By Katy Stephens Prof Doc Candidate, MSc, BSc (hons), MSST
The ramblings of an MSK clinician: https://bouncingbackinjurycliniccases.blogspot.com/?zx=1369d77722a220b3
The ramblings of a Prof Doc student: https://bouncingbackinjuryclinic.blogspot.com/?zx=fe8e51a980fbdb76
MSK clinican wellbeing: https://katyshealthandwellbeing.blogspot.com/
Clients agreement
Please read these Terms carefully. They set out the basis upon which you will be provided with assessment and treatment at the clinic. Terms may change time to time so it is important to take notice, but warning will always be given if this is the case.
*By booking an appointment you are agreeing to terms and conditions*
Session times and location
Preparation
The patient agrees to attend each session fully prepared, having completed any tasks or rehabilitation ready to participate in the session. Emailed me ahead of schedule with any notes, scans, reports etc.
Confidentiality and privacy
The confidentiality of the patient information will be respected except where authorised by the patient or as required by law.
Insurance
Please check with the clinic before booking an appointment that invoice/receipt will suffice for insurnace claims. Each insurance company is different and therefore it is important to check.
Advice
If patient chooses to not to take the advice of the therapist and is negatively impacted by this decision, this is the fault of the patient not the therapist. If the patient has questions regarding rehab/advice/info given, please do reach out to discuss the query to avoid any confusion.
Discounts
You can only use one form of discount at once (eg. block discount or loyalty card). Block payments need to be used within 18 months of initial payment.
If you have any queries or concerns please email: katy@bouncingbackinjuryclinic.co.uk
I was lucky enough to be invited onto the You Matter Podcast a couple of weeks ago – discussing why owning up to our own failures in healthcare is so important for the sake of our patients. We have to acknowledge that mistakes happen, but how we react to them and learn from them is where we benefit our patients the most. Have a listen if you have the time!
The You Matter Podcast focuses on looking after yourself as a Health Care professionals. The Physio Matters podcast also runs a ‘patient matters’ for a similar conversations, I would highly recommend.
Posted on Wednesday December 20, 2017
University of Gloucestershire Graduate Katy Stephens is in the final stages of completing her Master in Advanced clinical practice. In talking to Katy it is clear she has a passion for learning and a burning desire to continually push herself to develop her knowledge and skills. Her work experience opportunities in her undergraduate degree programme have provided a strong foundation for her and she is now pushing the boundaries in a totally different area; that of concussion in equestrian sport.
Katy, you had some great work experience opportunities while undertaking your Sports Therapy degree. Two in particular stand out: the first was at Gloucester Rugby Club where you were an intern – how was that?
During the summer of my first year an email was sent out to students about helping Gloucester Rugby with soft tissue management during their preseason and I thought it would be a great opportunity. I spent one day a week at Gloucester Rugby through my second year and asked if I would be able to apply for the internship for my third year. I was lucky enough to be accepted for the entirety of my third year, I thoroughly enjoyed it and was so grateful to the Medical Team for being so supportive and patient with me. I still cover charity games at Kingsholm (Gloucester’s Ground) and I remain in contact with the Gloucester Medical Team. When I graduated, I moved across to semi-professional rugby league.
The second opportunity was with GB and England Ice Hockey.
GB and England ice hockey held off-ice camps at the University through the summer. We were involved in pre-season screening, fitness testing, concussion baseline testing and education. We worked with different age groups, from 14 to 16 year olds. It was really enjoyable and great for me to learn about another sport I had not been involved with before.
You decided to continue with your studies undertaking an MSc Professional Practice in Sports Therapy?
I wasn’t ready to stop learning, I had six months away from university and wanted to keep improving the way I handled more complex cases. I was also keen to do a longer research project, I like a challenge!
Your Masters research topic is ‘Pony Club concussion.’ Why this topic and where did the interest in Equestrian Sport come from?
Having worked in Rugby since I first started at university, I have an acute awareness of concussion and how protocols are constantly evolving. As someone who has grown up competing in equestrian disciplines it dawned on me how often I had been concussed in the past without anyone checking on me. I started to look into youth equestrian sport and what is currently in place to protect young horse riders and I was disappointed by the lack of information that was readily available.
What research have you conducted to date and what it has involved?
I am just in the final stages of writing the research up. The first step of research was to find out what Pony Club parents knew about concussion; an overriding theme was that they didn’t understand how severe concussion could be if dealt with poorly and that they relied on Pony Club coaches to give them advice when it was necessary. My research currently is based around what coaches know about concussion and once given information, from a presentation that I delivered myself, how long are they able to retain that information.
You shadowed a doctor who is involved with horse racing at Worcester racecourse. How did this opportunity come about? Tell us about your time there.
I would like to work in jockey rehabilitation in the future, so reached out to a well-known jockey doctor in the area and he was more than happy to take me to Worcester Racecourse for the day. I was lucky enough to meet multiple members of the medical team on a race day, learnt about their emergency action plan and zoomed around in the Doctors four wheeled drive vehicles following the race (great fun!). I felt fortunate to be able to discuss concussion with one of the Physiotherapists who is specialising in jockey rehabilitation, particularly concussion in race jockeys.
You have your own clinic – are there plans to expand and specialise with equestrian athletes?
I have been running my own clinic in Gloucester for 18 months now and I love it. My plan is most certainly to expand over time, but I am in no rush to do that, there are still so many areas of therapy I am really excited to explore. I would like to work with more equestrian athletes as it is my area of expertise and different to so many sports, due to the involvement of an animal.
What does Sport Therapy mean to you and what is the one thing you would like everyone to know about Graduate Sports Therapists who are Members of the Society of Sports Therapists?
We really enjoy our job; we enjoy the cold rainy days at the side of the pitch and the muddy wounds to clean. I love that I learn new things everyday and that I am lucky enough to meet new people all the time. One thing… we’re incredibly professional and really good at what we do!
https://society-of-sports-therapists.org/news/equestrian-sport-provides-new-direction-for-society-member-katy-stephens/
Written by Emily Bevan (Horse and Hound Magazine)
Concussion has been at the forefront of sports news in recent months and while it is rugby that tends to steal the headlines, the nature of horse sports and the propensity for rider falls means it is a common injury which often goes undiagnosed within equestrianism.
A traumatic brain injury such as concussion is an invisible injury and because it cannot be easily seen, less attention is often paid to it despite the consequences potentially being more severe than other injuries. This, coupled with the common school of thought in equestrianism that you should remount as quickly as possible after a fall to ensure you don’t lose confidence, can be a recipe for disaster.
While remounting after suffering an innocuous fall can be a positive step, if the rider is showing any signs or symptoms of concussion they should not remount.
“Sixty-one percent of coaches have seen a parent pressure a young person into remounting after a fall,” says Graduate Sports Therapist Katy Stephens, owner of Bouncing Back Injury Clinic, who educated coaches about concussion at The Pony Club Coaching Conference at Hartpury College earlier this month. “It is important to be able to recognise the symptoms of concussion and prevent riders from remounting or remove them from the saddle if you have any doubts.”
Symptoms of concussion include drowsiness, headaches, nausea, change in emotional responses, sensitivity to light and issues with balance. While these symptoms can display themselves immediately they can also be delayed in their onset so it is important to monitor a rider for a few days after a fall and follow up if any of these symptoms start to develop.
“Concussion shouldn’t be feared as it can normally be dealt with by quality and appropriate care at home,” explains Katy. “What is more serious is diffuse cerebral swelling, also known as second-impact concussion, a second concussion which occurs minutes, days or weeks after another episode of concussion that has not yet healed. This is particularly dangerous if the first concussion wasn’t diagnosed and key professionals aren’t aware of the initial injury.”
Long term effects of repeated episodes of concussion include memory loss, persistent headaches, brain damage, depression and Alzheimer’s.
Children are more susceptible and vulnerable to concussion due to the fact that their brains are smaller and have more room for movement within their skull. Annual statistics from the NHS showed that from 175,000 admissions which had a primary diagnosis of concussion, 33-50% of them were in children under the age of 15.
Concussion is not only caused by a direct blow to the head, face or neck, it can also occur when a blow is received elsewhere on the body and an impulsive force transmits through to the head. Even if you have fallen off your horse and landed on your feet, the force can still be enough to cause concussion.
“If you are teaching a rider who has a fall and you are unsure whether they have concussion ask them some long- and short-term memory questions like ‘which pony are you riding today?’ and ‘what did we learn in our lesson last week?’” says Katy. “Make sure you know your riders so you can identify any behaviour or personality changes which could be symptomatic of concussion.”
Concussion is not an easy injury to diagnose, but if you are in any doubt as to whether someone you know has suffered from it following a fall then they should not be allowed to ride a horse until they have sought medical advice.
Open
Virtual or face-to-face appointments available.
Virtual appointments can be via phone, zoom, skype, teams or WhatsApp video call.
Face-to-face appointments will be slightly different moving forward. As usual I will be able to assess injuries and problems, when in close contact PPE (masks) will be used. These are back to pretty much normal and most people are choosing to see me in this way.
Online appointments have been a real success, I have been able to do talk clients through an assessment, self-treatment and rehabilitation with great success. I have been able to refer on for emergency imagining if it is deemed essential.
Please do not attend if you have had a positive test or COVID symptoms. When possible rearrange your appointment with as much notice as possible.
Katy@bouncingbackinjuryclinic.co.uk
07704633853
