What is Physiotherapy?

Physiotherapy is a health care profession aimed at evaluating, restoring and maintaining optimum mobility and physical function.  Musculoskeletal physiotherapy is the term used to describe the field of physiotherapy which relates to disorders of the muscles, bones, spine, joints, nerves, tendons and ligaments.

Physiotherapists are university educated and trained to evaluate movement dysfunction, identify patient treatment goals, establish and implement individualized treatment programs and provide patient education. All our physiotherapists have postgraduate qualifications that provide them with advanced skills in assesment, diagnosis and management of injuires and conditions such as:

• Sports injuries
• Back and neck pain
• Sciatica
• Muscle, ligament and tendon problems
• Joint pain
• Headaches and Dizziness
• Postural problems
• Joint problems
• Arthritic conditions
• Post surgical rehabilitation
• Paediatric musculoskeletal conditions

Approaches to management in the field of musculoskeletal physiotherapy include manual therapy such as soft tissue and joint mobilisation, manipulation, specific therapeutic exercises, sports specific rehabilitation, electrotherapy, therapeutic ultra sound, taping and strapping, ergonomic assesment and advice, posture education and acupuncture.

Julia Powdrill 
Physiotherapist Bsc(hons).  Julia graduated from Kings College London in 1999 and prior to moving to Dubai worked in two London teaching Hospitals and a private Hospital where she gained valuable experience and specialised in musculoskeletal physiotherapy.  Julia has a particular interest in sports and worked as a youth team physiotherapist for Fulham Football Club in UK.
Julia joined Orthosports Medical Centre in 2004 and has continued her interest in sports injuries both here in the clinic and at major sporting events in Dubai such as the Rugby Sevens, the marathon and the 24 hr rally at the autodrome.
Julia has completed many postgraduate study including Acupuncture and shoulder, hip and knee diagnostic and management courses.  Her particular interest is in rehabilitation for sports.

Judith Kirkpatrick
S.R.P (UK) Middlesex Hospital, Lond. Qualified in 1974.  Prior to coming to Dubai she ran her own accredited private practice  which incorporated a small gym and a purpose built hydrotherapy pool in Amberley, New Zealand. The clinic saw  mainly patients with musculoskeletal problems and she worked closely with the Christchurch Orthopaedic surgeons in providing rehabilitation physiotherapy for a wide variety of post-operative elective  and traumatic conditions. Her special interest in hydrotherapy was particularly useful in this area. On arriving in Dubai in 2003 she was delighted to get a position at Orthosports Medical Center where she is able to continue working in the same field and where appropriate,  use her hydrotherapy skills in their heated pool. CME is important to Judith and she has attended numerous courses to maintain her clinical skills.

Alison Cripps
B. App. Sc. Physiotherapy gained her graduate and postgraduate qualifications (post grad. dipl. Physio (Neurology)) in Melbourne, Australia. She has extensive experience in a wide range of rehabilitation and physiotherapy services. In Australia, New Zealand and East Africa she served in multicultural communities in both private and public sectors.
Her special interests include orthopedics, neurology, hydrotherapy, manual handling skills and home based rehabilitation services. Her key belief is “move well, keep well”.

Daisy Gurney

Physiotherapist BSc (hons) is a Chartered Physiotherapist from the U.K. Before joining Orthosports Medical Center, she worked as a senior Musculoskeletal physiotherapist in the Outpatient Department of a large London NHS teaching-hospital. In the same hospital, she also treated paediatric, orthopedic and hydrotherapy patients.

Daisy then worked in the private sector: managing a sports injuries clinic in an exclusive members's-only gym in London. She was physiotherapist to a third division Rugby Club in London for two seasons and covered occasional tournaments at Richmond Rugby Ground. In more recent years, Daisy has treated a range of amateurs, up-to professional level rugby players, as part of the team of physiotherapists covering the annual Sevens Tournament in Dubai.

Daisy’s post-graduate studies include Acupuncture, Management of Pelvic and Sacro-iliac Dysfunction, Manipulations and Anterior Knee Pain. Her main areas of clinical interest are: pelvic pain, post-surgical ACL rehabilitation, spinal pain, the management of sports Injuries and acupuncture as a treatment for pain relief.

Beverley Strathearn
MCSP Grad. Dip. Physiotherapy
A member of the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Sports Medicine, she has extensive post graduate training in Orthopaedic medicine, sports rehabilitation and injection therapy. Beverley has a special interest in rehabilitation of knees and shoulders.
Beverley graduated from Leeds School of Physiotherapy in 1988 and specialized in Musculoskeletal and Orthopaedic medicine.
She managed a busy Outpatient department in the NHS working also in an Extended Scope role alongside GPs and Orthopods offering musculoskeletal injection services. She has extensive postrgraduate training in  Sports rehabilitation ,Orthopaedic medicine and the use of Injection therapy.
She is manipulation trained,  has  Certification in Spinal manual Therapy accredited by Curtin University in Australia and is also McKenzie trained.
Whilst she is manually trained therapist , exercise rehabilitation forms a large part of her management of injury. She also has post graduate training in Acupuncture and Pilates and the management of vertigo.
Professionally she is part of the team of Physios covering the Dubai Rugby 7’s and  also works for the Womens Tennis Association when here in Dubai.

Cathy Portwig
Physiotherapist BPhysT. Cathy graduated from the University of Pretoria South Africa in 2005. Prior to moving to Dubai she worked in a community based hospital, a private hospital and private out patient clinics. Here she picked up valuable experience in treating orthopaedic, muscoloskeletal disorders, post-operative treatment and sporting injuries. Before moving to Orthosports Cathy worked in a busy out patient department at a private hospital in Dubai Healthcare City as a musculoskeletal physiotherapist, where she had a close relationship with the orthopaedic specialists. She has a special interest in treating back and neck pain disorders using manual mobilization, manipulation, pain relief methods and motor control retraining. Any pain disorder of the body as a result of faulty biomechanics, poor posture, overuse or a sporting injury is also her interest. Cathy has recently completed a Certificate in Spinal Manual Therapy accredited by Curtin University of Technology, Australia. Other courses attended includes Dry Needling (Acupuncture), Management of Shoulder Pain, Manual Therapy and Treatment of the Upper Extremity, Medical Taping and Vertebral and Peripheral Joint Disorders; Assessment and Treatment. Cathy has also been involved in numerous sporting events in South Africa and Dubai Rugby Sevens. Her personal motto is pain can be caused by overuse, misuse, and disuse - all these can be treated by using her skills as a physiotherapist.