About Vanessa Cooper

Vanessa is a highly skilled Physiotherapist with over 26 years postgraduate experience, the greater part of which has been in outpatient musculoskeletal therapy. She has focused extensively on general orthopaedic, sports and spinal injuries (back and neck pain treatment and rehabilitation). She is registered with the HCPC (Health and Care Professions Council) and CSP (Chartered Society of Physiotherapy).

Her main area of interest has been exercise-rehabilitation with Clinical Pilates and strength exercise regimes in the gym. The education and safety of exercise post injury and during pregnancy or in the postpartum population. As a runner she has completed the Runity course and enjoys treating runners and athletes and seeing their return to the sport.

She treats a wide range of musculoskeletal injuries with a special interest in chronic pain and rehabilitation through exercise therapy. After completing the Pregnancy and Postpartum Exercise Specialist course, a large focus of her work has been the assessment and management of pregnant and postpartum women with education and exercise therapy. Teaching the importance of correct pelvic floor functioning and pressure management, prevention of diastasis and safety of exercise. In the postpartum population, which has included ladies from all ages from young to menopausal ladies, she has worked on strengthening and safe return to exercise programmes.

Vanessa is a qualified Clinical Pilates instructor. Clinical Pilates includes training individuals in a clinical environment using all Pilates equipment. It is suitable for those wanting to improve their mobility and strength, and those with injuries. These rehabilitation sessions are conducted in a private or semi-private sessions where individuals are supervised with hands-on facilitation and individualised programs. Vanessa also works with clients in a class setting, teaching Pilates reformer classes.

Physiotherapy treatments are conducted in a private setting where after a thorough assessment, the client is treated with a focus on musculoskeletal therapy and muscle activation techniques. Vanessa has operated private practices in South Africa and Australia and worked in various hospitals in the United Kingdom and South Africa.

She has worked with athletes competing in the Paralympics doing sports massage and treatment for the South African swimming and basketball teams. She has also worked with athletes in the South African Olympic squad doing sports massage and treatment for the South African Canoeing team.  She has also worked with rugby union players doing sports massage for the Gauteng Lions provincial rugby team and in rugby league doing sports massage for the South African Rugby League team competing in the Rugby League World Cup in Australia.