Our Therapists

Liesel Lippstreu
Physiotherapist

Having grown up in South Africa where exercise and team sports are commonplace, Liesel has always been interested in participating in sport. She combined her interest of health and sport and undertook a BSC Physiotherapy degree at the University of Cape Town. After four years of embracing university life, she qualified with a BSC (physio) in 1998.

Liesel then started work in a Private physiotherapy practice in Cape Town. Here she worked within a hospital setting as well as in a private clinic seeing people with varied musculo-skeletal disorders. She gained great experience while working here but realised that her passion lay with working in an out-patient clinic and not in a hospital.

In 2001 Liesel and her husband moved to Edinburgh. She worked for six months in the NHS physiotherapy department in the Royal Victoria Hospital, Edinburgh, where she gained more experience in working within a multi-disciplinary team. During this time, she started work in a private physiotherapy clinic in Edinburgh which soon turned into a full time position. Here she worked alongside other physiotherapists, massage therapists, acupuncturists and chiropractors until 2007. She gained valuable experience but felt it was time for a new challenge! She set up her own physiotherapy clinic in Edinburgh where she, alongside other physios and massage therapists, practiced from a clinic in Causewayside and from the Spartans Community Football Academy. In 2013, due to the need for bigger premises and the growing demands of business and family life, she teamed up with her friend and colleague, Briana Eades, to form Active Health Edinburgh Ltd with the vision of having physiotherapy, remedial massage therapy and podiatry, amongst other therapies offered under one roof.

Outside of a clinic setting, she has gained experience from the side lines of various sports fields. She was team physiotherapist to a local rugby club, Preston Lodge FP, for four seasons (2001 to 2004) and worked with Scottish Hockey under 21 teams for 3 years (2003 to 2005). From 2008 until 2013, she provided physiotherapy to players at Spartans Football Club in Edinburgh. While thoroughly enjoying watching the various sports she has been involved with, more importantly, she has gained invaluable experience in treating acute injuries and managing and rehabilitating these players back to playing their sport again.

Liesel continues to strive for excellence and continues to work on her professional development by attending courses to improve her assessment and treatment skills. A selection of the training she has attended are Matwork Pilates, Acupuncture, Dry Needling, Ergonomics, Fitforegolf, Mulligans Nags and Snags, SIJ dysfunction, Kinesiotaping, Neurodynamics, tempero mandibular joint (jaw), Spinal Manipulation, Dynamic Stability and Muscle imbalance etc. Having attended these varied and interesting courses, she is able to continue to keep up with the latest developments in treatment and techniques within physiotherapy.

Liesel is also a keen sportswoman having represented both South Africa (1996,1998, 1999) and Scotland (2006 to 2011 and 2017 to present) in Touch Rugby and has participated in 3 Touch World Cups. Liesel has also coached and been assistant coach to Scottish Touch teams during this time. It has given her great insight into what drives people to work hard and achieve their goals and she can use this knowledge in her physiotherapy practice to help patients achieve their own goals, whether it to be pain free, jog across the road or to run a marathon!

Spending time with her husband, son and daughter is very important to her and family time is treasured. Whenever possible she goes back to South Africa to visit family and friends and spend quality time with them in the sunshine and beauty of Africa.

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