Sue mills mcsp chartered physio & founder of Unlocking parkinsons (Romsey, UK)

Having worked as a chartered musculoskeletal physiotherapist since 1986 in a variety of NHS hospitals and private clinics, in 1990 I decided to set up my own private physio clinics in Hampshire and Dorset. 

Most of my work over the years has been in musculoskeletal medicine, sports injuries, back pain, headaches etc although I did a short spell in neurology too. However, despite a varied, full and exciting career, nothing has quite captured my attention and interest as to when I came across Douglas Heel and his Be Activated muscle activation system.

By using the Be Activated approach in combination with manual physio skills we tackled our patients conditions ranging from tennis elbow , headaches, back neck pain, post surgery, joint replacements you name it, with incredible and quick results. We were all hooked! My practice has never been busier.

BEV PORRINO - MNMPT & BE ACTIVATED THERAPIST & YOGA INSTRUCTOR

My first experience of Be Activated was bewilderment. How could one fat thumb create so much confusion and euphoria at the same time? I had my diaphragm released by Douglas Heel a number of years ago and I haven't looked back. It was on one of these courses that I met Sue Mills and I am truly grateful for that. She's inspiring, curious and ridiculously motivated which is why the Parkineers was born.  The pilot study was incredible. To be able to support these dear people who were brave and willing enough to explore unknown possibilities without question was a privilege. To see them experience changes every day was, to be quite frank, one of the most inspiring things I have ever witnessed.

Each person had different reactions and results but all of them showed significant improvement in balance, mobility, coordination and strength, and some also speech, and this happened throughout the tests and exercises that they were assessed on. By the 3 rd day I was shocked and thrilled that at least 3 people had lost the 'masque- like' expression that is familiar with Parkinson’s. They no longer looked like they had the condition. It was truly amazing. 

Using Activations in my work has changed the way I treat people. It completely re-educated me. I look at the body very differently now. I have more success treating injuries and because the technique is so methodical I can teach a good part of it on to my clients, which is seriously empowering. 

So far as a therapist it is the best thing I have very learned.

mARI-LISE VISSER mcsp chartered physio & be activated therapist (Romsey, UK)

Mari-Lise qualified from the University of Free State in South Africa in 2012 with a BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy. She worked mainly in private practice in South Africa as well as with a number of rugby and netball teams. Mari-Lise completed a post graduate study towards a qualification in Orthopaedic Manipulative Therapy with the OMPTO in South Africa. 

Also, Mari-Lise has represented her country in both netball and horse riding, where her interests for physiotherapy developed towards sports injuries and rehabilitation as well as lower back and neck pain also.

Stephen POOLE MSCP CHARTERED PHYSIO & BE ACTIVATED THERAPIST (Romsey, UK)

I have been an MSK physiotherapist for over 20 years. I was fortunate to come across neuromuscular activation 6 years ago. It has been a revelation, and taken my clinical practice to a level that I had not experienced before. Being an MSK physiotherapist, I was sceptical at first about using the method on patients with Parkinson’s. However, I could have not been more wrong. With guidance from Sue Mills and Douglas Heel, I have been able to apply the method with a high degree of success. It has allowed me to help a group of patients who I would have been unable to do so before.

I have been lucky to participate in a pilot study with Unlocking Parkinson’s that was incredible, and very inspirational. Neuromuscular activation is not a cure for Parkinson’s, but it certainly is the next best thing

DOUGLAS HEEL - MCSP & FOUNDER OF BE ACTIVATED

I kept questioning  ‘If what I’ve been taught was actually right – should it not work much better? Is this really the way we function?”
The body is such an amazing thing, yet the results seemed so limited.

Now I am very clear, if we do the right thing, the body will respond immediately. I have been teaching this for over  a decade.  Not only can we overcome patterns of pain and limitation, but we can set the body on a new path that stops these patterns coming back, and allows the body to go from strength to strength.

Sharing and teaching these ideas brings me great joy and energy. People, their lives and their stories are amazing.  My role is to help facilitate you to unlock all that amazing potential.

Be Activated isn’t just about techniques, It is about helping you tune into to yourself, feeling what is right for you.

Your body knows what you need and the answers are usually way more simple than we think.

I always challenge practitioners on workshops with “What if everything you know to be true is wrong? And what if you were okay with that?” It means you stay open to all possibilities.

It’s what’s got me here, and I never stop asking it.

emily stevens mcsp chartered physio & be activated therapist(Romsey, UK)

I qualified from the University of Southampton in 2005 with a BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy and have worked predominantly in the musculoskeletal field since. I have experience across both the NHS and private hospital healthcare and joined Sue and her team in Romsey in 2018.  I have always taken a specific interest in helping those with musculoskeletal pain and when Sue introduced me to activations and learning the ‘Be Activated’ system it has inspired me and brought a whole new level to my work.

The Parkinson’s pilot study was a real eye opener. Seeing patients who I have never met walk in one way and walk out completely different was just extraordinary.

EMILY PRATT - BE ACTIVATED THERAPIST AND SPORTS MASSAGE THERAPIST

I have been lucky enough to be surrounded by….