Services & Treatments

Assessment

During your initial appointment a detailed assessment will be carried out. This will include a discussion about your symptoms, how they are affecting you and any previous medical history will be noted. This may have relevance to your current problem. If you are on medication please supply a list so this can be recorded in your notes.

An objective examination will be completed to enable a diagnosis to be made. This may include moving joints and muscles, testing the nervous system, evaluating posture, balance, strength and movement patterns.

At the end of the assessment the findings will be discussed and a personalised treatment plan will be advised and commenced.

Treatment

Your treatment will be tailored to your specific needs and may include any of the treatment modalities listed below.

Often 'hands-on' treatment will be utilised followed by advice and a personalised exercise programme so that you can carry on your treatment and rehabilitation at home in between appointments.

Exercise Programme

An individual exercise programme will be devised to help relieve your symptoms and prevent further recurrence. You can usually carry out your exercise programme individually at home but supervision will be given during treatment sessions and a review of your exercise programme will be carried out as your rehabilitation progresses.

Treatments

We use many different physiotherapy techniques to treat muscles, ligaments, tendons, nerves and joints in the body.

• Manual therapy
• Soft tissue & neural mobilisations
• Soft tissue massage & Myofascial (trigger point) release
• Muscle Activation
• Core stability
• Postural / Ergonomic advice
• Falls prevention
• Mobility assessment
• Pilates
• Sports Injuries

Manual therapy

• manipulation of joints
• mobilisations to joints

Soft tissue and neural mobilisations

When a patient has had a soft tissue injury, not only do the soft tissues get tight but the surrounding nerves also get tight which may result in pins and needles or discomfort. By moving the tissues and nerves in a certain way we can often alleviate these symptoms.

Soft tissue massage and Myofascial (trigger point) release

By massaging soft tissues or applying guided pressure to specific muscle points we increase the circulation to the area which aids healing and releases tight muscles.

Muscle Activation

Muscle activation is a technique that uses a system of reflexes throughout the body to 'jump start' muscles which are not functioning properly. It allows muscles to fire in a particular sequence thus restoring balance and function.

It is usually combined with a correct breathing pattern (diaphragmatic breathing technique).

Core stability

Core stability exercises are prescribed and taught to address any muscle imbalances that you may have. They focus on your deep, core (stabilising) muscles.

These may include strengthening weak muscle groups and lengthening tight muscle groups.

These exercises can be done using equipment such as theraband, gym balls, a foam roller and your own body weight.

They can be continued at home or in the gym. You may be advised to continue your core rehabilitation training with a local Pilates instructor.

Postural / Ergonomic advice

Postural advice is essential for every age group. With the increasing use of laptops, tablets and mobile phones our posture is suffering!

We are adopting a 'work on the move' lifestyle where people work on the sofa, bed, bus, train and in the car. This is causing a massive increase in mid back (thoracic), neck and back problems, not to mention texting thumb!

By teaching patients how to stand, sit and walk properly we can help to alleviate spinal pain and prevent further problems related to sitting, standing and whilst at work.

Ergonomic advice can also be given to ensure that you are working in the correct position and that your workstation is set up to suit you.

Many people who have retired from work are using computers for many hours during the day. It is just as vital that their office area is set up correctly so as to prevent unnecessary musculoskeletal aches and pains.

Falls prevention

An assessment in the person's home is the best way of preventing falls as we can assess any hazards (eg.rugs, trailing wires). We can also assess your mobility around your accommodation, up and down stairs, transfers on/off the bed, in/out of a chair and ability to go outside of the house.

We can help you to improve your quality of walking by providing walking aids, improving your strength, flexibility, co-ordination and balance with exercises. This will help to improve your daily function and help to prevent unnecessary falls. Our ultimate goal being to keep your life as independent as possible within your own home.

Mobility assessment

We can assess a patient for walking aids (sticks/walkers/frames) and teach patients how to use them correctly and safely. After injury or surgery patients may be given crutches. We can teach you how to use crutches safely on stairs and help you to regain confidence going outdoors as this is often a daunting task.

Other treatment modalities may be used to help with your recovery and these may include:

• Ultrasound
• taping (kinesiotaping, functional fascial taping)
• orthotics or braces/supports may be used to help recovery.

'Physiorehab2u' offer all of these treatment modalities.

An individual treatment plan will be devised and tailor made for you. Along with your 'hands-on' treatment you will receive advice and an exercise programme to aid your recovery and prevent further recurrence of injury.

Pilates

The Pilates Method is a type of mind-body exercise that focuses on improving 'core' strength, flexibility, balance and body awareness through controlled movements and breath work.

Joseph Pilates, the founder of the Pilates Method in the 1920's, believed that injuries were caused by imbalances in the body and habitual patterns of movement which lead to weakness and maligned areas. By correcting these imbalances/malalignment and re-educating the body he could prevent further recurrence.

Matwork Pilates is based on 34 original Pilates exercises which consist of strength, mobility and stretching exercises completed on an exercise mat. They are progressed using various arm and leg movements (differing length levers), positions (from lying to sitting to standing movements) and resistance using small Pilates equipment (such as resistance band, ball, stick).

Pilates is therefore a great adjunct to physiotherapy as it helps to strengthen weak muscles, aids recovery from surgery and injury, improves posture and the dysfunctions which lead on from these poor postures and prevents recurrence of injury and pain.