Harley Street body MOT centre opens

London: A brand new health check, designed to reveal which parts of your body are not working as well as they could, has launched in London by leading physiotherapy practice, ES Physical Health.

The first of its kind, the musculo-skeletal MoT will show where a little corrective maintenance is needed to prevent possibly un-noticed physical anomalies or abnormalities becoming critical.

Libby Sharp, founder of ES Physical Health, which has clinics in both Harley Street and Camberwell, South London, says “With most of us leading sedentary lives we use only approximately 60% of the available range of motion in most joints such as our hips, knees, shoulders and spine.

“Add the aging process to this lack of use, and one day you find you simply cannot look round over your shoulder to reverse your car as you once could. It’s important to identify bad postural habits and anomalies as early as possible to prevent irreversible degenerative changes.”

Who would benefit? Anyone who has ever had a back problem is an obvious candidate –even if it was several years ago and you feel you have made a full recovery. Also, if you’ve had an accident – a break or sprain or any kind of sporting injury – you’ll benefit from finding out if you’ve fully recovered a normal range of motion, strength and stability, and that there are no residual signs of neural tension and hypersensitivity.

If you don’t get your range of motion, strength and stability back up to as near normal as possible it is highly likely that you will suffer from degenerative change which will havea limiting effect on your lifestyle. What is there to gain? Through a series of top to toe tests we will note and record small, adverse anomalies in balance, gait pattern and range of motion which, if ignored, could present problems in the future.

By identifying problems and weaknesses we can advise simple interventions such as exercise, muscle stretches and postural alignment. If the MoT can pick up small problems which can be treated conservatively we can expect the person to be able to remain pain-free and able to function normally with both daily living and sporting activities for much longer than if problems or niggles are just ‘pushed under the carpet’.

As we live for much longer in the west than ever before, we need to remain
fit and healthy well into later life to enjoy ourselves to the full. We need to avoid aches and pains and especially surgery, such as hip and knee
replacements. What’s in the report? The written report highlights the important findings using an easy to understand ‘traffic lights’ system to emphasise severe, moderate and mild abnormalities, plus black to denote normal findings. As far as possible we use objective measuring tools and validated tests.

Based on your results we will suggest a range of possibilities – these might include physiotherapy if pain and loss of movement is present; Pilates to improve core stability, balance and co-ordination; a gym routine to improve strength and stamina; a consultation with our Podiatrist for corrective orthoses to improve lower limb biomechanics, and a consultation with our dietician / nutritionist for advice on weight loss or nutrition for competitive sports people.

We aim for a tailor-made programme to suit each individual to correct and overcome any problem which comes to light as a result of the MoT. Where, how long, and how much? It’s currently available at ES Physical Health’s clinic in Harley Street,and will soon also be available at their practice in Camberwell. It takes
just over an hour, and costs £150. ES Physical Health is at 22 Harley Street London. T: + 44(0)20 7907 1900.

Alexander Technique

An exercise method designed to re-educate posture and balance. The patient is encouraged to use special movements while carrying out everyday activities such as sitting, lying down, standing, walking lifting. The patient focuses on the way he/she moves so that day-to-day physical activity can be carried out with minimum strain. It treats musculo-skeletal problems, back pain and repetitive strain injury. It can also assist with emotional discorders.

Further information from:

Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique
1st Floor
39-51 Highgate Road
London NW5 1RS. UK
Tel: ++ 44 (0)845 230 7828
Fax: ++ 44 (0)207 482 5435