Physiotherapy is the treatment of disease, injury, or deformity by physical methods such as exercise, movement, manual therapies and education1. It can be used along side medication and traditional pain management strategies and is often used following surgery too. I often (and quite correctly) see people recommending physiotherapy to treat Hypermobility Syndromes like Ehlers Danlos and Marfan…Continue reading Physiotherapy Expectations With Hypermobility Syndromes
Author: JBOT
I am an Independent Occupational Therapist & an expert patient with many years experience self-managing complex health conditions.
I began my working life in the sport and Outdoor Adventure industries. After being diagnosed with Hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, I returned to study and gained a BSc in Occupational Therapy from the University of Northampton, where I was named Changemaker Student of the Year 2016. This is in part to recognise my efforts as a volunteer for the HMSA, for helping to bring Wheelchair Basketball to the university and for my blogging and online advocacy starting in 2013. The final noteworthy reason was my final placement, which made me the UK’s first OT practitioner to work in the travel industry.
I finished my degree in September 2016 after 5 years, thousands of miles of travel, 57 nights in 4 different hospitals, 5 different A&Es (some more than once), 4 ambulance trips, countless hospital and GP appointments, 3 work placements, living in student accommodation, hotels and friends’ houses.
The Etches Collection
The Etches Collection, Kimmeridge Bay is home to the incredible fossil collection of Steve Etches. Local beach combing, fossil guru, Steve has spent 30+ years discovering everything the Kimmeridge coast has to offer. His collection now consists of over 2000 late Jurassic specimens. Steve’s story is pretty incredible, until recently his entire collection was housed…Continue reading The Etches Collection
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Flare Up Planning with Shona
Something a little different for this blog post. I recently had the pleasure of working with Shona of My Marfan Life. Here, she share’s her experiences working with me and a bit about her life with Marfan Syndrome. “Recently I had the pleasure of having a 30 minute consultation with Jo to create a flare up…Continue reading Flare Up Planning with Shona
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Bolderwood Deer Sanctuary, The New Forest
Bolderwood Deer Sanctuary is situated near the heart of The New Forest National Park. The Deer Sanctuary provides a convenient and fairly accessible way to get close to a variety of deer, semi-wild ponies and other wildlife. A large car park and shed-like set of toilets are all that stand out on arrival. The car park…Continue reading Bolderwood Deer Sanctuary, The New Forest
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Wheelchair Propelling Techniques
This ‘Wheelchair Propelling Techniques’ section might (at first) seem pretty self-explanatory. You sit down and push with your hands right? Well actually there’s a bit more to it. Little adjustments with your body can make a big difference. Lets start with simply moving a chair over smooth ground. Make sure you’re siting comfortably, don’t slouch…Continue reading Wheelchair Propelling Techniques
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UK Mobility Scooter / Tramper Hire
The map below shows the locations of Trampers, scooters and power chairs available to borrow in the UK. I haven’t tested many of them and I strongly suggest phoning ahead to avoid disappointment! Simply click on a pin to see the place details. The type of scooter available from each location varies so please call…Continue reading UK Mobility Scooter / Tramper Hire
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Holywells Park Accessibility Review
Holywells Park in Ipswich is a lovely open space, filled with grass, trees, ponds and playgrounds. The park stretched over 28 hectares with paths and trails throughout. Holywells Park is a County Wildlife Site and a Conservation Area with two listed buildings (the Stable Block and Conservatory), making it a haven for wildlife and history alike.…Continue reading Holywells Park Accessibility Review
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Sleep Hygiene – Tips for getting a good nights sleep
In this modern age of late night TV and smart phones by the bed, getting a good nights sleep has become somewhat of a struggle. Throw in any kind of health problem and restful sleep becomes almost impossible. ‘Painsomnia’ (insomnia caused by pain) can cause particular problems. This post will explain the basic principles of…Continue reading Sleep Hygiene – Tips for getting a good nights sleep
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Wheelchair Cushion Guide
Wheelchair shopping can be expensive and overwhelming. Often the chair itself take priority but sometimes the extras, like a decent wheelchair cushion, are just as important. Wheelchair Cushions make sitting for long periods more comfortable but they also play a part in temperature regulation, stability and preventing pressure injuries. There are literally thousands on the…Continue reading Wheelchair Cushion Guide
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‘Male’ Contraceptive Trial – The truth about owning a uterus.
Please excuse the overly simplified gender discussion in parts of this post. I always do my best to use gender neutral language in all posts but for the sake of clarity here I have made a few exceptions. If you’ve been anywhere on social media this week you will probably have seen an article on…Continue reading ‘Male’ Contraceptive Trial – The truth about owning a uterus.
