What is physiotherapy?

Physiotherapy helps restore movement and function when someone is affected by injury, illness or disability.

Physiotherapy is a science-based healthcare profession that promotes recovery in illness, injury or disability. It aims to restore movement and functional ability to the person’s full potential.

Physiotherapists maintain health for people of all ages, helping patients to manage pain and prevent disease. At the core is the patient’s involvement in their own care, through education, awareness, empowerment and participation in their treatment.

Physiotherapists use their knowledge and skills to improve a range of conditions associated with different systems of the body, such as:

• Neuromusculoskeletal
• back pain (sciatica, slipped and herniated discs, degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, osteoporosis, etc..)
• whiplash associated disorder: neck pain
• sports injuries, repetitive strain injury (RSI), knee pain, rotator cuff pain, bursitis, tendinitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, plantar fasciitis, shin splints,
• rheumatological problems: arthritis
• rehabilitation after Discectomy, laminectomy, lumbar fusion. Shoulder operations. Knee replacement and hip replacement.
• Neurological (stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s)
• Cardiovascular (chronic heart disease, rehabilitation after heart attack)
• Respiratory (asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis).

Physiotherapy is an independent profession where practitioners make their own treatment decisions and clinical judgements. They constantly reassess the results of their treatments and adjust their approach.

Physiotherapists in the United Kingdom are HCPC registered health care professionals. They treat people of all ages from newborns to the very old. They take a holistic approach and involve the patient closely in their own care.