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Guide to Sporting Activities in Cambridge

Take a look at our guide to sporting activities in Cambridge, helping you to stay fit and healthy whilst having fun!

Guide to sporting activities in Cambride

Falls!

Author: Dave Smith, PT, DPT, CSP

Every year, one in three people over the age of 65 have at least one fall. Common injuries that can result from a fall include hip, wrist, shoulder and spine fractures, lacerations (cuts), and contusions (bruises). According to the Mayo Clinic, falls are the number 1 cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries for patients above the age of 65. Falling does not just lead to injuries, it can often lead to a pattern of decreased activity that can make people afraid to even leave the house or participate in the activities they love to do. But don’t fret, it is not all doom and gloom. Most falls are preventable and we are here to help you prevent any of the negative side effects associated with losing your balance.

So, what are the leading causes of all these falls? It often comes down to your unique physical traits as well as factors within your environment.

Physical Trait Risk Factors:

• Muscle weakness and inflexibility
• Proprioception impairments (body position awareness)
• Abnormal walking patterns or posture
• Physical inactivity and decreased endurance
• Vestibular impairments (inner ear aspects of balance such as dizziness)
• Fear of falling and having previous falls
• Vision impairments
• Side Effects of Medication
• Sensation impairments (such as numbness or tingling in the feet)
• Illness history (especially osteoporosis/osteopenia)

Environmental Risk Factors:

• Improper footwear
• Improper use of assistive device (Ex: stick, walker, etc.)
• Lack of handrails on stairs or grab bars in bathrooms
• Clutter (Ex: throw rugs, electrical cords, etc.)
• Low chairs/couches
• Poor lighting: people are more likely to fall in low lit environments.
• Poor planning (Ex: standing on unstable chairs to reach for items)
• Wet floors
• Pets

What can you do to help yourself?

• Check out https://healthyyou.org.uk/services/falls-prevention/! If you are 65 years or older, you live in Cambridge or Peterborough, and you are registered at a GP surgery in those areas you can utilize Healthy You Falls Prevention service for free. They hold weekly strength/balance classes as well as providing you with an individual falls risk assessment.
• Contact a physiotherapist! Research shows that individuals at a high falls risk who participate in a focused physical therapy program have a 31% reduction in falls over the course of a year compared to people who do not participate.

At Cambridge Physiotherapy Clinic (CPC), our physio’s are trained to create a plan to recover from a fall, assess and lower your risk for a future fall, and work to get you back to doing the things you love without fear.

Here are just a few of the ways we can help:

• Medical History Review: Through a thorough intake of your current and past health history, we can help to determine evidence based reasons for your loss of balance. 
• Physical Examination: After a thorough physical examination, your physiotherapist will determine what specific areas may be putting you at risk whether it be strength, balance, mobility, your eyesight, your vestibular system, or something else.
• Physiotherapy Treatment: Based on the results of your medical history and physical examination, we will put together a treatment plan of care. This will most likely involve corrective exercises targeted at your balance and strength. However, it may also have components of manual therapy- the act of using hands on techniques to address limitations in your joint mobility or muscle flexibility. 
• Plan: We want to make sure that you feel safe and motivated towards your physio plan of care, so we will always collaborate with you regarding implementation. We will work with you to make sure you make the most progress possible towards your goals.
• Referral Coordination: Our physiotherapists will also help guide you to other trusted healthcare partners who might be a great asset to the fall-fighting team, such as pharmacists, optometrists, and neurologists (just to name a few).

Before you ever have your first fall, let us help you determine your risk assessment and create the best possible prevention plan. If you do find yourself with an injury, CPC will be there to pick up.

Sources:

1. https://ukhsa.blog.gov.uk/2014/07/17/the-human-cost-of-falls/
2. https://mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/falls-and-fall-prevention
3. https://www.moveforwardpt.com/symptomsconditionsdetail.aspx?cid=85726fb6-14c4-4c16-9a4c-3736dceac9f0
4. https://www.moveforwardpt.com/symptomsconditionsdetail.aspx?cid=1bb9c784-a874-43b1-976f-d0de03c19f99#.VT54S9JViko
5. https://healthyyou.org.uk/services/falls-prevention/
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3413733/

BUPA

From the 1^st August 2024 we will no longer be processing payments through BUPA for initial assessments. If you’re currently having treatment with us, we will continue to process your follow-up appointments until 16^th September to allow you to complete your sessions.

We have had to make this difficult decision for a number of reasons.

1. BUPA has not increased our treatment fees for more than 9 years, and refuse to discuss any change with us

2. There is a large amount of admin and chasing of payments that BUPA require us to do

3 As a provider trying to contact them, they never reply to any of our emails and it takes 45 minutes to speak to anyone on our ‘dedicated provider line’

Our clinicians work really hard, regularly updating their skills and knowledge and I believe provide high quality, expert care and they deserve to be paid appropriately for this.

In addition, clinic costs (rent, insurance, consumables, electricity etc) have significantly increased over the last 2-3 years, and we currently make a loss when seeing BUPA patients.

Many physiotherapists and doctors have made similar decisions around BUPA both in Cambridge and nationally. They request patients self-pay the clinics treatment fees, provide a receipt and this can be claimed back from BUPA. They have been doing this for a number of years with no issues.  If you’re unsure you should check with BUPA beforehand.

I have contacted BUPA on 2 occasions to let them know of our decision, but they have not replied!

Anne-Marie retires (August 2024)

Anne-Marie Melloy started at the clinic as an employee in 1995, which was when the clinic was located at Sedley Taylor Road. By 2002 she had been made a partner and in 2003 moved the clinic to Magog Court. After 20 years at Magog Court Anne-Marie and her business partner Martin Callingham decided to sell the clinic and pass the reins on to someone else. Anne-Marie has stayed on for 2 days a week but has now decided to step away in mid-August. She will be sorely missed by both patients and staff.

Anne-Marie says “It will be a sad day when I finally step away from the clinic, it has been my second home and family for all these years. I shall especially miss all my lovely patients, some of which have grown old with me, and I have seen several generations of the same family! It is with a heavy heart I leave the clinic, but wish it continued success in the future.”

Change of ownership

The Cambridge Physiotherapy Clinic has been run as a partnership between Martin Callingham and Anne-Marie Melloy for the past 22 years.
The clinic was originally set up in 1986 operating from Sedley Taylor Rd, and has expanded and flourished since. It is the longest established clinic in Cambridge, and very highly respected. We have now been at Magog Court for 20 years and have decided to pass the reins on to someone else. 
The clinic will be taken over and sold to Lucy Cameron who will continue to run the clinic, making it a limited company - “Cambridge Physiotherapy Clinic Limited”. 
Initially both Martin and Anne-Marie will be staying on to help facilitate a smooth handover, but less hours, and eventually working towards retirement. All the present staff will remain the same, continuing to provide our usual excellent physiotherapy services.
Lucy is a highly skilled physiotherapist and has worked at Addenbrooke’s for many years, but now wishes to move into private practice. 
Despite a new name and new owner the ethos of the clinic will remain the same:
“To provide prompt, effective and evidence based physiotherapy, enabling the patient to achieve the best possible outcome for their problem.”

Anne-Marie and Martin

Are you sleeping comfortably?

We spend one third of our life in bed, therefore it is essential we are comfortable and well supported. We all know we should support our lumbar curve when sitting and not slouch, but did you realise we need also to support the cervical curve (the area of the neck between the base of the head and the shoulders) when sleeping. A pillow or pillows that are too high will over flex the neck, whereas a pillow that is too thin will give no support at all. In general if you have problems with your neck it is best to sleep on your sides or back and not on your front. Front sleeping means the neck has to rotate excessively which can aggravate the facet joints leading to pain. Choose a pillow that allows your spine to be in a natural position whether on your side or back. In some cases a molded orthopaedic pillow can be of use which has a curve to support the cervical spine. Our clinic can advise on pillows and has a stock of orthopaedic pillows for sale.

ARTHRITIS - the 'hidden disease', is it affecting you?

There is wider recognition of the effects of arthritis on people in work in the UK. It is estimated that 10 million people in the UK live with arthritis. Physiotherapy plays a crucial role in the education of people with arthritis in order to make people understand their symptoms, help design bespoke conditioning programmes to minimise pain and maintain independence and function. Our clinic can advise you on treatments and management of your symptoms.