MoveWell - Centre for Movement and Wellbeing

Are aches, pains or injuries holding you back?

Are you training for a local fun run 🏅 or planning an active summer holiday 🌞✈️, but have a long-standing joint or muscle issue that's affecting your day-to-day movement and activities?

MoveWell is here to help you move with confidence again!

We offer affordable, expert physiotherapy support designed to improve your recovery, mobility, and overall wellbeing 🌿.

Our team supports a wide range of conditions, including:

✔️ Back and joint pain
✔️ Arthritis
✔️ Sports injuries
✔️ Post-surgery rehabilitation
✔️ General mobility support

MoveWell at the University of Birmingham is a centre of excellence for integrated research into physical and mental health, meaning your care is informed by the latest evidence and best practice.

So, don’t let pain or injury limit what you can do. 💪

Take the first step towards feeling stronger, moving better, and living well.

Find out more: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/centres-institutes/movement-and-wellbeing/services/physiotherapy-clinic-at-movewell

Last week, our students had the opportunity to take part in the Shirley Community Appointment Day (CAD) delivered by Solihull Community MSK Services, led by Kirstie Smith.

A CAD is an innovative, holistic alternative to traditional one-to-one physiotherapy appointments. Delivered in accessible community settings such as leisure centres, it brings care closer to patients and focuses on what matters most to them.

Each appointment begins with an engaging “What matters to you?” conversation, helping to identify personal goal before patients are then guided through three key stations:

• Rehab & Movement – tailored, exercise-based support
• Clinical Assessment – one-to-one physiotherapy input
• Community Partners – wider lifestyle support (e.g. smoking cessation, weight management)

During the morning, three of our current placement students shadowed patients through their CAD journey, gaining valuable insight into the patient experience. In the afternoon, they stepped into a more active clinical role—supporting delivery at the Rehab & Movement station by prescribing targeted exercises based on individual needs and goals.

This was an incredibly valuable learning experience for our students and a great example of community-based, patient-centred care in action.
We will now explore how this model could be adapted to support patients here at MoveWell.

A Parkinson's Awareness Session has been delivered here in MoveWell - University of Birmingham to our Year 1 MSc Physiotherapy (Pre‑Registration) students as part of their teaching on Parkinson’s disease and the physiotherapy management of group exercise classes. The practical session was facilitated by Joanna Eastough, a Parkinson’s Specialist Physiotherapist with over 13 years of experience working with people living with Parkinson’s, along with members of her Parkinson’s patient team who kindly supported the teaching. https://www.parkinsonspro.co.uk/about

During the class, Joanna led all students through a structured group exercise session. This was followed by small‑group practical work where students were paired with individuals who are living with Parkinson’s to assess their suitability for exercise and to practise teaching some of the exercises that Joanna had demonstrated. It was an excellent learning opportunity, and the students really valued the chance to work directly with people with lived experience.

Spent a lovely couple of hours at the Hub Hazelwell yesterday alongside Andy Morrissey-MoveWell Physiotherapist, who delivered a really engaging Joint Health talk to a room full of local residents keen to learn more.

There was plenty of discussion and great questions during the Q&A, showing just how much interest there is in looking after our joint health and staying active.
We’re hoping to see some of those who attended join us on the Joint Health programme here at MoveWell.

A big thank you to Dorrett Erskine at The Hub Hazelwell for making the event possible and bringing the community together.

I was incredibly proud to represent MoveWell – University of Birmingham at today’s International Women’s Day event hosted by Birmingham City Football Club.

International Women’s Day is a powerful global moment to celebrate women’s achievements while shining a light on the challenges that still remain — from gender equality and reproductive rights to the urgent need to end violence and abuse against women.

This morning brought together an inspiring panel of seven women leaders from across the Midlands, creating a space filled with honest conversation, meaningful connection, and shared learning. Together, we explored how prioritising both physical and mental wellbeing empowers women not just to navigate the demands of today’s world, but to truly thrive.

When women support, uplift, and learn from one another, we create the confidence and strength needed to grow into the very best versions of ourselves. It was a privilege to be part of such an energising and empowering event. 💜

Please have a look at our new video that explains who we are and what we do here in MoveWell - University of Birmingham, a multi-disciplinary centre offering comprehensive programmes of movement, exercise, education and physiotherapy treatment for the community and clinical groups.

Our amazing facilities, expertise and research excellence enable us to provide physiological, metabolic and cognitive assessments through self-referral and engagement with local community groups and charities. We also partner with local NHS Trusts to support patient health and wellbeing referral schemes.

By harnessing the power of clinical exercise, physiotherapy and mental health we support the prevention, treatment and management of conditions across a broad spectrum of non-communicable diseases and acute conditions.

We also place emphasis on the importance of patient education, ensuring that individuals are well-informed about their conditions and the best strategies for managing them so that they feel empowered to take an active role in their recovery.

This holistic approach ensures that patients receive the highest standard of care by addressing immediate physical issues and fostering physical recovery and long-term health and wellbeing.
https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/centres-institutes/movement-and-wellbeing

Visit the Centre for Movement and Wellbeing | University of Birmingham The Centre for Movement and Wellbeing (MoveWell) has a range of facilities open to an inclusive community. MoveWell is a place where patients are supported ...

Three more of our Joint Health participants have completed their programme with us today. They followed a 6-week personalised exercise plan that was put together following an initial assessment to identify and measure:

• general fitness
• daily activity levels
• specific lower body aches, pains and stiffness
• personal aims and objectives for taking part in the programme

Today they have been reassessed and results are really encouraging with them all showing an average 33% improvement in leg strength, knee flexion and extension. Overall balance has also improved along with levels of endurance for daily activity.

They are delighted with the results and have provided the following feedback:

“MoveWell provides a relaxed and comfortable exercise environment and the placement students who help to run the programme are easy to engage with and provide lots of guidance and encouragement.”

All three participants will be joining our Open Gym sessions so they can continue with their programme of exercise activity to maintain and further enhance the improvements they’ve already made to their overall health and fitness.

To find out more about this programme please visit: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/centres-institutes/movement-and-wellbeing/services/joint-health-program

MoveWell provided over 1,350 physiotherapy appointments during 2025 and this is a number that we’d like to build on during 2026.

Our physiotherapy clinics offer a high-quality, low-cost approach to physiotherapy treatment, incorporating the latest research and evidence-based practices to aid recovery and rehabilitation following a variety of conditions including chronic back pain, osteoarthritis, post-surgery rehab and sports injuries.

To find out more please visit https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/centres-institutes/movement-and-wellbeing/services/physiotherapy-clinic-at-movewell.

Holland and Barrett recently provided some great information and tips as part of a talk on enhancing immunity against a range of seasonal illnesses that can impact health at this time of year.

The event also highlighted MoveWell as a vibrant and accessible location for talks, conferences and training courses. If you would like more information about this excellent venue option please contact the team at [email protected].

Today is Race Against Dementia Day!

Race Against Dementia https://www.raceagainstdementia.com/ is a global charity founded by Sir Jackie Stewart OBE in 2016 to raise awareness and funds with the mission to advance worldwide research and development in the pursuit of a dementia cure or treatment.

At the University of Birmingham, our research focuses on understanding how physical activity can help protect the brain and reduce the risk of dementia.

Our researchers combine expertise in exercise physiology, brain health, and biomarker science to explore how the body and brain respond to physical activity across the lifespan and at different levels of dementia risk. This work is led collaboratively by Dr Richard Elsworthy and Professor Sarah Aldred, with a shared aim of translating scientific insight into meaningful real-world impact.

A central hub for this work is MoveWell - University of Birmingham, which allows us to integrate laboratory research with community-based physical activity programmes. Through MoveWell, we study how different types and intensities of exercise influence brain health, using accessible measures such as blood-based biomarkers linked to Alzheimer’s disease alongside physical and functional assessments.

By combining biological data with real-world movement programmes, we aim to understand not only whether exercise benefits the brain, but why it does. This helps us identify the most effective and achievable forms of physical activity that could support brain resilience and potentially delay the onset or progression of dementia-related changes.

Public engagement and inclusion are fundamental to our approach. Through MoveWell - University of Birmingham, we lead and support a range of outreach activities, including the Movement and Wellbeing for People with Dementia group, which provides safe, supportive exercise sessions for people living with dementia and their carers. These programmes improve quality of life while ensuring that our research remains grounded in the needs and experiences of the communities it aims to serve.