expanded this service to cover the whole of Leeds.

She has specialised in the assessment and treatment of movement problems which helps individuals to be able to participate in everyday activities.

Wendy has undertaken significant training to develop her neuro-specialist knowledge and skills including having completed a Masters in the Bobath Concept. She has also completed both a Basic and several Advanced Bobath Courses.

Sarah Radcliffe

Sarah is a highly skilled physiotherapist with over 25 years experience in working with people with neurological conditions (especially stroke) both in hospital and the community setting. Sarah also has a breadth of experience in addressing movement and balance problems encountered by those advanced in years. She has undertaken neuro-specialist training (Basic Bobath Course) and also specialist training to assist people in water / swimming.

The Bobath Concept is the main approach used by physiotherapists in Britain, and various parts of the world, to assess and treat movement problems and facilitate return of function.

Assessment includes consideration of the individual, the task, and the environment. Sessions are designed utilising specialist therapeutic handling to reduce the impact of impairments and enhance function and participation in everyday life.

In the clinic

In your home

In a care home setting

Sarah handling to reduce muscle stiffness and pain in both arm and leg. The latter enables good foot positioning in sitting.

The drink is being passed in a specific position to promote improved head alignment and movement.

Testimonials

John’s testimony:
Having suffered a severe stroke, which left me with a very weak left side together with poor balance, I have had physical therapy with Wendy and Sarah. There has been considerable progress and considerable benefits as a result of their treatment. First of all, there has been considerable pain relief in my neck and weak left arm, hand, leg and foot. Consequently, life has been much better. Steady progress has been made in my ability to sit in a balanced posture. I have also learnt to regain balance myself to achieve a comfortable upright position. Work is also in progress to help me to stand which is an important goal I am keen to reach. Great care is taken to ensure that all activities are conducted safely. Exercises are not rushed and I am included in all discussions concerning my activities. At all times I am encouraged to achieve realistic goals and to give my opinions as each exercise is carried out. Sarah and Wendy work well together as a team and confer together as we go along so that necessary adaptations can be made. They explain clearly the purpose of each activity and give great encouragement at all times. Each session takes place in a well equipped and attractive room and there is a very friendly atmosphere. Success, however small, is praised and reasons for difficulties are truthfully explained. These physical therapy sessions boost morale and confidence and are very well worthwhile.

John’s testimony:

Having suffered a severe stroke, which left me with a very weak left side together with poor balance, I have had physical therapy with Wendy and Sarah. There has been considerable progress and considerable benefits as a result of their treatment.

First of all, there has been considerable pain relief in my neck and weak left arm, hand, leg and foot. Consequently, life has been much better. Steady progress has been made in my ability to sit in a balanced posture. I have also learnt to regain balance myself to achieve a comfortable upright position. Work is also in progress to help me to stand which is an important goal I am keen to reach.

Great care is taken to ensure that all activities are conducted safely. Exercises are not rushed and I am included in all discussions concerning my activities. At all times I am encouraged to achieve realistic goals and to give my opinions as each exercise is carried out.

Sarah and Wendy work well together as a team and confer together as we go along so that necessary adaptations can be made. They explain clearly the purpose of each activity and give great encouragement at all times.

Each session takes place in a well equipped and attractive room and there is a very friendly atmosphere. Success, however small, is praised and reasons for difficulties are truthfully explained. These physical therapy sessions boost morale and confidence and are very well worthwhile.

•

Andrew’s testimony:
My problem started in the beginning of 2011, when I started having problems with standing on both my feet. I was in so much pain after standing on my feet for most of day that I felt like crying because the pain was so bad. In the end I ended up speaking with my store manager to let him know the kind of pain I was in. The pain got so bad that I ended up being absent from work for two weeks because I was struggling even to walk. I decided to put my private medical insurance into use when the doctor referred me to a consultant to find out why I was in so much pain. I was sent to a physiotherapist where he would look at the muscles in the bottom of my calves and he would look at the souls of my feet and massage both areas. The pain would subside for a couple of hours and it would come back twice as painful as before. I saw the physiotherapist twice a week for six weeks, but because I went back to work it was still very painful and I could only really stand on my feet for half an hour before I had to sit down to take the wait of my feet. One day Wendy Wilson approached me and asked me “how my feet were”. I told her that “I was still in a lot of pain and that I was struggling to walk because of pain”. Then Wendy started tell me about a couple of friends she had seen regarding pain they had in parts of their body. She also told me that sometimes pain can stem from another body part and could be caused by reasons connected with their postural (body) alignment. Wendy offered to see me to see if she could help so we arranged to meet the following week. When Wendy came to see me, the first thing Wendy asked me was “walk up and down” for her. Then Wendy asked to see how I sit and stand up from a chair. Then Wendy wanted just to see how I would stand. After 15 minutes Wendy took all the information and said to me that my posture was all wrong from how I walk to my sitting and how I even stand. Wendy asked me to lie down on my back with my knees raised up from the floor, then asked me to do some exercises around the midsection of my body. The exercises Wendy asked me to do I could not do, it was like my body didn’t know how to move in the way Wendy was asking me to move. After assessing this Wendy said to me that “we need to strengthen the middle area (muscles) of your body”. Wendy started to massage the muscles in the lower area of my back. I will be honest this was painful. Then after this Wendy started to massage muscles in my calves and the part of my leg underneath my calf. After Wendy did this she asked me to do the same exercise as before by lying on my back with my knees raised of the ground and raise the lower part of my back of the floor. So after the massage on the lower part of my back I was able to do the exercise I wasn’t able to do before. Then Wendy started to teach me the correct way to sit and stand up from a chair, and then she started to teach me the correct way of how to stand with my feet more together and not wide apart. After this Wendy taught me how to walk properly with my head held high my back straight and my feet pointed straight forward. Wendy left me with the exercises to strengthen the middle area of my body and how to stretch my calve muscles and told me to keep practising these. Then Wendy told me to keep practising the correct way of walking, sitting down and standing up from a chair plus the correct way to stand, and Wendy said that “it’s really important to change the bad habits I had learnt over the years” concerning these things. I can honestly say that one hour with Wendy Wilson did more than the six weeks I had with the physiotherapist. Wendy only saw me three times but by the time Wendy was finished I was nearly pain free. I was so glad that Wendy spoke with me when she did because it had been suggested that I might need surgery to solve the pain I had in my feet. I would recommend Wendy Wilson to anybody who has pain in their body because of the knowledge and the understanding Wendy has of the human body and how it works. So Wendy I would like to say a personal thank you for everything you did for me. With Gratitude From Andrew Gonzales

Andrew’s testimony:

My problem started in the beginning of 2011, when I started having problems with standing on both my feet.

I was in so much pain after standing on my feet for most of day that I felt like crying because the pain was so bad. In the end I ended up speaking with my store manager to let him know the kind of pain I was in. The pain got so bad that I ended up being absent from work for two weeks because I was struggling even to walk. I decided to put my private medical insurance into use when the doctor referred me to a consultant to find out why I was in so much pain.

I was sent to a physiotherapist where he would look at the muscles in the bottom of my calves and he would look at the souls of my feet and massage both areas. The pain would subside for a couple of hours and it would come back twice as painful as before. I saw the physiotherapist twice a week for six weeks, but because I went back to work it was still very painful and I could only really stand on my feet for half an hour before I had to sit down to take the wait of my feet.

One day Wendy Wilson approached me and asked me “how my feet were”. I told her that “I was still in a lot of pain and that I was struggling to walk because of pain”. Then Wendy started tell me about a couple of friends she had seen regarding pain they had in parts of their body. She also told me that sometimes pain can stem from another body part and could be caused by reasons connected with their postural (body) alignment. Wendy offered to see me to see if she could help so we arranged to meet the following week.

When Wendy came to see me, the first thing Wendy asked me was “walk up and down” for her. Then Wendy asked to see how I sit and stand up from a chair. Then Wendy wanted just to see how I would stand. After 15 minutes Wendy took all the information and said to me that my posture was all wrong from how I walk to my sitting and how I even stand. Wendy asked me to lie down on my back with my knees raised up from the floor, then asked me to do some exercises around the midsection of my body. The exercises Wendy asked me to do I could not do, it was like my body didn’t know how to move in the way Wendy was asking me to move. After assessing this Wendy said to me that “we need to strengthen the middle area (muscles) of your body”. Wendy started to massage the muscles in the lower area of my back. I will be honest this was painful. Then after this Wendy started to massage muscles in my calves and the part of my leg underneath my calf. After Wendy did this she asked me to do the same exercise as before by lying on my back with my knees raised of the ground and raise the lower part of my back of the floor. So after the massage on the lower part of my back I was able to do the exercise I wasn’t able to do before.

Then Wendy started to teach me the correct way to sit and stand up from a chair, and then she started to teach me the correct way of how to stand with my feet more together and not wide apart. After this Wendy taught me how to walk properly with my head held high my back straight and my feet pointed straight forward. Wendy left me with the exercises to strengthen the middle area of my body and how to stretch my calve muscles and told me to keep practising these. Then Wendy told me to keep practising the correct way of walking, sitting down and standing up from a chair plus the correct way to stand, and Wendy said that “it’s really important to change the bad habits I had learnt over the years” concerning these things.

I can honestly say that one hour with Wendy Wilson did more than the six weeks I had with the physiotherapist. Wendy only saw me three times but by the time Wendy was finished I was nearly pain free.

I was so glad that Wendy spoke with me when she did because it had been suggested that I might need surgery to solve the pain I had in my feet. I would recommend Wendy Wilson to anybody who has pain in their body because of the knowledge and the understanding Wendy has of the human body and how it works. So Wendy I would like to say a personal thank you for everything you did for me.

With Gratitude

From Andrew Gonzales