Choose Your Physio
We have brought together a team of Physiotherapists at The PhysioStudio all of whom excel in their own specialist fields of Physiotherapy.
When booking your initial appointment we aim to put you with your choice of physiotherapist or the physiotherapist who would best suit your needs
The PhysioStudio physiotherapists are members of the Health Professions Council, and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. We are registered with all major health insurance companies and attend regular post-graduate training to stay abreast of current changes. In addition, the clinic also has a regular in-house training programme.
Our holistic approach to physiotherapy extends to the investigation of basic mechanical defects and body dysfunctions that are caused as a consequence of internal and external influences. These can include stress levels in the body, cranial and pelvic distortions, and work and leisure activities.
All our therapists' manual therapy skills focus on a practical approach to treating neck, back, shoulder, knee and other limb injuries. This ensures that essential analytical evaluation and treatment techniques are used in alleviating pain and solving problems efficiently and effectively.
All of our physiotherapists treat the whole body but in addition have certain specific interests in (for example) shoulders, knees etc... and because we have a varied team they refer patients to one another if they feel it would be beneficial for the patient.
Mike Chisholm
After a 5 year spell with the RAF flying in Maritime Command and whilst training as a navigator Mike suffered a serious knee injury, and was discharged on medical grounds. He re-trained as a Physiotherapist graduating in 1995 with a BHSc in Physiotherapy. He has worked in the NHS and Private Practice and with Leeds Rugby League, Plymouth Albion Rugby Union and Harlequins (U21) rugby teams. In 1998 he graduated from University College London with an MSc in Neuromusculoskeletal Rehabilitation and became a member of the Manipulative Association of Chartered Physiotherapists (MMACP). He is also qualified in the use of acupuncture and has passed advanced exams in intra-muscular stimulation, also known as the Chan Gunn technique.
In 1999 he started working with the British International Rowing Squad and looked after the team at altitude camp just prior to the 2000 Olympics; he has now completed his third Olympic cycle with them. Mike then joined the Royal Ballet Company and after 18 months took on the role of Lead Physiotherapist. Through his work at the Royal Ballet he developed an interest in Pilates which he has developed and adapted through his work with athletes. In April 2005 Mike began working at the English Institute of Sport treating athletes from a variety of disciplines but predominantly working with Rowing. In April 2007 Mike took up the post of Lead Physiotherapist to the GB Adaptive Rowing Squad and accompanied them to a successful Beijing Paralympics where the team collected two golds and a bronze medal.
Katie Bentley
Katie qualified as a Physiotherapist in 2000 from Birmingham University. After working in the NHS for 3 years she specialised in musculoskeletal out-patients. Katie has worked in New Zealand where she gained an interest in sports and work related injuries and had the great opportunity of working with the Maori All Blacks Physiotherapist.
On returning to the UK Katie worked in a busy Private Hospital based clinic where she worked closely with some of the top Orthopaedic Surgeons in the country, and gained a special interest in shoulder rehabilitation. She now very much enjoys the challenge of working with complex shoulder conditions and rehabilitation of unstable shoulders.
Katie also specialises in Vestibular rehabilitation, which involves the treatment of balance disturbances and dizziness related to inner ear dysfunctions. She finds this a very rewarding condition to treat and is keen for people who do suffer from dizziness to realize it can often be helped with Physiotherapy.
Katie uses a wide range of clinical skills including myofascial release techniques, Acupuncture and Pilates. She is continually updating her knowledge and skills through ongoing professional development. Katie has also completed her post graduate qualification in Orthopaedic Manual Therapy at the University of Western Australia.
Nicky Pinnell
Nicky graduated from Southampton University in 2002 and worked for the NHS for over six years. Developing her skills in areas of musculoskeletal and chronic pain management she took a particular interest in acupuncture and Pilates (including antenatal) as ways to help treat these problems. After leaving the NHS Nicky travelled to New Zealand where she worked in private sports injury and Pilates clinics. Whilst there she studied fascial release techniques and uses them regularly to aid recovery and the return to normal movement patterns.
Upon her return from New Zealand Nicky joined The Physio Studio. Nicky uses a combination of mobilisations and manipulation techniques, fascial release, acupuncture and Pilates in order to offer her clients a comprehensive and holistic treatment approach.
Nicky has completed a two year diploma in Cranio-Sacral Therapy, a very gentle, noninvasive technique that helps to release restrictions in the body and rebalance the nervous system.
Siliva Tufuga
Originally from New Zealand, Siliva qualified in 1996 with a Bachelor of Physiotherapy from the University of Queensland, Australia, and has worked extensively in the NHS over the past 10 years. His previous team-lead post of an orthopaedic assessment service involved leading a team of advanced clinical specialists and working very closely with local consultant surgeons. He has gained valuable experience in MRI, xray and diagnostic blood tests. Siliva also has advanced clinical skills and knowledge of which orthopaedic conditions will not respond to physiotherapy, and ultimately require a surgical opinion, which allows him to effectively manage a wider range of painful injuries.
He has also worked throughout Australia and Italy, gaining vast experiences in many different health services and settings. In this time he also worked extensively with many regional representative sports teams, culminating in his selection as a sports team physiotherapist for the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
Siliva has developed highly advanced skills in manual and manipulative therapy, which research has proven to be very safe and relieves pain, and is in the process of finishing his MSc in manual therapy.
He is also fully qualified to inject all soft tissue and joint injuries. These steroid injections are very safe, can be painless and normally require just a one-off injection. He is especially well placed to offer this considering his expertise in the movement dysfunction that is very often the cause of common conditions such as muscle tears of the shoulder, tennis elbow, arthritic hand pain, hip "snapping" and knee pain. This injection service at PhysioStudio provides local patients with immediate access to a recognised expert clinician who is able to offer steroid injections for injuries that may require immediate and significant pain relief.
Diane Wootton
Diane is a Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist with over 20 years experience in treating male and female bladder and bowel incontinence, pelvic floor dysfunction and pelvic pain.
She trained at The Middlesex Hospital in London and took a postgraduate course to gain full membership of the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Women’s Health. Diane has also passed the Acupuncture Association of Physiotherapists course to enable her to use acupuncture in women’s health.
Her other business interests include lecturing to other healthcare professionals, and working as a committee member for Chartered Physiotherapists Promoting Continence.
She has a particular interest in rehabilitating men after prostate surgery and treating women after childbirth to strengthen their pelvic floor muscles. Her other main treatments are for chronic pelvic pain and the use of acupuncture in women's and men’s health.