What to expect

Your initial physiotherapy visit and diagnosis
At your first consultation the Physiotherapist will take a detailed medical history, including information about your lifestyle such as your level of physical activity and your work environment, together with any relevant past medical history. In order to ensure a long-term physiotherapy program to address your problem the Physiotherapist will be just as interested in what is causing your problem as the effect it is having on your health. For example, is your shoulder condition caused by a rotator cuff lesion from playing sport or lifting the shopping  or is there another cause, such as referred pain from a tight muscle in the neck caused by sitting for hours driving or in front of a computer.?

After your history has been taken the Physiotherapist will examine how you move. You may be asked to remove some of your clothing (it is helpful if you are able to attend the visit in gym clothes) and perform a series of simple movements. The physiotherapist will assess your mobility by observing your range of movement and by gently feeling your spine, shoulders and muscles as you perform the movements. The initial assessment will probably last up to 45 minutes and subsequent treatment sessions will also typically last  forty-five minutes. 

It should be noted that Chartered Physiotherapists are trained to recognise when physiotherapy won't help and when to refer a patient to a doctor. Your Chartered Physiotherapist will not begin your treatment until they believe they fully understand your condition and what can be done to help.

Your treatment plan.

After diagnosing the cause of your condition the Physiotherapist will propose a treatment program which may consist of one or more of the following techniques:


In the case of neck pain and back pain, manipulation can be an effective treatment, but it may not be the best option in every situation. After a full examination your Physiotherapist will discuss treatment options with you. In particular your physiotherapy will examine you carefully before manipulating your neck or back to see if other methods, such as mobilisation would be preferable.

You will also be given exercises to do at home and, in some cases, advice as to how to minimise any negative impact of your lifestyle on your condition. This 'homework' is a crucial part of your treatment and should not be ignored. The Physiotherapist is seeking to promote your body's ability to self-heal and the exercises are an important part of this process.

Most Physiotherapists expect to see considerable treatment benefit within two to six sessions, although sometimes a single treatment is sufficient. Your Physiotherapist should make you feel at ease and communicate effectively with you and you should ask questions at anytime during your consultation if you are unsure.

Symptoms commonly treated by Physiotherapists
Physiotherapy is well-known for treatment of back pain in general. However, Physiotherapists routinely treat, with excellent results, conditions such as neck pain, migraine and headache, frozen and stiff shoulders, repetitive strain injuries, knee and hip problems, arthritic pain and stiffness, disc injuries, trapped nerves, cramps, leg pain and sciatica, ankle and foot problems, whiplash injuries, tennis elbow, wrist pain, and various types of soft-tissue injury. Not infrequently such conditions may be caused by or related to sports injuries.
Some of the most common symptoms treated by Physiotherapists are outlined below:


Symptom
Tight or aching shoulders
Common Causes
Treatments

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Symptom
Headaches at the base of your skull or top of your spine
Common Causes
Treatments


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Symptom
Neck Stiffness
Common Causes
Treatments

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Symptom
Acute immobilising lower back pain
Common Causes
Treatments

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Symptom
Sciatica and trapped nerves
Common Causes
Treatments

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Symptom
Pain and stiffness in the shoulder preventing a full range of movement
Common Causes
Treatments

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Symptom
Whiplash
Common Causes
Treatments


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Symptom
Hand Pain
Common Causes
Treatments


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