Heather Scott joins the team.

Please say a huge welcome to Heather Scott. Heather will be joining the team as a self employed associate of the clinic working on Thursdays. Her diary is open for appointments from 19th August.,

Heather has 9 years experience as a physiotherapist after having a career change and studying her masters in Physiotherapy at RGU.

She has gained experience working in the NHS and private sector mainly specialising in musculoskeletal physiotherapy among the general population as well as amateur athletes and sports teams.

Since having her two children, she has developed a keen interest in pelvic health physiotherapy and is currently undertaking postgraduate training to develop her specialty in this area.

Heather also enjoys teaching pilates, having trained with the APPI 7 years ago. Heather currently teaches classes online having taught in Stonehaven prior to COVID19.

Outside of work, Heather can be found taking care of her two young children, cycling, hillwalking or doing yoga.

Cults clinic opening date

Doors will be opening to the new clinic in Cults on 02/08/21. There's still a lot of work to do to get it ready on time, so it's going to be a very few weeks juggling work, the clinic and my children! With this in mind I may not be able to reply to email or Facebook messages immediately. If you would like to make an appointment please use my online diary here, if you would like more information about services you can find out more on the website and if you have any urgent queries you can call/text me on 07395 088111.

If you have an appointment booked in August, your appointment will now be in Cults and you should have received a new appointment confirmation outlining this.

Annoyingly the Reformers which were due to arrive at the end of June are still stuck in a shipping container somewhere. I am now planning to start Reformer Pilates classes at the beginning of September.

In other news, you will notice Saturday clinics reducing in my diary as we move into September. I started these clinics when COVID led to me losing childcare and I didn't expect to be doing them a year down the line! In September I will be able to work 5 days a week instead and am very much looking forward to regaining a weekend.

Finally, thank you all for using and supporting ReformPhysio &Pilates. You are all brilliant.

Laura :-)

Rebrand

As part of the move to full time premises reformPhysio & Pilates has undergone a rebrand. I am delighted with our new logo designs from local company CP&Co. I can’t wait to show you how we have integrated the brand into the new clinic. Watch this space!

reformPhysio & Pilates is coming to Cults

I am delighted to announce that reformPhysio & Pilates will be opening it’s doors in Cults later this summer. This will be our full-time home, offering Physiotherapy appointments and small Pilates classes.

There is some work to be done to get the treatment rooms and studio space looking great before I can welcome you all. I will be continuing to work at MSK therapy in Tullos and The Little Clinic on Countesswells Road in the meantime.

Summer term Pilates

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

The new Pilates term starts the week of Monday 24th May, though some classes may start the following week as i’m taking a little break from classes to run a marathon (and recover!).

This block sees the return of classes to Kingswells Community Centre on Tuesday afternoons for both Mixed ability matwork and Postnatal Pilates. I am super excited about this and hope that the autumn term will see more classes with less restrictions on space/numbers.

Online Pilates classes remain very popular and continue to make up the majority of the timetable for the moment.

All classes are available to book online here.

I will be running a reduced timetable over the summer holidays with all classes being pay as you go for this period.

Laura :-)

Pilates for low back pain

I am excited to be bringing a brand new pilates class to my online timetable starting Tuesday 13th April at 8pm.

Pilates for low back pain is a 6 week course of online classes specifically targeted at those with long term low back pain. These classes aim to:

• Increase back movement

• Increase general activity levels

• Increase confidence in the ability to move

• Improve strength

These classes are suitable for anyone that has low back pain and may not feel confident enough to join a ‘normal’ pilates class. These classes are not intended for those with acute low back pain/leg pain.

As a Physiotherapist I have many years of experience in working with people with long term back pain and will be combining this with my knowledge of Pilates to create an exciting and progressive programme of classes.

If you think these classes would suit you, you can book online here or email me at: laura@reformphysio.net for more information.

An active lunch break

Did you hear the news last week that the law had been changed in France to allow workers to have lunch at their desk?

Although I'm sure many in France have had lunch at their work stations prior to COVID19, it certainly seems that there is more of an ethos of taking a proper lunch break.

I see a lot of people in clinic with low back, neck or shoulder pain which is contributed to by sitting for long periods of time.

Coronavirus and working from home also seems to be impacting mechanics, with more people displaying tightness in the hips as they are sitting longer and are less active at work and missing walking/cycling to work.

I am not a subscriber to the belief of sitting in a 'good posture' at all times (there's a lot of literature to support me on this) and advocate regular movement and changing position instead.

Getting away from your desk at lunchtime can be an easy way to encourage a bit more movement and help the management of joint aches/pains related to sitting. If you can get out for a 10 minute brisk walk that's even better!

As well as the mechanical benefits, walking after lunch can aid digestion, as can eating and enjoying a slower lunch.

Going back to France, athough workers tend to have a longer lunch break the country scores well on productivity. Even a small amount of activity at lunch time can improve your concentration levels.

Are you going to start taking a lunch break next week?

Slips, trips and falls

It's back to the time of year when I see more people in clinic after slips, trips or falls in the snow and ice. I have put together some tips for management of these injuries.

How to manage acute injuries:

We've moved on from RICE and now use the acronym POLICE for managing injuries, I'll explain this more below.

• Protect-avoid aggravating movements, use a support, splint if required

• Optimally

• Load (this means where possible we should be moving joints with as much weight or resistance as they can tolerate)

• Ice

• Compression(tubigrip, neoprene support)

• Elevation

When to seek medical help?

I would recommend seeking a medical opinion ASAP if you have:

• Lower limb injury and are unable to weight bear.

• Obvious deformity

• Very specific, immediate onset localised swelling for example an egg shaped swelling in the wrist region after a fall on an outstretched hand

• Significant pain on passive (someone else moving) movement of a joint

When to see a Physio?

• After any injury which doesn't require medical attention eg sprained ankle/wrist

• After muscle strains/tears

• After removal of plaster cast after bony injury

What can Physio do?

Assess, diagnose and treat acute injuries. Treatments may include:

• Specific injury management advice

• Personalised exercise programmes to optimise movement, return strength and function

• Ultrasound

• Soft tissue massage

• Joint protection eg taping/supports

If any further investigations are required I can liaise with your GP.

Please get in touch if you have any questions and stay safe out there.

Pelvic girdle pain (PGP)

Pelvic girdle pain (PGP)

What is PGP?

Around 20% of women will feel symptoms of Pelvic girdle pain during pregnancy. This may be felt as low back/sacral pain, pain at the front of the pelvis, in between the legs or around the hips and can appear at any stage of pregnancy. 

There are factors which increase the likelihood of developing PGP such as: 

Pre existing LBP prior to pregnancy. 

Previous PGP 

Joint hypermobility

The causes of PGP aren’t entirely clear. For some it can be caused by a change in the activity of the muscles around the pelvis which can mean the pelvis is less supported. Others may feel pain as a result of hormonal changes or trauma such as a fall. 

What are common symptoms?

Rolling in bed

Getting in/out of the car

One legged activities such as getting dressed/climbing stairs

Seeking early treatment for PGP can improve outcomes, so speak to your GP, Midwife of Physiotherapist as early as possible if you have concerns.

What can a Physiotherapist do?

We can do a Physical assessment to find out more about what is causing the pain. From there we can provide advice on how to ease symptoms and work out individualised exercises. There is not a one size fits all approach to exercise. 

Physiotherapists can also use manual techniques such as specific soft tissue massage or gentle joint mobilisations to help reduce pain. 

Will my PGP go away?

In most cases PGP goes away very quickly postnatally. In a small percentage it persists past the 12 week mark. In these cases I would encourage you return to see a health professional eg GP/Physiotherapist for assessment and treatment. 

Why do I have ongoing PGP when I get my period?

Hormonal changes may lead to ongoing PGP around the time of your period. If this doesn’t settle you should consult your GP/Physiotherapist for a further pelvic assessment.

I would like to try for another baby, do I need to wait?

Research hasn’t shown a link between PGP and gaps between pregnancies. However it may be worth considering;

Ongoing symptoms

Activity level of your current child-if they aren’t old enough to walk, will you be able to continue to left them during pregnancy. 

Further resources:

https://pogp.csp.org.uk/system/files/pogp-pgppat_3.pdf

Aberdeen Baby Club

I am beyond excited that reformPhysio & Pilates will now be delivering Postnatal Physiotherapy education sessions to Aberdeen Baby Club.

What is Aberdeen Baby Club?

A group of experienced health/baby professionals we will be delivering a 10 week programme of postnatal care and education to new mums, taking in new cohorts each month who will move through the classes together. As well as delivering excellent education on a variety of topics, we hope to create long lasting friendships.

What is included in Aberdeen Baby Club?

Arielle Ball of Breastfeed Scotland will be delivering advice on infant feeding and introduction to solids.

Francesca Philp of Little Lives First aid & also a working paramedic will be providing infant first aid training including recognising a sick baby, choking, wound care and lots more

Catherine Bell of Moo Music Aberdeen will be running 4 weeks of baby massage, a brilliant way to get to know your baby as well as learn routines to help colic/reflux/tummy discomfort.

The current intake for January babies will be running exclusively online, but we can’t wait to get session up and running IRL too!

What will reformPhysio & Pilates be doing?

I will be delivering sessions at the beginning and end of the 10 weeks discussing topics such as recovery from vaginal delivery or C section, return to sex, return to exercise, signs of pelvic floor dysfunction and so much more. I look forward to personalising the sessions to each group.

How can I find out more?

You can follow Aberdeen Baby Club on Social media @aberdeenbabyclub or email aberdeenbabyclub@gmail.com