Laura Bochkoltz is a Chartered Physiotherapist with more than 25 years’ experience in spinal cord injuries.
Her specialist role in the NHS and the private sector gives her a broad clinical experience in the long-term problems and needs of the individual with a spinal cord injury.
She has been an expert witness since 1999 recommending modalities such as aquatic therapy, functional electrical stimulation (FES) and exoskeleton.
Laura qualified as a physiotherapist in 1989. She became a senior physiotherapist in 1997 at the National Spinal Cord Injury Centre at Stoke Mandeville Hospital and subsequently worked at the London Spinal Injury Center, both renowned spinal injury units in the UK.
In 2015 she was part of an Active Rehab programme leading a team of personal trainers providing long term fitness programmes for individuals with a spinal cord injury.
Currently, in the private sector, Laura works as a highly specialist physiotherapist at the Spinal Cord Injury Unit at the Royal Buckinghamshire Hospital. Working in the private sector has allowed her to broaden her assessment and treatment skills; using cutting edge technology she is able to provide her clients with the best available options to maximize their potential and independence.
The combination of the above experiences have given her a comprehensive insight into the long-term needs of those living with a neurological condition and allows her a good practical understanding of the day-to-day needs of on-going therapy.
In addition, Laura lectures nationally and internationally to diverse professional groups and provides advice to physiotherapists on how to best treat individuals with a spinal cord injury. This includes topics on preventative measures that reduce the potential degradation of the client’s situation and recuperative action that minimises the negative effects as much as it is practical.
Laura is also currently an independent assessor for a stem cell trial for people with spinal cord injury.
She is a member of several clinical interest groups including the Association of Chartered Physiotherapist In Neurology (ACPIN) and the Multidisciplinary Association of Spinal Cord Injury Association (MASCIP) to support her clinical skills and keep up to date with best practice.