Figuring out if and when to see a Physiotherapist for your injuries, aches and pains can be a tricky decision to make. Especially if you’ve never seen a physiotherapist before and aren’t too sure what they do or when you should contact them for treatment. This post outlines some of the most common signs and symptoms of when you should seek out physiotherapy assessment and treatment to help you get back to the things you love doing.

When do I need to see a Physiotherapist? You should see a Physiotherapist if:

• You’ve been struggling with a recurrent injury

• Your mobility has declined over the years

• You suffer with long term conditions like arthritis or osteoarthritis

• If you’re at risk of developing neck and back issues (such as if you’re an offer worker at a desk all day)

Read on to find out when you may need to see a Physiotherapist and how they can help you feel and move better!

What Are The Signs You Should See a Physiotherapist?

Physiotherapists can help you get back to doing what you love whether that be running, tennis, golf or simply being able to walk and sit down more comfortably! In a nutshell, Physiotherapists are experts in injury assessment, treatment, and management, whether your injury is posture-related, exercise-related, work-related…the list goes on and on! Take a look at some of these situations to find out when you should see a Physiotherapist

Recurrent Injury

If you’ve been struggling with the same injury for an extended period, it’s likely an injury that needs more in-depth assessment and treatment to understand the underlying cause of why it continues to happen. For these kinds of injuries, just resting and letting time pass without any specific management or rehabilitation isn’t the best way forward! Get some advice to see if you need treatment.

Your Injury is Stopping You From Exercising

Whether it’s knee pain preventing you from running or a shoulder injury that’s limiting your ability to lift weights in the gym, all the way to an achy hip stopping you from longer hikes at the weekend. As exercise is key to maintaining health and fitness, if an injury stops you doing the exercise you love, you should get some advice on how to maintain your exercise levels and eventually return to normal activity…the perfect job for a Physiotherapist!

Long-Term Conditions (Like Arthritis Or Osteoarthritis)

There are oodles of myths around arthritis. Many of which strike fear into people who suffer from – making them think they should avoid exercise or certain types of activity. Or even that they’re doomed to have a joint replacement – but this isn’t always the case! Physiotherapists are experts in managing and treating these conditions by helping to build the strength and stability of a joint – this has huge benefits for your pain and function!

If you suffer from osteoarthritis, you may benefit from one of our previous articles, where we discuss how you can keep symptoms at bay when you’re not doing physiotherapy.

Work-Related Injury 

Certain jobs are more at risk of certain types of injury. Take a desk-based worker for example…neck and lower back pain are hugely prevalent! With the ever-increasing retirement age, we need to make sure we’re doing all we can to reduce the occupational health risks we’re prone to as we get older. Don’t dismiss work-related injuries as inevitable aches and pains – they need to be assessed, addressed, and corrected. And your physiotherapist can definitely help with that!

If you are an office worker wondering how to ease aches and pains whilst at work, you may enjoy our recent article, where we go through the top five exercises that you can do without leaving your desk. We also cover how to avoid neck pain in another one of our articles, which may be beneficial if you work from a laptop regularly.

What Happens When You See a Physiotherapist?

When you see a Physiotherapist, you’ll usually start with an in-depth assessment. This will give you a detailed understanding of not only what your injury diagnosis is, but also a good idea of the underlying reasons why your injury came on. That could be lifestyle-related, muscle weakness, joint stiffness, lack of flexibility or incorrect exercise technique for example.

Your Physiotherapist will develop a bespoke exercise and treatment plan, based on your lifestyle and goals, which could include a variety of options to help your recovery such as sports massage or acupuncture. This plan will aim to gradually build you back into pain-free exercise and pain-free daily life!

Tailored Physiotherapy From Katie Bell Physio

Here at Katie Bell Physio & Wellness, we offer several physiotherapy services to help you move better and free of pain. For those of you suffering with muscle and joint pain, get in touch with our team about our general physiotherapy services. We also offer Women’s Health Physiotherapy, which is perfect for women experiencing pregnancy or menopause-related symptoms. Whether you are suffering from musculoskeletal problems, such as back pain, pelvic pain, or struggling with bladder, bowel and pelvic floor dysfunction, our expert women’s health Physiotherapist will be able to help.