Sarah Wratten • Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist, Consultant and Aquatic Therapy Association for Chartered Physiotherapists (ATACP) Accredited Tutor in Aquatic Therapy.

Sarah has over 27 years clinical experience working within the NHS, private sector and Ministry of Defence (MOD) specialising in aquatic therapy and musculoskeletal physiotherapy. She qualified as a physiotherapist with a BSc (Hons) from Brunel University London in 1997 and continued to work within London. Sarah has been actively involved with all aspects of running a hydrotherapy pool - clinical treatment through to the workings of the plant room, infection control and health and safety requirements. 

In 2001 Sarah completed the Bath Hydrotherapy Course (a four week in-house course with assessment). She went on to further her post graduate training in aquatic therapy by completing the two week Valens Course in Switzerland in 2006 which included Ai Chi training. In 2008 Sarah gained her Masters in Manual Therapy (MMT) in Perth, Australia. She became the first UK Ai Chi International accredited trainer in 2017. Sarah was employed by the Ministry of Defence at DMRC Headley Court from 2009 until 2018 specialising in the treatment of complex trauma patients, including patients with multiple fractures and post orthopaedic surgery, amputees, incomplete and complete spinal cord injuries, rheumatological conditions, low back pain and pain management patients. Sarah is now the Founder of Pinder Aquatic Physiotherapy.

Sarah has been training physiotherapists and assistants in aquatic therapy since 2001 initially under her maiden name Dowding. From 2006 she started tutoring for the Aquatic Therapy Association of Chartered Physiotherapists (ATACP), former HACP, the Foundation Aquatic Therapy course (former Level One Hydrotherapy course) as well as tutoring specialised musculoskeletal Intermediate  and Ai Chi courses.  She has tutored courses in the UK and abroad including Copenhagen Denmark, Cape Town South Africa, Nanjing China, Bengaluru India, Cairo Egypt, Abu Dhabi UAE, Jordan and Lviv Ukraine. Her exposure to numerous hydrotherapy pools has provided her with a wealth of information she uses to consult on pool design and management.

In 2013 Sarah attended the 1st European Conference of Evidence Based Aquatic Therapy in Turkey. In 2014 she co-ordinated and presented at the first UK Aquatic Therapy Conference along with International speakers Prof Bruce Becker and Dr Garry Killgore. In 2017 Sarah attended the Sanibel, Florida Aquatic Therapy Conference with Jun Kunno (Ai Chi originator) presenting becoming further accredited as an International Trainer. In 2018 Sarah spoke at the International Conference of Evidence Based Aquatic Therapy in Las Vegas. In 2019 she co-organised the UK Aquatic Therapy Conference Wave of Research Leading the Way Forward and presented current research in Ai Chi. Sarah is co chair of the 2024 International Conference of Evidence Based Aquatic Therapy in Winchester, UK.

Her professional activities include:

  • Member of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists (CSP) and Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)

  • Chair of the Aquatic Therapy Association of Chartered Physiotherapists (ATACP)

  • Committee member of the Pool Water Treatment Advisory Group (PWTAG)

  • Co-writer of Hydrotherapy Pools chapter in The Swimming Pool Water book due for publication 2017

  • Invited speaker on Hydrotherapy Pools PWTAG guidance at Spatex 2017, Royal Society of Public Health (RSPH) March and September 2017, and PWTAG Conference November 2017

  • Invited speaker and tutor on ATACP study days in 2003, 2006, 2014, 2016 , 2017, 2019 and webinars 2020

  • 2024, 2019 and 2014 UK Aquatic Therapy Conference organiser and speaker

  • 2018 International Conference of Evidence Based Aquatic Therapy speaker

  • Co author of the ATACP ‘HYDROTHERAPY POOLS Expert Clinical Considerations in Planning and Design’ published 2020

  • Assisted in the revision of the CSP guidelines for good practice in hydrotherapy

  • Tutor of UK and International Aquatic Therapy Courses since 2006

  • Professional advisor in both clinical and managerial aquatic therapy

    • Mentoring physiotherapists

    • Formulating policies and procedures for hydrotherapy pool departments

    • Working with architects and investors in pool design for hydrotherapy pools both private and for the MOD

  • CIMSPA National Pool Plant Operators Certificate

For any more information please contact Sarah