AI Physiotherapist Prevents Paralysis by Diagnosing Rare Spinal Condition
A Cambridgeshire woman has been saved from potential paralysis after an artificial intelligence physiotherapist detected a rare and severe spinal condition during a remote consultation. Amie Smith, a 47-year-old carer, endured unbearable pain that led her to consider amputation before the AI intervention uncovered cauda equina syndrome.
Escalating Pain and Initial Scepticism
Ms Smith's ordeal began on Sunday, April 20, 2025, with lower back pain that she initially managed with painkillers. Within days, the discomfort escalated to excruciating levels, radiating down her body and into her legs. After securing an urgent GP appointment on Tuesday, April 22, she was referred to Flok Health, an AI physiotherapist programme trialled by Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust.
"Initially, I thought an AI physiotherapist is not very personal. I felt like I was probably talking to a robot that couldn't really help me," Ms Smith admitted. Despite her reservations, the technology proved crucial. "But, actually, if it wasn't for that process, I wouldn't have gotten the help that I did, and ultimately I would have had a lot more damage," she added, expressing profound gratitude.
Chronic Pain History and Misdiagnosis
Having lived with chronic pain since a fibromyalgia diagnosis in 2018, Ms Smith recognised this new pain was completely different. "I've always suffered with back pain, but this was excruciatingly painful. I left it for a few days thinking that if I just take pain relief and I carry on, I should be fine. But it just gradually got worse," she explained. Her GP, however, automatically attributed the symptoms to her fibromyalgia, despite her insistence and increasing difficulty walking.
AI Intervention and Human Follow-Up
The Flok Health app, deployed in February 2025 to alleviate back pain waiting lists, became Ms Smith's last resort after two e-consult requests to her GP went unanswered. On Friday, April 25, she tried the platform, which uses an automated video call assessment where an AI-powered physiotherapist evaluates symptoms. The AI flagged her symptoms and limited movement as serious, advising her to attend A&E.
The breakthrough occurred on Monday, April 28, when Ms Smith received a call from Kirsty Henderson, a senior physiotherapist at Flok Health. Following up on the AI assessment, Ms Henderson identified potential cauda equina syndrome – a compression of spinal nerves that can lead to paralysis and incontinence if untreated. "Straight away, she said that I definitely needed an MRI. She explained to me that it could be something called cauda equina, and that getting help urgently is essential because the longer it goes on, the more damage that can be done," Ms Smith recalled.
Emergency Surgery and Recovery
Empowered by this advice, Ms Smith returned to A&E, where doctors noted her distress and high blood pressure, leading to immediate admission. An MRI scan confirmed a really bad situation with slipped discs trapping nerves, later identified as cauda equina syndrome. After reporting numbness in her leg, she underwent a five-hour emergency lumbar decompression surgery on May 1.
Since the surgery, Ms Smith's pain has subsided, though she has made adaptations due to incomplete use of her left leg, including driving an automatic car and struggling with prolonged walking.
Broader Impact of AI in Healthcare
Mike Passfield, deputy director from Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust, highlighted the initiative's impact. "The new AI-assisted approach is having a significant impact in our region, enabling thousands of patients to get faster access to expert physiotherapy support," he said. "Not only is the technology capable of treating and discharging patients at scale, but its red flag system means patients with more serious or extremely rare conditions are identified and directed to the right human-led service quickly."
During a pilot of Flok Health in Cambridgeshire last year, waiting lists were cut by more than half, with thousands gaining immediate access to support.
Gratitude and Reflection
Ms Smith remains profoundly grateful to Ms Henderson. "I went back to Kirsty to really thank her because I honestly felt like she was the only person that actually listened," she said. "Now I can see that every 24 hours that was going by, more damage was being done to my body. That damage is still here today to a point, but had I not spoken to Kirsty and then gone on to follow what I've been told to do, I probably would have been unable to walk."
She concluded, still surprised by how her journey started with an AI physio, emphasising the life-saving potential of this technology in modern healthcare.
