07716 219091 or 07740165246
PHYSIOTHERAPY AND SPORTS THERAPY
At Bell Lane Physiotherapy and Sports Therapy Clinic, we believe in treating the whole body rather than treating an injury or medical issue in isolation. That’s why we offer an extensive range of services to help improve movement and function. Read on to find out more.
ASSESSMENT AND DIAGNOSIS
Getting the Right Treatment
At the start of your session, your clinician will perform a thorough assessment. They will document a full history of both the present complaint and your past medical history including screening for certain conditions. Copies of any relevant documentation such as medical letters and scan reports may be helpful here.
They will then perform a thorough physical examination followed by a diagnosis. Please wear loose, comfortable clothing which will allow us to examine the affected area.
After assessment you will be provided with a diagnosis where possible.
With the help of assessment findings, expert knowledge and your valuable input, your clinician will the provide you with a tailor-made treatment plan.
MASSAGE, DEEP TISSUE MASSAGE AND SPORTS MASSAGE
Hands On Therapy
All our therapists are skilled in every type of massage offered at Bell Lane Physiotherapy and Sports Therapy Clinic.
Massage is effective in alleviating pain, improving the circulation, improving elasticity and mobility, aiding repair and improving the health of the tissues.
It also alleviates tension and promotes a sense of relaxation and wellbeing.
Massage is widely regarded as an effective preventative treatment. We find that many of our patients who attend regularly report fewer injuries relating to sports, fitness or their everyday lives.
We provide regular sports massage to our local athletes and the fitness community for both before and after sports/fitness events. This is designed to improve and maintain the soft tissues of the musculoskeletal system optimising them for the best performance.
We are regularly asked to perform deep tissue massage by those who have previously felt its benefits or those who been recommended for such treatments.
Deep tissue massage is a specialised technique which can be used as part of a sports or general massage where certain tissues require it.
It can also be used as part of a treatment for particular conditions such as tendonitis, muscle strain or ligament sprain.
Massage is appropriate for all ages and is particularly effective for elderly patients in the maintenance of musculoskeletal mobility and in prevention of deterioration.
Patients often book in with us for a massage to relieve general tension or because they feel that their tissues are tight in a certain area.
We will always perform a thorough assessment prior to beginning a session to ensure that the patient receives the most appropriate treatment.
During treatment sessions our therapists are able to assess, through palpation of the tissues and with feedback from the patient, where certain techniques would be beneficial.
We also perform techniques for lymphatic drainage.
SPINAL MANIPULATION
Hands on Treatment
Spinal manipulation has been practised for thousands of years all over the world. Evidence of its use has been found in writings in China from over 4000 years ago and is detailed in the work of Hippocrates “the Father of Medicine” around 400 years BC.
At Bell Lane Physiotherapy and Sports Therapy Clinic we have over twenty-five years of experience in using spinal manipulation as a therapeutic intervention.
As Physiotherapists and Sports Therapists we are required to keep up to date with the latest techniques and that our treatments are evidence based.
Spinal manipulation is used as a treatment for a variety of physical conditions. It is useful for alleviating pain, reducing stiffness and improving the health of the tissues.
We rarely use spinal manipulation alone as we find a tailor-made combination of appropriate treatments leads to much better results.
We might combine this type of treatment with, soft tissue work, myofascial release, heat and exercises for example.
Modern methods of spinal manipulation may differ from those early teachings but there is no doubt that our patients find this type of treatment effective when applied in the right way to someone where the physical condition indicates it.
There are circumstances where the presence of a certain condition will prevent us from manipulation the spine. We are skilled in a very wide range of effective techniques so, in this case, an alternative treatment would be offered.
All our therapists perform a thorough assessment and screening of their patients before treatment, but you should always disclose any medical conditions you have so that you can be treated safely.
MYOFASCIAL RELEASE
Hands On Therapy
Myofascial release is a soft tissue approach to physical therapy and rehabilitation.
Physiotherapists and Sports Therapists have a long history of using soft tissue work to treat their patients.
The myofascial approach differs from conventional massage techniques as it considers the body as consisting of a whole system of fascia.
Fascia has recently come to be described as the organ that gives us shape. Every type of tissue within the body contains fascia. It works like a web of elastic fibres in which the cells of the body organise themselves.
Within the muscular system, fascia is capable of being both stretched and compressed. There are cells within the fascia called neuroreceptors which can sense compression and stretch and send signals to the brain and spinal cord.
They can signal whether a particular stretch is safe.
When a stretch is not likely to tear the tissues, this signalling allows the tissues to let go.
You may have experienced letting go this whilst breathing into a stretched pose during a yoga class.
Myofascial release is a technique which uses particular hand holds to sense whether the tissues are “ready” to let go and to facilitate stretch.
The technique is very slow and safe but produces remarkable results in improving range of movement and releasing soft tissue restrictions.
Myofascial release is used to alleviate pain, mobilise tissues which have become tight or stiff and to improve the health of the tissues of the musculoskeletal system.
We rarely use any treatment on its own as we find that a specially tailored combination of treatments in accordance with our assessment findings produces the best results.
Myofascial release is often combined with heat, trigger point work, soft tissue work, spinal manipulation, postural advice and exercises.
It may not always be possible to perform this technique due to the presence of certain conditions, however, this should be highlighted during the thorough assessment and screening performed by our therapists. That said, it is always advisable to make your therapist aware of any medical conditions you have on your first visit to clinic.
ACUPUNCTURE
Hands On Treatment
Acupuncture is a form of dry needling where very fine, stainless steel needles are inserted into specific points in the body to effect positive change. Acupuncture is used at Bell Lane Physiotherapy and Sports therapy Clinic to treat a wide range of physical conditions, particularly those which cause pain and/or inflammation.
Acupuncture is an evidence-based practice. It is usual for your clinician to recommend a course of treatment, however, you may well begin to feel the benefit of needling after just one session.
Acupuncture can be effective when used alone or in combination with a range of other physiotherapy modalities of treatment such as myofascial release, joint and spinal manipulation, deep tissue massage, exercises and stress management.
Acupuncture works by stimulating the production of chemicals such as endorphins and oxytocin in the body which relieve both pain and stress. It also stimulates the release of serotonin, which may create a sense of wellbeing, and melatonin, which may encourage sleep.
Acupuncture stimulates the blocking of pain signals to the brain. It also helps to reduce the sensitivity of painful areas of the body.
Acupuncture needles are very fine (between 0.2 and 0.3mm in diameter) so the sensation when inserted is not like that of having an injection. Patients often report a mild, temporary pricking sensation followed by a "heaviness, mild aching or pins and needles". The experience of acupuncture is individual. Sensations felt by one person may not be experienced by another.
It is common to feel temporarily light-headed, relaxed or tired following a session of acupuncture.
The benefits of acupuncture are well documented and many of our patients have experienced those positive effects for themselves.
PRESCRIPTIVE EXERCISE
Education
Active exercise is an essential part of all rehabilitation and physical therapy.
There are certain specific exercise-based approaches which are indicated for the treatment of certain conditions. An example of this is the a “McKenzie” style of approach when treating a disc bulge, acute back or acute neck pain.
It helps to alleviate pain, improve function, increase range of movement and build strength thereby protecting the joints.
When diagnosed with a particular condition, it is possible to obtain a good set of exercises from the internet to help you with your home treatment.
However, all patients who are diagnosed with a similar condition do not present in the same way.
Our physiotherapists and sports therapists perform a thorough, detailed assessment and are able to outline an exercise program which is tailored to meet the specific, individual needs of the patient.
We are skilled in prescribing exactly the right exercises to address each symptom rather than simply offering a generalised program for a particular condition.
During follow-up we support our patients in setting the intensity and frequency of the exercises to match their rate of recovery, offering the element of progression towards a return to normal life
POSTURAL AWARENESS AND GAIT RE-EDUCATION
Education
Postural Awareness
Good posture is widely understood to be linked with good musculoskeletal health.
Posture can deteriorate with age and when certain medical conditions are present.
The human spine is an incredible piece of design which, when cared for and maintained, allows us to perform a wide variety of functional movements.
Postural awareness is a vital that part of spinal maintenance.
Many of our patients who enter our clinic tell us that their posture is poor, but few have taken steps to correct it.
Current thinking actually leans towards there being no such thing as “bad posture.” Instead it suggests that a regular change in posture is something to aim for.
Along with hands on therapy to improve spinal range of movement; we are skilled in teaching the body awareness required to self-correct.
We are also able to provide a program of exercises which will help to improve and maintain posture.
Gait Re-education
We are often asked to assist a patient who is having trouble with pain or dysfunction when walking or running.
We are skilled in assessing the gait and advising the patient as to how to correct it.
This might involve:
Providing treatment for any conditions contributing to the problem
Teaching the body awareness required to improve the gait
Teaching gait correction techniques
Providing a progressive exercise program to build up muscles which may have become weak.
KINESIOLOGY TAPING
Hands On Treatment
Kinesiology taping (K.T.)is a therapeutic tool which can be helpful in the treatment of variety of physical conditions. Pre-stretched elastic tape is expertly applied to an area of injury in a particular way so as to affect positive change. K.T. was developed in the 1970s in Japan with the intention of alleviating pain and encouraging soft tissue healing. Taping is understood to have many physical benefits. These include:
Proprioceptive Facilitation
Improved Soft Tissue Healing
Reduced Muscle Fatigue
Reduced Muscle Soreness
Reduced Pain
Improved Circulation
Improved Lymphatic Drainage
K.T. is particularly popular among athletes.
COMMON TREATABLE CONDITIONS
Who Can Benefit From Treatment
Here is a list of common conditions which may improve with treatment:
Arthritis? Rheumatological Disorders
Back and Neck Pain
Whiplash Associated Disorder
Sciatica
Biomechanical and Postural Problems
Headache
Sports Injuries
Soft Tissue Injuries
Overuse Injuries
Stiff/Painful Joints
Mobility/Gait Problems
Neurological Disorders
Post Fracture and Surgical Cases
Stress Related Conditions
This is not a complete list. If your condition is not described here, please contact us for advice.
CONTINUED CARE
Patient-Centered Treatment
We are committed to providing exactly the right amount of follow-up to your initial assessment and treatment. This will include provision of an appropriate number of follow-up treatment sessions, continuous assessment during follow-up, provision of home exercises posture and body care advice and making ourselves available for questions.