User:Bhanu Ramaswamy

Bhanu.jpg

Name[edit | edit source]

Bhanu Ramaswamy

About Me[edit | edit source]

Bhanu Ramaswamy is an Independent Physiotherapy Consultant.

She qualified as a physiotherapist at The University of Wales, Cardiff in 1988, and spent her formative years rotating though the basic clinical rotations across hospital and community settings before taking up more senior posts. Bhanu worked in North America for two years developing a more holistic view of rehabilitation.

On returning to Sheffield in 1994, she focussed her attention on the specialty of older people and joined both older people and neurology clinical interest groups of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP). Through these links, she began to participate in local, regional and national projects on their behalf promoting and sharing good practice amongst other like-minded therapists.

Between 2004 and 2010, Bhanu was appointed to the post of Consultant Physiotherapist in Intermediate Care at a National Health Service community hospital in Derbyshire, England. The main clinical aim of the post was to admit medically stable, but physically unfit older people with rehabilitation needs onto a therapy-led ward. The post was a joint practitioner-lecturer post, part funded by Sheffield Hallam University where she worked as a post-graduate lecturer and researcher during the six years.

Bhanu’s two areas of specialist interest are in Parkinson’s disease and rehabilitation of older people, for which she represents the CSP on national projects.


Her general interests involve finding time to kip (sleep), to socialise with friends and family and to track down her husband who travels a lot in his work! At times, he seems as elusive as her work-life balance!

Education[edit | edit source]

1988 Graduate Diploma in Physiotherapy
1994 O’level equivalent accredited Basic Spanish (USA)
1999 City & Guilds Further Adult Education Teaching Certificate 7307
2003 Completion of the ‘Respect for people – Diversity’ Learning programme
2005 PG Certificate in Neurological Physiotherapy - Sheffield Hallam University
2005 Basic Acupuncture course – Acupuncture Association of Chartered Physiotherapists
2006 Practice Certificate in Non-medical Prescribing – University of Derby
2008 MSc in First Contact Care - Sheffield Hallam University
2010 Active IQ Level 2 Certificate in Fitness Instructing (Gym)

Professional Affiliations[edit | edit source]

  • State Registered Physiotherapist through the Health Professions Council 1988 - present day
  • Member of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) 1988 - present day.
  • Association of Physiotherapists in Parkinson’s Disease: Europe (APPDE) - 2002 to present day
  • Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Neurology (ACPIN) 1994 - present day
  • Chartered Physiotherapists working with Older People (AGILE) 1995 - present day
  • Acupuncture Association of Chartered Physiotherapists (AACP) 2005 - present day.

Professional Appointments[edit | edit source]

  • National Project Officer AGILE and ACPIN (various short working projects)
  • Membership Secretary of APPDE.
  • Consultant to Parkinson's UK for physiotherapy matters

Publications[edit | edit source]

Educational material for Parkinson’s UK:[edit | edit source]

  • Assist in the publication and update of physiotherapy-related Fact sheets.
  • Keep moving (1999), an exercise video and booklet based upon a rationale for an exercise regime for people with Parkinson's.
  • I write a column for the Parkinson’s UK quarterly journal ‘The Parkinson’ on ‘Healthy Body Matters (since 2005)
  • CIG journals:
  • IPTOP and AGILE: Regular submission of articles and reports for their publications due to my position as UK representative and National Project Officer
  • Neuropathy Trust: 2010 article on Maintaining safe mobility with peripheral neuropathy
  • ACPIVR (Vestibular rehabilitation): 2009 Article on elderly fallers with Gill Agar
  • In Touch (private practice physiotherapy magazine): 2009 article on Parkinson's and physiotherapy with Victoria Goodwin
  • ACPIN: 2008 Report written for the ‘Sharing Good Practice’ section on A Therapy Led Bed Service at a Community Hospital
  • ACPRC (Respiratory group): 2007 Report written for the journal about Evidence based practice
  • Journal; publications:
  • Ramaswamy B, Sheppard A (2010). Managing a patient with a rapidly progressing neurological condition. International Journal of Rehabilitation and Therapy; 17(6); 232-7

Other professional papers / non-peer reviewed publications:[edit | edit source]

  • 2009 Quick Reference Cards (UK) and Guidance notes for physiotherapists working with people with Parkinson’s disease.
  • 2008 Article to support the Community Hospitals Association award on Rehabilitation: A therapy-led community hospital service for medically stable older in-patients
  • 2006 Wrote a review article for the ‘Health Ex’ magazine about Parkinson’s disease
  • 2006 Wrote an article for a GP publication about Parkinson’s disease

Book chapters[edit | edit source]

Websites[edit | edit source]

Hallamshire Physiotherapy Clinic, Sheffield.www.hallamshirephysiotherapy.com/staff.html

Meadowhead Physiotherapy Clinicwww.meadowheadphysiotherapy.co.uk/olderpeople.html