What actually is Physiotherapy?

Many people already know the value that physiotherapy brings to their life, they may have had a physiotherapist  with them through the highs and lows of injury and recovery more than once! However, for those who have never been to see a physiotherapist before, there can be a question mark over exactly what it is that physiotherapists do. 

What is it that physiotherapists do? 

The answer is tricky because physiotherapists do so much. We might be described as pain management experts, as we work to reduce the pain of our clients, from those who have suffered a new injury to those who have had pain for several years. We first identify the cause of the pain and then provide manual therapy techniques, education, exercise and self-management strategies to help our patients understand, manage and reduce their symptoms. 

The pain or injury that motivates people to come and see us has often made them give up activities or sports that they love and can even be getting in the way of everyday tasks. By identifying the cause of your symptoms, we can help to get you back to full function. Physiotherapists are able to do this for people at all activity levels, including the general public, elite athletes and those dealing with serious disabilities. 

In fact, physiotherapists have a role to play at practically every stage of life. We can assess infants to monitor their motor skills development and as they grow we help them deal with the pains and vulnerabilities of a growing body. Among other things, we can help to prevent injuries, improve pelvic floor dysfunction and work to prevent falls in the elderly. 

Not just exercises and massage. 

Physiotherapists offer a range of treatments, from self-management strategies, stretches, manual therapies, dry needling, exercises and massage, to name a few.

A huge part of recovering from pain and injury comes from understanding what is happening to you and how to best manage your issues. Rather than create a dependency on your therapist, we aim to empower our patients to improve their health independently as much as possible as well.

A physiotherapist's primary goal is to improve your quality of life and remove any barriers to full function and participation in whatever you desire, whether these barriers are due to pain, weakness or stiffness.