Trust me, I'm a doctor...

Posted by Nell Mead at 12:00 on 20 Jan 2011

I was going to demonstrate a simple exercise for back pain today, but I've just seen this article in the Daily Mail online and it's taken priority.  Normal service will be resumed very soon!

To summarise, it seems that this chap "Dr Charles Ahme" - a 50-year-old football referee with an online first aid qualification - set up a "physiotherapy and sports injuries practice" in Levenhulme, Manchester.  Wearing a white coat, he asked female patients to strip naked and then massaged them, in some cases indecently.  He wasn't investigated until a GB athlete visited his practice for treatment and realised that his practice wasn't exactly standard.  She reported him and he is now apparently "facing a lengthy prison sentence".  Good.

OK, so where do I start?  How do you choose a physiotherapist, or in fact any healthcare practitioner?

• Word of mouth is a sensible place to start.  Ask around: if your friend or colleague has seen a really good practitioner, the chances are that they may be able to treat you well, too.  Most of my patients come to see me because one of their friends has recommended me.
• Check their website - most good practices have one these days, and you should be able to get a feel for what's available: does the therapist offer services you think you will need, and do you like the tone of the site?  If you like what they write, the chances are that you will like the therapist.  Good rapport between patient and therapist is an excellent first step to successful treatment, as if you trust your therapist, you will relax and the treatment will be more beneficial.  Most websites will also include testimonials from past patients and, provided that these are genuine, they will also give you an idea of the therapists' areas of particular expertise.
• Chartered status is no guarantee of quality, but it does at least mean that the therapist has been received the training that they say they have, and that their insurance and qualifications are up to date!  You should check that your therapist is registered with the Health Professions Council.  Physiotherapists should also be registered with the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy; any private physiotherapist registered here or here is a CSP member.
• Instinct is possibly the most important thing.  Don't automatically trust the therapist who wears a white coat!  We are programmed to do this, but as Stanley Milgram showed in his famous experiment, someone who wears a white coat (or other uniform or clothing that denotes professional status) is not necessarily what he seems.  The therapist should greet you, make you feel at home and always explain what they are about to do to you, what you are doing and why they are doing it.  You should always be able to ask questions, and if you feel uncomfortable at any time, tell them so and they should stop what they are doing immediately and discuss it with you, modifying any treatment so that you are comfortable with it.  If they don't, or if you are not happy with the treatment in any way, let them know; and if you're dissatisfied with their response, you are perfectly within your rights to raise your concerns to the Health Professions Council who will investigate.

Please don't get taken in by a bogus therapist!

For an appointment with Nell (a totally genuine Chartered Physiotherapist with years of experience treating musculoskeletal injuries!) please contact us or send her an e-mail.  She is available at The Foundry on Mondays and Tuesdays, and at The Back Shop on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Harley Street Victory

Posted by Nell Mead at 11:00 on 6 Dec 2010

Exciting news: Victory has just opened a therapy room in The Back Shop, at 14 New Cavendish Street, London W1G 8UW.

The Back Shop has recently come under new management as it has been taken over by David Newbound and his team at Back in Action, the chain of ergonomic back care shops which sells everything to do with back care: back supports, chairs, desks, beds, pillows, writing slopes - and my favourite, the Mobiliser bed.  I have known David for many years, since I undertook to research the effectiveness of the Mobiliser (about which, more in my next post) and have been working out of the therapy room in his Marlow shop since I left the Army.

David invited me to visit him at the Back Shop as soon as he acquired it, a few weeks ago, and I instantly fell in love with the building.  It needs a lot of work if it's to be restored to its former glory, but he and his team have some lovely ideas which will hopefully come to fruition soon.  And in the mean time, the shop is still open and David has been adding some of Back in Action's signature products.

As the Back Shop is in the heart of the Harley Street medical community, David's aim is to ensure that everything available in the shop is of the highest quality - and that includes the treatment.  So I was delighted when he approached me to ask if Victory would be interested in using the treatment room.

I am currently using the room just for physiotherapy, on an "as-and-when" basis; but from January will be available to offer treatment on Wednesdays and Thursdays.  Please e-mail me for an appointment!