WHAT TO EXPECT

Physiotherapists will often have more time allocated for an initial meeting than most GPs or even specialist consultants. This is a fantastic opportunity to listen to the whole story or history of pain and injury.

A physiotherapy assessment will involve looking at how you move. We look at active normal movements such as crouching down or reaching up above the head. Then there is an exploration around how the whole body interacts during movement. We might find that the back is compensating for stiffness in the hip or that the shoulders are affecting the movement in the neck so it is always a good idea to look at whole body movements. We also look at joint movement and muscle strength.

There is usually a gentle palpation (touching) of the skin and underlying muscles, which helps to judge how the body responds to light or deeper pressure from touch to see if it is sensitive or painful. We would always make sure that you are comfortable with this.

All of the conversation and assessment will lead to a clinical diagnosis (letting you know what is going on with your body). Some pain or injury might require further investigation such as scans or x-rays.

Physiotherapy is a partnership between the practitioner and the patient so we like to set meaningful goals with you.

By this stage you should have a really good idea of what is going on with your body and how we are going to get you better. Then we begin the treatment itself.

This could be some form of manual therapy: soft tissue massage type techniques, joint mobilization (moving the joints in particular ways), joint manipulation (cracking). Sometimes we use acupuncture needles for pain relief and to help the body relax and achieve a restorative state in the nervous system.

The second main area of treatment is exercise. This might be a specific home program of exercise to move, strengthen, improve range, improve muscle co-ordination or balance, or change the way you habitually move. It might also take the form of guided exercise in a one to one environment.