• SEQOHS accredication
Polbridge Health Ltd - occupational health uk

Physiotherapy

Get back to your best with our expert physiotherapy care

Occupational Health physiotherapy

At Polbridge Health, we offer a comprehensive range of physiotherapy services to diagnose and treat musculoskeletal problems. Our skilled physiotherapists employ various techniques, such as:

  • Manual therapy, including trigger point therapy, soft tissue and myofascial release
  • Joint mobilisations and manipulations
  • Sports massage
  • Exercise rehabilitation
  • Acupuncture

In addition to these services, our physiotherapists conduct:

  • DSE assessments
  • Fit-for-work/return-to-work assessments

We offer various rehabilitation programs including:

  • Gym-based
  • Home exercise
  • Virtual or video based guidance

Our physiotherapists are skilled in conducting assessments, tailoring treatment plans to aid recovery and helping your employees return to work safely highlighting beneficial workplace adaptations.

At our centre, we offer hands-on treatments, constant guidance and strength and conditioning exercises. Our comprehensive approach is designed to help both employees and individuals overcome pain and discomfort, so you can get back to being robust, aligned, and performing at your best.

What happens in a physiotherapy session?
In our physiotherapy sessions, our experienced physiotherapists conduct a thorough examination of your movement patterns, which may require you to remove some clothing. We recommend wearing comfortable clothing and appropriate undergarments for your comfort and can provide a chaperone if requested. Your privacy is important to us and everything you share with our physiotherapist remains confidential. During your assessment, our physiotherapist will evaluate the nature and severity of your condition, collaborate with you to establish goals based on your individual needs and provide you with treatment, guidance, and support. We regularly monitor your progress and adjust your rehabilitation program and pace of activities as necessary to facilitate steady and realistic progress. Contact us to learn more about how our sessions can help you achieve your rehabilitation goals.
What physiotherapy treatments/services do we provide?

Our experienced physiotherapist offers a range of services that can help manage pain, improve function and promote healing. Here are some of the treatments we provide:

  • Exercise therapy: Our physiotherapist will customise exercises based on your ability and accessibility. These exercises help you manage your condition and can be done at home.
  • Joint mobilisation: Manual pressure is applied to stretch out the joint area, stimulate movement and reduce pain. This treatment may produce a popping sound, which is just a release of gas or movement of tendons.
  • Biomechanics and Orthotics advice: A biomechanical assessment may be carried out to study how your body functions as a whole. Based on that, our physiotherapist may recommend adjustments such as improving your posture or using orthotics to align your body and offload painful structures.
  • Lifestyle advice: Our physiotherapist will discuss any lifestyle changes or modifications that may help improve your condition. This may include advice about adjusting your exercise routine, maintaining a healthy weight or moving more during office hours.
  • Therapeutic/Sports soft tissue massages: Our physiotherapist may use various soft-tissue massage techniques such as Muscle Energy Techniques (MET), trigger point therapy, Deep Transverse Frictions and Myofascial Release, along with rehabilitation exercises, to help reduce tension, pain, promote healing and restore normal function to your body.
  • Acupuncture: Our Physiotherapist is AACP accredited and follows the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines for the treatment option of acupuncture. This involves stimulating sensory nerves under the skin and in the muscles via applying fine needles, resulting in the body producing natural substances such as pain-relieving endorphins. Our physiotherapist will screen you to make sure you are suitable for acupuncture.
  • Shockwave therapy: This non-invasive procedure involves the use of a special device to pass sound waves of energy through the skin to the injured area of the body. Shockwave therapy can help to increase blood flow to the affected area, promoting healing. Additionally, it has several proposed mechanisms of action for Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT), including promoting neovascularisation, stimulating the proliferation of tenocytes and osteoprogenitor differentiation, increasing leukocyte infiltration, and amplifying growth factor and protein synthesis to stimulate collagen synthesis and tissue remodelling. This has clinically proven to be an effective treatment for some patients and can be recommended as a second-line treatment for those who do not respond to initial conservative management. Our physiotherapist will screen you to make sure you are suitable for shockwave treatment.
Is Physiotherapy painful?

Physiotherapy is a type of treatment that aims to reduce pain, improve movement and restore function. In general, physiotherapy should not be painful, although some discomfort may be experienced during certain types of treatment.

For example, during joint mobilisation, you may feel a mild discomfort or pressure around the joint area, but it should not be painful. Soft-tissue massages may also cause some mild discomfort, especially if you have tight or tense muscles. However, the pressure applied during the massage can be adjusted to your tolerance level.

It's essential to communicate with your physiotherapist and inform them if you experience any pain or discomfort during the treatment. They can adjust the treatment plan or technique to make you more comfortable.

Overall, physiotherapy should not be painful and any discomfort experienced should be mild and temporary. The goal of physiotherapy is to improve your quality of life and your physiotherapist will work with you to achieve that goal in the most comfortable and effective way possible.

How do Polbridge Health empower self-management?

Looking for physiotherapy treatment that goes beyond just treating your condition? At Polbridge Health, our physiotherapists empower you to take control of your own recovery. Our commitment to self-management is just one way we support our patients every step of the way.

Self-management of physiotherapy exercises is crucial in maintaining your physical function and mobility, reducing the risk of future injuries and taking an active role in your recovery. By practising physiotherapy exercises regularly outside of your therapy sessions, you can continue the progress you've made during your physiotherapy sessions.

At Polbridge Health, we believe in providing you with the tools you need to achieve lasting results. Physiotherapy exercises are designed to improve your flexibility, strength, range of motion and by incorporating them into your daily routine, you can help prevent further injury and reduce the likelihood of needing further medical intervention. Trust Polbridge Health to provide you with the tools you need to achieve lasting results.

Looking for pre and post-surgery help and rehabilitation?

We understand that sometimes surgical intervention is necessary to address problems with broken bones, joint issues, cartilage, ligaments and muscles. That's why we work closely with our patients to create customised post-operative rehabilitation plans that aid their return to sports, work and normal daily functions.

We believe that early intervention is key to successful post-surgery rehabilitation. That's why we also offer pre-operative physiotherapy rehab exercises to our patients. Studies have shown that initiating rehab exercises before surgery can lead to better outcomes, including reduced anxiety around early mobilisation after surgery and better tolerance to post-surgery pain.

Our physiotherapy is up-to-date with the latest post-operative rehabilitation protocols and we work closely with patients to ensure they understand and adhere to their personalised rehabilitation plan. Our goal is to help patients recover quickly and safely so they can get back to doing what they love. Polbridge Health will provide you with the support and guidance you need to achieve a successful recovery.

Statistics

Here are some articles that relate to the statistics provided:

  1. Sickness absence costs the UK around £15 billion annually in lost economic output Source: Health and Safety Executive. (2020). Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorder (WRMSDs) Statistics in Great Britain, 2020.
  2. £13 billion is spent on health-related state benefits Source: Department for Work and Pensions. (2018). National statistics: DWP benefit expenditure and caseload tables 2018.
  3. In the NHS, almost 40% of staff sickness absence is due to musculoskeletal conditions, e.g., back pain Source: NHS Employers. (2019). Musculoskeletal disorders.
  4. Working days lost due to work-related MSDs = 9.5 million Source: Health and Safety Executive. (2020). Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorder (WRMSDs) Statistics in Great Britain, 2020.
  5. 5% of sickness absence becomes long-term, lasts over four weeks, and accounts for almost half of the total working days lost each year Source: Department for Work and Pensions. (2021). Sickness Absence in the Labour Market: 2021.
  6. There is an 80% chance that if absent for six months, an individual will be out of work for five years Source: The Work Foundation. (2011). Health at Work: An Independent Review of Sickness Absence.
  7. 60% of people on long-term sick leave cite musculoskeletal disorders as the cause Source: NHS Employers. (2019). Musculoskeletal disorders.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), "Work is good for mental health and well-being. Employment is associated with better physical and mental health outcomes and better quality of life."

A study published in the Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation found that "early access to physiotherapy reduces the likelihood of an employee taking sick leave due to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and can lead to significant cost savings."

The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) reported that "musculoskeletal disorders are the leading cause of sickness absence in the UK, accounting for 30.8 million lost working days in 2016."

The CSP also found that "physiotherapy intervention can reduce the length of sickness absence and improve return to work rates."

The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work reported that "good workplace health management can reduce sickness absence rates by 25%."

Overall, these statistics suggest that providing physiotherapy to employees can have significant benefits, including reducing sickness absence rates, improving mental and physical health outcomes, and leading to cost savings for businesses.