One of the most fundamental concepts of physiotherapy is the aim to improve the range of movement through the joints and muscles, where injury or illness may have occurred and led to restricted mobility.  A physiotherapist will teach you a range of exercises and stretches – tailored to suit your own individual needs – to practice daily to help flexibility to return and to reduce any pain, stiffness or inflammation.  

 

Private physiotherapists offer manual therapy and use their hands to massage and mobilise the tissues, muscles and joints to relieve pain and stiffness and improve mobility.  They may also use laser treatment, ultrasound and acupuncture to boost the healing process.

 

Physiotherapy is not generally painful, although it can be very difficult to get started with exercises depending on your own level of mobility.  As with most treatments, the physiotherapist will take a detailed case history and may ask you to walk around or perform simple exercises to assess problem areas and to decide on the most appropriate course of action.  He or she will also want to know about any pre-existing medical conditions and will ask about diet and lifestyle.

 

Physiotherapy is generally found to be very effective and can benefit a wide range of medical conditions, as well as being used to rehabilitate patients after a severe illness or accident.  One of the most common problems physiotherapy can treat is backache and muscular aches, by easing stiffness and pain and encouraging blood flow to the muscles.  Other conditions that can be helped include sciatica, arthritis, respiratory problems, osteoporosis, head and spinal injuries, joint pain and neurological disorders.

 

There are plenty of private physiotherapists where you can pay for treatment, or alternatively you can talk to your GP, who may refer you to an NHS physiotherapist.  An NHS physio though, in my experience, will only teach exercises and there is no hands on approach any more.