Pregnancy and child birth is a unique time which can be wonderful but equally puts a lot of strain on a women’s body. Photo by Suhyeon Choi on Unsplash A ‘normal’ pregnancy lasts anything from 37–40 weeks and although many women flourish during this time, a large percentage of women describe some rather uncomfortable symptoms. Pregnancy affects almost every system in the body from the cardiovascular system to the respiratory system, urinary system and of course the Musculoskeletal system. Giving birth can equally go very much to plan but up to 9 in every 10 first time ..read more

Watch a video on the treadmill below, and you can visit our clinic at LycaHealth in Orpington. The post Alter G – Anti-Gravity Treadmill, and affordable scans and treatment available at LycaHealth appeared first on Kensington Physio ..read more

New clinic open in Kent, experienced physiotherapists available for same day appointments with state of the art CT, MRI and ultrasound scans available including acute injury management with Alter G treadmill and game ready and normatec. New experienced members added to our team. See our team profiles The post New Clinic and Team Members appeared first on Kensington Physio ..read more

Back pain is the largest cause of disability in the UK and specifically, lower back pain (LBP) accounts for 11% of all disability in the country (NHS 2016) making it something that we see everywhere, be it: personally (you have it or have had it) at home (family, friends, flatmates, probably your pets as well) at work (colleague’s worsening pain from sitting all day; worsening pain from being on feet all day; someone just looking for something to complain about at the ‘water cooler’) About 80% of us will experience lower back pain at some point in our lives and nearly 43% are estimated to have ..read more

A Scar is defined as an ‘area of fibrous tissue that replaces the normal skin after injury’; where we usually think of them from surgical procedures, accidents or the baddie from the Lion King. They can be rooted emotionally in relation to trauma or surgery or persistent pain for many years (orthopaedic surgeries, cancer/tumour removal, facial injuries etc); or it could just be that affected area of the body that gets ignored and you change habits over time (a lesion on the sole of the foot, childhood injury etc) ; or they can be associated with positive times – tattoos and piercings can also ..read more

From the outside looking in, you may think that a mat Pilates class looks like a rather sedentary activity. Most of the session is spent lying down either on your back, stomach or side. Sounds rather relaxing!! However, with practise and using the principles based around concentration, control and balance – all of which require an enormous amount of strength and effort, you can gain so much. What is Pilates? Pilates aims to strengthen the body in an even way, with particular emphasis on core strength to improve general fitness and wellbeing. Pilates was developed by Joseph Pilates who believe ..read more

We all know how hard it is to stay motivated with our rehab, and it can be even harder to keep our children motivated through the physiotherapy process. Kensington Physio’s Senior physiotherapist Annabel H, who has a particular interest in physiotherapy for children and adolescents, gives us some tips for different age ranges! What’s the best way to keep a child motivated with their physio? It’s very dependent upon the age of child or adolescent as to the best strategy to keep them happy and keen about physiotherapy, so I have split my suggestions into some broad age groups. However, strategie ..read more

Is the stress affecting my back? The simple answer is – Yes!  Many doctors who specialise in back problems are now seeing a direct link between stress and chronic back problems The reason is that our ancestors used the: “flight or fight” system to survive. This means that they had to be ready to fight against the enemy, or literally run away from them! Today…it’s the same. When our brain feels in danger (real or presumed), it starts to send signals to our muscles to prepare us to fight or to run, so our muscles become more tense and the cortisol (stress hormone) starts to go around our system ..read more

Congratulations! You’re expecting! There are likely a million questions running through your head, not least of them, ‘how do I stay fit and healthy during my pregnancy to help me prepare for birth and motherhood?’ Whether or not you have tried Pilates prior to your pregnancy, it is a fabulous form of exercise to keep you strong and supple, and assist you in managing any aches or pains growing a human may throw your way! If you don’t have any medical or obstetric complications, it is recommended that you try to complete 30 minutes of moderate exercise per day.  Before starting an exercise pro ..read more