Glasgow Physiotherapist Gal Kantor

Ross Wilson (Journalist)

Complaint - Tennis Elbow

Having developed soreness in my right elbow which was causing problems with gripping things, I realised that I was suffering from Tennis Elbow. This condition can make your life a misery as it inhibits a numbers of everyday actions and causes significant pain. Even pulling a plug out of a socket or tightening lid on a jar had become very painful. Playing my piano also didn’t help.

I thought it is strange that I would get this condition as i don’t play tennis. A fanatical swimmer, yes. Racquet sports, now. Golfers also get a similar condition – called, of course, ‘Golfers’ Elbow’. Confirmation by the GP that it was Tennis Elbow and a recommendation that physiotherapy would certainly improve and possible cure the condition meant a trip to see Gal. The Improvement over a number of weeks has been startling.

Manipulations, strengthening exercise and Ultra-Sound have all contributed to a significant advance in mobility and reduction in pain. The alternative is a steroid injection and worse than that, surgery – two potions both best avoided where possible.

Gal brings a wealth of expertise to his treatment clearly explaining the path to recovery and just how physiotherapy helps. The clinician, he is great example of a caring medical professional with a vast understanding of his specialism who is passionate about getting you back to full fitness again.

Sean Fontana (Top International level Athlete)

Complaint – Thoracic pain

 My name is Sean Fontana and I am an athlete, competing in middle and long distance events i.e. 800m, 1500m races and also cross country races during the winter. I have currently left the Glasgow school of sport where I trained and races for 4 years. Now I am running for Victoria Park City of Glasgow City AC. I have represented Scotland on several occasions, however I got a major injury to my back which stopped my rib cage expanding properly and keeping my torso upright whilst i was racing.

This was detrimental to my performance; I was running with extreme pain and also not progressing in my running times. I knew I had to get an expert’s opinion on the symptoms because my performances on the racing circuits were dropping drastically, that are when my coach recommended Gal to help getting back to fitness.

Gal gave me one to one physiotherapy and also came to watch my running. I was progressing at a fast rate as Gal not only was hands on but he gave me exercises to take away with me to do on my own to fully benefit from the physio session. I started running really well again feeling fast and strong, I recovered my season by running a personal best in the 800m going from 1min58.9Sec to 1min56.88Sec (!) and in 1500m from 4min01.7sec to 3min57.3 sec !

He also made me understand why my back was sore and told me the reason why. Gal's knowledge is unquestionable. He does not mind you asking why he is doing a certain exercise with you because Gal feels that if you ask questions you are listening and interested about why the injury occurred, which will help you recover faster.

I can’t thank Gal enough; he was very flexible and he was able to make appointments that fitted in with college and work as well as my training. Gal made sure he met my needs and if it were not for Gal and his expert physiotherapy treatment I would not have been able to save my season. I am very grateful for the treatment that I received from Gal.
 

Carol Silvester

Complaint – Shoulder joint dysfunction

When it came to the point where severe shoulder pain had stopped me training and was affecting everyday activities and my sleep, I decided to seek advice from Gal. He quickly identified a number of issues with weakness and instability round my shoulder blade which had resulted in rotator cuff dysfunction.
Treatment was a combination of manipulations, taping, ultrasound, massage and myofacial release. In addition, Gal encouraged me to be an active participant in my recovery, taking the time to explain the issues and giving me exercises to target specific areas of weakness. Through careful mentoring he was able to tailor the treatment in response to my progress.

Gal’s passion for his profession is clearly evident in both his clinical practice and his continuing professional development. Having invested in this course of physiotherapy I am now pain free and have a greater awareness and understanding of how my body functions inside and outside the gym.

Lindsay Cadman (Teacher)

Around 18 months ago I seriously injured a leg muscle running and tore a hamstring. I went to an NHS and an independent Physiotherapist, both of whom failed to diagnose underlying problems or listen properly. After a year I developed severe lower back, as well as hamstring and adductor pain in both legs.

At the end of January 2011 I saw Gal. He properly assessed my injuries and he refused to let me leave until he felt confident in his diagnosis. Gal quickly recognised I had critically weak leg muscles and that I am hypermobile. Here, my muscles have to work harder to keep my limbs in place. But, as I didn’t have much muscle, my tendons were doing their job, and I developed tendonitis and strains. No other physiotherapist had noticed this.

Gal explain in depth the biomechanics of my physiology and he provided detailed instructions on the exercises that would help rebuild my muscle strength. He has continued to assess and test my muscle strength as well as reassess my physiology at each meeting. It is now seven weeks on from that first appointment and I am now pain free and looking forward to running again. I continue to be impressed by his professional skills and I am grateful for his advice and support.