Following qualification as an State Registered Occupational Therapist (SROT) with BSc (Hons) from Oxford Brookes University in 1993, and registering with the Health Professions Council (HPC) Alison worked within several healthcare fields and developed a special interest in Pain Management, with a focus on the treatment of Back Pain in 1995, whilst employed by a leading NHS Trust.
Since then she has become increasingly involved in the treatment of work related illnesses such as upper limb, neck and back disorders.
In 1998 Alison was involved in a government funded New Deal project for Musculo-skeletal conditions. Her main focus was to help people get back to work who had been off sick or unemployed due to back pain, neck pain, wrist pain etc. This was a most rewarding project and due to government interest, had a high profile within the healthcare industry. She helped employees in a variety of industries return to work, including in those the car manufacturing industry, the telecommunications industry and also leading national banks and building societies. It was and is crucial for the employer and the employee to be supported by a healthcare professional in these circumstances.
Today more employers recognise the value of looking after their employee's health at work. Most recently Alison has been employed by another large London NHS Trust as a Back Care and Manual Handling Advisor, assessing the musculo-skeletal health of all employees in the trust; from the nursing and other medical staff through to the desk-based staff working on computers all day. All staff require education and training to look after themselves and assess the risks in their working environment, and help and advice to find practical day to day solutions.
Alison keeps up to date in this expanding field taking an active role in several organisations, such as The British Association of Occupational Therapists, BackCare (the Charity for Healthier Backs), the RSI Awareness organisation and The Ergonomics Society. She is also an active member in the OT Work Practice & Productivity (OTWPP) and belongs to the OTs in Independent Practice (OTIP) both specialist sections of the College of Occupational Therapists. She is also a member of the Vocational Rehabilitation Association (VRA).
Alison has spoken at Back pain prevention conferences for the British Dental Association, lectured on Vocational Rehabilitation at the National Back Exchange Annual Conference and to other groups of health professionals and helped update texts on Back Pain Treatment.
Healthywork Ltd employs a number of associates who are all highly qualified in this field and their own areas of expertise. These professionals can conduct assessments, treatment and training as required.