What is Corrective Exercise?
Corrective exercise is personally tailored exercise designed to bring you towards better physical function and health. Many common problems such as low back pain, knee, hip and shoulder pain, neck tension and headaches are the result of poor postural alignment. Accelerated degeneration or 'wear and tear' of discs and joints are not inevitable as we age if we have correct and optimal mechanics in movement. Postural correction is therefore the corner stone for reduced pain, improved aesthetics, optimum well-being and daily function.
A corrective exercise program that is specifically designed for you will first restore flexibility and mobility. Stability and postural strength will be established before introducing strength and power exercises to meet the demands of your daily life or sport.
Services
Pre-Assessment Questionnaire(s) (1 hour)
It is important for me to know your physical history, past treatments or therapies and lifestyle factors before assessing your body. You will be asked to fill in one or more forms before your physical assessment. This is more cost effective than us sitting down together and going through your history. You may need to obtain copies of MRI reports or previous medical documents. Detailed assessment of your complete health from the outset will help you in achieving your desired goals.
Physical Evaluation (1½-2 hour appointment)
A comprehensive physical evaluation of your body provides us with detailed and accurate information related to your current physical alignment and movement function. As a C.H.E.K. practitioner I am trained to precisely measure spinal curves, length/tension of muscles, function of the 'core', and analyse how you move. These measurements help identify what may be contributing to pain or poor performance in your life or sport.
Written Report (Optional - 2 hours)
Your written report will outline the key findings of your physical evaluation and questionnaires. Understanding the syndromes and factors contributing to sub-optimal performance or pain can be very empowering. Knowledge of your own personal requirements enables you to start to think about how you move in your everyday life, as well as why you need particular exercises, thus maximising the speed at which you will be able to make changes to your body. Understanding the function of your body as a whole is vital to my holistic, personalized approach.
Results Appointment (½-1 hour)
If you choose not to have a written report it will be essential for you to have an appointment for us to discuss my findings. Normally I combine this with an appointment to teach you your exercise program.
Exercise Program Design (2 hours)
Your exercise program is designed specifically to meet your individual needs as determined by assessment and questionnaire(s). Every exercise in your program is related to one or more of these measures and therefore will target precisely your problem areas or syndromes.
Coaching the Exercise Program (2 x 1 hour)
Normally your program will be taught in two one hour sessions, the first focussing on your pre-exercise mobilisations and stretches, and the second on your corrective strength exercises appropriate for your level. It is important to learn exactly how to perform your exercises well, as precision is vital to achieve your goals. You will then be able to perform your program without supervision until your agreed review.
Payment - £80 per Hour
Each person is highly individual in their problems and needs. This makes it quite difficult to assess how long it will take to reach your goals and how much this will cost. As a guide you should be prepared for a minimum of 7 billable hours (£560). Most people also need a couple of pieces of equipment such as a foam roller (£12), a good quality Swiss ball (£33-£43 depending on size needed) and a bio-feedback (£52 - Bio-feedbacks can be sold back to me after you have finished with them at £26)
Payment is due prior to work being carried out, and charges are always agreed between myself and my client in advance. I accept cash or cheques. Unfortunately at this time my services are not billable to health insurance such as BUPA.
Subsequent Appointments
The time-scale for progressive reviews and exercise programs will be dependant on your initial health status, exercise history, goals and financial situation. It is important to consider the financial implications of a corrective exercise program in the longer term since postural change and improved function requires patience and dedication to maximise the rewards.
Important
Cancellation of any appointment with less than 24 hours notice will be charged at the full rate.
Ideally your exercise program should be reviewed and progressed/changed every 6-8 weeks. A full physical evaluation is recommended every three to six months. Ongoing assessment is very important, as corrective exercises are effective in changing your alignment and function. Failure to reassess in the longer term can result in you moving out of one dysfunction and into another. It is important that we discuss the time-scale of your reviews and re-evaluations at the outset so that your program design is tailored for a longer or shorter period between coaching as necessary. Furthermore, this will enable you to budget for your corrective exercise program.