Matt Kinal - Chartered Physiotherapist

Welcome to the Body & Mind Physio website. My name is Matt Kinal and I started out as the Body and Mind Physiotherapist as I felt there was a really need for a different approach to how we treat pain. This is because long-term pain, also known as chronic pain, affects between 30-50% of people in the UK and is a major global cause of disability. Part of the problem is that when it comes to treating pain, most treatments only focus on the area that where someone is experiencing pain and not on the person as a whole. 

Research shows that changes in lifestyle, the amount of sleep we are getting, the level of stress we are under and our thought patterns (Including excessively focusing on the pain or worrying about how it will affect the future) can all impact on the level of pain we experience. By only focusing on the area of pain and not taking these factors into account it can mean people are not getting the best treatment possible and it can mean pain lasts longer than it needs to. 

Whole person approach

My aim is to treat the whole person and not just the area someone has their pain. I help people understand how lifestyle factors, have an influence on their pain, as well as treating the localised area, it helps provide the most optimal treatment possible. In order to do this I aim to create a relaxed, caring and empathetic environment, which allows people to feel safe and comfortable when exploring the various factors associated with their pain. 

By doing this it helps speed up recovery, helps prevent acute pain becoming chronic and can help prevent recurrences of pain.

Understanding your pain

When we experience pain one of the first things we do is try to make sense of what could be causing it. Pain can be caused by tissue trauma, such as a broken bone or ruptured ligament or muscle, but what it less well known is that it can also be caused by adaptive changes in our central nervous system, brain and hormone levels. These adaptive changes can be triggered and influenced by various different factors and can occur in the early stages of pain and even more so when pain has continued for a longer period of time.

I use the knowledge I gained from doing a Masters in Pain science and my on-going research to help people to understand their pain better. This can help reduce anxiety about the pain, make people feel more confident to move and use their body again and helps speed up recovery. 

Previous experience and Qualifications

I have over 15 years’ experience working in a variety of clinical settings. As well as my private work I also work in the Bath NHS pain clinic.  I've previously  worked as a Physiotherapist in other NHS settings, in professional sport at Nottingham Forest’s Academy and Nottinghamshire cricket club, at Nottingham prison, and in private practices in both Nottingham and Bristol.

I am a member of Chartered Society of Physiotherapist (CSP) and I am also registered with the Healthcare Professions Council (HCPC) and the British Pain Society (BPS).

I have an MSc in Pain Science from Keele University

And I am a certified Stress Illness practitioner (SIRPA). 

Extra Support

I have worked in Bristol for over 10 years and have good connections with other medical practitioners. When further help is needed to help manage mental health problems such as anxiety and depression, I also have very good connections with experienced Clinical Psychologists, Counsellors and Psychotherapists in the area.