Physiotherapy is a science-based profession and takes a ‘whole person’ approach to health and wellbeing, which includes the patient’s general lifestyle.At the core is the patient’s involvement in their own care, through education, awareness, empowerment and participation in their treatment.

You can benefit from physiotherapy at any time in your life. Physiotherapy helps with back pain or sudden injury, managing long-term medical condition such as asthma, and in preparing for childbirth or a sporting event.

The 4 Stages of Complete Rehabilitation

• first stage of recovery is all about minimising further damage and letting the body begin the healing process. The body’s first reaction to injury is inflammation and pain. The better you can regulate inflammation, control pain, and protect the injured body part to avoid any further damage, we have begun the recovery process.

• Careful soft tissue and joint mobilisation training as prescribed by your physiotherapist is an important part of your rehabilitation to recover early stage range of motion. Stretching too far or start activity too early, can slow or even reverse the healing process. Using specific flexibility training suited to your injury, can help get your range of motion back, and avoid the lasting effect that decreased range of motion can have on your body’s function.

• Most people are shocked to discover how their injury and the ensuing recovery period can result in muscle weakness and a loss of endurance. Objective measures of muscle weakness and wasting are commonly noted after injury and surgery within 4-6 weeks. Minimising muscle loss and strength deficits are important rehabilitation goals set in your physiotherapy programme.

• The last step in rehabilitation is recovering sport-specific function and return to play. This phase of injury rehabilitation can include restoring coordination and balance, improving speed, agility, and sport-specific skills progressing from simple to complex.