Roger Taylor – LTA Davis Cup Captain
Dear Mike,
I just wanted to say thank you for doing such a tremendous job in getting Tim Henman fit to play in the Davis Cup Match against Thailand. I honestly wouldn’t have thought it was possible especially knowing how badly Tim was injured when you took charge of him.
British Tennis certainly owes you a big “thank you”.
Kit Symons – Crystal Palace FC & Wales
I had been out injured since the end of January 2002 with a groin and hip injury that had required two different lots of surgery. The second operation, to the hip, was causing me problems regaining fitness, and I was finding my recovery frustratingly slow. Luckily for me however some of my team-mates at Palace told me about SPORT DIMENSIONS and recommended that I paid them a visit.
I knew after my initial consultation that I had found somewhere that would help my return to first team football. I was so impressed with the knowledge and professionalism of the instructors that I arranged for two of the coaches from Crystal Palace to come to Chiswick and have a look themselves, they too thought the set up to be “first class”.
In the initial stages the one on one rehab was perfect for what I needed, but for me the most important thing was Mike’s ability to pinpoint my main areas of weakness.
Once this was achieved I was able to concentrate on strengthening these specific areas before resuming with the rest of my training. If I had not done this I am convinced I would have caused myself further setbacks.
Now that I am back in first team action, I am continuing to go to SPORT DIMENSIONS for maintenance training, but I also genuinely feel that with the expert help and advice I receive there it can make me a better player now and also add longevity to my career. Although the training is very structured and can be more than just a bit demanding at times, due to the atmosphere created by the staff you can’t help but leave the place with a spring in your step and a positive frame of mind. In fact I never knew being made to feel sick could be such fun!!!
Keep up the good work!
Ben Tait
Running was one of those things I thought I had down: like tying my own shoe laces and reciting the alphabet, this was something I had ticked off on the list of “stuff to learn by 28th birthday”. However, when several weeks of a slight niggle in the hamstring developed in to the temporary yet total inability to straighten my left leg, it occurred to me that perhaps a stiff upper lip and a bit of extra stretching weren’t going to cut it. Something wasn’t right.
Within 48 hours, four different people had recommended Sport Dimensions. Two are semi-professional multi-sport athletes I’m slightly in awe of so I was worried it might all be a bit advanced for me. But then, the next recommendation was from a sports therapist at a rival business, so I figured they must be pretty good. Finally, there was a teacher friend with a tennis elbow who said she liked it because you’re all extremely easy on the eye – that swung it.
What I found in Sport Dimensions was that rare thing: a professional team confidently, even effortlessly, embodying the qualities recognised and pursued in sports activity itself, at whatever level. The team clearly take great pride in working together, at the top of their game – it’s a complete package, with clear and coordinated communication between all of those looking after you, no matter what stage of rehab or re-training you’re at. The friendly informality of the interaction belies the attention to detail and level of care, and the atmosphere is entirely unintimidating: a rare quality in a specialist facility. So, they do exactly what they say they do, taking great pride in doing so, and as a result, they’re more than a little inspiring. Which is just as well, because when stumbling backwards uphill in the sort of rubber harness otherwise only found in a very specialist form of gentlemen’s club, a little inspiration goes a long way.
Twelve weeks later, the initial problem’s fixed, and I know what I need to do to stop it happening again. My legs are just about getting the hang of the new way of working and the fitness is coming back. It’s disappointing to be marshalling races I was supposed to be competing in, but they’ve left me with a training plan and a new set of targets and I know a lot more about my body and how to use it than I did a little while ago. I’m extremely grateful for what Sport Dimensions have done for me, and I fully intend, once competing again, to do ‘em proud.
Matthew Burgess
Dear all at Sport Dimensions,
I’d like to let you know (belatedly) how grateful I am for all the professionalism (yours), perspiration (mine) and pain (mine again) that went into rehabilitating my knee injury. It was really appreciated.
Thanks again.
Charlie Mole – Recreational Sport
Charlie underwent an ACL repair followed by 6 months of Physiotherapy. 12 months later he was still experiencing pain and weakness in the knee and was limited in his ability to participate in sport. He contacted Sport Dimensions and came for a 6 week programme using the Frappier Acceleration® system.
“In 6 weeks I improved my knee more than 6 months of traditional Physio…. I can now play all sports aggressively. Thanks a lot!”
Ben Stobart – Recreational Rugby
Over the last four years I have had two ACL reconstructions and seen countless Physios and rehabilitation ‘specialists’. After the second op a friend introduced me to Mike, and he and his team got me back playing, and that’s all I can really say, that is the best endorsement I can offer.
I have never been to anywhere like it. Sports Dimensions is without doubt the best Physio and rehab centre out there. Yes they are great people and help you through the mental side of your training. Yes they know their stuff and make all aspects of your training relevant. Yes you might be training alongside sport stars and serious athletes. Yes you will be worked hard and will learn new techniques that will help you train better in the future. But all of that is irrelevant….what you need to know is that, what they do, works, for everyone.
Their immediate attitude no matter what your sporting background is tremendous. They fix you and get you back to a better condition than you were before, it’s that simple, and at the end of the day not everyone can say that. Even if your goal is to run around for a social side on a Saturday they will put the same dedication and apply the same knowledge as if they were treating a professional sports star, of which they see many through their doors. The team is friendly yet serious about what they do, they don’t suffer fools but will endure faltering confidences.
I have recommended it to numerous friends and always recount the story of how I recovered after two ACL reconstructions and started to play rugby again when everyone wrote me off. So to all those people who I told to go here who did, your endorsement is probably hanging up next to mine and for all of those who didn’t, happy hobbling.
Alex Sanderson – Saracens RFC & England
“I have been a professional rugby player for 7 years, during which time I have represented my country, captained 2 premiership sides, and toured the world. The downside to such an illustrious career in sport has resulted in no less than 5 prolapsed discs, 3 cervical and 2 in the lumbar region. The most recent to L4/L5 didn’t respond well to a discectomy. Subsequent epidurals, pilates and physio treatments also did nothing to alleviate the symptoms.
My livelihood and future in rugby looked very bleak to say the least. This was until another player and friend of mine mentioned his remarkable recovery from the rugby scrap heap whilst being cursed with similar injuries.
The friend in question was none other than ex-England and ex-British Lion Matt Perry. Matt assured me that his rehabilitation and subsequent pitch success could not have been achieved without the support and expertise of the staff and equipment at Sport Dimensions. Through my own experience of training at Sport Dimensions, under guidance of the Physio’s, other athletes and trained physical conditioners, I have been able to reach levels of activity thought impossible by surgeons, and sceptical Physio’s alike – without the aid of further surgery. I am now confident that I will take to the field again come September, something which I myself doubted 6 weeks ago. Sport Dimensions is not a miracle cure, but it is a place which, when armed with enough motivation, allows miracles to happen!”
Amir Jamal – Lower Back Injury
A holiday accident in Sept 2001 left me with a serious lower back injury, unable to walk due to paralysis in the right leg. An MRI scan revealed that the disk between L5 and S1 was protruding into the spinal nerve. The doctors told me that surgery was an option I would have to consider.
Rejecting this, I embarked on a specific rehabilitation programme at Sport Dimensions. Only able to walk with a severe limp at first, I was sprinting within months and felt a greater sense of well-being. Most importantly, the majority of the motor and sensory nerve damage seems to have recovered to the astonishment of my original physiotherapist.
I would recommend Sport Dimensions to anyone wanting to get fit after injury or surgery.
Sue Day, England and Wasps
I was diagnosed as having a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament at the end of May 2003 and immediately had a reconstruction operation. My physio at the time told me the best I could hope for was a return to action in 9-12 months and even my consultant told me that only the most dedicated of Professional rugby players who, being Professional, are able to rehab all day every day, if required, make it back in 6 months.
Probably the best testament I can give to Mike and his staff here at Sport Dimensions is that, despite unfortunately(!) not being a Professional sports person, I was back on the rugby pitch playing competitive matches 6 months later.
Mike had me in the gym beginning my rehab, overseen by Jo Gilfillan one of the Sport Dimensions physios, within a couple of weeks. His experience, coupled with the extensive research on which the Frappier program is based, means that he is able to push rehabilitation, and the rehabilitating athlete, to their absolute limits, and therefore achieve speedy, and very successful, results.
It has been inspiring to have my rehab based at Sport Dimensions and highly motivating, in the dark lonely days of rehab, to share my sessions and experiences with other athletes rehabbing for a variety of other sports and reasons. I would absolutely recommend it to anyone.
George Ndah – Wolverhampton Wanderers FC
“After being out injured for 2 years, firstly with a broken ankle, then with a right quads tear, followed by a left quads tear, I came to Sport Dimensions and was put on a strict conditioning programme for 6 weeks. With the help and guidance of Mike and his team, I am now near enough ready to play my first game. I would like to thank Mike Antoniades, Kim, Jo, Steph, Susie and Mike for putting me through HELL in the nicest possible way! Thanks for restoring my faith guys.”
Hugo Lynch – Junior Rugby
I came to Sport Dimensions on the very outskirts of fitness; I had fractured my scapula playing rugby and had spent in excess of six months without much improvement. My dad was desperately looking for a treatment to fix my shoulder but had had no luck; this is when I found out about Sport Dimensions. My dad booked some appointments and I started up and I went from there. Sport Dimensions gave me back my health and given me added confidence for next season. I would recommend Sport Dimensions to anyone who is serious about their fitness or recovering from injury.
Graham Booth – ‘Bilateral ACL reconstruction? Not a problem!’
Over 10 years after my failing knees had forced me to give up football, squash and skiing, I finally had the diagnosis: detached ACLs in both knees along with cartlege damage. If I was ever again to play footie with my kids or step confidently down from a stepladder, the only solution was surgery.
Impressed with Sport Dimensions’ approach in a handful of prehab sessions, I started rehab 3 days after bilateral ACL reconstruction and cartilage repair at the start of March 2006. There followed 3 sessions a week at 7am for 12 months. We started with walking backwards on the bizarre Frappier running machine, enabling me to build leg strength immediately without pain. But I looked on enviously at the people I would see on the machine sprinting up 20 degree inclines, dreaming but not really believing that, in the future, it could be me.
Every session was planned to build my strength, speed and agility progressively, with members of the team personally coaching me with humour and expertise. Inevitably I had occasional setbacks as joint and muscle problems stored up during over a decade of compensating for my knees worked their way out. Each time, the team at Sport Dimensions were able to get straight onto the problem with an accurate diagnosis and a tailor-made solution. Over time, I was not only recovering my knee strength and flexibility but straightening my body out and building the core strength and balance important for my future fitness.
Testimony to their efforts was the fact that, 10 months after the op and for the first time in 15 years, I was back skiing. It was just half a dozen easy blues, but the knees gave me no problems and now I knew I could return to a sport I had loved but sadly accepted I would never do again. A year on from the op and, sure enough, I am the one sprinting up the inclines on the running machine, feeling fitter, stronger and more physically together than I have for 20 years.
Julien McGuire
I broke my ankle playing football at the trials for the Premier League Allstars football tournament on Sky One. However, I was selected to play for Middlesbrough at the competition and I only had 7½ weeks before my first game and 4½ of those were spent in plaster. This meant I only had 3 weeks once the cast was removed in which to recover.
I searched the internet for a specialist sports injury physio and luckily for me I came across Sport Dimensions. Not only did they have me jogging after 5 days but they had me ready to take part in the tournament. It was hard work but I am probably fitter and stronger than I have been in a long time.
I had the most amazing 5 days of my life as I helped lift the trophy for Middlesbrough and also scored one of the goals of the tournament. I could not have achieved this without the expert help and guidance of all the team at Sport Dimensions. Every member of the team knows the plan and their enthusiasm is infectious.
I would highly recommend Sport Dimensions to anyone.
Emma Kelso
” I came to Sport Dimensions with an achilles tendon injury, on the recommendation of a friend. As a keen recreational runner, the prospect of not being able to get out and enjoy running on a regular basis was not a pleasant one. Sport Dimensions took an approach to treating my injury, and subsequent rehabilitation, that took into account my own personal goal, which was not only to recover from injury, but to do so in a way that would allow me to return to running, and to minimise the risk of future problems.
For me, one of the key advantages of Sport Dimensions is that they go beyond the “usual” approach of simply making recommendations. Being able to go in and work on your rehab in the Sport Dimensions gym provides a regular opportunity to make sure you are doing your exercises properly, and to pick up more and more tips on how to aid your recovery. Every session is different, which keeps things fresh, and the staff are very approachable, knowledgeable and positive. The staff understood how important it was for me to be able to continue exercising during my treatment and rehabilitation, and they were full of advice on how I could do so safely. I would recommend Sports Dimensions to anyone who puts a high priority on their sport, and for whom simply stopping doing the activity they enjoy is not a long term solution.”
Graham Whitworth – ACL
First of all many many thanks for all your help with my rehab over the last 4 months or so. I never thought I would enjoy working so hard and been made to sweat so much! You guys made it so much fun and I am very grateful to everyone at Sport Dimensions for getting me back on track with my knee following 4 months of my own hard work with a physio who clearly had nowhere near the level of expertise and experience that you guys have. I dread to think what damage I could have done if I’d gone back to football with my knee in the state that it was in.
Craig Reilly – Builder / Roofer
Craig came to Sport Dimensions complaining of a groin strain. On assessment it was found that the pain in the groin was being referred from his lumbar spine. After 2 sessions the pain had completely resolved and has not recurred.
“I was very pleased with the outcome of my groin problem after seeing Jo. I will certainly be going back if another injury occurs.”
Martin Lee – Professional Tennis Player, GB
I had a serious knee operation last year which I knew would keep me out of competition for a long time. I went to Sport Dimensions while still limping and the first thing they did was teach me how to walk again!
The next few months the training got progressively harder with an emphasis on strength and power. Once I got back onto the tennis court, I knew that I had done the right rehabilitation work to prevent the injury reoccurring. We worked on the conditioning of all my body parts to ensure I was ready for competition.
The Sport Dimensions team taught me the correct techniques to make my body work in the right way. Rehabilitation is always made easier in an atmosphere you enjoy and when you work with other athletes who need similar training as me.
Mike and the team at Sport Dimensions are great, very supportive when you’re down and really know what they are doing. Going there accelerated my rehabilitation by three months! I now continue to train at Sport Dimensions for Speed & Power 1-2 times per week.
Caroline Willis (netballer/tennis player)
I had a tumour in my groin which fractured my hip and pelvis in three places. I spent over a year on crutches and suffered muscle and bone degeneration due to cancer and bone disease. Subsequently, I walked with a heavy limp, had a constant ache in my groin and would tire very easily. My surgeon advised that although it would improve over time, it was unlikely I’d be able to play netball again and that running was certainly out of the question. A very active and determined person, I wanted to prove everyone wrong and recover as quickly as possible. I felt that my prescribed physiotherapy was not enough so when a friend recommended Sport Dimensions, I contacted Mike to see if he’d be able to help.
After my initial consultation, Mike devised a personal rehabilitation programme to build up both my bone density and muscle strength through a variety of exercises, back peddle, weights and plyometrics. It didn’t take long for the benefits to show and after a few weeks I was not only feeling energised but much stronger both physically and mentally. Most importantly my confidence had been restored, made possible by the constant encouragement from Mike, Ulick and Georgie coupled with their professionalism and knowledge.
Now that I have built up my strength I have moved on to a different programme focusing on fitness. Training is how it should be – hard work but fun and it does wonders for the mind. My determination to get better was spurred being surrounded by such positive people and my radiologists and surgeons are nothing short of amazed by how quickly I have regained my strength and the improvement in bone density.
Despite Mike’s perpetual comments about running the marathon, this will NEVER happen – it may not be long before I’m strong enough to do so, but I am just far too stubborn and I hate running! If you’ve had an injury and want professional, intelligent advice, get yourself down to Sport Dimensions and let Mike and the team get you back on track.
Ferdy Unger Hamilton – Recreational Footballer
I was injured four years ago playing football and despite physiotherapy treatment I was unable to return to playing Saturday Football because of my Injuries. Sport Dimensions was recommended to me by my Physiotherapist. The individual training programme has made me stronger, faster and I have regained full mobility, I am now playing football again. I now train at the centre all year round to maintain my fitness and to avoid injuries.
Ade Akinbiyi, Crystal Palace
I had a serious knee injury last season that should have kept me out for almost a year, but the rehab work at Sport Dimensions has helped put me months ahead of schedule. Its hard work but the strength in my knee and in my other muscles has improved dramatically. If you’ve had an injury and are looking to get the best rehab possible – you should go and see Mike and the crew down at Sport Dimensions.
Chris Wood – Recreational Sport
I am writing to thank you for restoring me to rude good health! When you lose 75% of a cartilage and discover a very ropey ACL at the age of 54, the prognosis is not always encouraging. However a programme with you guys had me on skis and coming down black runs within 6 months, not-withstanding various physical set backs (beyond your control) along the way. Thanks for the expertise and encouragement from what is a great team. I enjoyed the process. Thanks again.
Euan McGlashan – Recreational Football
“I first attended Sport Dimensions 4 weeks following my operation to repair a torn ACL and medial ligament. After only 3 sessions I progressed from hobbling to walking freely. The professional approach, tailored programme, enthusiasm and encouragement the team at Sport Dimensions consistently deliver has enabled me to be 2 months in advance of my Consultant’s recovery plan, and to the position where I am on course to make a full recovery, running without pain or hindrance.”
Heather Bowen – Recreational Tennis
I was recommended to Sport Dimensions by a former client who gave a great endorsement to the treatment they received.
Before going to Sport Dimensions I could not walk down the stairs without feeling major pain in both of my knees and had to stop playing tennis, much to my dismay. After my sessions at Sport Dimensions I feel fantastic and can now run on a treadmill and enjoy it and have decided to take up running! All the staff were wonderful, and I found their friendly approach very nice, and really appreciate all the advice I received during the treatment and advice that they have given me to take away to avoid further injury.
What is ironic is that I planned on having five sessions but had more than that, I feel that every penny has been well spent as you get great value for your money in return.