Lockdown is here again, but the doors at Bridge Health & Wellbeing are staying open for physiotherapy treatment in Christchurch, Dorset. At the start of the Spring lockdown, the clinic was temporarily closed for all face-to-face contact. But the team were able to open the physiotherapy clinic again in June 2020 with strict COVID-secure procedures in place.
This lockdown 2.0, the clinic doors will be staying open and it is business as usual (well, business as COVID-usual!) for physiotherapy treatment. In fact, for some patients, these next few weeks could be a great opportunity to get an injury treated and make some real progress back towards fitness. With increasing numbers of people working from home, the clinic has recently seen a rise in back-related injuries. The last lockdown also saw people trying out new sports and taking the opportunity of being off work to try new activities, which led to overuse injuries. This time in winter, inactivity could be more of a problem. Doing less sport, less socialising and less activity, in general, can lead to niggles, aches and pains which, if not treated, can become quite debilitating. With shorter days and colder temperatures, focussing on wellbeing and being pain-free will be more important than ever.
Paul O’Connell, physiotherapist and co-founder of Bridge Health & Wellbeing said: “I really feel for the many business owners that are having to close their doors again during this lockdown. It has been a blow for us to see our wellbeing classes studio close, just a few months after reopening. We were also just about to launch a range of new classes including small-group Strength and Conditioning sessions and Mindfulness classes.
But thankfully this time physiotherapy is unaffected and we can continue to treat our patients. In line with guidance from the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP), we have a range of stringent COVID-19 policies in place. These are designed to control the risk of a member of staff or a patient from contracting COVID-19. All appointments are pre-booked and we limit the number of patients in our building at any one time to allow for cleaning in between. We also use all the appropriate PPE and provide PPE as well as health screening for patients. Their safety is just as important as ours.”
The studio has had to close for Pilates and Yoga classes but sessions will be ‘re-Zooming’ online. Bridge Health & Wellbeing had continued with some Zoom classes anyway, as some clients prefer the flexibility of being able to join a class from the comfort of their own home. The online timetable has been increased to allow face-to-face clients to continue their wellbeing classes over the next few weeks.
The current ‘lockdown’ timetable for interactive online Pilates and Yoga classes can also be viewed on the Bridge Health & Wellbeing website, with bookings made by calling 01202 473800 or booking directly online. www.bridgehw.com
Bridge Health & Wellbeing is a friendly, family-run clinic in the heart of Christchurch in Dorset, with high quality physiotherapy, state-of-the-art gym facilities, expert Pilates and yoga classes to help clients get better, build strength and feel happy and healthy in mind and body. More information on their COVID-19 policies and procedures is available on their website.