PHYSIOTHERAPY SERVICES IN FLEET
At Fleet Physiotherapy our dedicated team of physiotherapists can help people affected by pain, disability, injury, or illness.
We treat by providing exercise and movement sessions, manual therapy, advice and education, kinesiotaping and sports taping, electrotherapy, and support.
PHYSIOTHERAPY SERVICES
What conditions can be treated by physiotherapy?
Almost anything which involves muscles, bones, ligaments, tendons, and nerves.
INITIAL ASSESSMENT
Using science-based clinical assessment tools, as well as our years of physiotherapy experience to assess injuries and conditions.
We do this with a view to identifying underlying causes of injuries or pain.
Assessments take approximately 45 minutes and cost £55.00.
FOLLOW UP PHYSIOTHERAPY
We engage in an active partnership with our patients to aid in their full recovery and self-management. We constantly assess and re-assess the success of every modality used so that we can adjust our approach appropriately at each session.
Follow-ups take approximately 30 minutes and cost £45.
BIKE FIT
James offers physiotherapy Bike Fit services. James uses his physiotherapy skills and experience and his Bike Fit qualifications to adjust your bike position to optimise performance and lower your risk of injury.
This takes approximately 90 minutes and costs £150.00.
KINESIOTAPING
Kinesiotaping allows us to influence fascia – the basic connective tissue in the body. It is very effective for pain relief and support.
Taping is used to help support injured tissues or joints, and can also be used to help re-educate posture.
At Fleet Physiotherapy we use 2 forms of taping: Rigid – this consists of zinc oxide tape – usually laid over a base layer of non-allergenic tape (commonly used in rugby), and a newer form of flexible taping which acts upon the connective tissue of the body – Kinesio tape. This more flexible tape allows us to influence fascia – the basic connective tissue in the body. It tends to be less irritating to the skin and can be left on for up to a week.
You may have seen athletes at the Olympics wearing this brightly coloured tape.
This takes approximately 15 minutes and costs £20.00.
JOINT MOBILISATIONS AND SOFT TISSUE TREATMENTS
Joint mobilisation refers to techniques that are used to treat joint dysfunction when there is stiffness or pain. When indicated, joint mobilisations are a safe and effective means of restoring or maintaining movement within a joint and can be used to effectively treat pain. Joint mobilisations are small movements within the joints that a patient cannot generate independently.
They are necessary for the smooth, full range of movement of a joint. Your physiotherapist will apply these movements to a stiff joint to improve pain and range of movement.
Soft tissue treatment involves various modalities to help ease pain caused by muscular, tendinous, ligamentous, or fascial problems. Used appropriately, treating soft tissue can be very helpful in managing pain, which in turn is helpful in allowing the body to move more freely.
STRENGTHENING EXERCISES
We will assess your movement patterns and muscle strength to identify dysfunctions or imbalances. Based on our assessment, we may prescribe specific strengthening exercises to address strength imbalances or areas of weakness. We aim to improve flexibility, balance, and strength in order to alleviate pain by identifying the root causes. We assess each patient as an individual and strive to ensure that the exercise programme prescribed is specifically targeted to each person, also taking into account personal interests and sports. We provide ongoing support and progression to help our patients get the best out of their physiotherapy sessions.
We can also liaise with other fitness professionals with whom you may work such as exercise class instructors or personal trainers to assist in your programme, should you wish us to do so.
STRETCHING EXERCISES
Muscle length can be affected by habitual postures, working positions, and exercise. Our muscles are adaptive and will lengthen or shorten according to the regular demands placed on them. "Use it or lose it!" We know that muscle length can play an important part in the balance of soft tissues around the joints in the body. Shorter, tighter muscles can contribute to pain in a joint or even cause pain themselves.
You may be given a targeted exercise programme to stretch particular muscles to help relieve pain or to achieve specific goals, depending on your particular circumstances.
TAPING AND BRACING
We use taping for pain relief, support, reducing swelling, and rehabilitation. Different types of tape are used for different conditions.
We most commonly apply either elastic adhesive tape (also known as Kinesiotape) which is designed to allow your body to move freely, or rigid sports tape which is designed to try to limit movement. Deciding which type of taping is most appropriate for you will depend on your injury, your goals, and also your type and level of activity/sport.
We can teach you how to apply your tape yourself so that you can continue to benefit from it even when no longer attending physiotherapy.
We use Tubigrip for gentle compression and comfortable support, depending on the nature of your injury. It can be very helpful in relieving the pain of an acute injury.
Braces are appropriate for certain kinds of injuries or conditions. We are able to advise you on appropriate braces should you need one.
ELECTROTHERAPY
Electrotherapy is a form of medical treatment, which uses small electrical impulses to repair damaged tissue, stimulate muscle fibres, decrease pain and increase muscle strength.
It includes Ultrasound, TNS, Pulsed Shortwave (PSWD), interferential, and combination therapy. Our physios can let you know if electrotherapy may work for you.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHAT IS PHYSIOTHERAPY?
Physiotherapy is a science-based healthcare profession focussed on movement and function. We help patients to manage pain and prevent disease. Our goal is to maintain the health of our patients.
We take a holistic approach and encourage patients to full recovery and self-management as quickly as possible. We aim for an active partnership with our patients to ensure that goal-setting and exercise programmes are targeted and individualised according to our patients' needs and circumstances.
We treat people, not conditions or body parts.
We constantly assess and reassess the success of every modality we use so that we can adjust our approach appropriately depending on success.
Physiotherapy is a front-line profession, which means that we are able to assess and diagnose conditions, and patients do not require a referral from a GP in order to contact us. (this may be different for patients wishing to utilise their private medical insurance as every insurer has its own specific rules).
We are all registered with the Health and Care Professions Council as well as the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and most of us are also registered with Physio First.
WHAT TO WEAR FOR A SESSION?
Clothes that you are comfortable in and that allow your physiotherapist to view the area involved.
Examples include shorts for a knee problem or a vest top for a neck or shoulder problem. This is so that we can see how you are moving and analyse your biomechanics and the relevant kinetic chain.
If you experience problems when running – please also bring your running trainers with you to allow us to examine those for wear and for suitability.
WHAT DOES A PHYSIOTHERAPY ASSESSMENT INVOLVE:
Discussing your symptoms, previous treatments, past medical history, and then your physiotherapist will perform a physical examination to determine the source of your problem so we can manage and treat you from there.
We will explain our findings and our diagnosis of the cause of the problem, set clear goals with you, treat the problem, and give you a specifically tailored exercise program to optimise the treatment we have given during the session.
WHAT CONDITIONS CAN BE TREATED BY PHYSIOTHERAPY?
• Back pain including sciatica
• Overuse injuries (eg Tennis and Golfers' elbow)
• Neck Pain and Cervicogenic Headaches
• Rehabilitation after orthopaedic surgery
• Sports injuries e.g. Achilles tendinitis, sprains, and strains; patella tendinitis
• Postural issues
