Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy is a science based profession that looks at a person as a ‘whole‘ to help restore movement and function when someone is affected by injury, illness or disability. It involves a detailed assessment, treatment and management of your body to help the joints, muscles and nerves work to their maximum potential.
Conditions
You can benefit from physiotherapy at any time in your life as it can be used to treat a very wide range of conditions as listed below.
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Back & Neck Problems
These are common problems that affect a large percentage of the population every year.Symptoms may include localised pain over the spine (back-bone), pain, tingling, pins and needles or numbness in either the arms or legs. They may occur for a number of reasons including a prolapsed disc (slipped disc), arthritis (degenerative changes), inflammation of the tendons and ligaments or irritation of the nerves.
Many people have poor control in the muscles around their lower back and pelvis which can contribute to both back and neck problems as well as with other joints in the body, particularly the hip, knee and ankle.
This can be addressed with a graded exercise programme to strengthen the relevant muscles
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Sciatica
This is where referred pain (from pressure of a prolapsed disc on the nerves in your lower back) is felt in the back or side of the leg and may extend as far as the foot.You may also experience altered sensation such as pins and needles or numbness and sometimes there may be weakness in the leg.
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Whiplash Injuries
Following a whiplash injury, often caused by a car accident, physiotherapy can be very beneficial in helping to reduce pain and stiffness and restore full function. Whiplash injuries commonly affect the neck and lower back but any other joints may be involved.Seeking treatment early helps to maximise potential recovery.
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Shoulder Pain
The shoulder is a complex joint. Pain felt here can be attributed to many factors including inflammation, a tear or dysfunction of either the muscles, tendons or ligaments around the joint. It may be as a result of a traumatic incident or long term overuse, often as a result of poor posture.Shoulder pain can also be due to problems in the neck or upper back which refer pain to the shoulder via the nerves. Pain is often felt when moving the arm in different directions and may be painful to lie on at night.
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Knee Pain
Knee pain can result from a traumatic event such as a sporting injury but equally may occur for other reasons such as arthritis (degenerative changes). Pain located over the front of the knee is called ‘anterior knee pain’ and is often associated with a problem underneath the kneecap (patella).Pain is often felt when kneeling or squatting down as well as walking up and down the stairs. With some injuries there may be ‘giving way’ or ‘locking’ of the knee.
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Foot & Ankle Pain
Problems in the lower leg may range from a calf (gastrocnemius) strain, where you may feel as though you’ve been ‘shot in the back of the calf’ to a lateral ligament sprain which often occurs when you ‘go over’ on your ankle.Symptoms can range from mild to severe, some with little effect on mobility some which require crutches to walk. All scenarios benefit from early treatment to ensure full function is obtained. Dropped arches (flat feet) can be an important contributory factor not only to foot and ankle problems but also hip and lower back pain.
These symptoms often start for no particular individual reason and may gradually get worse.
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Sports Injuries
Sports injuries can affect many joints in the body and most will benefit from early intervention to help ensure a full recovery is made.Specific exercises and advice will be provided to help prevent an injury from re-occurring.
Assessment
An initial assessment of up to 60 minutes will entail a detailed discussion as to the history and nature of the current problem as well as any relevant medical history and medication. This will be followed by a physical examination. Together these will help identify a diagnosis for which a treatment plan will be provided.
The duration of subsequent follow up visits will be up to 30 mins depending on the complexity of the treatments.
Treatment
Treatments may include one or more of the following:
- Soft Tissue Massage
- Mobilisation of the Joints
- Electrotherapy – and other techniques to help speed up the healing process and reduce pain.
- Exercises – to help strengthen muscles and improve flexibility to help prevent problems re-occurring.
Treatments can take place at our clinic or in the comfort of your own home. Home visits can be arranged.
Neurology
This is a specialist rehabilitation service for people who are affected by neurological conditions. The aim of neurological physiotherapy is to maximize your physical and functional potential.
Conditions
Some of the conditions treated at Wimborne Physiotherapy are listed below.
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Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s Disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system mainly affecting the motor system. Parkinson’s disease is a condition in which part of the brain becomes progressively damaged over many years. The three main symptoms of Parkinson’s disease are, tremor (involuntary shaking of particular parts of the body), slow movement, stiff and inflexible muscles.See the Parkinson’s UK website for further information.
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Stroke
A stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off, causing damage to the cells in the brain. The symptoms of a stroke vary according to the area of the brain affected.See the Stroke Association website for further information.
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Spinal Cord Injury
The spinal cord relays messages between our brain and the rest of our body. Damage to the spinal cord can occur due to traumatic or non-traumatic events. The effects vary according to the level of injury and whether it is classified as complete or incomplete.See the Backup Trust website for further information.
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Traumatic Brain Injury
This occurs when there is damage to the brain due to trauma to the head. The effects of a traumatic brain injury vary according to the site and severity of brain damage.See the Headway website for further information.
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Multiple Sclerosis
With multiple sclerosis, there is damage to the coating that surrounds the nerve fibres (Myelin), causing disruption to the messages carried between the brain and the rest of the body. The symptoms of the disease vary according to the sites of the damage.See the Multiple Sclerosis Society website for further information.
Assessment
The symptoms of neurological conditions and the effects that this has on your daily life are hugely variable from one person to another. At Wimborne Physiotherapy we will provide a holistic and thorough assessment in order to set clear goals with you and formulate an appropriate treatment plan.
An assessment of up to 60 minutes will include an in depth discussion regarding your current problem, relevant medical history and medication. A thorough physical examination will follow. These assessments can take place in your own home as it may be important to also look at your environment.
The duration of subsequent follow up visits will vary depending on the complexity of the treatments.
Treatment
Treatment may include one or more of the following. Please note that this list is not exhaustive:
- Strengthening of weak muscles
- Stretching of tight muscles
- Balance training
- Gait (walking) training
- “Hands on” movement re-education
- Joint mobilization & massage
Treatments can take place at our clinic or in the comfort of your own home. Home visits can be arranged. Visits to care homes can also be arranged.
Our Pricing
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£60 – Initial assessment – up to 60 mins
£45 - Follow up sessions – 40 mins
£60 – Home visits start from -
£60 – Initial assessment – up to 60 mins
£60 – Follow up sessions – 60 mins
£70 – Home visits start from -
£40 - Sports/Remedial massage – 60 mins