OUR TEAM
Mary Simpson
Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) registration number: 33232
Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (MCSP) registration number: 43069
Mary qualified as a physiotherapist in 1984 and has worked in the NHS, in private clinics, and for the MOD in England and Germany. Her very broad experience spans treating elite athletes, RAF aircrew and sports teams. She offers physiotherapy for patients with simple or complex injuries who just want to get back to work or their normal recreational activities.
Mary developed and led the physiotherapy department at RAF Cranwell for 25 years, specialising in hands-on therapy and rehabilitation, before starting her own physiotherapy practice at Willow House in 2013 in Billinghay, Lincolnshire.
Mary’s professional qualifications
Mary is a certified Functional Movement Systems practitioner and studied Sports Medicine at the National Sports Medicine Institute. She holds a postgraduate certificate in Occupational Health from the University of East Anglia and completed the Aviation Medicine Course for Physiotherapists at RAF Henlow. She gained a certificate in Healthcare Governance and an Edexcel Level 3 Award in Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector. She has completed McKenzie Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (Parts A to D).
Mary’s approach to physiotherapy
Mary always takes the time to really listen to her patients and their bodies, because they all respond differently to manual therapy and exercise. She then conducts a thorough assessment before discussing the treatment options.
This might include hands-on therapy to make small adjustments to your joints, connective tissue and muscles. You’re likely to be given a short set of exercises to do at home to maintain your improvements and address any areas of tightness or weakness that need to be worked on.
Mary finds that looking at someone’s movement patterns, and improving them with manual and exercise therapy, is the most useful way of helping them to experience a longer resolution rather than a short-term fix. Many physiotherapists simply concentrate on ‘the bit that hurts’, whereas Mary tries to get to the root cause; you often hear her describing that area as the victim while another part of the body is the culprit – and that’s the area that needs attention first!
Her goal is to help you make a full recovery, but some of her older clients have regular reviews and gentle treatment to help them maintain their mobility and carry on with their hobbies.
Physiotherapy to treat injuries
Among a wide range of treatments, Mary offers:
- physiotherapy to treat sports injuries, such as sprains and strains, tendon or ligament injuries
- physiotherapy for over-use injuries, including repetitive strain injuries (RSI), tennis elbow, rotator cuff injuries and shin pain
- physiotherapy for back pain, neck pain, and pelvic pain.
She also specialises in:
- rehabilitation after an injury or surgery
- rehabilitation after joint replacement surgery
- pre- and post-operative care
- advice about ergonomics.
Physiotherapy treatment techniques
Mary uses a variety of treatment techniques including:
- strain/counterstrain
- muscle energy techniques
- manipulative physiotherapy
- soft tissue massage
- functional movement screening
- exercise therapy
- myofascial release
- taping, including Kinesiology Tape and RockTaping
- TRX Suspension Training
- muscle energy techniques
- Clinical Pilates.
Continuing professional development
Mary undertakes extensive professional development to add to her ‘clinical toolbox’ and develop her physiotherapy expertise. In any given year, her training could take her anywhere from the UK to South Africa or the USA. This enables her to use a wide range of physiotherapy assessment and treatment techniques. She collaborates with doctors and has been in theatre to observe orthopaedic surgery; she also learns from the personal trainers and the Pilates and yoga instructors she works with.
The following courses have been especially useful in identifying areas for treatment:
- Kinetic Control
- Integrated Manual Therapy
- ConnectTherapy™
- The Thoracic Ring Approach™
- Strain/Counterstrain courses.