We are a local family run rehabilitation centre in Harrow. The whole facility used to be a coffee factory and Dr Gross, a Consultant Neurologist, and Mrs Karen Gross, a Career Nurse, purchased the facility in order to provide a not-for-profit rehabilitation centre trying to help as many people as possible with high quality professionals.
The centre has more than 6,000 sq. ft., encompassing 2 large professional planned gym areas, a middle floor with consulting rooms, a mirrored studio, excellent facility for people who are wheelchair dependent and also a cottage which houses talking therapies. We have a lot of parking, but sometimes a lot is never enough and we have petitioned the local Council over 13 years to give us just 2 parking places on the road that we would even pay for in order to stop our receptionists acting as car park attendants, but to no avail.
We see ourselves as a local resource owned a by local people looking after local residents with therapists who are mainly also living locally. Our therapists are self-employed, but they rent the space from us and we make sure that their qualifications and insurances are at the highest level. Dr Gross also has his personal offices based within the building and so is able to keep a very close working relationship with the therapists. Karen having had a very senior role in nursing over many decades is responsible for the general day to day running and administration.
We are constantly looking to develop service and help people. The post and perhaps continuing COVID world has certainly changed thinking. Regrettably, as Dr Gross has talked about on many occasions, there has a become a sad inertia of medical care and we all know the challenges that our NHS has faced in recent years. That comment is made without any criticism, merely an observation.
We are able to rehabilitate more or less every condition and situation. It does not matter if a chronic illness, acute injury be it sport or accident, recovering from surgery, weight loss, or just a desire to enhance physical capability. We have a whole range of therapists that are able to help. We also have a number of Consultant Psychologists who practice at the highest level of talking therapy input. This includes therapists who work with what is known as EMDR, a technique to help trauma victims and those with post-traumatic stress disorder.
It is impossible on a single page to spell out in detail the individual treatment skills. Hence the website does contain specific details that can be accessed from the above menu.
We are being increasingly asked about a group of conditions that are particularly troubling for many. These are the chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, post-viral syndrome and now what is known a Long COVID. We would refer the reader to the specific article on these conditions and how they may be helped, although the science behind the treatment programmes is at present sketchy.
We work very closely with a large number of local consultants and general practitioners who have recognised the multidisciplinary skills available in our centre can offer great assistance.
Without exaggeration, Michael Gross has often stated that if the Body Factory Rehabilitation Team cannot sort out a problem physically, then it is unlikely that any other facility will do so.
It is worth emphasising that although Dr Gross is a Consultant Neurologist with specific interests in pain management and rehabilitation, he would never interfere with the management of a colleague unless specifically asked to contribute to the management of that individual.
Rehabilitation is a journey. It is usually not a sprint and neither usually a marathon. All rehabilitation effectively starts above the neck, getting the mindset right and knowing that there is constant support available is perhaps the most important aspect of the treatment process. With both Michael and Karen having gone through extensive rehabilitations themselves, they bring to the table not just professional skills but personal knowledge of how cancer or heart disease and sports injury can impact on living in a major way and yet can be handled with a multidisciplinary team approach. Because we are a not-for-profit center, the fees generated by our specialist therapists are very reasonable and usually much less then local private hospitals and other centers.
The rehabilitation of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Functional Neurological Disorders, Long-COVID, chronic pain, chronic symptoms, post-operation, chronic illness, general injury, can all be managed so do get in contact with us by phone on 0208-8861-155 or email at info@bodyfactory.org.uk.
HOW WE CAME TO TERMS WITH COVID AT THE BODY FACTORY
The whole world has reeled with the COVID pandemic. Every aspect of the living experience has faced challenges. If you or any members of your family or friends have faced bereavement or continuing illness as a consequence of the pandemic, then we extend our sympathies and ongoing support.
The need for rehabilitation as you know from our previous notices, never went away, and continues. If anything, the lack of treatment resource in society has caused many people considerable difficulty and we are hoping to continue with our ability to treat everyone who has the need.
Our physical and psychological therapists continue to play a critical role in ensuring that rehabilitation continues.
We all know post Covid, there are very long waiting lists within the NHS. There is no critism. This is on observation.
For many the stopping of services has had a significant impact. Many people have fallen through the cracks of care. The immobility of many left to fundamental deconditioning and a loss of fitness, stamina and strength.
Many of us have become much more introspective and as one of our clients stated, it was as if confidence had been top sliced down.
In the world of physiotherapy, there has been a tendency to perceive that a single video session with an information sheet is a substitute for a fully integrated face-to-face and hands on interaction. Working with people in a therapeutic environment, is very much part of the rehabilitation process.
Both Karen and Michael are more than aware that working in a professional space is particularly helpful for many people. Knowing that it is necessary to attend a supportive centre perhaps even more so with The Body Factory being family-owned and run, means that there is kindness, attention to detail, a safe and confidential space, and the highest quality of therapists.
The place to leave the bad stuff in life is in the professional space of the counselling psychologists. Similarly, the place to enhance fitness, stamina, and strength and to deal with any injuries, illnesses, or the post-operative state is in our centre with our physical therapists, be they physiotherapists or therapeutic trainers.