Assessment, treatment, prevention.

Damaged or inflamed joints, muscles, discs and ligaments in your neck can cause local discomfort as well as refer pain and pins and needles into your arm and hand. Our physiotherapists are quickly able to identify the reason for your symptoms and provide effective treatment, including joint mobilisation, muscle stretches and exercises.

Trauma injuries from car accidents.

Often, after a car accident or sporting injury, patients will report stiffness, soreness and / or pain in the head, neck and upper back. They may experience dizziness or even difficulty swallowing. Sometimes symptoms may not begin until a few days after the injury. The good news is that with early diagnosis and appropriate treatment, patients have the best chance of returning to normal function. For some patients, the best treatment is no treatment, whilst for others, combinations of ice, heat, exercises, electrotherapy and medication may be necessary. Our physiotherapists are experienced at diagnosis and management of whiplash injuries and will explain the recovery process and self help measures.

Tension, migraine.

Headaches often have several causes. If you have noticed that your neck and shoulders are sore when you have a headache, then it is very likely that your neck may be at least part of the reason.Our physiotherapists will carefully examine your neck to determine whether it is involved and can then help to relieve your symptoms with gentle mobilizing techniques and exercises. We do not use forceful manipulation of the neck as it is potentially dangerous.

Assessment, treatment, prevention.

Do you have back pain, muscle spasm, leg pain or pins and needles in your leg? You may have injured a disc, joint or muscle in your back. There are many causes of back pain. We will take a careful history, examine your back, make a diagnosis and then treat your symptoms. This may include manual therapy, specific exercises and pain relief advice. With the right treatment we aim to have you back in action quickly and provide you with ongoing preventative self-management strategies. These could include postural and ergonomic advice, exercises and a program for a return to your normal activities in daily life.

Leg pain related to back problems.

True sciatica means that the sciatic nerve in your back has been pinched or irritated to produce pain in the back of your thigh and calf. Pain in the thigh or calf can also come from a muscle strain or even the joints of your back or pelvis. Our physiotherapists are trained to know the difference. Sometimes your sciatic nerve can be damaged by inappropriate postures or activities. We can diagnose and make recommendations about treatment.

Severe back pain treatment and management.

Discs are like cushions and sit between your vertebrae. They act as shock absorbers and weight transmitters. Discs have two parts. The outer layer is a little like a tractor tyre, whilst the inner portion is more like thick putty. Discs dry out with age and injury and the outer layer can split or bulge. Whilst discs don’t slip, part of the nucleus can escape through a tear in the outer layer and can pinch nerves or set up acute inflammation. The result can be extremely severe back pain. Sometimes rest in bed for one or two days is the best treatment, followed by appropriate physiotherapy. Your normal function can be restored quickly if you seek help early. Prolonged bed rest can lead to slower recovery.

Diagnosis, treatment, self-management strategies.

If you are like the majority of our patients, you work at your desk for long days and then play sport or go to the gym to try to strike a balance between inactivity and fitness. Sometimes injuries result. Early diagnosis and treatment lead to rapid return to function. Our physiotherapists are experienced at managing sporting injuries in a range of people from elite athletes to those who like to exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle regardless of their age.

Including joint replacement, repair and reconstruction.

After joint surgery, most patients will experience swelling, pain, stiffness and weakness. Our physiotherapists can show you how to ease your discomfort and improve your movement by using combinations of ice, heat, exercise, splinting and electrotherapy.

Shoulders, arm and hand pain, tendinitis.

Do your shoulders, neck and arms ache after a day at your desk ? It is essential to identify the cause of your symptoms so that treatment can help to restore you to normal function. We can help you to optimise your work environment. Often a few simple changes to your workplace set up can make a very significant difference to your ability to work comfortably. These could include adjustments to your chair, monitor height and mouse position. If needed, our Ergonomics physiotherapist can visit your work place to do an assessment and make suggestions for improvements.

Cervical dystonia is a condition which causes spasms of the muscles of the neck and upper back, resulting in abnormal neck movements and postures. This can be a very distressing and painful condition. Early diagnosis is very important for successful management. Treatment by a neurologist is essential. We have experience in the treatment of cervical dystonia using exercises devised by French physiotherapist Jean Pierre Bleton. These exercises can be effective in helping patients to control their neck spasms and may be used in conjunction with Botox injections.

Vertigo (dizziness) may result from problems with your inner ear which affect your balance. After seeing your doctor, you may be referred to our Balance physiotherapists who can show you some simple manoeuvres which you can do to help relieve your dizziness.