Weekly Sessions
 

The weekly sessions normally alternate between a physiotherapy session one week and a Hydrotherapy session the next week. The physiotherapy is held in the Gymnasium of the Physiotherapy Dept. at Brighton General Hospital, Elm Grove, Brighton and the hydrotherapy is held in the Hydrotherapy pool at Downs View School, Warren Road, Woodingdean, BN2 6BB (only available during school term time). Often transport to the sessions can be arranged if required. A monthly schedule is available detailing when each type of session is taking place.

Participation in the Gym/Hydro Sessions

It is important to stress that all sessions are conducted on a flexible and informal basis for the benefit and fun of all participants. They should not be viewed as competitive or regimented in any way. You should attempt only those things that you feel comfortable doing, and which you have been advised to do, or which the Group physiotherapists advise that you should do. Whilst regular attendance at the sessions is to be encouraged, some people are simply unable to do this for a number of reasons, but you should not be put off from simply attending whenever you can. Once every month is better than not at all, because every attendance is not only beneficial to you but also helps support the Group, and so by attending you not only help yourself, but others as well. Many people with AS are very self conscious of their body image and maybe reluctant at first to exercise with others or appear in a swimming costume, especially if they have not undertaken Group activities before. However you should appreciate that many people feel this way, even if they do not openly show it. So take consolation in the fact that you are not the only one that feels this way, and join in and you will soon realise how beneficial coming to the Group can be.

The Hydro Sessions

Hydrotherapy sessions are held in the Hydrotherapy pool at Downs View School, Warren Road, Woodingdean, E. Sussex BN2 6BB. (See separate pool information sheet, which includes a map showing the School’s location.) The pool is very clean, modern and has excellent facilities, which include separate male and female changing rooms, each of which has its own toilets and showers. The group provides the use of floats and buoyancy aids, but you should bring your own swimming costume and towel. Car parking space is available within the school grounds. Stretches carried out in warm water are recognised as being of particular benefit to people with Ankylosing Spondylitis and the Brighton AS Group is fortunate to have facilities such as those at Downs View School available to them. The Group is able to have exclusive use of the pool from 6.30 p.m. until 8.00 p.m. on the appropriate Thursday evenings. These sessions are supervised by two physiotherapists, one of whom normally enters the pool to assist with the demonstration of stretches. The pool is 12 metres long by 6 metres wide, and is maintained at a pleasantly warm temperature between 92 and 94 degrees Fahrenheit. The depth varies from 0.9 metres at the shallow end to 1.4 metres at the deep end. Access to the pool is made easy by means of a gradually sloping ramp and adjacent handrail. There is a also a hand rail all around the inside of the pool. NOTE: You do not have to be able to swim to take advantage of the Hydrotherapy sessions. The stretches undertaken in the pool do not include swimming and consideration is given to those who are anxious about the water. Do not be deterred from attending these sessions for fear of the water or from any reluctance to appear in a swimming costume, as the benefits of stretching in warm water can be significant, and once sampled will want to be repeated. If you have any apprehension about using the pool then please come along and just watch a Hydro session first and speak to a Group member or one of the physiotherapists.

The Gym Sessions

The Brighton General Hospital in Elm Grove, Brighton, kindly allow the Group to use the Hospital Gymnasium and some of its associated equipment, in the Physiotherapy Dept. for the Group’s Gymnasium sessions. The Hospital Gymnasium is on the first floor, close to the main entrance of the hospital. ( In the main entrance follow signs to ‘Physiotherapy Dept’) There is car parking space in the hospital car parks adjacent to the main entrance. Gym sessions begin at 6.30 p.m. and continue until approximately 8.00 p.m. on the appropriate Thursday evenings, and are supervised by two qualified physiotherapists. A typical session will comprise of, ‘warm up’ activities followed by ‘stretches’ , and finally a period of ‘cooling down’ or relaxation, all of which are carried out to suitable background music and with the intention of making it fun as well as good for you. It is recommended that you wear light, loose fitting clothing and some ‘trainer’ type shoes. Men’s and women’s changing areas are available adjacent to the gym.