I'm in pain - do I need to see a physiotherapist?

Musculoskeletal (MSK) physiotherapy is a specialised branch of physical therapy focused on diagnosing, treating, and managing conditions affecting the muscles, bones, joints, ligaments, and tendons.

While it is normal to get the odd short lived painful niggle here and there – sometimes pain doesn’t go away on its own. That’s when you need to get some professional advice about what could be causing it, how to treat or best manage it and how to stop it happening again. Rather than relying on the internet to assess your symptoms, physiotherapists can diagnose and write to your GP to request a diagnostic scan if appropriate

MSK physiotherapy has four main goals:

Reduce pain in joints and muscles.

Restore mobility and full range of motion.

Repair tissue damage from injuries.

Prevent injury recurrence through strength building.

Physiotherapists do this through assessing how your muscles, tendons and ligaments are currently working to support movement. A good physiotherapist can tell you which parts are over or under used and which exercises and stretches will, over time, correct this. They also use hands on techniques to further encourage healthy soft tissue function, which in turn supports joint health. Physiotherapists will look at posture, gait and support you in how certain day to day activities can be adjusted as so to prevent pain – or how to retrain your use of a specific muscle group to allow you continue the sports or gym visits you love so much. This isn't about giving all patients with shoulder pain the same exercise sheet to take home. It's about watching and palpating how the shoulder moves in and out of pain and giving each patient a personalised treatment plan.

Common conditions seen in our physiotherapy clinic

• Spine issues: Chronic lower back pain, sciatica, neck strain, and whiplash.

• Joint disorders: Arthritis, frozen shoulder, and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction.

• Sports injuries: Ligament tears (ACL/MCL), meniscus tears, quad, hamstring and Achilles tendon injuries.

• Repetitive strains: Carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, and rotator cuff issues.

• Post-operative recovery: Rehabilitation following knee or hip replacements and fracture fixations.

When we’re in pain, we all desperately want someone to fix it – and we’re hopeful that there is a therapy out there that will do all the hard work for us. The reality is that without the right exercises and stretches, these painful conditions often continue to reoccur.

At The Ambry Clinic we believe physiotherapy is the foundation for long term return to fitness and recovery from injuries. Our patients may choose Chiropractic care or Acupuncture for pain relief, but successful long term gains are hugely supported by a structured physiotherapy plan running alongside. Contact our physio Ellie directly or email us hello@theambryclinic.com and request a call back.