Category: General

When I started out in Physiotherapy, I thought that it was all about the physical treatment of patients. As an undergraduate I did an assignment on the Black Report – about socioeconomic status and health and how they seem to correlate; those who are better off generally have better health. I therefore had an understanding that there are inequalities in health but didn’t relate it directly to physiotherapy practice. I thought it was the role of managers and policy makers to influence public health. The more I have practiced the more I realise that inequalities exist in all areas of health care and that, as physiotherapists, we have a duty to treat all people equitably and this does not mean that everyone is treated the same. It means they all…

Have you ever stopped to think about how often you use your car for short journeys? Maybe to get to a place of work, collect shopping, transport the children to/from activities or school. Do you know anyone with a lung condition? Maybe asthma, COPD, bronchiectasis, cancer etc. Do you know what the air quality is like near your home/place of work?   Have you ever stopped to think about the links between unhealthy lifestyles, including lack of exercise and the impact of human behaviour on our planet?   COP26 in Glasgow last year was designed to bring countries together to work towards a better, more healthy, future for our planet and for us. A group of health professionals cycled from London to Glasgow to highlight the link between healthy lifestyle…

Around 50% of the 11,000 people in England who have a stroke each year needs ongoing care and support with their daily lives afterwards. Balance problems, in particular, are common. Rehabilitation aims to help people regain function and independence. It is often thought that after a stroke the greatest potential for recovery and improvement is within the first few months. It was interesting to read a high quality review recently which challenges this and shows that task specific exercise therapy can improve balance long after the original stroke. Good balance is essential for efficient walking and many activities of daily living, and these help to live a more independent life. Stroke survivors often experience decreased confidence and quality of life after leaving hospital. Good balance is likely to reduce falls…

Following a few experiences both good and bad recently I was thinking about how the experience makes you feel towards the company. As I sit here, I am (yet again) waiting for British Gas to turn up. The thought process started when our hot water tank deposited its contents through the floor and the light fitting below. As a British Gas Home Care customer, we thought we had 24/7 cover as per their advert. To start with they did not have a phone number and all communication was online with a robot, an engineer was booked for 12 – 18:00 that day. An engineer eventually turned up at 23:30. We had found a phone number and again it was only communicating with an automated system where you could change or…

Yesterday (thurs 29th April) was my first day as a volunteer with Experience Community who offer many exciting outdoor adventures for people with disabilities. On a Thursday they run an adaptive cycling session at Leeds Urban Bike Park. They have a fleet of many and varied adaptive cycles for exploring the woods at Middleton on the tarmacked and unsurfaced trails. I accompanied two ladies using electric assist Mountain Trikes and had a lovely walk through the woods and enjoyed the sight and smell of the bluebells as they carpeted the woodland. Later in the afternoon I accompanied a gentleman on his hand cycle, unfortunately we got caught in a hail storm but had been out for around an hour prior to that exploring new paths and enjoying the dappled sunlight…