The Key Moves™ Programme of Therapeutic Exercise and Movement Classes

If you keep doing the same thing you will get the same results

This saying can be painfully true for people with recurrent spinal pain and related disorders.

You can stop the cycle with the help of our classes. Our studies have shown that people’s problems are reflected in the way they move, so we tackle the underlying cause by helping you re-train your body to move more naturally and stop habits that have led to pain.

Daily clinical experience also shows us that people are often doing exercise and fitness programs that are adding to their problems.

We have developed the Key Moves™ therapeutic exercise and movement classes to help you get it right. You will learn how to change your movement patterns and develop awareness of how your body is meant to move.

We teach you simple but effective ways to overcome bad posture and breathing habits, healthy ways of stretching and strengthening and the correct way to position your body in daily activities such as sitting, bending and lifting.

The results can be impressive. Patients from teenagers to people in their 80s are finding significant and lasting benefits from the classes.

Index
What happens in the classes?
How long is the program?
Who can attend?
Location
Cost
Class levels
Basis of the program
Dates and timetable

What happens in the classes?

Classes are an hour long and kept to a maximum of around 10 people.

They are conducted by therapists from our practice who have undergone substantial training in the method.

The mat-work sessions involve a combination of floor exercises and antigravity sequences building upon these. Participants wear loose comfortable clothing preferably with bare feet. Mats, pillows, bolsters and other equipment is provided.

The class therapist will monitor you to see you are doing the exercises properly and will have been informed by your treating therapist of any things you should avoid.

How long is the program?

People should attend weekly for the full term. These run as for the public school terms and range between 9 and 11 weeks’ duration.

Classes are conducted at 3 levels – introductory, level 1 and level 2 (see details below)

Once they have learnt the basics, some people attend several classes a week, others have been doing classes for years as a basic routine that helps them manage their problem and stay pain-free.

Who can attend?

Classes are attended on the recommendation of your treating therapist. Anyone wishing to attend who is not a current patient must first be assessed by one of our therapists.

The classes are suitable for people of any age, with any level of fitness. They can also be done by those who have restricted movement due to injury or musculoskeletal problems.

Location

The classes are conducted in our exercise studio upstairs at 4/212 New South Head Road Edgecliff – across the road from the Eastpoint centre.

Cost

Costs are $27.50 per class – $275 per 10 week term or $302.50 per 11 week term (discounted to $24.75 if you attend two classes a week). This is payable at or before term commencement to secure your place.

Missed classes will not be refunded, but can be made up that term in other classes if there are vacancies. You must notify the clinic of you non-attendance before the class in order to qualify for doing a makeup class.

The amount of health fund reimbursement varies between health funds.

To enrol

Contact Nicole Crompton at the main reception by phone 9326 1168 or fax 9328 1695.

What happens at each level?

Introductory level

This initial level has a high education component to help you understand about, and experience selectively moving your body in ways that you will not be used to. This will include awareness of a ‘neutral spine’, proper ‘core control’ and ‘breath control’ which contribute towards the foundation control necessary for more healthy stability and strength in our movement system You are in some respects relearning how to move and also control ‘key’ regions – you will be relearning to move from the inside out and exercising your brain as much as your brawn!

Level one

This follows on from the introductory level with some content repetition as well as adding some increased challenge in controlling movement. Those of you with more entrenched problems will feel happier to stay in this level.

Level two

Participants in this level will have progressed from the level one classes or, in some circumstances enter directly from the preliminary module. The challenge to correct exercise and movement performance continues……

The basis of the program

The incidence of musculoskeletal pain – back and neck pain and related problems such as hip knee and shoulder pain, is increasing as our lifestyles have become more sedentary yet stressful.

We have generally adapted to this change with an altered response to our environment in the way our brain controls our posture and movements. Some muscles don’t work enough and others fire up too much – and then they habitually keep working that way. The issue is not necessarily one of ’stretch’ and ’strength’ but how we move. The solution is to ‘retrain the brain’ so that we move in a more healthy way.

We have observed that people with back and neck pain and related problems not only move differently, but also in predictably common patterns.

Accordingly, in being able to better describe ‘what’s wrong’, we have been able to develop this programme as a more specialised and tailored exercise resource for people suffering from spinal pain and related disorders. The programme is physiotherapy based and also draws on evidence from relevant scientific research; aspects of Pilates, Feldenkrais and Iyengar yoga and the influence of other respected thinkers who have helped increase our understanding of function.

Who developed it?

The Key Moves™ classes are based on extensive clinical research and clinical practical experience by Josephine Key and members of her team.

To learn more, we recommend you read the articles by our therapists on specific issues.

Dates and times

Classes are run in 9-11 week terms in tandem with the school terms

Term 1: 22/01/2010 - 01/04/2010
Term 2: 19/04/2010 – 02/07/2010
Term 3: 19/07/2010 – 24/09/2010
Term 4: 11/10/2010 – 17/12/2010

See Class Timetable details here.