Professional Vision

Our Vision • To transform the physical body of people through results based care in an empowering environment created by a team of leaders • To relieve pain fast and help people get on with their lives • To treat clients who want to get better and do what ... Read More

View Next Slide View All Featured slides

Profile

Rhys Chong - Bio Rhys was never going to be a person who followed the crowd because from an early age he felt called to ‘care for people’ and knew he wanted to be a physiotherapist by the age of 12 years. During his adolescent years he took all the steps nec... Read More

View Next Slide View All Featured slides

Latest happenings from my blog

View All Posts In My Blog »

What must clients do to get a result from Physiotherapy

0 Comments

Motivation of clients in Physiotherapy is a key component to successful recovery. I have noticed there is a pattern for those who succeed with treatment.

 

Some clients come for treatment and suddenly want to run a marathon when they have not run for 2 years. There is an urgency to get better in 1 week or there is no time to exercise at home.  The ability to heal and get a positive response to treatment is often hindered by these types of expectations.

 

I find clients will respond to Physiotherapy instructions in different ways. They may ignore instructions and continue to act in the same way each day and expect to get better. They believe going to the Physiotherapist each week should work. Others want to take control of their recovery and follow Physiotherapy instructions like a rulebook. They will email the Physiotherapist each week to check they are doing the exercises correctly. Finally there are those who live in between these two extremes and yoyo from week to week depending on what they feel is right and what they feel is working.

 

Is there are correct way to be as a client? Is there one way which works everytime? Should Physiotherapists have the same expectations for each client?

 

In 17 years of experience working in Physiotherapy I notice a clients expectations are often shaped by previous experiences. If manipulation has worked for them in the past and they like a session once per month then maybe this suits their lifestyle choice.  If others like to work on prevention of injury and want rehabilitation then maybe a 6 month exercise plan is a better choice.

 

In my opinion the most successful approach to getting long term results and empowering clients to take care of themselves is for clients to follow instructions of the Physiotherapist to the word. The instructions have to be correct and if so the Physiotherapist can work out what to do to be effective. If clients do not follow instructions the Physiotherapist cannot give an effective home program because he/she will not know what is working and what is not working. Each treatment session then becomes a treat and hope scenario and if the Physiotherapist is fortunate and the treatment session is successful everything looks good. If the session does not work then everything starts to look bad and the Physiotherapist has no hope in working out what to do next.

 

Sometimes clients do not want to exercise. This has to be respected, as the Physiotherapist cannot force anyone to exercise if they will not listen.  This is the most frustrating time as a Physiotherapist because results are still expected but the full effect of treatment cannot be realised.

 

When clients do not want to exercise it is the skill of the Physiotherapist to find another way. The expectations of treatment have to be lowered and at times Physiotherapy will appear not to work.

 

Another skill of the Physiotherapist is to decide when clients need to be referred to Specialists because the condition will not respond to Physiotherapy alone. Physiotherapy with Specialist intervention has been shown in the research to be very effective.

 

A positive outcome in Physiotherapy is a fine balance between the work of the Physiotherapist, the work of clients and the Physical state of the injury. No two clients will physically react the same to injury. If clients want to get the best results they can help by following the Physiotherapists instructions. It will make a difference to find a Physiotherapist you trust. Like any profession there are good and not so good Physiotherapists. Do your research and ask around.  There are many great Physiotherapists to find.

Latest News: Physical Edge helps Diccon Driver finish his first Ironman against the odds

0 Comments

Physical Edge Ironman team assisted Diccon Driver complete his first Ironman. He made the news for completing it against all odds as he has severe Kidney Disease. Read his story here.

Starting again with nutrition and building motivation

0 Comments

I had planned on starting the thrive diet but work got so busy and I have found getting the food I need and having it available at the right times was a block to building momentum. I also found there was a lack of variety in my diet and to learn more recipes took time and energy.

I have done blood analysis almost 8 years ago and now I am seeing brochures of people bringing this into mainstream commercialism. I know poor nutrition, stress, and exercise will reduce cellular function in my body. The idea of attempting to stick to this thrive diet was to see how I got more energy from it and looked healthier.

I have to admit vegetarians look skinny and their skin does not always glow with vibrancy. Some I know seem to compensate the missing variety in their diet with chocolate and cheese. They seem to eat more than is healthy for them and I wonder if this is the body saying it needs more of a food group vegetarians are not giving their body’s.

When I have tried eating vegetarian in the past I have lost a lot of weight. My body has a high metabolism and working as a physiotherapist increases this throughout the day. As an Ironman my physiological testing showed high fat burning at the heart rate I sustain when I am working. Whenever I add exercise  to my work I lose even more fat and can look too thin.  No two people have the same fat burning capabilities and I have found what my body does to help shape what I will do with my nutrition.

My purpose for getting back on track with alkalising my body is to see what happens to my weight, energy levels, how I look, and building an athletic body by training in the gym. I am about to have a baby in 2 weeks and my long distance training days are over at the moment. I have decided to switch to developing a good looking body (body I am happy to have) which has energy and is sustainable. The training I will do is gym training with a small amount of cardio training to enter a team triathlon this year on the 27 May (Nuffield Triathlon).

I will endeavour to document weekly but with a baby this may vary from time to time.

I want to help people by describing what happens to me as I go through the next 30 days. This has been difficult for me to do in the past and I know a lot of my clients have the same blocks to achieving the bodies they desire. Some people have personal trainers to motivate them and keep them on track. I want to learn how to make this create this change in my life even though I work full-time and am about to become a father.

learning to run on the Forefoot at Vivobarefoot running clinic

0 Comments

Physical Edge attends Barefoot (Forefoot)  running Lab with Rollo from Vivobarefoot. This was a 6 hour Lab looking at the current biomechanics supporting Forefoot running and then how to run on the Forefoot itself.  The Laboratory is based in Farringdon, London and it contains the latest technology for gait analysis, including video analysis and force plate measurements.

The training demonstrated the importance of correcting restrictions in the foot before starting Forefoot running. These restrictions can alter the flexibility of the first toe, Metatarsal and ankle. When running it was a key concept to feel pressure exerted through the knuckle of the first toe. This was called the Line of Leverage and shifted the Centre of Mass forward onto the Forefoot. The body is designed to take pressure through this Line of Leverage to help propel the body forward in running.
The way we walk, run and sprint require different biomechanics. If the body adopts the old paradigm of running, heel- to toe, it is constantly exposed to decelerating forces and subsequent injuries. Common areas for injury can be the ankle, knee, hip and low back. Primary areas to keep flexible to enable efficient Forefoot running are the Thoracic spine, hip and ankle.
The day was an insight into the development of shoes designed to assist in Forefoot running. These shoes have very thin soles to replicate skin and assist in creating the sensation of running Barefoot. Forefoot running in the shoes is comfortable. In winter they can get cold but you can buy socks to keep your feet warm.
Physical Edge noticed when running Forefoot for the first time the calf muscles and soles of the feet can get very stiff and sore the next day. This is an adaption process and a reason why training is done gradually. If you have an injury you can learn to run Forefoot but it will require a period of rest from training. You can do alternative cardiovascular exercises like swimming, water running and possible cycling.
Physical Edge can you help you prepare your body for Forefoot running and direct you to trained Forefoot running coaches. If you have any questions do call or email us and we look forward talking to you soon.