About Colleen

Thirty years of learning how bodies heal

I’m a physiotherapist with a passion for helping people move with confidence, ease, and trust in their bodies. I bring a deep understanding of musculoskeletal health to my work, along with a calm, compassionate approach that supports patients through every stage of recovery.

30+ yrs

Clinical experience since 1993

MSc

Neuromusculoskeletal Therapy, UCL

CSP

Chartered Society of Physiotherapy

MACP

Accredited musculoskeletal specialist

The journey

From Johannesburg lecture halls to the neuroscience of pain

Every step along the way has added something to how I work with patients today: hands-on skill, clear education, and an understanding of the whole nervous system.

1993 · South Africa

Qualified as a physiotherapist

My professional journey began in 1993, when I qualified as a physiotherapist in South Africa.

1990s · London, NHS

Moved to London and into the NHS

I moved to London soon after and continued my professional development within the NHS, most notably with the Royal London NHS Trust at St Barts and Mile End Hospitals.

MSc · University College London

Master's degree and MACP accreditation

To enhance my skills in hands-on treatment and movement-based rehabilitation, I completed a master’s degree in Neuromusculoskeletal Therapy at UCL and gained accreditation with the Musculoskeletal Association of Chartered Physiotherapists (MACP), a mark of advanced clinical expertise. This strengthened my understanding of complex musculoskeletal presentations and provided a solid foundation for the work I do today.

Teaching · University lecturer

Teaching musculoskeletal physiotherapy to master's level

Alongside my clinical work, I have taught musculoskeletal physiotherapy as a university lecturer, giving me a strong interest in both clinical practice and education. These experiences shaped my belief that education, skilled hands-on treatment, and thoughtful movement-based rehabilitation together make a profound difference.

Mind and body · Pilates, CFT, pain science

Following curiosity into mind-body approaches

My interest in mind-body approaches grew from both professional curiosity and personal experience. I trained with Polestar Pilates Rehabilitation and completed courses in Cognitive Functional Therapy and pain neuroscience, alongside numerous study days on compassion, somatics, pain processing, and nervous-system regulation.

Today · SIRPA training

Learning how the nervous system unlearns pain

This journey has recently led me to SIRPA, an organisation offering an evidence-based approach to persistent pain and other neuroplastic symptoms, exploring how the brain and nervous system can learn and unlearn pain through neuroplasticity.

Where I am now

Pain can be learned, and it can be unlearned

We now understand that pain and other symptoms can sometimes be generated as protective responses to stress, trauma, or perceived threat, even when there is no ongoing physical injury. This approach is increasingly evidence-led, grounded in neuroscience, and supported by a growing body of clinical research.

Although I am at the beginning of my formal SIRPA training, I am committed to integrating this approach into my practice to support patients living with persistent pain.

Hands-on assessment

Targeted manual therapy grounded in advanced musculoskeletal training.

Movement-based rehab

Graded exercise including Pilates-informed movement and strength training that rebuilds capacity and confidence.

Pain neuroscience

Education and nervous-system strategies for persistent, neuroplastic pain.

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Patient education, alongside skilled hands-on treatment and thoughtful movement-based rehabilitation, can make a profound difference in people’s lives.

Colleen Balston · MSc Neuromusculoskeletal Therapy, MACP accredited

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