Treatments

At PEAK Physiotherapy we use up-to-date and evidence based treatments so that you will receive the most appropriate and effective treatment for your condition. Your treatment may include:

M anual Therapy Manual therapy is a term that encompasses a variety of physiotherapeutic treatment techniques. Mobilisations are applied to joints to reduce stiffness and relieve pain, manipulations may also be applied to joints to restore normal movement, soft tissue manipulation and massage are effective at reducing scar tissue, stretching tight structures, relieving spasm and aiding the healing process.

Exercise Therapy

Personalised exercise programs are devised with you to complete at home or in our gym facilities. You will be provided with exercises specific for your condition that address weak muscles, stiff joints, muscle imbalances and poor posture as appropriate.

Acupuncture

Primarily used for pain relief western acupuncture involves dry needling of tight and dysfunctional tissues. Trigger point release and intra-muscular stimulation will decrease pain, release tight tissues and promote healing. This technique can be used very effectively alone or in conjunction with other physiotherapy techniques.

P ilates Clinical Pilates used by physiotherapists is a modification of the traditional Pilates exercises developed by Joseph Pilates over 70 years ago. The emphasis is control of the deep stabilising muscles of the trunk which support the spine. By improving these muscles improved core stability can reduce postural pain and enhance efficiency of movement.

E lectrotherapy A variety of modalities including ultrasound, interferential and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) machines are available. As an adjunct to other treatment techniques these modalities can help to relieve pain and accelerate the healing process.

Hydrotherapy

Hydrotherapy is therapeutic exercise in the pool environment. It is a comfortable way to reduce joint stiffness and improve muscle activity. This is a very gentle way to rehabilitate the body and as such is appropriate for very painful conditions. It is also an excellent medium for the injured athlete to rehabilitate from injury and maintain fitness whilst injured.

Sports Rehabilitation

Early and correct treatment of sports injuries is vital for the most effective recovery. Sports injuries are treated to ensure optimal recovery and return to sport as soon as possible. The sports person will be provided with a sport specific rehabilitation programme and given advice to prevent re-injury.

Ergonomic and postural advice

Ergonomic advice is invaluable at work and home to help prevent pain caused by repetitive movements, poor seating, desk position and computer alignment. You will also be advised on maintaining a good posture and shown how to do this to prevent aches and pains caused by poor posture.

How Physiotherapy Works

Many people are hesitant when they hear the term "physiotherapy." They do not know what it is, why it is used, how it is used and how it can possibly help them. Most people, whenever they have an injury of some sort, run to a medical doctor who generally prescribes pain medication for injuries. While pain medication is an effective way to deal with pain caused by various ailments, diseases and injuries, it merely masks the pain and does not solve the problem. In addition, many pain medications are highly addictive. Physiotherapy is nothing new. It dates back to ancient times. Even Hippocrates, the father of medicine, recognized that there was a need for patients to be mobilized. People who have illnesses or disease that keeps them immobile run the risk of getting blood clots in their legs that can travel to their heart or brain. Modern physiotherapy began in the late 19th century when doctors began to realize that patients needed to be mobilized in order to recover. During the polio outbreaks of the 1930s and 1940s, physiotherapy played an important role in helping people who were affected by this terrible illness to regain the strength to walk. Mobilization, manipulation of muscles and ligaments, exercise, education and training is how physiotherapy works today. There are many reasons why people see a physiotherapist. They range from back and neck pain, which are the most common, to neurological conditions. Even people with heart and lung conditions often have some sort of physiotherapy to help them recover. Physiotherapy is now an important part of any patient recovery, whether it be from an operation or an injury. Many patients, when released from the hospital, are released into the care of a licensed physiotherapist who works with the patient to continue the recovery process. Curing migraines is one example of how physiotherapy works. Many physicians and physiotherapists believe that migraines are the result of a misaligned spine. By manipulating the spinal column, many physiotherapists have reported success in alleviating the symptoms of migraine headaches; a disabling condition that plagues millions of Americans each year. Even people with injuries present at birth, such as cerebral palsy and spina bifida have been able to live better lives with the help of physiotherapy. The therapist keeps the limbs mobile and allows the patient to live a longer and more productive life. Stroke victims are a great example of how physiotherapy works. Oftentimes, after a stroke, a patient is unable to speak or use a certain part of his or her body. A physiotherapist works with a stroke victim to help him or her regain speech as well as movement in the effected area. Physiotherapists have achieved amazing results with stroke victims, particularly in recent years.

Physiotherapy is practiced by a licensed therapist who has vast education in the field of the types of injuries and diseases he or she treats. People who have suffered an accident or have undergone an operation and have recovered with the help of therapy can clearly attest to how physiotherapy works to cut recovery time in half and allow the patient to get back to leading a better quality of life.