Back row (left to right): Karen Irons, Claire Jeffries, Lesley Acres (resigned from Committee), Ankie Postma, Claire Harris, Lou Gay, Nicola Stephens Front row (left to right): Susi Gaikwad, Juliette O'Hea, Heather Harrison, Louise Preston
The ASTRETCH Committee - Click on name for Biographies
Juliette O’Hea Physio’ advisor to NASS Founder/Website Karen Irons Portsmouth
Secretary Claire Jeffries Portsmouth Membership Secretary / course Organiser Louise Preston Cannock Treasurer Lou Gay Bath Heather Harrison York Claire Harris Northwick Park Chairman Susi Gaikwad Grimsby Website / communications officer Jane Martindale Wrightington Hospital Biographies
Juliette was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis (A.S) at physio school in 1983. Following a significant flare-up in 1991, she started specialising in rheumatology and has never looked back. Her first post was under Dr Ian Gaywood at Princess Margaret Hospital as a metrologist. She then joined Dr Andrei Calin's AS research team in Bath, developing the Bath A.S functional Index (BASFI). At Christchurch Hospital, she was fortunate to gain further experience under the watchful eye of Sue Fletcher and the excellent rheumatology team. Whilst at Christchurch, she completed a post-graduate diploma and masters degree as part of the advanced rheumatology clinical practice degree course at Bournemouth University. With this extra experience, she was able to create rheumatology practitioner posts at both Southampton and Salisbury hospitals. Her physiotherapy role continues as physiotherapy advisor to NASS helping to run courses for physiotherapists on A.S management.
Juliette has opened up NASS groups in Salisbury and Bognor and is the author of the A.S physiotherapy chapter in the current edition of Tidy's physiotherapy. Aware of the great interest in A.S from physiotherapists and specialist nurses, she came up with the idea of starting AStretch in 2001.
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Karen graduated from Coventry University in 1996 with a First Class Honours Degree in Physiotherapy. Karen’s career has seen her move through seniority to her current posts as Senior Physiotherapist in Primary Care with Portsmouth City Primary Care Trust as well as with the 47th Regiment Royal Artillery, Baker Barracks, Emsworth.
As part of her undergraduate training, Karen developed a specific interest in Hydrotherapy. This led to an undergraduate dissertation assessing the influence of immersion upon lung function and she has published a review on this subject in “Physiotherapy” and presented her results at the Physiotherapy Annual Congress in 1999. More recently Karen has specialised in the Neuromusculoskeletal field and was awarded an MSC in Manipulative Physiotherapy by the University of Brighton in November 2003. Karen’s interest in outcome measures and valid / reliable assessment techniques led her to research physiotherapist ability in the assessment of deep abdominal muscle activity – specifically Transversus Abdominis. Karen presented the results of this research at the Physiotherapy Annual Congress 2004.
Karen has a long-standing history with the local NASS and arthritis care hydrotherapy groups in the Portsmouth area. She was physiotherapist for both groups for over 5 years and only retired from these positions in early 2003 to pursue her MSc studies and research. Karen is a founder member of the AStretch steering group for AS and acts as the groups secretary.
Karen has organised and tutored physiotherapy workshops for the assessment and management of AS for over 4 years. An important role within this organisation has involved Karen reviewing and teaching outcome measures specific to AS, in particular the Bath Indices. Karen, along with Claire Jeffries, has recently published a booklet detailing the research behind the Bath Indices and given practical advice regarding the implementation of the Indices. This booklet has been printed in conjunction with NASS.
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Claire Jeffries, BSc Hons, MCSP, SRPClaire graduated from Southampton University in 1996 with an Honours Degree in Physiotherapy. She has worked as a Chartered Physiotherapist in Portsmouth since qualification and took the post of Team Leader for Hydrotherapy and Rheumatology in 2001.
Claire successfully completed the one month residential Bath Hydrotherapy course in July 2002. With an increasing interest I AS, she joined the team of physiotherapists running the local NASS group in the same year. Claire is also a founder member of the AStretch steering group for AS and acts as membership /contact secretary for the group.
Over her last three years within her current NHS role, Claire has worked on the redevelopment of the local physiotherapy assessment and treatment approaches of AS patients in Portsmouth. In particular, she has overseen the transition of physiotherapy assessment to the Bath Indices and subsequently designed a new AS Trust Assessment form. Claire also worked closely with Karen Irons to produce a booklet about the Bath Indices, that was issued along with the new assessment forms at the Portsmouth Physiotherapy Annual Profession Day.
Claire’s work has also extended into presentation of AS assessment to Physiotherapists within her tree local NHS Trusts, as a member of the Solent Rheumatology Forum Group and with various medical / drug companies involved with AS. Claire’s most recent projects involve working alongside her Rheumatology Colleagues helping develop protocols for the screening of AS patients for anti-TNF therapy within the Portsmouth area. Claire has also recently sat on the Wessex Consensus forum for anti-TNF therapy and AS patients. Claire works closely with Karen Irons to organise and tutor physiotherapy workshops for the assessment and management of AS patients.
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Louise graduated in 1985 from the University Hospital of Wales (Cardiff) and has since worked around the Midlands and Staffordshire area.
As her career progressed she developed an interest in Rheumatology, completing the postgraduate RCACP Rheumatology course and injection therapy course. She is currently Clinical Specialist at Cannock Chase Hospital, working within a dedicated specialist unit. Her main interests lie with AS and is responsible for screening and monitoring patients for biologic therapy and co-ordinating the thriving NASS group. She regularly lectures at under and postgraduate levels at local universities as well as patient focused forums.
Louise also works in a busy private practice. She is involved with British Gymnastics, and currently UK athletics disability field event athletes. This has led to extensive travel both nationally and internationally providing medical cover at major competitions and training camps.
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Heather Harrison, MCSP, SRP
Heather graduated from Oswestry & North Staffs School of Physiotherapy in 1993. She worked first in Shrewsbury as a basic grade before moving to York in 1996. In York she moved to a senior I position in rheumatology.
In 1999 / 2000 she completed the RCACP course Management of Rheumatological Condition. Developing a particular interest in AS Heather set up the York & District NASS group in 1997 and the group continues to meet weekly.
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Claire qualified as a Chartered Physiotherapist in 1984 at St. Mary’s Hospital, London. She worked as a junior physiotherapist at Mount Vernon and Harefield Hospitals in Middlesex. In 1987 she moved to Northwick Park Hospital, West London, initially as a Senior II in Orthopaedics, and then moving to a Senior I position in Rheumatology were she developed her interest in AS patients whilst running the local NASS group.
After a career break, to take a Cordon Bleu cookery course, Claire returned to work to set up and run the Physiotherapy dept. at a new private hospital being built within the grounds of Mount Vernon Hospital. She then took a further career break to move to the USA for six months whilst her husband was studying, and then took time off to look after their child.
In 1996 Claire then returned to Northwick Park Hospital, West London, as a part-time Senior Physiotherapist to work in an AS clinic and to help run the NASS group.
Claire is still at NPH, and is currently involved in the assessment of AS patients being treated with Anti-TNF and is also involved in AS education groups and in encouraging AS patients to exercise at a local leisure centre. She still runs the local NASS group.
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Susimala GAIKWAD, BSc, MCSP, SRP
Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist in RheumatologySusi graduated from the University of Madras, India in 1986. She worked in a busy orthopaedic/neurology unit for two and a half years whilst in India and then had the chance to work for eighteen months in Saudi Arabia.
She commenced working at the Diana Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby as a Staff Physiotherapist in 1992 undertaking a variety of clinical rotations. In 1998 she became a Senior I Physiotherapist in Rheumatology. This role involves not only responsibility for the care of rheumatology patients but also expertise in hydrotherapy and there fore pool management. She completed Levels 1 & 2 hydrotherapy courses in 1999 and 2001. She is particularly interested in patients with AS and joined the AStretch Steering Group and has been an active member since 2001 She has established regular intensive Physio courses for patients with AS in the hospital setting which she has found rewarding to the patients.
Susi started NASS branch in Grimsby in September 2004, which meets each Tuesday evening. She is currently working with the Rheumatology specialist nurses in Grimsby in order to assess patients for anti-TNF drugs
Susi had successfully completed master's degree in evidence based practice at the University of York ,this enabled her to write up a dissertation topic related to her favourite Ankylosing spondylitis condition.
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Mrs Jane Martindale
Clinical Specialist PhysiotherapistJane has worked as part of the Rheumatology Team at Wrightington Hospital for 25 years. She is currently a clinical specialist in rheumatology with an extended scope practitioner role as well as leading a team of physiotherapists in rheumatology. She a founding member and vice chair of the Rheumatology Forum North West which initiates study days and sharing of best practice for the MDT in rheumatology throughout the North West of England for the past fifteen years.
Jane has been studying for a PhD at the University of Central Lancashire and this has enabled her to conduct a number of research studies. Her special interest is in Ankylosing Spondylitis and she has presented her work both nationally and internationally. Her recent work entitled ‘Disease and Psychological Status in Ankylosing Spondylitis’ was published in ‘Rheumatology ’ in 2006 and highlighted that psychological status has an impact upon disease perception for these patients.
A further qualitative study as part of her PhD project was presented at The British Society of Rheumatology Meeting in 2007. This study has helped to further enhance the original findings from the quantitative study and she is now in the final stages of completing her thesis.
Jane has also been invited to present her paper entitled ’Sustained Disease Activity in AS’ at the American College of Rheumatology Meeting in Boston in November 2007.
Current List of Publications and Abstracts
Martindale J, Smith J, Sutton C J, Swinson D, Goodacre J. A five-year study of clinical and psychological measures in 95 patients with Ankylosing spondylitis. Rheumatology; 40; 12001; 116
Martindale J, Smith J, Sutton C J, Swinson D, Goodacre J. A longitudinal study of clinical and psychological status in Ankylosing Spondylitis. Rheumatology; 4; 2005; 1; No 116
Martindale J, Smith J, Sutton C J, Grennan D, Goodacre L, Goodacre J A. Disease and Psychological Status in Ankylosing Spondylitis. Rheumatology; 45; 2006; 1; 1288-1293
Martindale J, Smith J, Sutton C J, Grennan D, Goodacre L, Goodacre J A. An investigation of the associations patients make between changes in disease status and the impact of change on their psychological health. Rheumatology; 46; 2007; 1; No 430.Martindale J, Smith J, Sutton C J, Grennan D, Goodacre L, Goodacre J A.
Sustained Disease Activity in AS. A prospective Study.Arthritis and Rheumatism. Vol 56, No 9 (supplement) Sept 2007. S320, Abstract 752
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email: astretch@astretch.co.uk - web: http://www.astretch.co.uk
