Gorgeous and down to earth, Aniksha Dhamelia - Trivedi is a woman of many talents. She is a specialist in Musculoskeletal and Sports Physiotherapist. We caught up with her.

Tell us a little something about yourself Aniksha…

I am a UK trained physiotherapist with a BSc in Physiotherapy from Keele University. Currently, Director at Performance Medicine Kenya together with Altaf Mapara, at Nairobi’s leading physiotherapy clinics. I was previously practicing as a Senior Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist at the Royal Free NHS foundation Trust in the United Kingdom as well as working privately at R&D Physio clinics. My speciality is Sports Physiotherapy, Manual Therapy, Orthopaedic rehabilitation (Pre and Post Surgery), Cardiac rehabilitation (Cardiac disease, Respiratory disease, ICU management) and Neuro rehabilitation for a variety of populations.

When and how did you begin your journey in physiotherapy?

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Since my childhood, I have been an active sportswoman with a special interest in the medical field. This led to my chosen career in physiotherapy with the outlook of working with sports injuries and rehabilitation.

What exactly does your job entail?

Physiotherapy helps restore movement and function when someone is affected by injury, illness or disability through movement and exercise, manual therapy, education and advice. Physiotherapy helps maintain health for people of all ages, helping patients to manage pain and prevent disease. The profession helps to encourage development and facilitate recovery, enabling people to stay in work while helping them remain independent for as long as possible.

It must be quite hectic being constantly in tune with your patient’s needs. How do you stay motivated and what helps you to unwind? 

Every individual I see has a story to tell with regards to how the injury / disability has impacted their life. Being able to diagnose and establish a patient centred treatment plan to ensure they are able to return to their baseline function is vital. Having the ability to empower and instil confidence in my patients keeps me motivated knowing I can make a difference in someone’s life. I always make time to unwind at the gym, do yoga and catch up with my friends.

Can you describe a typical day in your life for us?

I typically start my day at 6am, where I run my morning routine. Leave the house for my first patient as early as 7am. Have a full day of back to back patients at the clinic, which is typically busier in the evenings. I spend the evening unwinding at the gym and with my family.

Several patients are recommended physiotherapy by their doctors but do not take it seriously. Why is this the case?

Physiotherapy is a science-based profession and takes a ‘whole person’ approach to health and wellbeing, which includes the patient’s general lifestyle. At the core is the patient’s involvement in their own care, through education, awareness, empowerment and participation in their treatment. You can benefit from physiotherapy at any time in your life. Every therapist must remain empathetic and ensure they instil resilience in their patient to get the most of their physiotherapy care.

What are you doing in order to spread the word about the importance of undergoing these therapies?

Constant education and making every patient contact count. Awareness through social media, various groups and involvement of other health professionals such as consultants, pharmacists, GPs etc on the importance of physiotherapy. This has improved in the last few years and a majority of the population seek conservative management as their first choice which is great.

What tips can you share for keeping the body in good condition?

Everyone experiences pain at some point in their lives. Long term pain can be debilitating and force the body to seize. The secret is, keep moving. Movement is medicine.  Having a routine of activity that you enjoy in the form of stretching, strengthening and mobility will keep your joints happy in the long run. This can vary from going to the gym, yoga or even a home routine of your choice. Muscles feel tight over a period of pro-longed activity hence as therapists we do recommend a regular massage to ease these tension areas.

With the Coronavirus fears, how has your work been impacted?

We decided to close our clinics due to the close contact nature of our work and to ensure our therapists and patients are safe. Social distancing is vital at this point and we are re-enforcing this. We are also providing virtual consults to ensure our patients are managing well at home.