Lower back & hips
Sudden lock-ups, long-standing stiffness, sciatica-type leg pain, pain that worsens on sitting or driving, and post-natal pelvic girdle pain.
Musculoskeletal clinic · Elm Vale
Find out what is actually causing the pain.
We run unhurried assessments, treat with our hands, and send you home with a loading plan you can follow. One physiotherapist, one plan, no packages sold at the door.
- Initial assessment
- 45 minutes, including treatment
- Follow-up
- 30 minutes, usually 2–4 in total
- Referral
- Not needed — book directly
What we treat
Start by finding your complaint in the index.
Most people arrive with one of these. If your problem is not listed, write it in the notes field when you request an appointment and we will tell you honestly whether physiotherapy is the right first step.
Neck, jaw & headaches
Desk-related neck stiffness, headaches that start at the base of the skull, referred arm pain and pins and needles, jaw tension and clicking.
Shoulders & elbows
Rotator cuff pain on overhead reaching, frozen shoulder stages, tennis and golfer's elbow, and shoulders that ache through the night.
Knees, ankles & feet
Knee pain on stairs and hills, ligament and meniscus recovery, Achilles and plantar heel pain, and repeated ankle sprains that never settled.
Running & training load
Shin pain, ITB and hip flexor irritation, return-to-running planning after a break, and rebuilding mileage without repeating the same injury.
Post-operative rehab
Structured strength and range work after joint replacement, shoulder repair or ligament reconstruction, progressed in line with your surgeon's protocol.
Care pathway
Four stages, and you always know which one you are in.
Treatment is not open-ended here. We agree what success looks like at the first appointment and work towards discharge from there.
Assessment
History, movement testing and a hands-on examination. You leave the first visit with a working diagnosis in plain language and a reason for it.
Plan
We set a realistic timeline, name the two or three things that will move the needle, and agree how many sessions it should take to get there.
Treat & load
Manual therapy and dry needling to settle symptoms, paired with progressive loading so the tissue can tolerate what you need it to do.
Discharge
You finish with a maintenance programme and clear triggers for coming back. Most people do not need standing appointments afterwards.
Session types
Three appointment types. Pick the one that matches where you are.
Every appointment is one-to-one with the same physiotherapist for the length of your care, so nothing has to be explained twice.
Initial assessment
For a new problem, or an old one that has changed character. Includes treatment on the day — you will not be sent away with only a diagnosis.
- Full history and movement screen
- Hands-on examination and first treatment
- Working diagnosis explained in plain language
- Starter exercises written down before you leave
Follow-up treatment
The working sessions in the middle of your plan. Usually spaced seven to fourteen days apart so the programme has time to do its job.
- Re-testing against your baseline measures
- Manual therapy and dry needling as indicated
- Loading progressed or held, with the reason given
- Programme updated the same day
Rehab & load review
For runners, lifters and post-operative patients who are not in pain but want the next block of training built properly.
- Review of current training or protocol stage
- Strength and range testing where relevant
- Six-week loading plan with weekly targets
- Return-to-sport criteria, not just dates
Between appointments
Your home programme is the treatment.
Clinic time settles symptoms. What changes the outcome is the loading you do in the weeks between visits, which is why we keep programmes short enough to actually finish.
- Three moves
Rarely more than three exercises at a time. A programme you complete beats a comprehensive one you abandon by week two.
- Fifteen minutes
Built to fit in a quarter of an hour, four or five days a week, with household objects where equipment is not available.
- Written down
Sets, reps, tempo and what an acceptable level of discomfort feels like, printed on paper at the end of the session.
- Reviewed aloud
Every follow-up starts by asking what you skipped and why. If a movement does not fit your week, it gets replaced rather than repeated.
First visit & hours
What the first appointment looks like.
Arrive a few minutes early, wear something you can move in, and bring any scan reports or surgical notes you already have. Nothing else is required — you do not need a referral to be seen.
- Monday – Wednesday8:00 – 18:00
- Thursday8:00 – 20:00
- Friday8:00 – 15:00
- Saturday9:00 – 13:00, alternate weeks
- SundayClosed
- Shorts or loose trousers for lower-limb and back assessments; a vest top for neck and shoulder work.
- Any imaging reports, discharge letters or surgical protocols, even if they are a few years old.
- A rough list of what you have already tried, including exercises, medication and rest periods.
Questions
The things people ask before booking.
Do I need a referral from a doctor?
No. Physiotherapy is a direct-access service, so you can request an appointment yourself. If your insurer requires a referral for reimbursement, check their policy first — and if anything in your assessment suggests you should see a doctor instead, we will tell you at the first visit.
Will I be sore afterwards?
Sometimes, and it should be mild. Hands-on treatment and new loading can leave an ache for 24 to 48 hours, similar to the day after unfamiliar exercise. Pain that is sharp, spreading or lasts beyond two days is not expected — tell us and we will adjust the plan.
How many appointments will I need?
Most straightforward musculoskeletal problems settle in two to four sessions over four to six weeks. Post-operative and long-standing cases take longer. We give you an estimate at the end of the assessment and revisit it if progress does not match what we expected.
What should I wear?
Clothing you can move and be examined in. Shorts or loose trousers for back, hip, knee and ankle problems; a vest or t-shirt you are comfortable moving in for neck and shoulder work. Gowns are available if you would prefer to change at the clinic.
Can I be seen during pregnancy or after surgery?
Yes to both. Pregnancy-related pelvic girdle and back pain respond well to hands-on treatment and targeted strength work. For post-operative rehab, bring your surgeon's protocol so the programme is progressed within the stages they have set rather than around them.
What happens if I need to cancel or rearrange?
Let us know at least 24 hours ahead and we will move you to the next suitable slot at no cost. Late cancellations are charged, because the appointment time is held for you alone. Genuine illness and emergencies are always treated sensibly.
Request an appointment
Tell us what is going on.
Send a short summary and we will come back with the next two or three appointment times that fit what you need. Requests are read by the treating physiotherapist, not a call centre.
- New patients are usually offered a slot within the same week.
- Thursday evening and alternate Saturday slots fill first.
- If physiotherapy is not the right starting point, we will say so.