When Viva started in 2009, the average physio appointment lasted 20 minutes. There wasn’t a lot of wiggle room for nuanced, painstaking diagnosis.
Kathryn Anderson (our founder) wanted to slow things down. To give patients more time to talk, and physios more time to listen. So she started Viva with a few simple rules:
All appointments would last at least 30 minutes. Patients wouldn’t be left alone with heat packs or traction beds. And each physio would see one patient at a time.
In 2011, Kath opened the Viva Pilates studio and started teaching classes. As the years rolled on, we have added clinical movement classes, therapeutic yoga classes, Viva Strong classes and Stay Fit in Pregnancy classes.
What started as a clinical practice has become something more ambitious. A holistic movement and wellness studio, mixing everything from sports massage and spinal mobilization to pregnancy Pilates. Our studio is a sunny, north-facing space, perched high above Flinders Lane. In 2011, we took over the office next door, and we’ve gone from strength to strength ever since.
The Viva approach is a little more sophisticated than the average clinic. We’ve broken the process down into three stages: Relieve, Restore and Perform. This approach is flexible. It works if you’re experiencing pregnancy discomfort, if you’ve rolled an ankle playing soccer, or if you just want to get fitter and stronger. The important thing is taking the time to figure out your goals, then tailoring a program to match.
There are a lot of tricks and techniques we can use to alleviate pain. This phase might involve dry needling, taping, ergonomic advice, massage or hands-on manipulation. It’s all about soothing discomfort and getting your body ready for the next step.
Restore is really what sets Viva apart. While other physios stop at massage or needling, we focus on long-term pain prevention. In the Restore phase, we’ll build up your muscle resilience, and carefully explore your body’s response to certain movements.
Once we know the mechanics behind your pain, we can design a program to suit your goals. Sometimes that means playing sport or running a marathon, other times it’s just getting through a work day without discomfort. Perform is where we build solid, long-term technique.
