Falling off a bicycle and breaking his elbow led to a top Medway consultant coming up with a new way to do physio in the comfort of people’s home.

Prof Rahul Kanegaonkar, an ear, nose and throat specialist, has invented a new smartphone app which allows a physio to prescribe exercises and then chart progress as the phone relays data back to his computer.

To check it works he chose to be the first person to trial the app at the Spire Alexandra Hospital in Walderslade, where he works.

While recovering from his injury Prof Kanegaonkar, discovered how many people did not bother to complete their rehabilitation regime.

He said: “After giving it some thought, I could see many reasons why this might happen.

“For a start, once you leave the physio ‘you’re on your own’. There’s nobody checking up on you when you get home and, to put it bluntly, it’s easy to cheat.

“With this app it’s almost like taking the physiotherapist home with you. Once you have strapped your smartphone to your arm – I use a jogging pouch – then all your exercises can be seen and analysed.

“Your physio will be able to keep an eye on the work you are doing and the beauty of this app is they can change your exercises whenever they think it is necessary.

“Because the app also displays a video clip and text description of the exercise, patients will know how to perform the exercise properly. It’s easy to forget everything you’ve been told in the clinic by the physio.”

The 46-year-old, who also works at Medway Maritime Hospital, added that he is reaching his recovery target quicker after the accident in August. It has also saved him time and travel costs to appointments.

He said: “I was back to work after just five weeks. I had been really worried that I might
not be able to operate again
and how that might affect my family.

“I perform major ear operations and felt awful for my patients who had to wait for their procedures. I’m operating again and I’m delighted with my result.”

Prof Kanegaonkar, who has a daughter, 14 and son, six, is the first case study and now hopes to recruit 20 patients to complete the trial.