Natalie Perkins, Physiotherapist
I am a Physiotherapist with an additional degree in exercise physiology with nearly 30 years of experience almost exclusively in the treatment of musculoskeletal conditions. I have travelled the world with a sport team for a decade, been involved with the treatment of Olympic athletes, professional footballers, elite gymnasts, high level rugby players, low level soccer players and nursing home patients and assisted mums, dads, kids, and grandparents with their pain and dysfunction. So I've pretty much treated the full spectrum of the community and until recently I relied on my hands... And my hands alone.
Over the course of my career I have trialled a number of various therapeutic devices, all promising miracle cures for my patients with a touch of a button but, whilst a number them did indeed have a positive therapeutic effect, they were never able to achieve the same results as I could achieve with my own hands... Until I had discovered the LymphaTouch.
I was shown the LymphaTouch by a colleague (Director of Rehabilitation Services at a world renowned Hospital) and on initial glance was not impressed. It looked like it was just a fancy, westernised form of Chinese Cupping (which I had used previously in my career with some good effect but again, found better results with my own 10 digits with the added value of not leaving alien love-bite marks on my clients). More out of politeness and respect for my colleague, I agreed to trial the device as he was interested in my professional opinion and I suspect quietly smug that he knew, despite my well known distain for 'toys' that I was going to be impressed. He was not wrong!
I was able to assess the soft tissue of the next few clients before and after the application of the LymphaTouch and had to reluctantly but excitedly concede that the device had indeed made a significant difference to the activity of the tissue. More than anything however I was impressed at how the result was achieved without any form of discomfort to the patient. Many times the manual soft tissue releases I have performed were incredibly effective but also unfortunately highly uncomfortable for the patient. I always maintained that if I could somehow achieve the same results that my hands did without the pain of treatment then I have hit the jackpot. With the LymphaTouch I have pretty much done that.
I now have a team of staff, all of whom fight possession of the LymphaTouch on a daily basis and, as a clinical educator for final year Physiotherapy students from both Australia and USA, each of them has left their clinical placement with me with the goal of getting a LymphaTouch into the first clinic they work in so they can continue to provide clients with the same great results that they were achieving on their clinical placement.
The application of the LymphaTouch is not only an asset for patient care (always the primary objective in mind) but also alleviates stresses on the hands of the therapist. My hands wish I had discovered this device years ago and whilst it cannot reverse the arthritic changes that have already occurred in my fingers, it most certainly will minimise further deterioration and already reduced the pain I previously experienced on a daily basis.
My single greatest criticism of the LymphaTouch is that previously patients would be in awe of the relief that my hands would give their aching bodies. They would tell me how amazing and skilled I was. Now they tell me how clever the LymphaTouch is and how much they love IT! The true genius of this device is that even the worst manual therapist will still get fantastic results using the LymphaTouch!