Physical Therapy Untangled !
This blog will hopefully answer some questions and expel some myths about Physical Therapy.
What’s the difference between Sports and Deep Tissue Massage?
Sports Massage Therapy focuses on a particular injury. If a footballer has pulled a calf muscle, then we will work on that area. We use various techniques that will improve blood flow, flexibility and gives the tissue the best chance of recovery.
A Deep Tissue Massage is more general. If someone works in an office or drives for a living and they have aches and pains in their shoulders or back, then we will work on the general area to see if there’s any knock-on symptoms. For example, someone who has pains in their shoulders may have the root problem in their hip and vice versa.
I don’t do any sport at all. Is Sports Massage, Deep Tissue Massage or other treatments you offer the right course of action for me?
Most likely at least one of these are good for you. Only chronic injuries or an illness that your healthcare professional has advised against Physical Therapy won’t be treated.
The techniques that we use can be an effective treatment to firstly eliminate, then aid recovery of soft tissue injuries and ailments.
Any activity creates a load on our muscles, tendons, ligaments and fascia. So, if you run or cycle you put that load onto your legs/lower back, If you sit at a desk or drive all day you put the load through your back/shoulder muscles (this also causes repetitive strain injuries. A different story for a different blog). If you’re a construction worker, you put load through various parts of your body depending on the type of work you’re doing. These are just a few examples. We see anyone from footballers to farmers, elite athletes to lawyers, pilots to landscape gardeners, doctors to engineers, police to chefs.
We also work with clients with various ailments like Fibromyalgia, Scoliosis, gait and posture disorders, arthritis, muscle and joint aches, pain during exercise. The conditions and client base are not quite endless but getting there !
Why should I come to you instead of waiting for an NHS therapist?
The main reason is time. With NHS waiting lists so long you could be waiting months, possibly over a year, to get an MSK appointment through them. We will provide a bespoke treatment plan for you whereas the NHS will usually tick boxes and provide general exercises. We will go the extra yard to help you with your condition and if we can’t help you, we will point you in the right direction to someone who can.
What do I wear for my appointment?
We always advise you to wear loose clothing, especially around the area being worked on. If this area isn’t easily accessed, then you will be asked if you’re ok to undress that area. You can then cover yourself with a towel for us to continue. It is best to also wear underwear which allows easy access to the area of the body which is being worked on.
How often should I receive a treatment?
This really depends on the circumstances and needs of the individual client.
Some clients require weekly visits short term to recover quickly from a sports injury or chronic muscular disorder. This is because the body takes time to adapt to the therapy and initially will try to fight back by reverting to pre therapy state.
Once an injury has improved, many clients choose to follow a maintenance programme of therapy sessions. This is decided on need and of course economics (see below). We currently have clients who are on weekly, bi-weekly and monthly programmes.
Our advice is that everyone should try and get treatments as regularly as possible. We firmly believe in prevention over cure and that there is less chance of injury happening if the body is kept in as optimal condition as possible.
What happens during the physical therapy treatment?
We always advise that you book in for at least 60 minutes for your first session. Before we start with the treatment we will go through your medical history as well as details of the injury you are presenting. This will be followed by a postural assessment to establish the extent of your injury. After this will be the actual treatment. We use various techniques as an alternative to Sports Massage and Deep Tissue Massage including Dry Cupping, Myofascial Release and Muscle Scraping (not as horrific as it sounds). We will decide at the time if any or none of these are appropriate.
After the treatment you may feel some soreness and the area that has been treated may bruise. This is perfectly normal and in most cases is a very short-term effect (usually 24hrs). You should feel reduced pain and increased flexibility very soon after this.
During the follow up treatments we will reassess the symptoms to establish that improvement has occurred and is consistent.
Are there any age restrictions for treatments?
No, there’s no restriction on age but anyone under 18 will require a parent/guardian to be present
Anyone is welcome to bring a chaperone with them if they so require.
Aren’t physical therapy treatments expensive?
We are fully aware that private physical therapy treatments are a cost that not everyone can afford on a regular basis. There is also the question of what price can you put on your own health? We offer payment options that may be able to help you out a little with three appointment time slots available. We also accept most major credit cards. If you have health insurance, either personal or through your work, we can provide a receipt so you can claim all or some of your money back through them (please check with your insurance company before booking). We also frequently run discount offers through our website.
What’s the difference between a Physical Therapist, a Chiropractor, and Massage Therapy?
Physical therapists will look for a cause as well as an appropriate solution for the patient. Where Physical Therapists and Chiropractors are similar in is that they’re both hands on. A Physical Therapist will bring stretching, strengthening, education and massage into their treatments.
We can’t speak for most chiropractors. Many often perform manipulations that offer temporary relief without identifying the underlying problem. This then causes the client to return time and again for treatment of the same injury. A good Chiropractor will refer some of their patients to physical therapists when appropriate because our treatments go beyond spinal manipulation.
Massage therapists perform treatments to muscles which is great. However, many massage therapists are not qualified in which muscles need to be released. Many times, muscles do not need to be massaged as much as they need to be strengthened. Or there may be a more complex issue at the root of the problem.
Is it guaranteed that I will recover with treatment?
Unfortunately, nothing is guaranteed as far as health and wellbeing. What we can guarantee is that we will give our 100% best to get to the root of your issue. Providing the client follows any exercises given and realises that an issue won’t be sorted out overnight, we will have a good chance of success. If we feel that no progress is being made, we will always be completely honest with you and refer you to an appropriate alternative medical professional.
Can I speak with you before I book?
Absolutely! If you have any questions at all regarding this blog or anything else please call/text on 07912754088 or you can email me at matt@mh-st.co.uk
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