Physability

Physability has one prime objective:

"To improve the quality of our clients' lives through functional fitness".

Through a positive working partnership, Physability is committed to:

• Collaborative goal-setting between client and therapist, ensuring that the rehabilitation programme is directed towards mastering skills that the client values and is likely to use.
  
• Optimising fitness and redefining the boundaries and constraints that the conditions of paralysis may impose on our clients.
  
• Reducing the threat of secondary impairments (respiratory, cardiovascular, metabolic alterations and muscular dysfunction) post-acute care.
  
• Providing post therapy support such as exercise advice, nutritional advice, exercise equipment and technical support where required.  

Our approach to rehabilitation is interdisciplinary in nature, drawing from the original concept developed by the Dikul Institute in Russia in combination with disciplines from sport and exercise science (physiology, biomechanics, sports psychology and sports injuries) and complimentary therapies (reflexology, remedial massage and aromatherapy). There is further professional input from Osteopathy, Acupuncture, Homeopathy and Shiatsu practitioners who have been working with individuals affected by paralysis since 1994.

Recent additions to our Exercise Therapy programme include the use of Neuro 4 Trophic Electrical Stimulation developed by Physiotherapist Diana Farragher OBE, MSc Grad dip Phys, Dip TP, FCSP. Following the success and extensive research of Diana Farragher's work, we have incorporated the use of Trophic Electrical Stimulation into our main exercise-therapy programme.  

We are also working in close partnership with Mike O'Hara, the pioneer of the O'Hara Technique specialising in hand and arm function. Mike O'Hara has been working with individuals affected by spinal cord injury, stroke, head injury and Multiple Sclerosis since the introduction of Dikul therapy to the U.K.

An interdisciplinary approach to movement rehabilitation stresses the need to measure the effects of various therapies that make up rehabilitation at the Centre. Physability's advisory team (Osteopath Tony Nevin DO, Homeopath, Dr Elfie Klinger and Jan Lloyd-Jones MBAcC, MBMLA) together with regular client feedback ensures that all of our services are constantly monitored, helping us to maintain and improve the quality and delivery of our therapy.  

The essence of our approach is to ensure that each client has a team of dedicated therapists and specialists focused on providing the right therapy in the right way at the right time. Our programmes are hard work and we make no guarantees, but ultimately all of our clients make progress.