Sports Injury Clinics in London

Andrea Havill, Specialist Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist

“My approach is to treat each patient as the individual they are…by listening to them and tailoring their treatment and rehabilitation to suit their body and specific goals, regardless of whether they are an elite athlete, an office worker, or a fulltime mum.”

Andrea has both an Undergraduate Degree and Post-Graduate qualifications in Physiotherapy. Having initially qualified in 2001 from The University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff, Andrea worked in several large NHS teaching trusts, gaining experience in a wide range of musculoskeletal, neurological and orthopaedic conditions before venturing into private practise to specialise in musculoskeletal and sports injuries. Along the way, she trained in Acupuncture, Pilates, and completed an MSc in Advanced Sports Physiotherapy at Kings College, London where she was awarded a Merit and undertook research into the treatment of tendinopathy, which is due to be published.

Over the last 6 years, Andrea has built up her knowledge and expertise of sports injuries, working with several Rugby clubs and spending time at TeamBath sports facility treating a variety of professional and recreational athletes. She has also worked for both the International Tennis Federation and Women’s Tennis Association providing physiotherapy to both junior and elite Tennis players at international tennis tournaments. Having worked closely with sports physiologists, coaches, psychologists and doctors, Andrea learnt that a close multidisciplinary team is key to ensuring patients get the best possible care. It is for this reason that Andrea joined the Pure Sports Medicine Team where, in her words, ‘we deliver a comprehensive and holistic offering to both athletes and the every day person.’

“People often ask me why I became a physiotherapist. During the years spent watching my engineer father piece together his vintage car I developed an interest in how machines work. Combine that with a medical background on my mother’s side, and I decided to become a kind of human engineer, dedicated to assisting people’s bodies run smoothly and efficiently! The opportunity to combine my interest in biomechanics and the human body with sport makes my profession just about perfect. Hence I’m one of the lucky few who can honestly say they love their work!

My goal is to be the very best physiotherapist that I can. I love to challenge myself and to learn, and because the medical world is constantly evolving there will always be something new to know. My approach is to treat each patient as the individual they are… by listening to them and tailoring their treatment and rehabilitation to suit their body and specific goals. regardless of whether they are an elite athlete, an office worker, or a fulltime mum. Taking time to explain things so my patients really understand their problem or diagnoses, what we are going to do about it and why we are doing it, ensures that we can both put in the necessary work to get the results we collectively seek. Be warned… this may well involve homework on your behalf!

Having experienced first hand the highs and lows of sport, I am well equipped to understand the physical and mental dedication it takes to make you just that little bit better than the rest, and will never judge you as a ‘nutter’ whether your goal is to run 5 marathons across a desert or to chain yourself to a desk for 15 hours a day! The good news is that it is sometimes the simplest things that can make a big difference.

My own sporting background began at a young age competing in various sports, and in the last 10 years I have developed a passion for running, cycling and pretty much any outdoor activity especially skiing. I have completed the London Marathon, London Duathlon, adventure races, cycled from Lands End to John O Groats, and am currently learning to swim - without consuming my body weight in water - with the aim of completing my first triathlon this summer. Where possible, I endeavour to mix my sport with a healthy dash of fun and sunshine, the most memorable expression of this desirable state being a wine tasting marathon in Medoc.

Aside from work and sports, I love spending time in my favourite city of London or my family’s home in Dorset, travelling the UK and abroad, live music especially at the Royal Albert Hall, and hosting raucous dinner parties!”