Physiotherapy has been used in the treatment of musculoskeletal conditions for over a century. It is practised in many European countries as well as Australia, New Zealand and the United States.

As a form of physical therapy it is the most widely used method of helping patients to recover from their injuries, within the NHS. Specialist Consultants and General Practitioners often prioritise physiotherapy as an integral part of the services that they can offer to their patients.

Physiotherapy can be both gentle and more robust, depending on the type of problem being treated. Private physiotherapy practitioners often use many forms of physical therapy in the treatment of their patients, but also have other options available to them if they feel that a more forceful manipulative treatment is not required, or may provoke symptoms rather than ease them. This is something that other groups of physical practitioners, such as chiropractics and osteopaths, often do not have access to, since their training is principally based around manipulative techniques and very little else!

It should be remembered that not all patients will benefit from manipulation and some patients conditions can be aggravated by such treatments.

Physiotherapists also spend time talking to patients about self help methods and preventative actions that the patient can utilise themselves to hopefully prevent and/or minimise injury in the future. Again, this is an important aspect of care that is frequently not covered adequately by other health care professionals.

We work very much on the philosophy that patients can do a great deal to prevent injuries by giving them a sound understanding of the mechanism of injury and how to minimise the risks in every day activities, at work, or when participating in sport.

This means that patients themselves take on some of the responsibility of monitoring good health and do not just rely on medical practitioners to do that for them! Of course there are times when you may need to use a physiotherapist, such as when you need advice on what preventative mechanisms to put into place or when, unfortunately, injuries have occurred regardless of any measures taken.

Some conditions can be treated and resolved fully whilst others, because of their nature, can only be helped and eased. We are not miracle workers and will discuss with you what we feel is a reasonable expectation from treatment.

As physiotherapists we have a whole range of treatment modalities that we can use to maximise the potential of each condition that we treat and it must be remembered that often patients with the same condition will respond in different ways to different treatments. Having various treatment options available is therefore a considerable advantage, since often a method can be found that will be of benefit to the patient. As already mentioned these options are not always available to other non-physiotherapy medical practitioners.

If you are still unsure whether physiotherapy is right for you and your particular problem, then feel free to give us a call and ask to speak to one of our therapists. We will try to give you an indication of whether physiotherapy will help your condition over the telephone, but often we will need to fully assess you in order to give accurate advice.

2. How do I know my physiotherapist is suitably trained and qualified to treat me?

Your body is one of the most valuable assets that you have. It is unwise to place it in the hands of an unqualified, amateur therapist, no matter how good their intentions may be!

All fully qualified physiotherapists belong to the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and will have the letters MCSP after their name. Be careful of other letters that may look similar but can be gained by simple correspondence courses over a very short training period, as opposed to the minimum of 3 years training found with all Chartered Physiotherapists.

One of the major considerations that should be borne in mind when choosing a physiotherapist is whether or not they have insurance cover should there be any mishap whilst attending for treatment. Again all Chartered Physiotherapists have this insurance cover built into their membership.

Certain other organisations that Chartered Physiotherapists often belong to, like the OCPPP (Organisation of Physiotherapists in Private Practice), enhance this cover even further.

It is also worth looking to see if your therapist is a member of the Health Professions Council as well. It is essential to have this membership in order to practice as a ‘Physiotherapist’ since this title is now protected unless you are a member of this governing body!

Most reputable Chartered Physiotherapists are accepted by most medical insurance companies and therefore funding can often be obtained through your insurance cover. However, non chartered practitioners may not be recognised by your health insurance and therefore you will not be able to claim any costs incurred if this is the case!

When seeking a physiotherapist most people go on recommendation or simply look in the Yellow Pages for a nearby practitioner. It is worth considering a few points before plunging in and making an appointment with a clinic you are unfamiliar with.

If you can, try to ascertain how much experience the clinic practitioners have, both in terms of number of years clinical work and also the type of specialities that they may have developed over this time, (ie sports injuries, spinal treatment etc).

This will give an indication of where the practitioners of a particular clinic have gained that crucial knowledge and experience that can often make all the difference in whether you gain benefit from treatment or not!

Physiotherapy is a profession where continued training and updating is mandatory. A Chartered Physiotherapist will have attended several courses a year in order to maintain their continuing professional development (CPD), no matter how much clinical experience that they have already gained.

Remember that you would probably not choose to take your car to a ‘back street’ garage for fear of getting a poor job that leaves your car in a worse state that when you took it in!

The same should be said of your body which is a far more valuable commodity that your car!

Certificates should be displayed, or at least available on request, for all these memberships as well as the insurance cover that the practitioner holds. You may check that they are up to date if so desired, by simply asking to see them.

3. Why chose APSIC?

Because of our expertise in treating musculoskeletal conditions.

We are widely regarded as a leading physiotherapy practice that has been established for over 20 years.

By attending a private physiotherapy clinic you are often able to access treatment rapidly, which may result in your recovery being significantly speeded up. There is less chance of you developing a chronic problem with long term issues whilst you are waiting for a laboured NHS physiotherapy referral/investigations/consultant appointment to be processed.

You also have access to experienced, highly skilled practitioners as opposed to relatively inexperienced junior physiotherapists that can frequently be found working at hospital physiotherapy departments within the NHS.

All our staff have at least 15 years clinical experience in treating musculoskeletal problems and are highly specialised and skilled practitioners.

Local consultants and general practitioners refer their own office staff and family members to our practice for treatment and not just their patients! Clearly there is significant trust here that we are going to provide skilled treatment and the general public should be able to take some reassurance from this!

You will receive professional care in private, comfortable treatment rooms in a welcoming, friendly environment.

If you are still not sure, feel free to give us a call or pop in to speak to one of our therapists/reception staff.

4. How do I arrange an appointment?

You can contact the clinic directly by telephone or by calling in to make an appointment.

If your doctor/specialist gives you a referral for physiotherapy, simply call our office for an appointment. Remember to bring your referral letter when attending for treatment.

Our clinic hours and location are explained on this website.

Our reception staff will get all the necessary information from you and will be happy to make your initial appointment. They will also arrange any further treatment sessions that are required after consultation with your therapist.

5. What should I expect on my first visit?

On your first visit, your physiotherapist will perform an initial assessment to determine what deficits and/or problems you have that can be addressed with physiotherapy.

The initial assessment involves a thorough history taking as well as various objective tests and movements which may be used to help in identifying your problem.

Based on these findings and your history, your physiotherapist will make a clinical judgement on your diagnosis and then a treatment plan will be identified and discussed with you.

In most cases you will probably receive some active treatment as well as an assessment on your initial visit. In some situations however, usually if an ‘assessment only’ has been requested by a referring body, you will be examined only and a report compiled to send off recording the findings of the evaluation. This will then often lead to a course of treatment being approved if your examining therapist feels that physiotherapy is likely to help your condition.

Sometimes advice and demonstration of exercise/self help regimes is all that is necessary. This may be followed up with a review, depending on how both the patient and physiotherapist judge the situation at the time. In other cases a more prolonged course of treatment may be necessary to maximise the benefit from treatment.

6. How long will my visit last?

This largely depends on the condition you are presenting with and the type of treatment that is involved in your care. As a general rule the first appointment tends to be a longer session as this involves the detailed assessment procedure, during which a clear picture of your problem will be identified. In addition, you may receive some appropriate treatment on this first attendance, but in some cases a request for an assessment only may have been made.

On average, the initial consultation will last between 30 – 45 minutes.

Follow up treatments will last up to 30 minutes.

If there is a need for you to leave the clinic by a certain time for another appointment, you should make this clear to your therapist before the session starts, so that they can make every effort to have your treatment completed by the appropriate time.

Please be on time for your appointment, otherwise the time allocated to your session may have to be cut short and in some cases, if the physiotherapist decides that they have not been left enough time to treat or assess you adequately, you may have to re-appoint. Remember that there will be patients due in after you who will expect to be taken on time! It is not fair to keep them waiting because you turned up late for your appointment. Your cooperation with regards to this would be very much appreciated by all. Thank you.

7. What should I wear?

In general you should wear loose fitting, comfortable clothing to physiotherapy.

If you are attending for a lower extremity problem it may be advisable to bring some shorts with you, which you can change into whilst in the treatment room.

You may need to undress down to your underwear, depending on the problem area you are presenting with, as your therapist will need to be able to clearly see the body part and surrounding area in question.

8. What should I bring with me?

If you have been given a referral form or letter, please bring this with you to your first attendance.

If you have any appropriate information regarding your condition (ie scan or x-ray results) then bring these also.

If you have been issued with any appliances, supports, walking aids or exercise/advice sheets by any health practitioner regarding your present condition, then bring these with you on your first appointment.

9. What office policies should I be aware of?

We ask that our patients:

• Give 24 hours notice where possible for cancellations.

• We reserve the right to charge for all or part of the treatment costs for appointments cancelled within 24 hours notice or for those patients who do not attend.

• Every effort will be made to fill your appointment space, but clearly if this cannot be done because of short notice we may be forced to make a charge.

• For those patients who have been referred for treatment by a third party, ie occupational health department, GP, insurance company, or for those claiming through a medical insurance company, all cancellations within 24 hours or non-attendances will be counted towards your treatment allocation and be charged for appropriately.

• Call if you have a question or concern, or if you will be late for an appointment. We will do our best to fit you in if at all possible, but consideration must also be given to our other patients!

• Please be on time. Patients are normally taken within 5 minutes of their scheduled time. Being late may result in a shortened treatment session or a re-scheduling of your appointment.

• Notify your therapist at least one week prior to returning to your doctor or consultant. This gives time for your therapist to update your physician on your progress with a written report if necessary.

• If you have preferred days and times for attending try to schedule in advance so that the office staff have an opportunity to give you convenient appointments. If you do not do this, it may be more difficult to give you the times you desire.

10. What types of intervention may I receive?

This will depend largely on what your physiotherapist finds on his/her initial examination/evaluation. The nature and severity of your condition will dictate what appropriate treatment techniques are selected. (See ‘treatment methods’ on this website). Most treatment methods fall into 3 main categories:

a. Manual therapy

This may include gentle joint mobilisation procedures or more forceful manipulation where necessary. It also incorporates friction massage techniques and soft tissue stretching.

b. Pain relief

Most conditions present with a degree of discomfort ranging from mild to severe. This is what patients initially tend to notice. There are various physiotherapy treatment modalities that can help with pain relief and, unlike some forms of medication, these will not produce side effects.

Included in this category are electrotherapy techniques – laser, ultrasound, interferential therapy, electro-magnetic waves and TENS.

Less conventional treatments such as acupuncture can also be extremely effective for helping to control pain.

c. Exercise

A major part of treatment is directly involving the patient in their recovery. This is an area of treatment where the therapist relies heavily on the patient’s co-operation to perform regular exercise as instructed. It is not something the therapist can do for you, but is often a vital part of the recovery process. Failure of the patient to carry out these exercises will often result in delayed or limited recovery.

It is your part of the patient-therapist agreement and should be taken very seriously in order to maximise the potential for restoration of motion and function as well as helping to reduce pain.

11. Is it ok to ask my doctor about physiotherapy?

Absolutely. If you have a problem you think can be helped by physical therapy, feel free to give us a call. After discussing the specific problem with you, we can give you a better idea if it is something manageable with physiotherapy.

By all means you can also discuss this with your GP. Often they will endorse physiotherapy for musculoskeletal problems but, if they are unsure, they are welcome to contact us as well to discuss a particular case.

12. What if I have an increase in symptoms?

It is common to have some post treatment soreness following physical intervention, ie manipulation, mobilisation, stretches and frictions. You may also expect a little discomfort from any exercises that you have been given in the early stages of the regime.

However, we would not expect there to be a severe increase in symptoms following treatment and, if this is the case, you should contact the clinic for advice.

Be sure to explain to the office staff that you have had a significant increase in symptoms that you are concerned about. They will then pull your notes and get the therapist covering the clinic to call back on that same day if at all possible.

After we discuss the case with you we will be able to give you advice on how to manage and/or reduce your symptoms, or to arrange a follow-up appointment so that we can see you earlier and deal with any new problems, or whether we feel you should contact your GP/specialist.

13. What is my responsibility in physiotherapy?

You are our partner in your recovery. Without your co-operation and willingness to follow through home exercise regimes and advice that has been given, your response to treatment is very likely to be limited and you are unlikely to fulfil your full potential towards recovery.

Physiotherapists cannot be successful without your input. This is extremely important in expediting your quickest and most effective route to good health.

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