What is Physiotherapy?

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That’s a good question. A large percentage of our clients come to us with sports related injuries however our therapists regularly treat a wide range of ailments from muscular aches and pains through to headaches. Chartered Physiotherapists are trained in a variety of different treatment methods:

  • Massage technique
  • Dry needling
  • Joint manipulation
  • Exercise rehabilitation

It is the therapist’s job to try and discover what it is within your body that is causing the pain you have. They use a series of different tests including postural analysis, gait analysis, ROM and the patient specific functional scale. Your problem may be something that can be diagnosed in the first session or it may take a series of sessions. Your pain may also be referred from another area of the body in which case the therapist will treat the source area.

What type of pain do you have?

 

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If what you are feeling is tightness, a regular sports massage will be beneficial however if the feeling is reoccurring your massage therapist will refer you to a Physiotherapist as they will be able to find the root of the problem and advise on how to prevent and avoid it happening in the future.

If the feeling is more of a dull ache or the area is feeling unusually weak it is very possible that you have an injury. Sharp shooting pains are often common in nerve injury. In either case it is advisable that you temporarily cease any movements that are aggravating the pain and see a Physiotherapist. The therapist will assess your symptoms and diagnose the problem. They will advise a course of treatment with the aim of getting you to the point where the injury can be self managed with a series of stretching and strengthening exercises.

For athletes functional movement screening can be beneficial in improving performance. Based on the results the therapist is able to spot weaknesses and provide exercises that can prevent injuries from happening and improve overall sporting performance.

Good to know

Most Physiotherapists have a good working relationship with specialists, consultants and surgeons and if they see fit will refer you to an appropriate professional for further investigation. It is possible to be referred for Physiotherapy on the NHS through your GP and most health insurance policies include an allowance for Physiotherapy.

Hopefully this brief overview has helped you figure our whether or not Physiotherapy is for you. If you have any questions there is more information available on our website or please feel free to comment!

Best BUC 😀

Leslie Abrahams