ABOUT

Rachel Graduated from Bristol School of Physiotherapy/UWE in 1992. She then worked in Birmingham Accident Hospital and Essex Basildon Hospital prior to working At the Royal Perth Rehabilitation Hospital, Western Australia to specialise in hydrotherapy and head injuries, also working on the first Ankylosing Spondylitis course in the hospital. This was following a presentation of experts at the world physiotherapy congress speaking on hydrotherapy and head injuries from Perth. On Return to the UK Rachel did her junior rotation in Oxford at the John Radcliffe Hospital.

 

Then onto the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Disease, Bath to again develop her hydrotherapy and head injury experience as RNHRD was one of the few hospitals in the country using hydrotherapy for head injuries at this time. During nearly 5 years at RNHRD Rachel started to gain much interest in osteoporosis vertebral fracture rehabilitation and was asked to assist the National Osteoporosis Society. She gained much experience in rheumatology working with Andrei Calin and developing the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis assessment system as a junior therapist. She was able to participate and then assess and teach on the gold standard Bath Hydrotherapy Course.
 

She worked with Peter Madison expert in connective tissue diseases especially Lupus learning much on post ward round discussions and post graduate meetings. She worked with Candy McCabe in graded motor imagery and mirror techniques in complex regional pain syndrome and is part of a national ongoing research group for CRPS. Rachel started her MSc in sports medicine with assistance from Ashok Bhalla rheumatologist/ advisor to National Osteoporosis Society her research study was the effect of hydrotherapy on vertebral fracture, unfortunately the course at UWE-University of West of England folded before Rachel was able to complete the course and research.
 

1997 Rachel started the rheumatology physiotherapy service at Southmead Hospital now North Bristol NHS trust, the inpatient service also led by Rachel for physiotherapy covered Southmead Frenchay, Weston General and Bristol Royal Infirmary being a very busy rehabilitation unit renowned for the expertise and often used by pharmaceutical representatives as a training/ satellite unit for training/ advising other hospitals staff around the country.

 

Rachel is currently an expert advisor to Royal Osteoporosis Society and had been expert advisor to NICE National Institute of Clinical Excellence, ARMA Arthritis Rheumatology and musculo-skeletal alliance. National Institute for health research. She has research published in Osteoporosis (Link) Hypermobility (link) and Anklosing Spondylitis (link). She has ongoing research in hypermobility at present.

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Rachel prides herself in caring for the whole person with holistic care. Many patients are treated with a one joint only treatment and she is very aware this can just prolong the problems. She is well known for dealing with extremely complex cases and assists or takes over care from many other therapists and teaches many different health care professional regularly such as General practitioners, medical Students, physiotherapists, osteopaths, rheumatology registrars. She attends, chairs and convenes special interest groups in international conferences such as Royal Osteoporosis Society , British Society for Rheumatology, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and European League against Rheumatism .

 

She works closely with all the local rheumatologists and some orthopaedic and spinal surgeons.

Please feel free to ring/ email for further information or discuss your treatment prior to booking
your appointment.