4:30pm Thursday 25th January 2007
By Chris Briddon
Falling down the stairs and rupturing my Achilles' tendon wasn't the cleverest thing I have ever done.
It led to eight weeks in plaster, being pushed around in a wheelchair and going up and down stairs on my bum - until finally the plaster came off and I was introduced for the first time to the world of physiotherapy.
Fearing that the wait for physio on the NHS would be a long one, I opted for private treatment and settled on Body Logic Physiotherapy.
For a man who has treated a trapeze artist, and numerous rugby players, dancers, trampolinists and footballers an unfit journalist with a ruptured tendon posed no problems for physio Paul Seyfried and literally within minutes of seeing him I was walking again - admittedly not very well and with two sticks - but it was a huge breakthrough for me.
At that first visit Paul did a full consultation, asking how I had injured myself and also did a physical examination.
He said; "This first session is the most important one when we find out what's going on and how to make a difference."
At my first session, Paul also got me on my feet and walking, which I hadn't done for two months. I was very apprehensive that when I put weight on my foot or stretched my leg the tendon might rupture again but Paul explained that this was unlikely and gave me the confidence to have a go.
At the following sessions he did deep tissue massages on the back of my ankle to lessen the swelling and exercises to build up strength and flexibility.
He said:" Physiotherapy is a caring profession and you have to empathise with people. My job is communication. I don't find that difficult although I'm on the quiet side. I talk to people about their injury and the treatment they are having, or just chat. Mostly it's reassurance, advice and encouragement."
Paul knew from the age of 18 that he wanted to be a physiotherapist . He said: "I liked biology and anatomy and I came into contact with physios because I played rugby.
"I went on work experience to Yeovil District Hospital and that made up my mind. I decided it would suit my personality."
Paul studied sports science at St Mary's and achieved a BSc hons in 1994 and then went on to study physiotherapy at Sheffield Hallam University and graduated in 2001. At the time he gained a place in Sheffield there were 6,000 applicants for 80 places.
He said;"The normal route is to start a physio degree at 18 but with the route I took I got lots of experience."
Paul then went on to do what are known as "junior rotations" at the Central Middlesex Hospital in Harlesden. Junior physios have to spend time in four main areas: respiratory care, orthopaedics, outpatients and neurology.
He said:" You can do many others, such as burns or women's health, but you have to work in at least these four main areas. For respiratory care you can get bleeped and might have to do emergency physio on a patient whose lungs are filling up. It's quite hard core and pretty terrifying for a junior physiotherapist."
After he became a senior physiotherapist, Paul got a job at West Middlesex Hospital, Isleworth, and after 18 months became a locum working freelance at a large number of hospitals including St Peter's, Chertsey, St George's, Tooting, St Helier's, Carshalton, Hammersmith Hospital and the Weybridge Walk In Centre.
He said:"Being a locum is hard because you don't know if you are going to be working next week, but it makes you perform. You have to be a good physio to be a locum.You have to take over someone else's case notes, get on with the rest of the team and do the job."
Although he enjoys being in private practice, Paul misses working in a hospital. He said:"I miss the buzz of a hospital. Working two days a week here on my own can be a bit solitary."
Paul and fellow physio Liam Tanner bought Body Logic from two other former St Mary's students a year ago. Liam was already doing evening work there so when one of the owners decided to return to Australia, Liam and Paul took over.
Now both aged 35, Paul and Liam met they were 17 and played rugby and studied biology together. They kept in touch over the years. Liam also went to St Mary's College and gained a sports science degree and then an MSc in exercise and health behaviour at the City University, London, where he also completed his physio training.
Also working at the practice in the evenings is Charlotte Pricket, another former West Mid physio who now works at St Thomas's Hospital.
Paul and Liam also job share at the Surrey Heath Orthopaedic Referral Centre. Paul said:"It's an award-winning scheme where I pretty much stand in for an orthopaedic consultant. I see people who would normally see a consultant. It's a mix of private patients and NHS."
Back pain is the most common complaint the physios deal with "But," said Paul, "you see all sorts of stuff from post-mastectomy to guys who have problems caused by using steroids."
Paul and Liam are scrupulous about discharging patients when they think need no further treatment.
Said Paul:"There's a lot of scaremongering and nonsense and hysteria in private health - people having treatment when they don't really need it. It would be very easy to take advantage of people. It's a potential pitfall.
"They way I do it is to ask myself: If this patient was having the treatment on the NHS, would I see this person again?' If the answer is yes, I continue. If it is no, I tell them it isn't really necessary for them to come in again.
"We don't want people carrying on treatment when they don't really need it. I had a lady referred to me recently by an insurance company for six treatment sessions. Today I let her go after five sessions, because she didn't need the final one."
A lot of clients from the Hounslow and Richmond boroughs are referred by intermediary insurance companies after accidents, and they also treat dancers, players from Ashford Hockey Club and the Civil Service football team.
Paul and Liam want to forge better links with GPs. Paul said: "We have considered offering free physio sessions at GPs' practices for patients who urgently need help but can't afford to pay privately. We could then offer a discount for follow-up physio."
Now only weeks from my first physio sessions when I hopped in, Zimmer frame before me, I can now walk without crutches.
I still limp but I am told if I keep on with the exercises regularly that should disappear in time. I won't be going in for the marathon this year, but who knows about next year?
- Body Logic Physiotherapy is at 8 Staines Road, Twickenham, 020 8898 1231, info@bodylogic.co.uk
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