Conditions and Advice

Here you can find common problems and questions we regularly get asked 

What do physiotherapists do?

Chartered physiotherapists combine their knowledge and skills to identify an individual patient's functioning needs and improve a broad range of physical problems associated with different systems of the body.

This service offers musculoskeletal (soft tissues, joints, neural tissue and bones) physiotherapy. This involves a physical assessment to determine what the diagnosis is and rule out any serious underlying pathology.

Following the physical assessment, the physiotherapist can offer a varying range of treatment modalities to aid functional recovery: These include: Acupuncture, Education, Exercise, Manual therapy, Manipulative Therapy, Health Education, Biomechanical Assessment and Cognitive functional Therapy. Each treatment will be specifically adapted to each client based on their individual assessment.

Physiotherapy practice is characterised by reflective behaviour and systematic clinical reasoning (Based on latest research), both contributing to and underpinning a solution focused approach to patient-centred care.

At Sports & Physiotherapy we ask that all our clients bring appropriate clothing for the assessment and also for exercising in the gym.

More info - https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/physiotherapy/

Lower Back Pain

Lower back pain- is the most prevalent musculoskeletal condition that physiotherapists treat. This is an area of interest for me and I have undertaken medical research projects in the area of lower back pain. It is very important that acute lower back pain is treated and managed well to prevent it becoming chronic.

There are several reasons why acute episodes of lower back pain can become longer lasting. These include: Previous episodes of lower back pain, unhelpful beliefs that may be held by that person which are consistently reinforced by society, poor general health, poor sleep patterns etc. this is why it is important to have a detailed assessment to help reduce modifiable risk factors.

The assessment will not only consider physical factors but also psychosocial factors that can manifest because of being in pain. Returning to function is the most important aim of treatment and this will be facilitated via a variety of treatment methods such as manual therapy, cognitive functional therapy, exercise prescription, health education, pain management, mindfulness and Stress management. Treatment will be tailored to each client.

Cognitive functional therapy- Sometimes when people have been experiencing pain for a long time this can alter how we sense our body and facilitation of ‘normal’ movement patterns can help reduce pain.

Mindfulness- When someone is in pain for long periods and suffering from sleep deprivation this can and cause significant stress and anxiety and consequentially dominate their thought process. Mindfulness can be helpful if someone has been suffering with pain for extended periods by reducing stress and anxiety associated with pain.

Common misconceptions of lower back pain as supported by medical research Back pain myth busters

Chartered society of physiotherapy: Physiotherapy for Acute and Chronic Lower back pain

Knee Pain

Exercise can help to manage some of the symptoms of arthritis. Physiotherapists provide advice and education on exercise, pain relief and ways to manage your condition. They can teach you how to improve your joint movement and your walking, as well as how to strengthen your muscles.

Your physio may offer exercise in water, at perhaps your local swimming pool. They may also offer acupuncture for some conditions. Being active can really help you to stay mobile and independent.

You are also likely to see a physiotherapist before and after a joint operation, such as a total knee (TKR) or total hip (THR) replacement. The physio will help you walk properly and make sure you are recovering well.

For More information:

Chartered Society of Physiotherapy: Arthritis

Arthritis UK

Physiotherapy for pain

Pain is very complex and there are many common misconceptions held by the public regarding pain. When someone is in pain this can be a major stress and consequentially can affect every aspect of a person’s life. 

Through my study in pain neuroscience at Kings I have been lucky to develop a deep understanding of the effects of pain on the body and brain. My aim is to embrace the latest science and turn it into easily digestible information and strategies to manage and treat pain. In my treatment of every condition both acute and chronic I will adopt a cognitive functional approach to treatment.

This means looking at the individual person and how that injury is affecting your biology and is impacting your life. This method of physiotherapy assessment and treatment is known as the biopsychosocial model of healthcare and it has been shown to be the most effective and heavily supported by medical literature. I will create unique pathways for each person to manage and treat their condition based on that person. 

Understanding Pain: Video - PAIN-ED.com

Neck Pain and Headache

Neck Pain: is another extremely prevalent musculoskeletal condition that physiotherapists treat.

Neck can be caused by many factors and the aim of the physiotherapy assessment would be to identify which structure is causing said symptoms and provide an appropriate treatment plan to aid recovery. Some common conditions include:

Neck joint injuries, Muscle tension and pain, Bone related pain, disc pathology -all of which may cause irritation of the neural structures around the neck commonly causing referral of symptoms into the arms.

Treatment and management of such symptoms would involve ruling out serious pathology and then assessing both biological origin of pathology and treatment of these symptoms. The assessment will not only consider physical factors but also psychosocial factors that can manifest because of being in pain. Returning to function is the most important aim of treatment and this will be facilitated via a variety of treatment methods such as manual therapy (offering osteopathic manipulation) , cognitive functional therapy, exercise prescription, health education, pain management, massage, Trigger point therapy, mindfulness and Stress management. Treatment will be tailored to each client.