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Physiotherapy

What is Physiotherapy?
Physiotherapy is a treatment approach based on the study of physiology, anatomy and neuroscience . Its aim is simple, to restore function to your body and help you return to the activities you enjoy.
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Typically, treatment will consist of physical methods such as massage, movement and exercise. Physiotherapy can be used to treat a specific injury, or it can be applied to enhance your general wellbeing.
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What can physiotherapy treat?
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Physiotherapy is primarily used to treat musculoskeletal conditions either as a stand alone treatment or complementing other therapies and medical interventions, playing a critical role in restoring lost movement and function. Some examples of what physiotherapy can help with include...​
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Sporting injuries
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Work-related injuries
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Repetitive strain injuries
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Rehabilitation following surgery
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Performance enhancement
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There is a large body of research supporting the use of physiotherapy for treating musculoskeletal conditions. For example, many studies have demonstrated that physiotherapy can help with joint injuries and pain relating to the back, neck, shoulder, knee wrist and ankle..
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How long is treatment?Each IDD treatment lasts for up to one hour. Sessions begin with 5-10 minutes of heat therapy using Flexbeam to warm the tissues and get blood flow into the injured area. You then have IDD Therapy which lasts for 25-30 minutes on the SPINA machine. Afterwards we give you 10 minutes cold therapy. This is just to calm the treated area before you go home. You remain comfortable throughout.
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How much is treatment?You can either buy a package of 20 treatments for £1400.00, 10 treatments for £800.00 or a single session for £85.00.
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How many treatments will I need?This is an important question and one which the team will discuss with you. It really does depend on the duration and severity of your condition. People with mild back pain may experience symptomatic relief within a few sessions, but for long term problems, most patients will need a course of treatment. A typical course will be 10-20 sessions over a 4 to 5 week period. For patients with serious spine issues who are facing surgery, the original protocol is based around an intensive course of 20 treatments.
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Why do I need a course of treatments?When patients have back pain or neck pain for some time, spinal segments become stiff and immobile. The discs in the spine rely on movement for their hydration and nutrition. To undo the compression and immobility of an injured disc, IDD Therapy uses computer-controlled pulling forces to open the spinal segment and then mobilise it. To do this we have to use comparatively higher forces than can't be achieved with manual therapy. And we need to progressively increase the pulling forces to achieve the goals. So rather like exercising requires more than one session for the body to adapt and become fitter/stronger, addressing the causes of back pain means the body has to gently adapt to treatment. This simply cannot be achieved overnight or in just a couple of sessions, hence the requirement to have a course of treatment. We would all like a simple solution but the reality is, chronic back pain takes time.
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Should I bring an MRI?If you have an MRI, bring one with you. The MRI helps us to confirm the spinal level we wish to treat and also the nature of the disc problem. That will help us get a picture of the protocol which will give us the best chance for success. If you don’t have an MRI, we can discuss this with you and arrange one where appropriate.
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Do I need to get undressed?No, you remain fully clothed throughout. You can wear normal clothes, so long as they are comfortable. Ladies should wear trousers, leggings or loose fitting tracksuit.
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Is IDD Therapy painful?No. The treatment is intended to be comfortable. Whilst considerable pulling forces are used, they are delivered in a way that the body is comfortable. Much better than the traction machines of old. Many patients go to sleep because the treatment is relaxing. A by product of treatment is the release of endorphins so treatment feels good.
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What about exercise?We will guide you on which exercises are suitable. Initially we don’t want you to exercise because the body is getting used to the treatment, then there are some simple exercises. Nothing too strenuous and we don’t just send you on your way with a sheet of exercises!
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Will a spinal injection help my pain?Spinal injections are given to help ease inflammation which is a cause of pain. They are intended to create a window for rehabilitation. An injection is not intended to address the problems of compression of discs or stiffness in the spine. Spinal injections are not a long term solution for most patients.
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I have had surgery, can I still have IDD Therapy?"Patients who have had surgery can opt for IDD Therapy. The two criteria are that the surgery was carried out 6 months ago and that there are no implants in the spine. Talk to the team if you would like to discuss your spinal history.
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How may treatments have been carried out in the UK?Between 2010 and 2015 over 37,000 treatments have been carried out in the UK alone and IDD Therapy is the first choice non-invasive disc treatment when manual therapy is not working, in areas where it is available. There are over 1,000 clinics internationally providing IDD Therapy, including surgeons, physiotherapists, osteopaths and chiropractors.
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