In this episode of the Rambling Runner Podcast we discuss a topic we've never touched on before - the efficacy and potential of remote physical therapy. Runners of all ages and paces are familiar with the services that a physical therapist can provide. We are also familiar with the how frustrating it can be to book an appointment as many PT's already have a full calendar. For this topic there is nobody better to speak with than Maryke Louw.
Maryke is originally from South Africa but spent 10 years in the UK where she gained most of my experience in sports physiotherapy. She started a specialist telehealth sports injury practice in 2014 - at that point every single person Mayke told about it in the UK thought it was crazy, because they all believed "physios have to touch people." As Maryke says, "luckily I can be selectively hard of hearing," as she stuck with it, it has now turned it into a top notch specialist telehealth sports injury service for both general injuries (https://www.sports-injury-physio.com) and a specialist service for achilles injuries (https://www.treatmyachilles.com).
It's through the online clinic that Maryke first met one of the co-founders of Exakt Health - a physical therapy app for treating common running injuries. Philip had just completed his first ultramarathon and in the process ended up with a hamstring injury that he just could not get the right help for in Germany. He first had to wait for several weeks to see a doctor and then, even after seeing several doctors, could not get the correct diagnosis and effective treatment plan. That made him decide to book an online appointment with Maryke. After seeing how effectively you can diagnose and treat sports injuries online, he and Lucia, a colleague from N26 (German tech start-up they were working for at the time), decided to start Exakt Health and asked Maryke to join forces with them.
You can visit Exakt Health at https://exakthealth.com.
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