What is Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy is a non-invasive treatment that can help with pain from many injuries and illnesses. It is used to restore joint movement, muscle flexibility and improve overall well-being.
A Physiotherapist will assess your injury, symptoms and lifestyle to identify the cause of your condition. Using techniques including manipulation of the joints, passive stretching, massage and electrical modalities such as ultrasound and interferential current they will work to relieve your symptoms. Depending on the nature of your injury they may also perform an injection to reduce the inflammation and swelling in the area.
They will also advise you on a series of exercises and practical changes that can be made to your daily routine. This can be as simple as moving in a different way, sitting more frequently or taking short walks to break up long periods of time spent at home.
Many people felt that their Physiotherapist understood their pain and advised them on how to change their lifestyles, helping to break the chronic cycle of pain and inactivity. Others however were frustrated by the lack of progress they saw, sometimes feeling that their Physiotherapist didn’t fully believe them regarding the extent of their pain and some had stopped attending appointments because they didn’t feel they were being listened to.
A small number of people were referred for longer physiotherapy courses such as back pain classes or hydrotherapy (exercises in a heated pool) and found these to be helpful. However, most people were given a limited number of NHS physiotherapy sessions and when these did not lead to an improvement they would be referred elsewhere.