A lot of our patients come to see the True Physio team and do not know what to expect. So I’ve written this “Physiotherapy – How it Can Help”.
In fact physiotherapy can help almost anybody.
There are specific reasons I can make that claim. I’ve written a guide to physiotherapy, also known as physio, below. If you are not sure what physiotherapy can do, or wonder if it is for you, please find some answers on this page!
Physiotherapy. How It Can Help.
People who are ill, injured or disabled often rely on Physiotherapy to help them. In its broadest application physio helps restore movement and function. And in doing so, it frequently helps with pain.
The second, less widely known use of physio is to prevent injury and illness. This could be to prevent reoccurance, of say a bad back. Or by sportspeople to ensure they don’t sustain an injury.
It is also good to know that any physio worth their salt takes an holistic approach. This means they consider not just the specific problem but all the factors surrounding it. For example your general health, lifestyle and the cause of the issue you have come to see us about.
I hope that “Physiotherapy. How It Can Help” helps you to decide whether physio is for you. If it sounds like something that will help you, like many others, then get in touch.
What is Physiotherapy Used For
I hint above that a lot of people come to see us with a bad back! Every week the team also see a good number of amateur sports people – we’ve helped everybody from International cricketers and the GB fencing team, to guys who play five a side with their mates and don’t want to give it up through injury.
Different Types of Pain
Bear in mind this is no way an exhaustive list, but gives you an idea of how we help people every day. Sometimes patients are more in discomfort than pain. And for some this is in danger of just becoming a way of life. Find a physio who is focused on getting you better and back to enjoying life in the quickest possible time.
Back pain – we help you with movement, pain and getting back to normal life. Back pain can have a really negative effect on sufferers. We’re here to help you understand how to get better as quickly as possible.
Shoulder pain – if you aren’t sure what is causing your shoulder pain, seeing a physio can help you get to the bottom of it. At the same time you can expect to get advice on how to ease any pain, restore movement and prevent it coming back.
Neck pain – most commonly, modern day neck pain is caused by sitting for long periods at a computer or desk! It’s also exacerbated by the prolific use of electronic devices. Neck pain can also result because of an accident or sporting injury. Others simply wake up with it one day. Physio can help with all of these causes.
Sports injuries – gosh where do I start? Almost any part of your body can be injured. Knees, ankles and backs are frequently injured during sport. Also the ligaments and tendons, bones and joints often pick up injuries – depending on how hard your sport is, and precisely what you have done.
Treatment
There is a long list of different approaches myself and the True Physio team use to help you get better and prevent injury and pain. I say above about how we take an holistic approach, so we often choose more than just one method to help you. We will take into account any factors personal to you when deciding on a course of treatment.
Manual Therapy
If you have never been to a physiotherapist, you may well believe that all we do is inflict more pain. This actually puts off quite a few people from coming to see us. We use our hands to encourage improvement of movement. Also pain, stiffness and discomfort can be treated. Manual therapy includes gentle mobilisations, massage and sometimes manipulations.
Advice
We’re also big on giving advice. The True Physio team focus helping you understand your condition, as this means you can play a more active role in your recovery. Mental wellbeing and understanding – both yours and ours – plays a massive part in recovery. If your day to day activities are exacerbating your pain we help with ideas to make adjustments and minimise the ill effects.
Exercise
Even people who are very active may be overlooking certain muscles. An injury in one place might have its root cause in another part of the body. Any exercise plan we design for you will take this into account. We make sure you’re activating the right muscles to help you to recover and prevent future injury. As long as you then follow up with a few minutes a day you’ll be on the road to recovery.
Massage
Although this falls under manual therapy, massage is great so I want to tell you more about it. The benefits of massage are wide ranging. Not only does it help treat pain and stiffness; it can prevent injury, especially for anybody regularly pursuing a sporting interest. Massage isn’t a luxury, it can improve quality of life. Swedish massage can help promote general wellbeing through relaxation and better sleep.
Biomechanical Analysis
Bear with me, it isn’t as complicated as it sounds. To put biomechanical analysis another way: helping you with your posture when walking and running can be a great boost to preventing back,neck and shoulder pain. The True Physio team is skilled in assessing if you will be helped by orthotic insoles. We use specially designed shoe inserts to correct posture – very commonly knee and hip pain. You might have flat feet and not know it, so it is a good idea to see us if you have unexplained pain. Runners can often benefit from orthotic insoles.
Workstation assessments
The True Physio team has some physios trained in completing assessments of your desk. They can look at your workstation. The physio will assess how your desk set up, look at your posture and consider your interaction with computer equipment. You will receive recommendations on how to to reduce what we call “desk ache”. This refers to the little aches and pains nearly everyone gets whilst at their desk.
Coming to See a Physiotherapist
If you have never been to see a physiotherapist before I’ve pulled together a few points so you know what to expect.
- You can request a male or female practitioner; though I strongly encourage not to let this put you off if one isn’t available. If you feel more comfortable you can bring somebody with you as a chaperone.
- If you are a parent or carer and want to come and see us but can’t get a childminder, it doesn’t bother us. Don’t miss out on getting the required treatment. We welcome our patients to bring their child with them.
- We’ll ask all about your recent medical history and the issue you are coming to see us about.
During Physiotherapy Treatment lots of people worry about being comfortable with what is going on.
- For treatment you can still keep your clothes on, unless you you have booked a massage session. So please have a think about what you are wearing. Loose sports-type clothing is probably best. It’s very important you are comfortable, but you may need to move about if required.
- For massage from the waist upwards you may want to keep your bottom clothes on. So ensure that you are comfortable, for instance we don’t recommend a pair of jeans with a belt. Sports-type clothing is probably best – leggings or something similar.
- We use towels to preserve your modesty. Ensuring you keep your privacy and dignity is very important to myself and the entire team here at True Physio. You should feel relaxed and go away feeling as if you have achieved something through your appointment.
Physical Therapy Terms
It’s easy to get confused when lots of different names are used for, sometimes, the same thing. Here’s a guide to some of the common terms you might have read or heard used. The following should help you decide if physiotherapy is for you.
Physio – This is just a shortened name for physiotherapy. It’s also a casual term used for physiotherapist, the person carrying out your treatment.
Physical Therapy – Sometimes physiotherapy is referred to as physical therapy. This can be shortened to PT. PT can also mean physical trainer, this could either be a physiotherapist or somebody that solely teaches exercise.
Osteopath – An osteopath or “osteo” is a medical professional who focuses much more on injury. By saying that I mean that an osteo won’t necessarily consider the bigger picture or add value through lifestyle and other advice.
Chiropractor – This is an alternative form of medicine. Chiropractors focus on the spine; but also help with muscular and skeleton problems. If you know for sure your problem is to do with bones , especially in the neck or back, they may be able to help but again they will often look at fixing the injury rather than the cause.
If in doubt, I’d say come and see us as we treat a broader range of conditions taking into account a wider set of factors.
I look forward to welcoming you to one our six physiotherapy clinics at True Physio.
Andy
Chief Physio
