Samantha Harding Physiotherapist

05/11/2025

💡 Did you know?
For many South Africans, the real test of medical aid cover only happens at the hospital desk or pharmacy till — when a bill appears that you thought would be paid in full.

That’s when Prescribed Minimum Benefits (PMBs) come into play — the legal cornerstone of private healthcare that protects you when you need it most.

🏥 For physiotherapy, your PMB benefit commonly covers outpatient treatment for:
• Any bone fractures, and
• Strokes resulting in hemiplegia (weakness or paralysis on one side of the body).

This applies even if you only have a hospital plan.
⚠️ Keep in mind: elective surgeries such as rotator cuff repairs, ACL reconstructions, and most spinal surgeries usually aren’t covered under PMBs.

👉 Learn more about your rights and what your medical aid must cover in the article below.



https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-11-03-the-hidden-costs-of-medical-aid-and-how-to-safeguard-against-prescribed-minimum-benefit-pitfalls/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=business_maverick&mle&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQKNjYyODU2ODM3OQABHtfpoDfId-F5h9cBhd7P4ZklAOIp-0z5NXVf4MYOCVsfjrW3-phauOawC01o_aem_aOXpuuUNakZXN0KOFijhCw

What your medical aid scheme is obliged to cover by law can make all the difference. And the real test of their cover often comes when you least expect it — at a hospital desk or pharmacy till.

23/10/2025

At Samantha Harding Physiotherapy, we know pain doesn’t just change how you move; it changes how you live.
That’s why our care goes beyond treatment. We take the time to understand your story and guide you toward lasting recovery.

💪 Our team combines hands-on physiotherapy with personalised exercise and movement programmes all grounded in the latest evidence-based practice. Every session is designed to help you build strength, improve mobility, and restore confidence in your body.

You’ll find care that’s professional yet personal, clinical yet compassionate —delivered in a calm and supportive space where healing feels possible.

💚 Move better. Feel better. Live fully again with Samantha Harding Physiotherapy

📞 Book your session today and take the first step toward better movement.

📍 Location: Addison Medical Centre, 5 Addison Street, Empangeni

📅 Bookings: Call 035 772 1044
WhatsApp 071 247 6120

19/09/2025

My Road to Recovery

In January 2024, I had my first back operation - a decompression spinal surgery on my S1. At the time, I thought that would be the end of my struggle, but my journey was only just beginning. By October that year, the pain had returned, spreading from my lower back down into both legs again.

On the 15th of January 2025, I went in for my second surgery - an endoscopic spinal decompression on my L5. I was discharged on the 20th, and throughout my hospital stay, Samantha Harding and her incredible team of physical therapists stood by me, guiding me through those first difficult steps of recovery.

But my body was still fighting battles I didn’t understand. That week, the headaches came, fierce and unrelenting, followed by nausea and weakness. On Saturday the 25th, I ended up in the ER at Life Empangeni Hospital, unable to lift my head, stand, or even sit. Im

By Monday the 27th, my specialist admitted me immediately. We discovered I had a CSF leak - a tear on the meninges that had to be repaired. On the 3rd of February, I went in for yet another surgery to close the leak. My son came from Johannesburg to support me and my daughter

Then, between the 9th and 10th of February, everything grew worse. I slipped into a severe meningitis episode. A dear friend found me in a catatonic state and I was taken to ICU once again. I don’t remember much from those days - only fragments.

On the 13th of February, I opened my eyes. I didn’t know where I was, what had happened, or even what was real. I hallucinated, spoke in broken sentences, and fought confusion, but I was alive. I had survived meningitis, something that could so easily have taken me.

Recovery after that was slow and agonizing, I spent days in ICU and Surgical ward, weak and sick. I couldn’t eat - only yogurt, ice cubes, and water kept me going. My body was weak, and I lost so much muscle mass from the bedrest. Samantha and her team came every morning and afternoon, helping me walk a few steps when I wasn’t plagued by headaches or nausea. They never gave up on me, even when I doubted I’d ever move freely again.

On the 5th of March, I underwent open back surgery to fix the CSF leak once and for all. Another long ICU stay, another stretch of bedrest. For 10 days, I couldn’t walk. But on the 11th day, I stood up again, trembling and in pain, with Samantha’s team holding me up. That moment, painful as it was, felt like victory.

I spent a total of 51 days in the hospital, more than half of them in ICU. During that time, my daughter never left my side and my daughter carried the heavy burden of being there during all those moments. My friends, family, and even colleagues visited me, carrying me with their love and prayers when I had nothing left to give.

When I was discharged in March, I was still far from healed. It took two and a half months for my wound to close, and during that time I could do nothing for myself. I needed 24-hour care. It was humbling, frustrating, and heartbreaking.

By June, when my wound finally closed, I began weekly physiotherapy with Samantha again. We started with the basics: small core exercises, movements at home, slow progress. There were many moments I thought I would never live normally again - that I’d never sit, stand, bend, or even bathe without help. Driving, cooking, chores - all the simple things I once took for granted - felt impossible.

But I pushed through. With every painful stretch, every exercise, every visit to physio, I gained a little strength back. The pain in my buttocks and glutes try to hold me back, but I refused to give up. A month ago, I joined Samantha’s Pilates classes. That decision changed so much for me. Physiotherapy and Pilates gave me back a sense of control -of strength building slowly but surely inside my body.

I am not yet at 100%. My road to recovery is still long, and some days are harder than others. But I’ve learned something invaluable: recovery takes commitment, patience, and faith. It takes showing up for yourself every single day, even when it hurts. It takes the love of family, the kindness of friends, and the skill of dedicated professionals like Samantha Harding and her team.

Most of all, it takes hope. Hope that tomorrow I will walk a little stronger. Hope that one day, I will look back at this season of pain and see it as the chapter that built my resilience.

I’m still on this journey - but I know now that I will make the best recovery, because I am not walking it alone.

18/09/2025

💚🧠 What a weekend! Full hearts, full minds, and so much gratitude. ✨

10/09/2025

🩺💚 Healthy Aging & The Spine 🌿

As we age, our spines naturally change – but that doesn’t mean pain is inevitable. Here’s what actually happens:

🔹 Discs – they lose some hydration, which is normal, but movement keeps them nourished and flexible.
🔹 Joints – may show signs of wear, but staying active reduces stiffness and pain.
🔹 Muscles – tend to weaken if not used, making the spine less supported and more prone to strain.

💡Most age-related changes are adaptations – not disease. Back pain is more strongly linked to inactivity, poor posture, and deconditioning than to “getting older.”

That’s where physiotherapy makes a difference:
✅ Strengthening the deep stabilising muscles of the spine.
✅ Restoring flexibility and balance.
✅ Teaching safe movement strategies for daily life.
✅ Reducing the risk of future flare-ups.

📌 Take-home message: A healthy spine isn’t about stopping change – it’s about keeping your back strong, supported, and moving well through every stage of life.

👉 Question for you: What do you do daily to keep your back moving? (Walking? Stretching? Gardening?) Share your routine below – you might inspire someone else!

09/09/2025

🏃‍♀️💚 National Physiotherapy Week | 8–14 September 🌟

This year’s theme is Healthy Aging – and at Samantha Harding Physiotherapists, we believe movement is medicine at every stage of life. 💚

Between the three of us, we span the decades:
👩‍🦱 80s baby – living proof that healthy habits age better than trends.
💃 90s baby – bridging the gap between old school fitness and modern wellness.
🎧 00s baby – reminding us that prevention starts early (yes, even TikTok moves count).

💡 Myth-busting Healthy Aging:
❌ Aging means slowing down.
✅ Truth: The more you move, the more you maintain strength, mobility, and independence.

❌ Back pain is “just part of getting older.”
✅ Truth: With the right exercises and care, most back pain can be prevented and managed.

❌ Exercise is dangerous for older adults.
✅ Truth: Movement is one of the safest and most effective “medicines” for healthy aging.

No matter your decade, the key is simple: keep moving, keep strong, and keep living fully. That’s where physiotherapy comes in. 💪✨

👉 Share your decade below – and tell us your favourite way to stay active!

Here’s to aging well, moving well, and busting myths along the way. 🎉

08/09/2025

🌍✨ Happy World Physiotherapy Day! ✨🌍

Physiotherapy is about so much more than exercises—it’s about helping people move better, recover faster, and live with less pain. Whether it’s back or neck pain, sports injuries, arthritis, rehabilitation after surgery, pelvic health concerns, or chronic conditions, physiotherapists use evidence-based care to restore function and improve quality of life.

At Samantha Harding Physiotherapist, our team is passionate about walking this journey with our patients—empowering them to move with confidence and strength. 💪💙

Here’s to celebrating the impact of physiotherapy worldwide, and the patients who inspire us every day!

05/09/2025

📍 Cape Town training complete! Mickayla and I had the privilege of attending the McKenzie Institute course this past week, diving into this world-renowned approach for treating back pain. We learned so much and are excited to bring these skills back to Empangeni to help our patients struggling with back pain. 🙌

14/08/2025

📚🐾 What My Dog Taught Me About Pain (and How to Outsmart It)

Last week, while I was preparing for a Birth Skills talk at an antenatal day, my dog Sadie decided that my laptop was not the most important thing in the room. She has a special talent for completely stealing my attention — and it reminded me of something I tell expectant moms about managing contraction pain.

One of the key tools in labour is making your non-painful sensations bigger. When we focus on other strong, pleasant, or neutral sensations, the brain gives them priority — and they can block or dampen pain signals coming through.

This “gait control” principle isn’t just for labour — it’s also a huge part of how we manage chronic pain.

💡 Here’s the thing: when something hurts, our instinct is to avoid moving because we don’t want to make it worse. But over time, avoiding movement can decondition our bodies and make pain more persistent. That’s why, in physiotherapy, we often include exercises that keep you strong without flaring up your pain.

And here’s the really cool part:
Even if you only exercise a completely pain-free area — say you have lower back pain but you work your arms for 30–60 minutes — the body still releases:
✨ Endorphins that reduce pain perception
✨ Anti-inflammatory myokines from active muscles that calm inflammation
✨ Signals that can “reopen” some of the body’s natural opioid receptors, which can become less responsive in long-term pain

So if you’ve been living with chronic pain, sometimes the best place to start is with the areas that don’t hurt — and make them bigger in your life.

Just like Sadie makes herself bigger than whatever I’m doing, you can “get bigger than your pain” by filling your brain and body with other strong, positive sensations.

🐶❤️ And maybe, just maybe, let your dog remind you to shift your attention to what feels good.

12/08/2025

🌷 This Women’s Month, let’s talk about your body — and how physio can support you through every stage of womanhood. 🌷

At Samantha Harding Physiotherapists, we believe that women deserve care that grows with them. From the early challenges of adolescence to the changes that come with menopause, your body is constantly evolving — and physiotherapy can help you feel supported, strong, and confident through it all.

✨ Here’s how physio helps at every stage:

👧🏽 Adolescence – Growth spurts, poor posture, and early sports injuries are common during this time. Physiotherapy can guide young women to build body awareness, improve alignment, and stay injury-free.

🤰🏽 Pregnancy – With the body under new strain, physio can ease back and pelvic pain, manage swelling, and strengthen the right muscles to support birth and recovery.

👶🏼 Postpartum – Whether vaginal or C-section delivery, recovery takes time. We help with:
• Core healing (including diastasis recti)
• Pelvic floor rehab
• Scar management for C-sections
• Regaining control and confidence in your body

🌸 Menopause – Hormonal changes can bring joint stiffness, reduced bone density, and pelvic issues. Physio helps improve mobility, reduce discomfort, and build long-term strength.

💡 Let’s not forget the pelvic floor.
This group of muscles supports your bladder, uterus and bowel. It also plays a key role in continence, posture, and core strength.

If you’ve experienced any of these signs, you may benefit from pelvic floor therapy:
✔️ Leaking when coughing, laughing, or sneezing
✔️ Heaviness or pressure in the pelvis
✔️ Pain during intimacy
✔️ Constipation or straining

👉🏼 These issues are common, but not normal; and most importantly, they are treatable.

📍 Located in Empangeni | Gentle, evidence-based women’s care
📞 Message or call to book a consultation.
This Women’s Month, take a moment to honour your health — you deserve it.

25/07/2025

We’d love to see you there 🌸

Join us on the 16th of August for a Womens Tea at Rose of Sharon.