Remember though that to get the most out of your weekly visits you’ll likely be given daily exercises, tasks and instructions to follow.

Physiotherapists treat people of all ages, helping them manage pain and using a number of methods to aid recovery. You may need a referral from your GP to have physiotherapy on the NHS, although in some areas it's possible to refer yourself directly. Physicians like Hippocrates, and later Galenus, are believed to have been the first practitioners of physiotherapy, advocating massage, manual therapy techniques and hydrotherapy to treat people in 460 B. When you make an appointment with a physiotherapist you will probably be asked to wear comfortable, loose clothing and shoes with good support (like athletic shoes). The misconception of manual therapy has even crept into physiotherapy, says Adam Meakins, a London physiotherapist.

Illness: After a prolonged illness or during/after an illness that impacts mobility, balance, or motor skills. You’ll also have access to our generous pension scheme and health service discounts, as well as 27 days of annual leave plus bank holidays. We’ve spent 100 years or more going through various other hypotheses,” he says, “but those seem to be the ones where most of the encouraging work is going on. You’ll work with people on a daily basis, recommending exercise, carrying out massage, and using high-tech ultrasound equipment or even hydrotherapy pools, depending on your patients’ needs. You will find all four in private health care, but you're more likely to be treated by a physiotherapist in the public sector (for example, at public hospitals) compared to chiropractors, osteopaths and myotherapists.

I sort of class physiotherapy, osteopathy and chiropractic treatments as all part of the similar hands-on musculoskeletal therapies that’s mostly to do with non-surgical, massage, manipulation, stretching, movement and physical exercises. We made some chiropractors angry but the truth is that there is more physical evidence for the North American ape, Bigfoot, than there is for subluxations causing disease,” he chortles.Such far-fetched claims include being able to treat excessive childhood crying, asthma, ear infections, bedwetting, and learning and behavioural difficulties. They will often work with doctors, providing feedback regarding a patient’s progress and any issues they notice while working with them.

As a physiotherapist, you’ll focus on identifying and maximising movement to improve the health and wellbeing of your patients. It’s no good paying good money to a specialist and then not carry out the instructions they’ve given you! I think Physiopedia helps us to push our boundaries and question why we are doing certain practices. Most backaches resolve spontaneously, he says, and the truth is that nobody really knows how to treat them.Physiofirst, the Professional Network for private practitioners, also has a listing service for private practitioners working in the UK. In general, they are healthcare practitioners who utilize a variety of treatments and modalities to help their patients recover after injury.