FAQs

  • I can help with a wide range of conditions from head to toe (literally) such as:

    • Joint pains: foot, ankle, knee, hip, shoulder, elbow, wrist, hand, including those related to osteoarthritis

    • General aches & pains not necessarily felt in the joints such as groin pain, calf pain

    • Spinal issues: back pain, sciatica, pelvic pain, neck pain, sacroiliac join, whiplash

    • Headaches, maxillofacial pain, temporomandibular (jaw) issues

    • Post surgery: joint replacements e.g. hip & knee, fracture fixations, discectomy, arthroscopies

    • Muscle and ligament strains/sprains

    • Sport and running related injuries

    • Tendon pain e.g. Achilles, rotator cuff, patellar tendon, tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow

    In the initial phases of a newer injury for instance, a more localised treatment approach may be taken with the view of reducing pain swiftly, but ultimately the goal of all treatment is to integrate the affected body part(s) back into a fully functioning body.

    Please note: You don’t need to be in severe pain before seeking help! It is best to address even the smallest of niggles as soon as possible

  • Your initial appointment is an opportunity for me to hear your story and gain an understanding of your symptoms, injury history, health status and lifestyle. This initial discussion will be followed by a thorough physical assessment. [If attending purely for CST, then the physical assessment will be much less time consuming but you will be assessed during the CST treatment].

    During our sessions, I will assess your standing resting posture, in detail, from head to toe. I’ll also check the quality your body’s smaller movements that make up the bigger movements. I may also test the integrity of your joints, nerves and muscles for example. Sometimes it is helpful to provoke your symptoms a little bit to help us determine what is contributing to them, but this will be done carefully and gently.

    At times, it can be useful and insightful to also assess the finer details in your body such as restrictions within your CranioSacral system (see FAQs CranioSacral Therapy for more info).

    I’ll also observe your gait (walking) through the lens of Gary Ward’s Flow Motion Model™. Gait is a universal repetitive human movement that involves every single joint in your body, in all three dimensions of movement. Hence, it serves as a powerful assessment tool which can help us unearth the root of your problem.

    Information gathered from the assessment will help us begin the process of understanding what may be contributing to your symptoms. From there, I will guide you towards the most appropriate and time-efficient way to optimise how your body moves and feels.

    PLEASE NOTE: I don’t ‘fix you’ - your body heals itself - I am simply here as a guide to highlight areas of limitation in your body, and help you re-educate it to move better. This ultimately gives the body the permission it needs to realign itself.

    My way of working is best suited to those of you who value the nature of a process and not those who are expecting a ‘quick fix’.

    On occasion, it may be more appropriate for you to be seen by another health professional. This could include your GP who may need to be consulted to arrange further treatment or investigation following your assessment.

  • It's recommended that you come to your appointment with loose clothing that is easy for you to move around in.

    If you are coming to see me with a lower limb problem (e.g. hip, knee, ankle issue), it would be helpful if you could bring a pair of shorts to change into.

    Similarly, if you are attending with an upper limb issue (e.g. shoulder, elbow, wrist) consider wearing a simple vest top.

  • The work I do is gentle & non-forceful, both with movement & any form of hands on work. Do not be deluded by the unhelpful 'no pain no gain' mantra. The human body does not need to be forced or hurt to get better - quite the opposite (less is more).

    Techniques often used..

    • Some form of specific corrective movement, sometimes with equipment e.g. a step, AiM wedges, resistance bands

    • Hands on to guide / facilitate movement appropriately

    • Joint mobilisations (manipulations infrequently)

    • Craniosacral therapy techniques (all very light touch - yet very powerful)

    • Acupuncture

    • Soft tissue release / massage

  • Initial appointments are 75 minutes

    Follow up appointments are 60 minutes

  • This very much depends on each individual’s presentation and the desired outcome for each person.

    The final outcome for each person depends on individual commitment & contribution. The outcomes & associated timeframe will depend on:

    • the severity & complexity of the baseline condition
    • the length of time that the condition has been present
    • each person's unique reaction to treatment

    Every single person is 100% unique & deserves advice & treatment specific to them. The whole body needs to be considered for a real understanding of the problem (such as knee pain) - where pain is felt is rarely where the actual underlying problem lies.


    Remember, the vast majority of time is spent out with our sessions together, so there needs to be a willingness to take responsibility for your choices & overall outcome.

  • Yes - I can provide you with receipts for your treatment sessions which will include my name, work address, treatment provided, as well as my my physio registration and insurance numbers.

    At present, I am not affiliated with any insurance companies (such as BUPA, Axa, Vitality) therefore you would need to pay for your treatment and claim back in retrospect.

    PLEASE NOTE: Check with your provider if this is possible FIRST.

  • CranioSacral Therapy (CST) is a hands-on therapy, where the touch is gentle, non-invasive and usually subtle. However, don’t be fooled! It is a powerful treatment approach that helps to release restrictions deep within the body - specifically the craniosacral system. Amazingly, this frequently frees up space and eases pain, tension etc in other body areas!

    The CranioSacral system is a recently discovered physiological system, encompassing the bones of the skull and spine, within which are membranes and fluid - all serving to protect your brain and spinal cord (i.e. your central nervous system).

    CST involves the therapeutic application of gentle mobilisation and release techniques to the CranioSacral system. During CST, you are lying on your back, fully clothed. CST involves the therapist using their hands to ‘listen’ in to various parts of the body, usually around the head, spine and pelvis - then applying gentle traction techniques where needed. It is usually a very relaxing treatment.

    Effects from this treatment are far-reaching given that your central nervous system affects everything! CST also complements and stimulates the body’s own natural healing process.

    I trained through the Upledger Institute - I have so far completed CST1 and CST2 and will continue to explore much of their extensive curriculum!

  • Treatments are done fully clothed, usually with you lying on your back on a treatment couch. If this is not comfortable, we can find an alternative position. I may start with resting my hands at your feet or head using different evaluative techniques, and this will help us figure out where your body needs us to start.

    The touch is gentle and non-forceful. There is usually a natural focus around the head and vertebral column, but treatments are by no means restricted to these areas as CST is a whole body evaluative technique.

    Receiving CST tends to be very relaxing and pleasurable. People often report noticing feelings of deep relaxation, a sense of ease, warmth and tingling sensations, feeling of harmony and peace, feeling balanced, seeing different colours or patterns, a deeper sense of self and body-awareness, ability to let go, emotions may arise, increased alertness and energy.

    In the following hours and days after treatment, people often notice positive changes in their pain, ability to move and have an increased sense of well being. Directly after treatment, you may feel full of energy, or potentially really tired and need to rest. It is entirely dependent on your own body and the way it responds to what has changed within the session.

  • AiM™ is a movement orientated education system, created by Gary Ward, which teaches a truly game-changing integrated approach to working with the human body.

    Gary is the author of the inspiring book What The Foot? where he shares his unique philosophy in the realm of human movement. He is also the creator of the Flow Motion Model™ (see next FAQ)

    See Gary make profound changes to one gentleman’s chronic pain within a couple of hours on BBC’s Doctor in the House starring Dr Rangan Chatterjee in this short clip:

    YouTube clip - AiM in action

  • The Flow Motion Model™ is a map of the moving human body, detailing what the body does and when it does it during the journey of the gait cycle. For example, when your heel hits the ground, it is possible to determine what each and every joint in the body is doing in all three dimensions of movement.

    The duration of a single footstep is approximately 0.6 - 0.8 seconds. During this time, every joint undertakes every single possible joint motion in all three dimensions. The Flow Motion Model™ documents all these joint actions throughout all the key phases of gait.

    The FMM™ serves as an invaluable assessment tool for the human body. It can help highlight what joint actions your body is having trouble accessing. Once these missing movements have been identified, we can show the body how to access these forgotten spaces again. When the body is offered this new movement experience, it’s like it is recalibrated back closer to its truest form - offering freedom from pain and movement limitations.

  • Yes!

    The body has an innate ability to self repair. Acupuncture used alongside physio enhances these natural self repair mechanisms to enhance recovery, reduce pain and improve repair timeframes.

    I am trained in Western Medical Acupuncture (through the Acupuncture Association of Chartered Physiotherapists AACP) - it was derived from Traditional Chinese Medicine [TCM] which is an ancient system of medicine which dates as far back as 1000BC.

    TCM founded the concept of treating specific points along the body where unseen energy pathways could be stimulated with a needle to affect energy (qi) within the body in order to support the body back to optimal health.

    You can book in for just acupuncture treatments however a physiotherapy initial assessment will need to be carried out first.

  • Yes! This may be a suggested treatment option for you during your physiotherapy appointment. Massage can help to reduce pain, improve range of movement, reduce perceived muscle tightness and reduce levels of stress.

    If you wish to attend purely for deep tissue massage, you will need to book in for a physiotherapy initial assessment first so we can run through a consultation before proceeding with massage.