NewsNews
July 2012
Physio at Work promotes 'Workout at Work day' at the Houses of Parliament.
The event organised in conjunction with the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, was one of a large number of events run by physiotherapists in workplaces across the UK to promote the message that staying fit and active not only helps improve productivity in the workplace, but can also have a positive effect on people's health and wellbeing.
The majority of working days lost to ill-health in the UK are caused by musculoskeletal conditions, such as back and neck pain, or stress, depression and anxiety. These cost society £8.5 billion a year. Employers can reduce sickness absence by encouraging better working habits, including keeping their staff active and allowing them regular and breaks, and by providing early access to physiotherapy.
Physio at Work physiotherapists Bronwyn Clifford and Cara Fynn (who works onsite at our Parliament clinic) are pictured with Alex Cunningham MP.
May 2012
Prolonged sitting is not good for you!
A study of more than 200,000 Australians adds to the growing body of evidence that people who sit the most die the soonest. It also found that you can't exercise this effect away, though exercise does help reduce it greatly.
The study's simple message is that spending more time standing and less time sitting prolongs life.
But while the death risk was much lower for anyone who exercised five hours a week or more, it still rose as these active people sat longer.
It is now well accepted that too much sitting is unhealthy. Studies in the last few years have found that death risks rise when people watch spend more leisure time in front of a computer screen or TV or simply sit too much.
The current study took a more direct approach, looking at the relationship of total daily sitting time to the likelihood of dying within the next three years, seeking to put a number on just how harmful prolonged sitting is.
Its most striking finding was that people who sat more than 11 hours a day had a 40% higher risk of dying in the next three years than people who sat less than four hours a day. This was after adjusting for factors such as age, weight, physical activity and general health status, all of which affect the death risk. It also found a clear dose-response effect: the more people sat, the higher their risk of death.
The results are part of the Sax Institute's 45 and Up Study, the largest ongoing study of healthy aging in the Southern Hemisphere. It compared the self-reported daily sitting time of 222,497 Australian adults 45 years or older with their likelihood of death in the next three years.
Healthy or sick, active or inactive, the more people sat, the more likely they were to die in the next three years. Physical activity did reduce this risk significantly: the 40% higher death risk found when comparing people who sat the most to those who sat the least increased to 100% when comparing those who sat the most and exercised the least to those who sat the least and exercised the most. But while the death risk was much lower for anyone who exercised five hours a week or more, it still rose as these active people sat longer.
In other words, people still need to exercise, but it's also important to spend less time sitting.
An accompanying editorial suggests that the evidence is now strong enough that doctors should prescribe reduced sitting time to their patients. But there's no reason that people can't be proactive and write their own prescription here.
It's been estimated that the average adult spends 90% of their leisure time sitting. So there's plenty of room for improvement.
An article on the study appears in Archives of Internal Medicine - Link to article
April 2012
Companies need to 'Plan to be more Active'
The main risks facing office workers include musculoskeletal problems,back pain and stress – with lengthy periods spent sitting down at computers being particularly hazardous. Employees who remained seated the longest were more likely to have high blood pressure, a larger waist and raised blood sugar levels.
Companies that use occupational physiotherapists to review working practices save money as well as help boost employees’ well-being.
Read more by visiting
http://www.csp.org.uk/news/2012/04/11/save-money-asking-physios-review-working-practices-employers-urged
October 2011
Physiotherapy is key to Occupational Health
The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) has told an independent review of the sickness absence system in the UK that physiotherapy can cut the time people take off work sick, and save companies and the state money.
In its official submission to the independent review, commissioned by the government in February this year, the CSP said that self-referral, universal access to occupational health services, and support for employees to remain in work could all help improve occupational health.
The CSP’s document, submitted last month, contained evidence from a number of case studies. One demonstrated how a call centre introduced in-house and discounted physiotherapy and saw a return of £34 for every £1 invested.
Another case study showed how a utilities company cut employee claims for back pain by tenfold after introducing a physiotherapy occupational health programme.
Chaired by the national director for health and work, Dame Carol Black, and director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, David Frost, the review’s report is due to be published this autumn. See www.csp.org.uk/press-policy/policy/consultations
August 2010
One in Four Not Taking Breaks At Work
New research from the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) shows that one in four people in the UK regularly work all day without taking a break and are thereby putting their health at risk.
Click here for further details
August 2010
Chartered Society of Physiotherapy's Move for Health Campaign
Please use this link to view details of the campaign and to download 'Exercise' and 'Fit for Work guides'.
June 2010
Physio at Work is a Bupa Approved Clinic!
Physio at Work is now a recognised clinic within the Bupa Approved Physiotherapy Network. This is an elite group of clinics in the UK that meet the high-quality and cost-effiective criterion and standards that are required by the nations largest private medical insurer
March 2010
Physio at Work exhibits at the 2010 RSI conference
Both Bronwyn Clifford and Sophia Cunha attended the 2010 RSI conference which was held on the 20th of March in London It was a great day with many informative presentations by a variety of different professionals working in the field of RSI.
Physio at Work provided information on RSI management and treatment throughout the day and was very pleased to have been invited to exhibit by the conference organisers RSI Action (http://www.rsiaction.org.uk/).
We look forward to attending next years conference!
February 2010
Charlie wins!!!
We congratulate Charlie Pitcher for his success in winning the Woodvale Challenge trans-Atlantic rowing race (2,931 miles across the Atlantic Ocean). Charlie completed the crossing in 54 days and in doing so broke both the race and UK solo records.
Charlie was rowing solo as the 'JJ (InsureandGo)' team. He finished about 400 miles ahead of the next team and even ahead of the other two and four man crews.
Physio At Work is very proud to have been associated with this event. Our Physiotherapist, Dino Michalakis, has worked with Charlie during his preparation for the race over the past 3 years. As a former member of the New Zealand Junior Rowing Squad Dino was able to give Charlie invaluable advice with regards to his rowing technique and fitness as well help him with injury prevention and management.
Please see http://www.transatlanticsolo.com/ and
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/essex/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_8538000/8538815.stm for more information on this great achievement.
November 2009
We wish Charlie Pitcher's 5.75m "InsureandGo" rowing boat a safe trip to La Gomera in the Canary Islands.
Charlie will join up with her there to begin the Woodvale Solo Atlantic Rowing race on the 5th December. We wish Charlie lots of luck in his final prepaations for the race. Dino Michalakis who works at our Halam Street clinic has been helping Charlie to keep injury free over the past two years. To read more about Charlie please see his website www.transatlanticsolo.com.
July, 2009
Companies should be encouraging workers to undertake touch typing courses as well as educating them on how to sit at their desks, it has been claimed, as this could help to prevent the onset of repetitive strain injury (RSI). http://www.holborntraining.co.uk/News/Typing_Courses_002.html
July, 2009
Over the years, surveys pointing out that we're too stressed about work to use our holiday allowance have become a newspaper staple, but our health is still important, even in a recession. Bronwyn Clifford says we are not designed to spend so much time sitting down in one position as we do in a working week.
If you only do one thing this week ... use your holiday. Find out more by clicking this link The Guardian - 20 July 2009
November, 2008
Bronwyn talked to the Guardian recently about what office workers can do to help prevent RSI in the workplace. Find out more by clicking on this link
The Guardian
August, 2008
Bronwyn has once again been involved in helping the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy promote the importance of taking regular breaks when texting in order to prevent injury.
1.4 billion text messages are sent every day in Britain.
Just over a third of young people aged between 16-24 interviewed in a Great Britain survey send an average of 20 or more texts a day.
One in six of the 16-24 year olds interviewed had experienced discomfort in their hands when they text.
Read what Bronwyn Clifford had to say about text messaging and mobile phones in this link CSP.org.uk
April, 2008
Bronwyn Clifford has been quoted in the Financial Times giving advice about chairs and other workstation equipment
April, 2008
Physio at Work is pleased to be able to sponsor Charlie Pitcher and helping him to keep injury free during his preparation for the transatlantic rowing race 2009/2010.
March, 2008
Podiatrist Chris Schafer has recently joined our team. Chris is providing a podiatry service at our Balcombe Street clinic on Friday afternoons.
February, 2008
The Chartered Society of Physiotherapists. Sharp rise in rates of Repetitive Strain Injury
CSP News
September, 2006
RSI in the workplace
May, 2006
Clinic Moves to New Premises
Physio At Work has opened new clinics located within LA Fitness Gyms near Baker Street and near Oxford Circus tube stations.
For contact details and maps of these new premises please view the 'Contact Us' pages of our website.
February, 2006
Why Office Workers Need to Take Exercise.
September, 2005
Bronwyn was on BBC3 news on the 9th of September discussing the signs and symptoms of RSI and what employers can do to prevent it in the workplace.
August, 2005
Children and texting - Bronwyn's advice in the media:
June, 2005
The CSP invited Bronwyn Clifford (nee Timbs) and Bridget Plant to meet with MP’s at Parliament on the 21st of June to publicise the role of Occupational Health Physiotherapists during National Physiotherapy Week (June 20-25).
Read about MP Tim Loughton’s experience by visiting his website.
February, 2005
Bronwyn presented a talk titled the Treatment and Management of RSI at the 1st RSI conference in Nottingham in February and advised on the Tiscali lifestyle website feature on RSI.
