Conditions we commonly treat
- Fracture rehabilitation after a cast, plate or fixation
- Knee and hip replacement recovery
- Osteoarthritis of the knee, hip, hand and spine
- Rheumatoid arthritis and joint protection
- Cervical and lumbar spondylosis
- Disc prolapse and sciatica
- Frozen shoulder
- Ligament reconstruction, including ACL
- Osteoporosis and bone strengthening programmes
How we treat it
Protocol led, not guesswork
Bone and repaired tissue heal on a timeline that does not negotiate. Every plan is built around your surgeon's protocol and the healing stage, so nothing is loaded before it is ready and nothing is left stiff because it was babied for too long.
Range first, then strength
After weeks of immobilisation the joint has lost movement and the muscles around it have wasted. The order matters: restore the range while the tissue is still mobile, then rebuild the strength to use it. Reversing that order is how permanent stiffness happens.
Arthritis is managed, not just treated
Exercise is the first line treatment for osteoarthritis in every major guideline, ahead of injections and surgery. A joint that is stronger and better supported hurts less and lasts longer, and a good programme routinely delays or avoids a replacement.
We work with your orthopaedic surgeon
You will not be caught between two opinions. We follow the surgeon's protocol, report progress when asked, and flag anything that needs their eyes rather than ours.
What your first appointment involves
- 1
History
What happened, what makes it better and worse, and what you need to get back to.
- 2
Examination
Movement testing and hands on assessment to identify which structure is producing your symptoms.
- 3
Explanation
A plain language account of what we found, including what it is not, which is often the more reassuring half.
- 4
A plan you start that day
Treatment in the session, plus the specific things to do before the next one.
When it is worth booking in
- A cast or splint has just come off and the joint is stiff or weak
- You have been told to "do physiotherapy" after surgery without a clear plan
- Joint pain is limiting stairs, walking or sleep
- A diagnosis of arthritis came with painkillers and nothing else
- A scan report full of terms nobody explained
- A back or neck problem that flares every few months
- A joint replacement is booked and you want to prepare for it
How long does it usually take?
Fracture and joint replacement work follows the tissue's healing timeline, typically six to twelve weeks in stages. Arthritis is managed in shorter blocks, with a long term programme you run yourself.
Common questions
- Do I need a referral from an orthopaedic doctor?
- No. You can book directly. If you already have a surgeon or a fracture clinic involved, we work to their protocol and keep them informed, and if your problem needs an orthopaedic opinion we will say so.
- Is physiotherapy really needed after a simple fracture?
- Usually, yes. The bone heals in the cast; the joint, tendons and muscles around it stiffen and weaken in the same weeks. A short course restores movement while it is still easy to restore, which is far quicker than fighting stiffness months later.
- Can physiotherapy delay or avoid a knee replacement?
- Often. Structured strength programmes reliably reduce arthritis pain and improve function, and a meaningful proportion of people who expected surgery no longer want it. Those who do go ahead recover faster for having done the work first.
- How is this different from musculoskeletal physiotherapy?
- The same clinician and the same assessment. Orthopaedic work is for diagnosed bone and joint conditions and surgical pathways; musculoskeletal work covers muscle, tendon and joint pain without a structural diagnosis. Many people move between the two.
Condition guides
What each problem is, what the evidence says about treating it, how we treat it here and how long it usually takes, with sources.
- SciaticaPain that travels down the leg from a nerve root in the lower back, nearly always a disc. It settles for most people with movement, not rest, and the disc shrinks on its own.
- Lumbar SpondylosisWear-related change in the lower back that most adult scans show, painful or not. Degenerative disc disease is the same finding under another name, and the pain blamed on it is treated with movement and strength work, not rest.
- Frozen ShoulderPain, then stiffness, from a shoulder capsule that has thickened and tightened. Strongly linked to diabetes, it runs a long course, and the right treatment changes with the stage.
- Knee OsteoarthritisAn aching, stiff knee whose whole joint is changing, not wearing out. The X-ray grade is a poor guide to pain, and the treatment that changes its course is strength, not rest.
- Cervical SpondylosisWear-related change in the neck that most adult scans show, painful or not. Ordinary neck pain and pinched-nerve arm pain both settle with movement and strength work; pressure on the spinal cord is the rare presentation that needs a surgeon.
Further reading
Book an appointment
Start with a orthopaedic physiotherapy assessment
Your first appointment is a full assessment: history, hands on examination and movement testing, followed by an explanation of what we found and the plan to fix it. You leave with something to do that day, not just a follow up booking.
Monday to Saturday: 8:00 am to 8:00 pmSunday: By appointment