Physiotherapy

Alyson Matheson MCSP, SRP, HCPC Registered Physiotherapist

Physiotherapists help people affected by injury, illness or disability through movement and exercise, manual therapy, education and advice.

They maintain health for people of all ages, helping patients to manage pain and prevent disease.

The profession helps to encourage development and facilitate recovery, enabling people to stay in work while helping them to remain independent for as long as possible.

Physiotherapists consider the body as a whole, rather than just focusing on the individual aspects of an injury or illness.

Some of the main approaches used by physiotherapists include:

• education and advice – physiotherapists can give general advice about things that can affect your daily lives, such as posture and correct lifting or carrying techniques to help prevent injuries
• movement, tailored exercise and physical activity advice – exercises may be recommended to improve your general health and mobility, and to strengthen specific parts of your body
• manual therapy – where the physiotherapist uses their hands to help relieve pain and stiffness, and to encourage better movement of the body
• acupuncture – fine needles can be used specifically to reduce pain and restore normal function
• taping – depending on the type of injury and requirements of the condition, different types of tape, including Kinesio taping, can be used to restore normal function and to prevent conditions recurring through sport and other activities