Gilly was recently interviewed by the New Zealand MS Research Trust, and we thought that you would love to see what they said afterwards. For more information about the fabulous support offered by the New Zealand MS Research Trust, just click here.
Gilly Davy – Neurological Physiotherapist
Gilly is the founder and director of MS Get a Head Start, a consulting neurological physiotherapist, and clinical director of Rope Neuro Physiotherapy. Gilly graduated from the University of Brighton in the UK in 2004. She has worked in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand in both the public and private sectors. Gilly is passionate about the changing world of physical rehabilitation and exercise for Multiple Sclerosis. As a result, Gilly has developed the MS Get a Head Start programme specifically designed for people with MS. Alongside this, Gilly is fascinated by the constant development of understanding of neurology as we learn more about the nervous system and different conditions.
Focusing on health professionals – Gilly has continued to develop the programme and work clinically, but often felt a sense of sadness that not many other therapists were pushing rehab services for MS. Ultimately, people with MS were/are missing out on the amazing opportunity of exercise as a form of medicine for PwMS. She set out to inspire more health professionals to be educated and inspired about rehabilitation for MS.
Focusing on people living with MS – People living with MS were still struggling to access appropriate services and accurate information about the power of exercise. Gilly decided to ‘do the mahi’ and completed her Master’s research study on the 6-week MS Get a Head Start programme being provided fully online. The results from this study will hopefully be published towards the end of the year.
MS Get a Head Start – The Trust has funded her trial, which aims to investigate the impact of online delivery on self-reported physical activity and exercise participation, as well as self-efficacy around physical activity, among individuals living with multiple sclerosis.By harnessing the power of digital technology, this study has the potential to revolutionise the way people with MS engage in physical activity, ultimately enhancing their overall health and wellbeing. Gilly is the lead researcher in this trial and has also prepared an update on the latest research on exercise and MS.
As a leading advocate for MS research, the NZMSRT is committed to driving innovation and improving the lives of those affected by this debilitating condition.
