Treatments

The type of physiotherapy treatments selected for each patient will be entirely based upon the assessment undertaken. There is no one exercise or treatment that “cures” a person! The type of treatment selected will be up to date with the latest research and scientifically proven to work. Education and advice about the injury and how to help aide the recovery outside of the clinic will be provided and this is an essential part of the process. No matter what the problem, we will set you on the right path by selecting the appropriate type of treatment and guiding you back on the road to recovery. Book online now or fill out a contact form to start your recovery journey. Types of physiotherapy treatments available in the clinic are:

For more information on each treatment, see below. Book online now or contact us to start you recovery journey.

Advice and Education

This is the cornerstone of Physiotherapy, getting the right advice and information at the right time and implementing it can be as beneficial as any manual treatment. It can significantly speed up the recovery process. Often avoiding certain actions can be the most effective way to treat the problem in combination with exercises and manual therapy. Reassurance and explaining what’s going on and whether or not an onward referral or scan is appropriate can give someone more confidence to move and remain active and reduce their anxiety levels also.

Manual Therapy

Manual therapy is a combination of different Physiotherapy skills and techniques including mobilisations, passive physiological movements, passive movements, soft tissue mobilisations, deep tissue massage, muscle energy techniques and trigger point release. John also uses progressive techniques such as McKenzie, Mulligan and Maitland. These were devised by manual therapy specialists who gave their name to their own specific type of treatments. These techniques are used around the world, as they are clinically proven to work for people who have musculoskeletal injuries such as joint, spinal and muscle aches and pains.

Tailored exercise programme

Exercises are essential to any physiotherapy treatment and are issued in combination with other physiotherapy treatments such as the ones listed above. The exercises selected would be tailored specifically for the individual and their problem. They would aim to reduce pain, improve strength, flexibility, range of motion, balance, proprioception and neuromuscular control.

Soft Tissue Mobilisation

This technique will help loosen tight muscles fibres that may have occurred as a result of stress, weakness, increased training load or from a lack of exercise. By massaging the area, thus increasing blood flow, toxins are removed and neural tension decreases. This can help reduce discomfort and relieve muscular tension. Along with other physiotherapy treatments such as advice, education and exercises this approach will get you back on track in no time. This can be very helpful for people involved in sport.

Dry Needling

Using acupuncture needles, a taut band is located know as a ‘trigger point’. These can be “active”, referring pain to another area, or “latent” where the pain is localised to just that area. A sterile needle (single use) is inserted into the trigger point, that causes a small, short pain. Dry needling increases blood flow to taut muscle fibres. It releases naturally produced chemicals and receptors in the body that help to reduce pain. It is a safe and effective technique and can be useful as part of a holistic treatment programme. Dry needling can be very affective for the sporting and general population.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a Chinese technique that has been practiced for thousands of years. The process involves inserting sterile acupuncture needles (single use only) into specific points that increase the chi (flow) in the body. These points usually form lines, known as meridian lines. Depending on what your issue is, there will be specific points and lines where the needles will be inserted. Benefits of acupuncture include: increasing blood flow, reducing pain, reducing neural tension/pain, lowering stress levels and improving mood. Acupuncture in Physiotherapy can be very useful for individuals who have quite severe pain that can be easily irritated, for example acute back pain. In this case, the needles would normally be left in a little longer and can be stimulated at certain points intermittently during the treatment.

One-to-One Pilates

Pilates is the perfect combination of strength, control and balance. The key principle is to build strong and stable pelvic floor muscles (tummy muscles). The aim is to engage these muscles whilst moving the peripheral joints with control and maintaining regular breathing simultaneously. A strong core will help avoid injuries when doing day-to-day tasks or participating in sport. John is a qualified Pilates instructor so can give focused attention, valuable feedback, prompts and teaching points. A one-to-one session would be ideal for a beginner who needs a few sessions to understand the concept and benefits of Pilates or for someone who needs a couple of refresher sessions. This session is also beneficial for anyone looking for a more intensive approach to their Pilates.

Injury Prevention One-to-One

This is sport– and person-specific, focusing on what the most common injuries in the said sport are, along with current and previous injuries of the patient. John would create an exercise intervention, advice and education programme that would benefit the person physically, psychologically and financially.  This is ideal to gain a competitive advantage in your sport, particularly if recurrent injuries affect performance and a long-term solution to the issue is desired.

Orthotic Prescription

Orthotics are insoles that are inserted into your footwear to improve alignment and prevent any over-compensations or imbalances from occurring. They are most beneficial for people who are on their feet a lot or take part in activities which require high impact, for example running or jumping.

Kinesio Taping

This is a method of taping that provides support but does not restrict the joint or soft tissue from moving through its normal range. Taping has many benefits such as: increasing blood flow; reducing inflammation or swelling; and giving feedback to tissues that are inactive. There are different ways of applying the tape to the body depending on what and where your issue is. The tape can stay on for 7-10 days provided you do not have an allergic reaction to it.

Sports Taping

This would normally be done by a sports Physiotherapist before training, a match or other event. For this, the athlete would come to the clinic and have a specific joint taped for the occasion, for example, the ankle, shoulder, knee, wrists or fingers. We use zinc oxide tape as it is a lot more rigid than Kinesio tape. It therefore keeps the joint in a specific position.

Pre and Post-Operative Rehabilitation

Physiotherapy before surgery would focus on building up the strength in the muscle. In addition it would and maintain the mobility and flexibility for a quicker recovery post-surgery.

Post-operative Physiotherapy or Physiotherapy after surgery, is suitable for individuals who, for example, may have had a fracture, spinal surgery, ACL surgery, rotator cuff repair, hip and knee replacement or keyhole surgery. Physiotherapy would focus on regaining full range of motion, strength, flexibility and function, along with advice on healing time frames and a gradual progression back to sport or work. This would also involve discussions with the relevant consultant and/or GP if required. Thus ensuring progression is at the appropriate pace and within their post-operative guidelines. For further information on post-surgery physio see our dedicated page here.

Sports Massage

Sports massage can be useful before or after strenuous exercise. Massage increases blood flow to the tissues, which thereby increases flexibility, speeds up the healing process, reduces neural tension and releases natural chemicals into the body that help the person feel . This creates a feeling of relaxation and decreases the likelihood of straining a muscle during exercise. Find more information on our Sports Massage page here.

One-to-One Rehabilitation Class

This class is designed for someone who has moved beyond the acute (early) stages of an injury and now needs sport-specific or work-specific rehabilitation to return to 100% function. For example, this could be someone post-ankle sprain who wants to return to play their sport, or someone with a fractured shoulder who needs to get back to a physically demanding job such as lifting.

Physiotherapy Treatments

To make an appointment or to inquire for more information on our physiotherapy treatments, contact Next Level Physiotherapy here.

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