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Pilates

Like most ex-professional dancers, Miriam gravitated towards Pilates, spending eighteen months at a top London studio undertaking a twelve month training period and a six month apprenticeship. This is the traditional method of learning Pilates and (we think) the only way it can be properly learnt. We use this same method of learning with our own Chartered Physiotherapists.

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Rehabilitation

0ur Rehab sessions combine Clinical Pilates and physiotherapy knowledge. They are suitable for chronic and acute back pain, pre/post surgery, shoulder/knee pain and reduced range of movement, scoliosis. etc. We aim to have no more than 4 patients to 1 physiotherapist in a session. We recommend rehabilitation sessions over a general Pilates mat or yoga class for those suffering pain and reduced range of movement. We highly recommend those with Discogenic prolapse or pelvic organ prolapse attend a specific rehabilitation session and not a general class.

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Equipment based Pilates

We are one of the best equipped Pilates studios in Ireland. Most of our equipment based Pilates is used within our physiotherapy sessions and our back, knee, and shoulder rehabilitation programmes. We use the machines for traditional Pilates exercises but have also developed a number of our own exercises using Pilates and physiotherapy principles. In this way, we use the machines to treat movement dysfunction across a broad spectrum of injuries and conditions, from a sport specific movement dysfunction to a neuro patient post stroke or with multiple sclerosis. To emphasise, the machines are not used to do repetitive movement like in a gym but to look at a series of movements that involve the patient stabilising one body part while moving another.

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Physiotherapy

Our main aim at the clinic is to treat our patients as effectively and quickly as we can. We will never provide unnecessary or prolonged treatment. During the initial appointments we provide the appropriate hands-on therapy, that is required, for example, to increase the movement in a joint or stretch a soft tissue. As soon as we feel you are ready we will direct you towards a self management program or into one of our back, knee or shoulder classes. Essentially, our approach is to effectively treat the problems within the shortest time- frame possible, strengthening the patient and enabling better movement to avoid re-injury We place great importance on the patients posture and the quality of movement he/she can achieve in order to increase the potential of a long term well-being.. As our style of treatment is more labour intensive for us, we have chosen to do longer treatment sessions. Initial assessment and treatment lasts an hour and follow up appointments last at least forty five minutes. We try as much as possible to see patients in our own area of special interest.

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Back & Neck Pain

At the clinic we treat more patients with back and pelvic pain patients at the clinic than any other injury. We like to think this is because we are good with backs! Our approach, especially when dealing with chronic back pain, is to treat the restriction such as a stiff vertebrae or a shortened muscle and then look at how the patient moves, closely examining the movements that actually bring on the pain. We have developed a back class that incorporates advice, pilates machine based rehabilitation, physiotherapy knowledge and self management techniques. We take four patients at a time and the classes last for an hour a week for a five week period. If there are more than four patients, two Chartered Physiotherapists are present to ensure individual attention and instruction.

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Joint Pain

We treat pain and stiffness in any joint in the body. Our approach is similar to when dealing with the spine, treat the symptoms and then strengthen the muscles that support the joint. Many patients present to us with Osteoarthritis of a particular joint in which case we get you started and teach you how to manage the problem thereafter. We have developed a programme for shoulder, hip and knee group rehabilitation that patients can access when they are ready. 

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Sports injuries

We treat all manner of sports injuries both chronic and acute. Leanne is on hand to do sports massage with patient's when appropriate.

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Elderly Care

Our Chartered Physiotherapist, Vicki manages our elderly caseload and will happily organise a home visit if required.. Elderly care focuses on maintaining mobility, strength and joint range, reducing the risk of falls and assessing/improving balance. 

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Women's Health

We treat all manner of women's health problems from pelvic pain during pregnancy to pelvic floor weakness and prolapse. Women's health problems picked up during the initial assessment are often not the problem that has brought the patient to the clinic. However as many patients discover weak pelvic floor muscles also makes you more prone to other problems such as back pain. Some of our patients don't realise there is anything that can be done about problems like bladder weakness.

What to expect -When necessary, the initial assessment may involve an internal exam. We may use biofeedback to allow women to see their pelvic floor muscles relax and contract on a computer screen. This helps the patient to reconnect with this muscle group and enables us to precisely gauge your strength and your ability to maintain a muscle contraction.

We strongly believe in prevention when it comes to women's health and therefore are passionate about our Ante Natal and Post Natal Classes. We believe that if Women knew the right things to do to maintain well being in the initial post natal period it can prevent a lot of problems at a later stage. All of our women's health patients are seen by Miriam, who has a post graduate qualification from Bradford University in Women's Health.

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Neurological conditions

We treat and rehabilitate patients for a number of neurological conditions, including multiple sclerosis, Parkinsons and post stroke. Vicky carries out the initial assessments of tone, balance and gait (walking). We have a large neuro rehab area with parallel bars and balance equipment where we focus on relearning movement and other issues such as loss of balance or strength. We also use our Pilates equipment and have adapted Pilates style exercises to treat our neurological patients. Because the machines are raised there is no need for the patient to have to get on and off the floor. 

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Orthotic insoles

We supply PPL orthotics in either a perscribed soft insole or a casted semi rigid insole. We find these orthotics great and very competitively priced compared to a lot of orthotics on the market. We dont use a gait scan as we find them limited in their assessment. Instead, we take measurements of the foot ourselves. Insoles are only perscribed when absolutely neccessary and never without a full assessment of the lower limbs. Sometimes whats going on further up in the body is what is affecting the position of the foot. We advise on insoles for small children but would rarely perscribe an orthotic for a child under 7.

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Dry needling

We offer dry needling as part of an overall treatment and only in rare cases a standalone treatment. Dry needling is used to reduce muscular pain caused by altered area of soft tissue or "trigger points”. It uses acupuncture needles but is a different treatment technique. 

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MLD (Manual Lymph Drainage)

This treatment consists of stimulation of the lymphatic system, applied through gentle but precise movements of the skin, in order to increase the amount of lymph fluid being drained from an area of congestion. This very gentle hands on therapy can be used to treat a number of conditions, including: Whiplash, migraine, Bells palsy, Chronic Sinusitis, tinnitus, eye injuries, post-surgical swelling, eg: total knee replacement/ hip replacement and chronic inflammatory conditions such as arthritis.

This treatment can also be performed on patients with neurological conditions, who have increased muscle tone or spasm, including stroke and multiple sclerosis. Manual Lymph Drainage has also been found to give effective relief for conditions like mastodynia and lactation disorders.

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Ante/Post natal

We started our Ante Natal Classes in 2007, when similar classes were virtually unheard of, and they have become increasing popular ever since. What makes our classes unique is that we combine in-depth knowledge of Pilates with Miriam’s specific expertise in Women’s Health Physiotherapy – we know which muscles to keep strong and which ones to keep lengthened! We don't just mention the pelvic floor but explain how to activate these muscles. The class shows you how to use the Swiss ball, both in exercise and in early labour. Miriam is also qualified to deliver ante natal education classes, so any questions you may have about pregnancy and delivery can usually be answered! Miriam has contributed online articles on exercise in pregnancy, and the effects of Caesarean section and multiple Caesarean sections.

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Our post natal class is about getting everything working again after your baby has been born. We do a quick assessment of the abdominal muscles when you begin. We encourage women to get the muscles working again before starting any high impact, or weight resistance exercise. We really feel from experience if you can get it right in the early post natal period it can save a lot of problems down the road. On occasion we may ask that women who have had multiple Caesarean sections to do a 1-to-1 session before attending for classes. 

 

Massage therapy

All of our massage therapy is with Leanne Harper. We asked Leanne to come and work with us because after a hard week treating patients we all like to go to Leanne. She is an excellent massage therapist and again, having the right qualifications shows. Leanne provides,

• Deep tissue massage

• Sports massage

• Pregnancy massage