If your movement and function has been affected by injury, illness or disability, that’s when physiotherapy is required. Whether you tear a muscle during a marathon or fall off a ladder, our aim is to restore and improve your physical condition through therapy and exercise, and our knowledge of diseases, injury and healing.
Our services include (see below for descriptions):
- Treatment of musculoskeletal injuries
- Pre-surgical preparation
- Post-surgical rehabilitation
- Craniosacral therapy
- Chronic pain interventions
- Exercise is medicine
- Running gait analysis
- Treatment of chest infections and sinusitis
- Silicone devices to reduce post-operative scarring
- Workplace assessments
- We offer home visits to patients who live in the
- Sandton area as well as hospital-based physiotherapy for patients at Morningside Clinic.
The most rewarding aspect of our work is seeing results and helping people to recover.
Treatment of musculoskeletal injuries
The musculoskeletal system is made up of bones, muscles, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, joints, and the connective tissue that supports and binds tissues and organs together. This system gives us the ability to move and it also provides the body with form, support and stability.
As physiotherapists, we treat injuries to joints, ligaments, muscles, tendon and bone, whether following surgery or after injury.
We also treat neck pain and back pain including resulting headaches, joint pain and muscle strains. We help to correct posture and muscle imbalances.
Pre-surgical preparation
Patients who are having elective surgeries, such as hip and knee replacements or ACL reconstruction, visit us for pre-surgical preparation. We prepare you for what to expect, answer questions, and teach patients how to walk with crutches to make their post-operative period easier.
We give pre-operative patients strengthening exercises, optimise their joint range, and control swelling in the joint before they have the operation to optimise their recovery following surgery.
Post-surgical rehabilitation
Post-surgical rehabilitation includes both post-operative and pain-management care. Post-surgical rehabilitation may be necessary for various procedures such as abdominal, orthopaedic, neurological, cardiac and thoracic surgery. Physiotherapy also assists with post-operative complications including infection, reduced lung function and deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
Following surgery, we focus on the return of joint mobility, and the building of muscle strength and endurance so that you are able to return to work, sport and leisure activities.
We offer home visits for patients in the area, especially after discharge from hospital. We regularly see patients following hip and knee surgery, ensuring continuity of care.
Craniosacral Therapy
Chronic pain interventions
Pain is not something that you just ‘have to live with’. Understanding pain physiology is key to effective pain management. Progressive Goal Attainment Program(PGAP) and Therapeutic Neuroscience Education (TNE) are two programmes that we use.
Progressive Goal Attainment Programme (PGAP)aims to reduce disability associated with pain, depression, cancer and other chronic health conditions. It is designed to prevent or reduce the severity of disability that can arise following injury or illness.
Through PGAP, we are able to reduce psychosocial barriers to rehabilitation progress, promote re-integration into life activities, increase quality of life and facilitate return-to-work.
Learning about the biological processes of pain is called neuroscience education (the science of nerves). A large number of high-quality studies have shown that teaching people with pain more about the neuroscience of their pain (TNE) produces immediate and long-term changes. This works by changing a patient’s perception of pain.
Results achieved through TNE include:
- Pain decreases
- Function improves
- Fear diminishes
- Thoughts about pain are more positive
- Knowledge of pain increases
- Movement improves
- Muscles work better
- Patients spend less money on medical tests and treatments
- The brain calms down, as seen on brain scans
- People are more willing to do much-needed exercise
- To learn more about
- Therapeutic Neuroscience
- Education, read this page on the Institute for Chronic Pain website.
Exercise Is Medicine
‘Exercise is Medicine’ (EIM) is a global initiative of the American College of Sports Medicine to promote exercise for prevention and treatment of disease, as well as for improvement of quality of life.
Regular exercise improves health and both treats and prevents many non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, certain cancers, depression and even Alzheimer’s disease.
Lack of regular exercise has been recognised as the single most important contributing factor to mortality – more so than obesity, smoking, diabetes and many other factors. Lack of exercise also contributes greatly to loss of quality of life and loss of independence in old age.
Exercise is the most natural remedy in the world. And it is free! www.exerciseismedicine.org.za
Running Gait Assessment
Through a treadmill assessment, we are able to closely observe what happens when you run. From this, we provide tips to improve your running performance and to reduce your injury risk. This, combined with our clinical assessment, can give a clue as to what may be aggravating a current injury or predisposing you to injury.
If you are new to running and want to get started for your first 5km parkrun, 10km, 21km or marathon we have programmes to help you achieve your goal.
Returning to running from injury? Our programmes help you return safely to running and to avoid injury as you increase the frequency and distance of your runs.
Silicone devices to reduce post-operative scarring
Silicone devices are highly effective in wound healing when used on patients who are at high risk for developing keloid or hypertrophic scars.
We advise patients on the correct use of silicone-covered patches that adhere to the skin over and around the incision site.
Treating of chest infections and sinusitis
Workplace assessments
Sometimes injuries persist because of how we sit and what we do during our work day. Often, a small adjustment to your office chair or work station set up can make all the difference to niggles and pain in your shoulders, neck, back and even buttocks and legs. During your appointment, we assess your injury to determine the most likely cause and give advice so that you can make necessary changes yourself. But, if the problem persists, we will visit your workplace.
If you’re setting up a new office or work space, we give advice on office furniture and what to look for when buying a chair and desk.