New community physio sessions educate and inspire patients to hit the gym

Gym-based physiotherapy rehabilitation sessions are educating and empowering patients to continue their recovery in the community.

People recovering from a hip or knee replacement or who need physiotherapy rehabilitation for back pain can now access sessions closer to home.

Previously, the group sessions would take place in either Singleton or Neath Port Talbot Hospitals.

Now, the physiotherapy department has transferred them into local leisure centres across Swansea and Neath Port Talbot, utilising the gym equipment.

Pictured: Physiotherapist Daniel Trethewy and advanced physiotherapy practitioner Catherine Prosser, with patients attending a back rehabilitation session.

It is hoped that by carrying out the sessions in a gym environment, it will empower patients to continue momentum with their exercise and rehabilitation going forward.

Catherine Prosser, advanced physiotherapy practitioner, said: “We wanted to take our existing rehabilitation offers from our hospitals into community settings.

“The first is a back rehabilitation group, which is made up of six sessions.

“The second is a post-operative arthroplasty group for people who have had total hip and knee replacements – those patients complete three sessions in hospital and then three in the community.

“The sessions are held at the LC2 in Swansea and Aberavon Leisure Centre. We worked in partnership with Freedom and Celtic Leisure to secure these spaces for free, as we hope to inspire patients to continue with their exercise.

“During the sessions, the physiotherapists talk about long-term goals and how the patients will continue to build on the foundations they have already established.

“We want to encourage patients to exercise long-term and maintain the health of their knee or hip replacement or manage their back pain.”

Physiotherapists assess and identify patients who are suitable for both groups and then make referrals where appropriate.

“A lot of the exercises during the sessions focus on building up mobility and strength through functional movement,” Catherine added.

“But it is also about supporting that transition and introduction into the gym environment, which can be intimidating for some people.

“Traditionally, people may have completed their six-week course in hospital and felt better and then perhaps not continued with that type of exercise.

“But by being in a gym environment, we want to educate people that strength exercises can have positive implications for their conditions, as well as the ageing process, which may cause them to think differently.”

Physiotherapist Daniel Trethewy has been delivering some of the rehabilitation sessions, including a back rehabilitation group at the LC2 in Swansea.

Participants complete exercises such as using a treadmill and rowing machine, lifting kettlebells, pushing a sled, and much more.

Daniel said: “We want to improve people’s ability to do things with less pain and improve their confidence too.

“For the first three weeks, we get people used to everything and then between week four to six we make things a bit harder and start to introduce reps and sets of the exercises.

“Previously, the back rehabilitation group would have been held in Singleton Hospital. We want people to be exercising and staying active, so hopefully being in a community gym environment and not a hospital will inspire that.”

The team has also launched an educational workshop for patients with musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions.

Held at Cefn Hengoed Leisure Centre in Swansea and Aberavon Leisure Centre, the group workshops provide information on osteoarthritis and discuss patient experiences.

Patients can be referred to the workshops following an assessment by a physiotherapist.

Catherine said: “The sessions are an open discussion and allow patients to share their experiences to help support each other.

“Previously, patients with osteoarthritis would have been referred to physiotherapy and would have had a one-to-one appointment where they were given information.

“Whereas with the workshop, we can share that information with a larger group of patients.

“During the session, leisure centre staff also come in to explain what support they can provide going forward too.

“At the end of the session patients are given the option of continuing with self-management or being referred to an osteoarthritis knee or hip clinic where further management options are available.”

The team hopes that by being educated and supported in the community rather than in hospital, patients will be more likely to implement lifestyle changes.

Swansea Bay’s Deputy Head of Physiotherapy, Jordanna Roberts said: “Historically, this type of support would have been provided in a clinical environment.

“Whereas this offer provides an opportunity for people to be educated and empowered in a setting which promotes a healthy lifestyle.

“Patients can improve their mobility and strength in an environment that isn’t medical and doesn’t have an end point, as they can continue with the exercises they have been doing in the gym.

“We want to empower people to continue looking after their health and get the best health outcome for them.”