If someone you love has just come home from an operation, this one is for you. Recovering at home after surgery is hard for the patient, and it’s often just as hard for the people who love them. Most of the guidance is written for the patient, so families are usually left to work the rest out for themselves.

What do families feel when someone comes home from surgery?

Relief and anxiety, usually in equal measure. You’re relieved the operation is over, and they’re home. Then the questions start. Are they moving safely? Is this pain normal? What should I be doing to help, and am I doing anything that makes it worse?

Those are fair questions, and you shouldn’t have to guess the answers.

How can you support someone recovering at home after surgery?

Be there without taking over. That’s harder than it sounds.

When someone you love is in pain or moving carefully, the instinct is to do everything for them. I understand that completely. But independence is part of recovery itself. Every time someone manages a task on their own, their confidence grows. Every time someone does it for them, that chance slips away.

The most helpful thing you can do is understand the physiotherapy plan and what your part in it looks like.

How does home physiotherapy help the family too?

When I visit, I include the family in the conversation wherever I can. I explain what the goals are and why they matter. I show you what to look out for, what’s normal and when to be concerned. I also help you see the difference between support that builds independence and support that quietly gets in the way of it.

That changes how recovery feels for everyone in the room. It’s a big part of my post hospital rehabilitation work, and of every Rehab Program I build.

Why does home make such a difference?

Because I can see the real picture. I can see the stairs, the bathroom and the favourite chair, and I can see how your family member moves around them. You can ask questions as they come up, and show me the moments that worry you. That helps me build a plan around the home you actually live in, and it helps you feel more confident about your part in it.

Recovering at home after surgery works better when everyone knows the plan

When the whole family understands what the plan is, the patient feels more confident, and you feel less like you’re guessing. Nobody has to work it out alone.

If someone you love is coming home soon, or has just arrived, I’d be glad to talk it through. Book a free telephone consultation and we can look at what support could work for your family.

The post Recovering at Home After Surgery: A Guide for Families appeared first on Jessica Woods Physiotherapy.

Proactive Physiotherapy: You Don’t Have to Wait for Something to Go Wrong

Most people think of physiotherapy as something you get once things go wrong, like a fall, an operation or a sudden decline. I’d like to change that. Proactive physiotherapy means getting support while you’re still managing well, and it can make a real difference to how long you stay independent.

What does proactive physiotherapy look like in practice?

It looks different for everyone, but the thread running through it is the same.

If you’re living with a long-term condition, it means regular check-ins so we can stay one step ahead of changes instead of waiting for a crisis. This is a big part of my neurological physiotherapy work.

If you’ve noticed your balance isn’t what it was, it means doing something about it before you fall. My falls prevention work starts right there.

And if you want to stay independent at home, it means keeping up your strength and confidence month after month, not just after one episode of care.

Either way, I’m not reacting to something that’s already happened. I’m helping you protect something you still have.

What are the early signs to look out for?

Changes rarely arrive all at once. Your balance feels a little less reliable. Jobs around the house take more effort than they used to. Your strength slips, bit by bit.

It’s easy to put these things down to a bad day or just getting older. But they’re often the first sign that support could help, and they usually show up long before a fall does. Keeping what you have is almost always easier than getting it back.

Why does home make such a difference?

Because home is where these changes show up. I notice the pause at the top of the stairs, or the kitchen job that takes a little longer now. A clinic appointment tends to focus on one complaint, so these details can go unseen. At home, I see how you actually live, and I can build support around what matters to you.

Why isn’t proactive physiotherapy more common?

Mostly because the system responds to problems rather than preventing them.

Physiotherapy usually begins with a referral after an event, like a fall, an operation or a big decline. That approach treats the crisis well, but it misses the chance to help months or even years earlier.

Who is proactive physiotherapy for?

Anyone who has noticed changes and wants to act before they turn into problems.

Maybe you’re moving a little less easily than you used to. Maybe you live with a long-term condition and want to stay ahead of it. Or maybe you simply want to stay in your own home, independently, for as long as you can. You can see how I build this kind of support in my Rehab Program.

You don’t have to be in crisis to deserve support. That’s the whole point.

Start before the crisis

If you’ve noticed small changes in yourself or someone you love, that’s a good time to talk. Book a free telephone consultation and we can chat about what proactive physiotherapy could look like for you.

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Pacing your recovery is one of the trickiest things to get right, and I’d say almost everyone struggles with it at some point.

The two traps people fall into

It’s easy to fall into one of two traps. Some people have a good day, do loads, push through the ache, and end up stuck on the sofa for three days afterwards. Others feel a bit unsure, so they play it safe and rest, which means they lose strength along the way without meaning to.

Both reactions make total sense to me. Nobody wants to overdo it and set themselves back, and nobody wants to feel worse for trying. But neither extreme actually gets you your independence back. The sweet spot sits somewhere in the middle, and finding it usually takes a bit of guidance.

What to watch for when pacing your recovery at home

Discomfort is the obvious one to notice, but fatigue and feeling a bit wobbly matter just as much, sometimes more.

If you finish an activity feeling completely wiped out, your body’s giving you feedback about pace. It doesn’t mean you did the wrong thing. It just means the amount needs a gentle tweak next time. The goal isn’t to avoid feeling anything at all, it’s to finish feeling like you’ve done a bit of work, not like you’ve emptied the tank completely.

Learning to read these signals takes practice, especially if you’re used to pushing through things, or on the other end, used to being cautious about every twinge. Over time, you start to tell the difference between normal effort and your body asking you to ease off.

Why having a physio makes this easier

Having support takes the guesswork out of it, and I think that’s where a lot of the fear comes from.

Together, we look at where your energy and strength are today, not where they were last month or where you’d like them to be, and build things up gently from there. You’ll know exactly what to do, how much is safe, and what to do on an off day. That’s part of what I try to build into every Rehab Program I put together.

That clarity is what gives people the confidence to keep moving forward, rather than staying stuck between pushing too hard and not doing enough. You’re never guessing alone.

Pacing your recovery changes everything

Recovery isn’t about gritting your teeth through everything, and it isn’t about avoiding activity out of caution either. It’s about finding a rhythm that actually works for your body, your home and your life.

If you’d like a hand figuring out yours, book a free telephone consultation and we can have a chat about what that could look like for you.

The post Pacing Your Recovery: How Much Is Too Much? appeared first on Jessica Woods Physiotherapy.

Is there a physio exercise sheet at the back of your kitchen drawer? If so, please don’t feel bad about it. I doubt it’s your fault. In my experience, a home exercise programme only gets used when it fits the life you actually live, and most of them don’t.

Why does a home exercise programme end up ignored?

Most people blame themselves. They assume they didn’t have the willpower, and I hear that a lot. It’s rarely the real reason.

Generic exercise sheets don’t take your life into account. They might ask for floor space you don’t have, or take up half your morning. Quite often, nobody explained why you were doing the exercises in the first place. If a plan feels like a chore that clashes with your day, it’s no surprise you put it away.

What makes a home exercise programme actually work?

It starts with you as a person, not with the diagnosis on a piece of paper. When I visit, I look at your home and how your day flows, and I ask what you miss doing most. That might be popping out to the garden, or carrying a hot cup of tea across the kitchen without worrying.

When an exercise links to something you want back, it’s much easier to keep doing. That’s the idea behind my Rehab Program, which I build around each person rather than working from a template.

How often should a home exercise programme change?

As often as you need it to. A good plan moves with you. When your strength improves, we build on it. If you have a rough week or your energy dips, we ease things back so you don’t feel overwhelmed.

A plan that never changes goes stale, and that’s usually when it ends up in the drawer. If balance is a worry, regular check-ins matter even more, which is why they’re part of my falls prevention work too.

Rehab should fit around your life

If you’re supporting a parent who has a sheet like this tucked away somewhere, all of this applies to them too.

I really believe rehab should fit around your life, not the other way round. If you’d like a home exercise programme that works for you, I’d love to have a chat. Book a free telephone consultation and we can talk through what it could look like.

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Many people nearly cancel before their first visit. If that sounds like you, I’d like to tell you what a home physiotherapy assessment actually involves, because the reality is usually far gentler than people expect.

What happens first in a home physiotherapy assessment?

We sit down and have a proper, unhurried chat. Before we look at anything physical, I want to understand what daily life feels like for you right now. What feels harder these days? Is there something you miss doing? And what would you most like to get back to?

Your answers tell me far more than any clinical test could, and they shape everything that follows.

What does the physical part involve?

It’s always gentle, and how you’re feeling on the day guides what we do. I’ll usually look at your balance and strength, and at how you manage everyday things around the house, like getting up from your favourite armchair or heading up the stairs.

I’m not there to spot what you can’t do. The aim is simply to find our starting point, so we can build your confidence safely from there.

Do you look at the home as well as the person?

I do, because your surroundings are a big part of your recovery. I’ll notice things like trip hazards, lighting and chair heights. It’s never about judgement, and I won’t tell you how to run your house. I’m looking for small, practical changes that make moving around feel safer and easier every day. If falls are on your mind, this is where my falls prevention work begins.

You can read a bit more about what to expect on our what to expect page.

Ready to have a chat?

A home physiotherapy assessment starts a plan I build around you, and there’s nothing to pass or fail. If you’ve been thinking about booking, or you’re helping a parent take that first step, book a free telephone consultation and we can talk through what it would look like.

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Managing a Long-Term Condition: When Recovery Has No Finish Line

Most physiotherapy is built around a finish line. Long-term condition physiotherapy works differently. For anyone living with arthritis, Parkinson’s, MS or COPD, there often isn’t a single finish line to aim for, and that changes everything about what good support should look like.

What Is Long-Term Condition Physiotherapy?

Long-term condition physiotherapy is ongoing support for conditions like arthritis, Parkinson’s, MS and COPD, where there isn’t a single point of “recovery” to work towards. Instead of a short course of treatment with an end date, it’s an adapting plan built around maintaining function, managing changes as they happen, and helping you keep as much independence as possible for as long as possible.

How is a long-term condition different from a one-off injury?

With an injury or surgery, there’s a destination. You’re working towards getting back to where you were, and once you’re there, treatment ends.

A long-term condition doesn’t work that way. There’s no “back to normal” to aim for. Instead, the goal is maintaining the best possible function for as long as possible, adapting as the condition changes, and helping you keep as much independence and quality of life as you can.

It’s less a short course of treatment and more an ongoing partnership. That’s a different kind of support, and it needs a different kind of physiotherapy.

What does day-to-day support actually look like?

It depends entirely on the condition and the person, and that’s exactly the point. No two people need the same thing.

For someone with Parkinson’s, that might mean regular sessions focused on balance and coordination, alongside practical strategies for managing the harder moments safely.

For someone with MS, it often starts with fatigue. Learning how to pace activity so there’s energy left for the things that matter most.

For someone with severe arthritis, the focus is usually on keeping movement as comfortable and safe as possible, day after day.

Whatever the condition, the plan is built around the individual, not a template. And it’s reassessed regularly, because the condition doesn’t stay the same, so the support shouldn’t either.

Why does this kind of support work better at home?

Because the challenges of living with a long-term condition don’t happen in a clinic. They happen in the bathroom first thing in the morning. On the stairs. In the kitchen when fatigue sets in halfway through making a meal.

Support that doesn’t reach those moments is limited support. That’s the whole reason home physiotherapy exists, and why I built my practice around it.

Living well is still possible

If you’re managing a long-term condition, or you’re supporting a parent or loved one who is, I want you to know that living well is still possible. It just needs support that meets you where your life actually happens.

That’s what long-term condition physiotherapy is built to do: adapt as things change, rather than work towards a single finish line. If that sounds like what you need, I offer a free telephone consultation to talk through what support could look like for you.

Book your free consultation

The post Living With a Long-Term Condition? Home Physiotherapy Can Help appeared first on Jessica Woods Physiotherapy.

1. Try to use your weak limb

Your brain is very clever! When I studied at university, one of the key things we learnt about within neurorehab was NEUROPLASTICITY. Neuroplasticity is the brains ability to grow and evolve in response to experiences. In other words, even though you may have had an injury to your brain (stroke), it still has the ability to adapt and change in order to relearn how to do tasks. It does this by active participation – ie: you trying to use your limb.

Even if when you try you see little movement or even none at all, neural connections can still be made by visualisation of a movement including thinking about how it might feel, what it would look like and using tools like a mirror box to give your brain feedback that your arm can move.

2. Give your affected limb lots of SENSORY stimulation

Sensory feedback is key for neuroplasticity to form the right connections in your brain. Whether its simply massaging your arm or leg with your favourite moisturizer, or you or someone is able to assist with stretching your muscles and moving your joints through range, this is all giving sensory feedback to your brain on your limb being in different positions and having different pressures put through it. Weightbearing (if safe to do) is an excellent way to give sensory feedback to the brain – whether its standing up, sitting up or leaning through your hands or forearms – this is all sensory information your brain will love!

3. Repetition

Practise makes perfect! The brain can’t learn a movement from the body doing it once or twice – its needs lots of repetition, and that repetition needs to be of a good quality – meaning if your muscles fatigue very quickly doing a certain movement, you shouldn’t continue as this may cause unwanted changes to muscles, joints and movement patterns. Take regular rest to make sure that the repetitions you are able to do are of a good quality movement, ensuring that the movement patterns are as near ‘normal’ and ‘functional’ as possible.

4. Routine

Recovering from a stroke can be very strenuous both physically and mentally. Physical rehab is very important, but so is time to rest as well as time for enjoyment like seeing family and friends (although this may also be tiring in the early stages). Setting out a routine for your day or week can help to keep you motivated as well as ensuring you don’t get too fatigued for the other things which are important to you. Recovery from a stroke can be a lengthy process, and so keeping a routine is a good way to ‘keep on track’ but also a way of reflecting how your are making improvements. But don’t be afraid to break routine once in a while! We all need a change sometimes!

5. Be kind to yourself!

Suffering a stroke can be very traumatic. Not only might you have significant changes physically, there can also be mental and emotional changes too. It can be a very hard time for both you and your loved ones, so it is important to remember to try to not be too hard on yourself or those around you. Remember its ok to have a bad day or a bad week. The important thing is to give yourself some time, try to reset and get back into your routine when you feel able and ready. If you feel like you need mores support in certain areas there are a lot of professionals and support groups available nationwide. The Stroke Association is an amazing resource for support on every day things. If you feel your problems are more medical in nature it may be worth speaking to your GP, physio, stroke nurse (if you have one) or other health care professional who’s care you are under.

So there’s Jess’s 5 things you can do yourself to aid your stroke recovery. I hope you enjoyed reading and good luck on your journey to recovery!

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Here are our top tips from Jessica Woods Physiotherapy on being active this summer!

Getting Started

This is often the hardest part of exercise! And its so easy to find an excuse to put it off…

‘I haven’t got enough time’ or ‘I’m too tired’.

My mother in law once said to me ‘If you’re already tired, but then you go and do some exercise, you may still feel tired at the end, but you’ll more likely feel energised and pleased with yourself for your achievement’. I’ve always remembered this – particularly after I had my two children – I felt as though I was in a permanent state of tiredness with sleep deprivation, trying to work and run a household! Making time for exercise was hard, but whenever I did I always felt so much better for it. I tried to remember this to help me prioritise exercise, even when I was running on little sleep and 6 cups of tea a day to get me through!

Do something you enjoy!

Sometimes the thought of exercise can be enough to put you off even starting, particularly if you plan to do something that you don’t enjoy! For instance, I hate running! I have tried so hard to get into running on more than one occasion. But it just isn’t an exercise that I remotely enjoy! So if someone suggested that I go for a run, I am highly unlikely to even attempt this form of exercise, and much more likely to sit on the sofa watching Netflix! But if someone suggested that I take my dog out for a walk – I would do this in a heart beat, because it’s something that I love.

If you pick something that you enjoy, you are much more likely to do it and keep it up on a regular basis.

Routine

Try to plan your exercise into your weekly routine. If you can plan time for your exercise regularly week on week you are much more likely to stick to it. Having a young family has meant that I often do have free time in the evenings, but my husband and I have had to set days each of us can do our own activity or exercise, so that the other stays in with the children! Having a set routine each week does help me have that regular allotted time for exercise… its just about finding the motivation sometimes!

Reminders/ Nudge

When life is so busy, sometimes things that we are struggling to prioritise get missed. Setting yourself a reminder or ‘nudge’ on your phone or watch can be a helpful way of helping to kick start and maintain your exercise routine. Another good motivator can be to try and exercise with someone. One of my main forms of exercise is walking. I usually try to arrange to walk with a friend. Not only do I find it a good way to catch up one on one with friends, but I also find it holds me to account to complete the exercise – I don’t want to let my friend down, therefore I am more likely to prioritise that session of exercise.

Exercise and Pain

Being in pain can not only be distressing, but can cause you fatigue, tiredness, lower your general mood. So it seems reasonable to believe that trying exercise when you’re in pain may not only be a challenge, but you may also have the fear of making your pain worse.

However, movement and activity are often key elements in rehabilitation and pain reduction. As a physiotherapist it is my goal to help you to be pain free and move as a freely as you would like to. There are many causes of pain, and depending on what condition you have, exercise can help. For example for someone who has back pain – if they stop all activity and move as little as possible, not only will they have their original back pain, but their joints will stiffen up and potentially cause them to have more pain. Whereas keeping moving can reduce stiffness, increase blood flow to the area which can help with the healing process as well as giving all the other benefits that exercise offers you (improved fitness, reduce tiredness/ fatigue, serotonin release).

So there are our 5 top tips for starting and maintaining being active this summer! Good luck! We hope to see you out and about in the fresh air soon!

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A little about me

I’m from Camberley, which is where I live with my husband, our two children and our dog.

I qualified as a physio from the University of Nottingham in 2010, when physio jobs were quite scarce! I managed to get a job at my local hospital – Frimley Park, and stayed here for 2 years to complete my junior rotations. I then moved to Wexham Park Hospital in Slough where I developed my skills and gained a passion for neurology. I loved it and stayed for nearly 10 years in various departments within physiotherapy.

After I had my two children I decided I wanted more flexibility for my job to work around my family, and so I said goodbye to the NHS and started my own business. Working privately wasn’t completely new to me – from when I first qualified I’ve always worked privately in some form for various private practices and sports teams, however this is the first time I have been solely self employed!

When I worked for Frimley Park hospital, I also worked for a private practice called Watchetts Physio – now known as The Physio Camberley. I worked here 2 evenings a week for several years, and although I stopped doing regular hours once I left Frimley, I still came back to do holiday cover. When I was on maternity leave I started considering my work options, and so I asked Jan Hughes (the owner) if she may have any regular hours for me again. Amazingly she said yes! So I have restarted working at The Physio Camberley one day a week and doing some more holiday cover. I really enjoy working here, and in some ways it feels like home coming back to work somewhere that I was so early on in my career.

Later on when I was working at Wexham Park Hospital I had a chance meeting with Sophie Dhenin (the owner of Scorpio Clinics). I was at Gatwick airport with my husband and his family. My father in law knew Sophie well as he’d been a regular patient of hers when he was running marathons. He introduced us and Sophie said if I was interested in any more work to send her my CV. I did, and from then I started to do some work for Scorpio Clinics, mainly seeing any neuro patients who were referred to them. I stopped for a short while during my pregnancies, but still on occassion will see patients at Scorpio Clinics.

Leaving the NHS

Having always worked in private practice in some form, it has been in the back of my mind that I would like to start my own business and work for myself. I found after having my two children that my work life balance looked rather different to what it did before, and it felt like the perfect time to consider my options! I felt I had a good bredth of experience to support me moving forward, and luckily a very supportive husband who also runs his own business! So I returned to the NHS for a short period before handing in my notice to start solo! It has been quite a challenging transition at times, but also really exciting! I’m looking forward to seeing what the future will hold for Jessica Woods Physiotherapy.

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