Discover our wide range of treatments for physical conditions and sports injuries.

Posture refers to the positions we habitually adopt during daily activities such as sitting, standing, working, and resting. Rather than being a fixed or “ideal” position, posture is dynamic and influenced by how we move, how long we stay in certain positions, and how well our muscles support us.

As we age, changes such as muscle weakness, reduced flexibility, joint stiffness, and decreased physical activity can influence posture. Spending prolonged periods in one position—particularly sitting—may lead to stiffness in some areas of the body and reduced strength or endurance in others. Over time, this can contribute to discomfort, fatigue, or reduced confidence with movement.

In addition, regular participation in certain types of exercise or sport can also influence posture. While physical activity is strongly encouraged, repeatedly performing similar movements or training patterns may lead to muscle imbalances, where some muscles become overactive or tight while others become relatively weaker. These imbalances can increase strain on joints and soft tissues and may contribute to postural discomfort, particularly if recovery, variation, or complementary strength training is limited.

Current research shows that posture itself is not a direct cause of pain, but sustained, repetitive, or poorly tolerated positions can increase load on tissues that are already sensitive or deconditioned. For this reason, the current physiotherapy approach focuses less on “correcting posture” and more on improving strength, flexibility, movement control, and tolerance to everyday and sporting activities.

In line with NICE guidance, physiotherapy for posture-related concerns emphasises education, regular movement, and active rehabilitation. Your physiotherapist will assess how your posture, daily activities, and exercise habits interact, identifying areas of stiffness, weakness, or imbalance. Treatment may include advice on varying positions throughout the day, modifying training or activity where appropriate, and a personalised exercise programme to restore balance, improve endurance, and support long-term spinal health.

This approach aims to reduce pain, improve function, and help you move with confidence—without the need to maintain a rigid or unnatural posture.

Muscle tension around the neck and shoulders is a very common problem and is often associated with discomfort, stiffness, or headaches. While stress can contribute to increased muscle tension, it is rarely the only cause. In many cases, tension develops due to how the muscles are being used—or overused—during everyday activities.

Sustained tasks such as working at a computer, using mobile devices, or watching television for prolonged periods can place increased demand on the muscles of the neck and shoulders. When these muscles are required to work continuously without sufficient movement, variation, or rest, they may become fatigued and sensitive, leading to a sensation of tightness or aching rather than true muscle “shortening”.

Current evidence shows that muscle tension is often linked to reduced movement, altered muscle activation, and increased sensitivity of the nervous system, rather than structural damage. This helps explain why tension can persist even when scans or tests show no significant injury.

In line with NICE guidance, physiotherapy focuses on active strategies to manage muscle tension rather than relying on passive treatments alone. Your physiotherapist will help identify the factors contributing to your symptoms, such as activity levels, movement habits, workload, stress, and recovery. Treatment may include education, guided exercise to improve muscle endurance and control, strategies to introduce regular movement into the day, and advice on managing flare-ups.

Research supports this active approach as it helps reduce pain, improve function, and minimise reliance on prescription medication or repeated treatments such as massage alone. The aim is to help you understand and manage your symptoms effectively, supporting long-term relief and confidence in movement.

Frozen shoulder deserves a mention. 

It is associated with acute pain and marked loss of movement. This term is frequently used to describe a painful stiff shoulder. However frozen shoulder can be diagnosed with the help of x-ray to rule out other conditions.

With our guidance we will be able to correctly diagnose and advise you on how to manage the condition so as to recover as much movement as possible. Frozen shoulder presents with two distinct phases and with expert care from your physiotherapist the evidence points to some recovery during the second phase within 3 to 4 months.

With specific examination, we can identify where the capsule is tight and make sure we direct your exercise to target these areas. If you do not achieve these shared goals we will refer you for further investigations where certain procedures can be effective in true, frozen shoulder. 

Whiplash-associated disorders (WAD) occur when the neck is suddenly forced beyond its normal range of movement, most commonly during a road traffic collision or similar traumatic event. Symptoms can vary between individuals and may include neck pain and stiffness, headaches, shoulder or arm pain, and in some cases dizziness or unsteadiness. While many people recover well within the first few weeks, symptoms can persist for some if the injury is not managed appropriately.

Symptoms following whiplash arise from irritation or injury to structures within the cervical spine, including joints, ligaments, nerves, and the deep stabilising muscles of the neck. Research shows that changes in how these deep neck muscles function are common after whiplash and can affect neck stability, movement control, and coordination between the head and eyes.

Dizziness and a feeling of unsteadiness are commonly reported following whiplash, particularly in people with ongoing or persistent symptoms. Evidence suggests that this dizziness is often related to altered neck muscle control and disruption of the neck’s sensorimotor system, rather than damage to the inner ear. When the deep neck muscles are not working effectively, this may contribute to sensations of instability, reduced balance, visual disturbance, and associated headaches.

In line with NICE guidance, physiotherapy for whiplash focuses on active rehabilitation rather than prolonged rest or immobilisation. Your physiotherapist will carry out a thorough assessment and work with you to reduce pain, restore normal movement, and gradually rebuild strength, endurance, and control in the neck. Treatment may include education, hands-on therapy where appropriate, and a personalised exercise programme tailored to your symptoms and stage of recovery.

Strong evidence supports early, guided exercise and a gradual return to normal activities as part of recovery from whiplash. This approach helps reduce the risk of persistent or chronic neck pain, minimises reliance on pain medication, and lowers the likelihood of recurring symptoms. Physiotherapy aims not only to support recovery, but also to give you the knowledge, confidence, and tools to manage your condition independently.

The rotator cuff wraps around the shoulder joint and is most frequently injured by those who play sports which involve over head arm activities. Repetitive overhead movement combined with very high loads during the acceleration and deceleration phase of the arm movement contribute to the cause.

It is essential that the factors that lead to the injury are identified quickly to bring about recovery. For younger players weakness in the rotator cuff or within the kinetic chain can lead to compensatory strategies and pain in the shoulder at the point of stress. We are well placed to liaise with the coaches or PT trainers based at the Gosling Sports Park. 

In older players there may be the additional complication of degenerate joint changes, tears, thickening and inflammation of tendons and bursae that have been subjected to recurrent loading in and around the shoulder, as a result of the intensity of their sporting activities.

Analysis of the shoulder movement in the context of their sport is essential in restoring function and a return to competition fitness. 

Never ignore pain, it is there to warn you that something is not quite right.

In the UK, approximately 3% of the population experience tennis elbow, most commonly affecting people aged between 35 and 55 years.

Despite its name, only around 5–10% of cases are related to racquet sports.

Current research has moved away from the idea that tennis elbow is primarily an inflammatory condition. Classical inflammatory cell infiltration is typically minimal or absent. Pain is often experienced on the outside of the elbow following a significant increase in load or repeated strain on the tendons responsible gripping and extending the wrist. 

There follows structural and biochemical changes within the tendon that reduce its ability to tolerate stress. Pain in tennis elbow is not solely explained by tissue damage. 

Many individuals describe  increased local tissue sensitivity, and with some persistent cases we may see altered central pain processing. This helps to explain why pain severity does not always correlate with imaging findings.  

Our understanding of tendon changes, the causes of symptoms, and how to appropriately load the tissue during recovery now forms the cornerstone of our physiotherapy management.

Consistency and compliance with your exercises is an important part of recovery.

If you are experiencing persistent cramp type pain or niggles in a muscle then this could be indicative of a minor tear rather than simple muscle soreness. Following heavy exercise muscle soreness will settle however with a tear the discomfort will persist and worsen if you continue to exercise.

Muscle tears can be graded by severity. The type that pulls you up sharply and makes it impossible to continue is likely to be more severe involving the tearing of several bands of muscle fibres. These, more severe, tears take longer to heal and therefore create more time to decondition and develop adaptive changes both to the muscle itself and neighbouring structures.

A physio will be able to assess the degree of injury which will enable them to both treat and advise you on the necessary progression back to full fitness. As with a simple injury early reduction in load and activities combined with the RICE approach(link to RICE page), will help to manage the pain.

Getting back into exercise and a progression of loading can start as soon as the pain settles but with more severe injuries this may need to wait until 5 to 10 days after injury. Your physio can treat you by grading the level of activity specifically, resulting in you making a quicker recovery

What will your physio do?

• Assess the degree of injury
• Alleviate pain through physiotherapy techniques such as electro acupuncture, ultrasound, manual hands on treatment and kinesio taping
• Start you on a level of activity suitable to your current level of recovery
• Advise you on when and how to stretch - to help promote good healing within the damaged muscle fibres
• Progress you with a bespoke exercise programme at the various stages of recovery.
• Liaise with coaching staff or your GP.

If indications dictate a very severe problem, your physio will refer you to the most appropriate local consultant to scan and assess the degree of damage.

Arthritis and Osteoarthritis isn’t a condition that you should fear, because in the right hands you will be able to manage and maintain an active life. A recent article published by the British Medical Journal found that exercise is an effective way to control pain and improve function – especially with lower-limb arthritis.

Our team of physios treat this condition daily, so wherever it affects you in the body we’re able to treat the pain, advise you whether it’s best to rest or whether you are ready to exercise.

Your physio can assess and supply joint supports where it is beneficial. If you need any advice, then please do not hesitate to give us a ring.

There is plenty to read about this condition on the internet, a very good reference is arthritisresearchuk.org

A colles fracture is a break in the radius bone of the wrist and accounts for around a quarter of all broken limbs, often caused following a fall on an outstretched hand.

Treatment initially involves immobilisation in a plaster cast or splint. Your wrist may be stiff and painful on removal and this is a good time to commence Physiotherapy.

Your physiotherapist can help to regain movement with careful joint mobilisations and exercises to help improve the strength and function of the wrist and hand.

A condition which affects the hands causing one or more fingers, or thumbs, to bend into the palm of the hand. It is not normally painful, but the thickening can progress causing a severe contracture or inability to straighten the digit. It is a common condition often occurring later in life with men more affected than women.

In severe cases, surgery is required to remove the shortened tissue. Treatment can vary depending on your surgeon, however specialised hand physiotherapy is essential to help regain full movement with a splint made to measure if appropriate. All of this can be done here, by Kerris Clark at the Physiotherapy Clinic who is a specialist in hand therapy.

This condition is caused by pressure on a nerve at the wrist joint. It can produce pain around the wrist or hand and may include other symptoms such as :

• Pins and needles and/or numbness
• Weakness of the hand
• Dryness of the skin

One or both hands can be affected, with symptoms often worse at night. 

A physiotherapy assessment can help confirm a diagnosis and treat accordingly, occasionally a splint may be recommended to help with night symptoms.

In more severe cases a referral to a specialist may be advised for possible steroid injection, nerve conduction studies or an operation to release the pressure on the nerve

There are many underlying  causes for developing shoulder pain:

• a change in the way you load your shoulder- training in the gym, DIY, playing sport. 
• underlying joint problems 
• fluctuations in blood sugar levels with diabetes
• trauma
• metabolic and genetic predisposition
• underlying health predisposition 
• rotator cuff injuries 

And many more…

In the absence of trauma, you may simply have a shoulder problem which is painful due to localised weakness and a tightness in one small area. As soon as there is less than 70% rotation range in any direction, there is a complete alteration in joint mechanics and muscle function-  this can be the start of stiffness and pain.

The good news is that, even if there is a full rotator cuff tear, with physiotherapy management over 75% of patients will make a significant recovery. The recovery can happen and you must allow time for the best outcomes.

We are trained to do the detective work and seek out the root cause of your shoulder problem. We have the experience to know if physiotherapy will help you if not we can direct you for the right medical opinion. 

At the Physiotherapy Clinic you can expect a patient specific exercise program, and if pain is affecting your ability to exercise, then we can combine this with other treatment modalities.

Back Pain is very common and is often described as non-specific or a mechanical backpain. Often it is not serious and can get better with an active approach. Although there may be a period of time where you are having to manage your symptoms and avoid movements which are significantly painful, a return to normal activities and exercise, as soon as you can, will help with your recovery.

However, there are occasions when your back pain is coming from a more serious cause, in this instance you will benefit from being seen and diagnosed quickly so the appropriate course of action can be taken. These more worrying symptoms may be

• recurrent pain that is more widespread and just isn’t improving
• worsening pain especially at night or when you lie down
• chills or fever since the onset of your back pain
• loss of control or unsteadiness in your legs.

At The Physiotherapy Clinic, our experienced team of physiotherapists will carry out a thorough assessment and screen you for any symptoms that may be a cause for concern. We can help to identify the root cause of your back pain before developing a personalised treatment plan that may include a combination of exercises, manual therapy, and education about posture and movement patterns or if required refer you on to your GP or an appropriate specialist.

If you experience back and leg pain combined with changes to the control of your bladder or bowel, you should seek emergency help from the accident and emergency unit.

Our physiotherapists also provide advice to help you manage your back pain at home. By taking a proactive approach to back pain, you can reduce the risk of further injury.

We are committed to helping you on the path to recovery from back pain.

Sciatica is often used to describe a pain in the leg, but it generally originates from the lumbar spine where pain can be generated from irritation of the small nerve roots that make up the sciatic nerve, hence the name. It can present as burning pain, pain travelling down the leg, electric shocks, tingling, pins and needles or even numbness and weakness.

These are but a few symptoms that patients describe and, in some cases, can lead patients to think that a pain which is actually originating from within the leg itself is sciatica when indeed it is not and this will require a very different therapeutic approach,

The good news is that team at the Physiotherapy Clinic can do an in-depth assessment and advise you on the likely cause of your symptom. They will give you a comprehensive explanation on how to manage your condition and in most cases can use techniques that will give pain relief, as part of your recovery.

Headaches are very common and can have many different causes. While not all headaches are related to the neck or muscles, some types—particularly those linked to the cervical spine—can respond well to physiotherapy.

Cervicogenic headaches and some tension-type headaches are often associated with neck stiffness, muscle sensitivity, or altered movement and control of the neck and upper back. These headaches may be felt at the base of the skull, across the forehead or temples, or behind the eyes, and are sometimes accompanied by neck pain or restricted movement. Symptoms may be aggravated by sustained positions, such as desk work, or by certain neck movements.

In these cases, physiotherapy can help by addressing contributing factors such as joint stiffness, muscle tension, reduced neck strength or endurance, and sensitivity of the surrounding tissues. Treatment may include education, manual therapy where appropriate, and a tailored exercise programme aimed at improving neck function and reducing headache frequency and intensity.

However, not all headaches are suitable for physiotherapy treatment. Migraines, cluster headaches, headaches related to sinus problems, infection, neurological conditions, or other medical causes require assessment and management by a GP or specialist.

In line with NICE guidance, it is important to seek medical advice if headaches:

• Are new, severe, or worsening

• Are associated with symptoms such as fever, visual disturbance, dizziness, weakness, numbness, or speech difficulties

• Occur following a head injury

• Wake you from sleep or are different from your usual headaches

Your physiotherapist will always assess whether your headache is appropriate for physiotherapy and will advise you to seek further medical assessment where necessary. When suitable, physiotherapy aims to support self-management, reduce reliance on medication, and improve quality of life through safe, evidence-based care.