What is physiotherapy?
Physiotherapy is the assessment and management of health conditions by restoring and maintaining people’s movement and function. Physiotherapists facilitate recovery from injury or disability in people of all ages, helping them to manage pain and prevent disease (CSP2023).
Physiotherapists
Physiotherapists are health care professionals who have undertaken a three-year degree in physiotherapy. To practise as, and use the title of Physiotherapist in the UK they need to be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) which is the regulatory body for allied health professionals. Members of the public can check this register to make sure the health professional they are seeing is registered.
Physiotherapists must continue to continue their learning and provide evidence for this to remain on the HCPC register so you can be confident your therapist remains up to date with evidence and research.
Throughout their university degree they undergo medical training in a variety of areas including musculoskeletal (MSK), neurology, respiratory, paediatrics and intensive care. They work in a wide variety of health care settings including hospital wards, intensive care, GP practices, outpatient departments, women’s health, and community settings.
How can they help you?
Physiotherapists are experts in their field and can assess and diagnose health conditions in their specialised field. Within their assessment they also screen for other conditions that may be a cause of your symptoms and will direct you to the appropriate health care professional if this is something to be considered. Once they have diagnosed your problem, they will take the time to explain the problem and ensure you understand the condition and the best ways of managing or resolving it. They will then formulate a treatment plan to help you ease your symptoms so that you are able to self-manage your condition. Sometimes this may involve manual therapy techniques and other added therapies but will always include advice and an exercise programme so that you can be in charge of your own health conditions.
Accessing a physiotherapist quickly can help you to get the right advice in a timely manner and prevent your symptoms becoming a long-term problem. Accessing private services will allow you to have an appointment that isn’t subject to time pressures and the physiotherapist will take the time to listen to your concerns and ensure the goals you want to achieve are at the forefront of the treatment plan.
Physiotherapists expertise include:
- Assessment of the body’s muscular and skeletal system to provide a diagnosis of what is wrong.
- Listening to your problems and what is important to you
- Supporting you to manage your pain and limitations
- Giving advice on your condition and how to improve your symptoms
- Exercise prescription and progression
- Education on pacing activities
- Manual therapy including mobilisations of joints and massage
- Acupuncture
- Injection therapy
Conditions commonly treated with physiotherapy are:
- Sciatica
- Low back pain
- Rotator cuff injury
- Frozen shoulder
- Tennis elbow
- Neck pain
- Osteoarthritis
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- De quervians
- Bursitis
- Achilles tendonitis
If you’re suffering from any of these issues, or feel you would benefit from expert private physiotherapy, then don’t hesitate to get in touch! We’d be happy to conduct an initial assessment to hear about your issues and long-term health goals, so that we can create a bespoke treatment plan and get you back to full health.
