Leah Mears Chartered Physiotherapist, Ashburton Physio

Ashburton Physiotherapists

Leah Mears and Alastair Backus are global in their approach and look at consider all aspects of your life. Work and recreation patterns help us to reach a diagnosis. Once we have sourced the pain or problem, we devise a treatment plan and timescale to achieve your goals. The simpler problems sometimes need only one session to find out what is wrong and put you on the road to recovery.

At Ashburton Physio, Leah Mears and Alastair Backus give time to listen to you and your story. An accurate diagnosis is essential for effective treatment through questioning and examination. The examination may involve looking at parts of the body distant from your pain. For example, a knee problem may relate to abnormal foot positioning. Or, foot pain may be a back problem.

Leah and Alastair are Chartered Physiotherapists and regulated by The Health and Care Professions Council. We are members of the Acupuncture Association of Chartered Physiotherapists. We are therapists with a wealth of experience. We update our CPD (Continuous Professional Development) on a regular basis.

We have a proven success record and in the last few years, more than half our patients are returners.

Leah Mears BSc(Hons) MCSP

Leah Mears (nee Skedgell) grew up in the South Hams attending school in Totnes. She graduated from St.Mary's Hospital School of Physiotherapy, London in 1993. She holds one of the first BSc(Hons)Physiotherapy degrees.

Her desire to become a Physio came from her aunt who suffered with Polio during the 1980's. She saw her treatment and rehabilitation and decided that is what she would like to do. Leah completed her junior rotations in Taunton before traveling. She worked in Tasmania in 1996/7. She gained further experience in both musculoskeletal and paediatric physiotherapy in the NHS. She started work in private practice in 2000.

She took ownership of the Ashburton Physio in July 2016, moving the practice to her home. She also works as an Occupational Health Physiotherapist in a boat building factory. There, she treats work-related problems and sports injuries which affect their work.

Leah continues to attend regular courses to improve her knowledge and skills. She is a very 'Hands-on' therapist. In 2010 she completed an MSc module in Injection Therapy. She is also a member of the Acupuncture Association of Physiotherapists. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide an injection service at Ashburton Physio.

Leah Mears attended the 'Discover Physio Series' and 'Thoracic Ring Approach' in 2013. She has followed this up by attending Part 4 of the now named 'Connect Therapy' series. and assisting LJ Lee on her Sports Thorax course in 2015. Leah is now looking at patients in a completely different way. She has incorporated her new skills into her treatment of patients.

She enjoys wandering the streets of her home town, Ashburton, with her Border Collie puppy, Tess. She loves driving, with her lovely husband, Simon, in their classic 1974 Triumph Stag and 1969 Mini.

Her caseload has increased to include more ballet dancers, runners, and cricket players.

Alastair Backus BSc(Hons) MCSP

Alastair qualified in 2000 from the Manchester School of Physiotherapy and since then has enjoyed working in a variety of settings in both private and public sectors. Shortly after qualifying, Alastair was fortunate to get the opportunity to work for Manchester United Football Club, gaining experience in treatment and rehabilitation of elite athletes. In Shanghai, Alastair was employed as Clinical lead physiotherapist at a pain and rehabilitation clinic prior to enhancing his skills at the Manchester Royal Infirmary where he held the position of Senior Specialist in Orthopaedics. After returning home to Devon some ten years ago he worked initially back within the NHS before moving on to work within a private physiotherapy clinic in Plymouth.

Alastair has spent years treating both orthopaedic and sporting injuries but has a specialist interest in the management of pain and is an accredited member of the Acupuncture Association of Chartered Physiotherapists. Treating the individual as a whole is key to his practice.

Alastair also works as a professional hedge layer and helps run his partner Phoebe’s salad growing business ‘The Good Grubb Garden’ on Dartmoor. In his spare time Alastair loves to be outdoors; he enjoys walking with his dogs, watching wildlife, and surfing.