Effective treatment can only work with an accurate diagnosis

Few patients come to see us knowing exactly what is wrong.That’s our job!

We will not offer a Treatment Plan unless we are pretty certain what has gone wrong.

This may be a simple, single soft tissue problem like sprained ankle, or a complex problem arising from damaged nerves coming from the spine caused by injury, poor posture at work, or any of a whole range of other problems.

The major core of our clinical examinations is based in Orthopaedic Medicine as devised and developed by Dr James Cyriax.

This whole approach, now taught by the Society of Orthopaedic Medicine, is a clear, clinical method that involves putting the structures that may cause the problem under selective tension.

Other systems are “bolted on” to examine specific problems such as neural dynamics, sacro-pelvic disorders and cervicogenic headaches. All these systems compliment each other and lead to a precise diagnosis.

Pain is usually why patients want help

Not all pain is the same. Pain is the body’s system of protecting you from danger.

The brain doesn’t always get it right!

In the last 10 years there has been significant advances in understanding the nature and causes of pain. Physiotherapists around the world are working at the forefront of the research and the development of treatment of pain.

Understanding how pain works is a really fascinating area of work. If you sprain your ankle then you will feel the pain if your brain considers that you will be in danger from more more damage if you carry on playing squash!
If there is a bus bearing down on you, then your brain will not allow you to feel pain as there is the greater danger of you being run over!
If you are a professional athlete at risk of losing your place in the 2012 Olympics, then the pain may be all consuming because of the huge

significance of the upcoming events. Treatment in all 3 stages needs to be tailored to the individual situation. Knowledge of the mechanisms involved is vital to getting a full and viable recovery. Just putting an ice pack on the ankle will not do!
Our job is to stop your acute condition becoming a chronic problem.
If it has become a chronic problem then we can deal with this as well, but using different techniques and approaches.