Apex Clinic saved me from a knee replacement!
For 77-year-old Rosemary Cowan from Dundonald, life was a struggle. Knee pain was having a devastating impact on her life. While on a waiting list for a knee replacement, she visited Apex Clinic, Belfast desperate to get some relief. Apex clinic’s unique regime of specialist manual physiotherapy treatment, called The Nelson Spinal ApproachTM cleared her knee pain and she couldn’t believe that most of her knee pain was coming from her back all along! She now has her life back.
Rosemary, when did your knee pain begin?
I was having very severe pain in my knee joint for a few years when I was referred to Orthopaedics for an assessment. At that assessment I was told that my name would be put onto the waiting list for a knee replacement as this was the next step.
How did the pain affect your life?
The pain severely impacted my mobility. Walking was difficult and I struggled going up and down stairs, relying on a walking stick for even small amounts of movement. The pain in my knee affected my decisions on where I would go if I was going out, depending on how much walking was involved. I often missed out on events if there was going to be a lot of walking, I knew I wouldn’t be able to manage it.
What led you to Apex Clinic?
When I attended the Orthopaedic clinic, they recommended I have physiotherapy while waiting on my knee replacement however I knew that being referred though my GP for NHS physio was going to take a very long time. I already attended the Chiropodist at Apex Clinic and their Physiotherapists came highly recommended by other family members who had attended the clinic in the past. At my first appointment with my specialist physiotherapist, she told me that most of my knee pain was referred from my back. This hadn’t even occurred to me that my knee pain could be connected to my back. I am a retired nurse and when I was nursing we lifted patients manually and without the equipment that is used now so I had a previous history of back pain but was told I had an ‘old nurses back’. I couldn’t believe it but the treatment on my back worked, and my knee pain started to improve. I am now pain free for 90% of the time!
How has your life changed since having treatment?
When I first started my physiotherapy treatment I relied on a walking stick for even small amounts of walking. I now no longer need to use my walking stick at all! I also don’t need to think before going out because I know I can walk. The biggest thing for me was when I had my review telephone appointment with Orthopaedics and told them about my improvement. After answering their questions and telling them how I no longer needed my walking stick and that I could walk up and down stairs with ease they said they would remove my name from the waiting list for the knee replacement surgery, which is just wonderful!
What advice would you offer someone suffering with knee or back pain?
Book an appointment at Apex Clinic for their specialist physiotherapy treatment. I have had physiotherapy in the past but at Apex Clinic the specialist hands on treatment is completely different than what you get elsewhere and not just getting sheets of exercises to do at home. I couldn’t recommend them highly enough!
To book an appointment at Apex Clinic, call 028 9048 4153. No GP referral is necessary.