MOVE&IMPROVE
JOINT PAIN & SPRAINS
The condition
Joint pain can originate from many different sources including sprains, strains, overuse injuries or arthritic conditions.
The joint involved maybe either stiff, painful or swollen - or any combination of the three.
We can also help patients rehabilitating from surgical ligament reconstruction. We will work within the guidelines prescribed by your Orthopaedic Consultant to help you reach your goals.
Assessment & treatment
Whether you feel pain in your upper limb (shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand) or your lower limb (hip, knee, ankle and foot) we will perform a detailed assessment to establish what may be driving your personal problem.
The assessment will allow us to look at how your joints move and how you are using your muscle system. We will assess if specific muscles are weak/tight as both these issues can lead to pain or poor function. The good news is we can help you understand your condition better and strengthening your muscles can make the most amazing difference to how you use your painful limb.
We will also undertake tests to assess for cartilage, tendon and ligament injury and then treat these accordingly.
Ultrasound can be used to reduce inflammation and soft tissue swelling. Beyond this, specific taping techniques may be used to help offload sensitised tissue and give you greater feedback on the relative position of your body part, as well as support soft tissue as it heals.
I was born 12 weeks premature and I've always been told that's why I have a weak back. This year I signed up for the London Marathon to raise money for my big sister who we lost to leukaemia. Unfortunately after training to 20 miles I developed severe blisters in my feet and painful plantar fascitis under the arch of my L foot. Working with Kate I have gained a better understanding of my back and now realise that aspects of my training ( specifically not allowing enough time to strengthen key muscle groups in my legs) led to the overload in my foot. I feel slightly daunted by the thought of having to run 26 miles but I know my back is in better shape than it ever has been.
Don't fear the term 'degenerative changes'
There is now a lot of evidence to show that many individuals with 'significant changes' on X-rays and MRI scans experience absolutely no pain. This is prompting a reassessment in how we interpret the images and reported findings. With this in mind some changes shown on scans are in fact normal for that patient if their age is taken into account. The modern approach is therefore to consider the all of these factors together.
In particular we should not be fearful of so called 'degenerative changes' as they are very unlikely to prevent progress with Physiotherapy.
We will therefore look at your clinical picture and then look at the X-ray/MRI scan results in context of how you are feeling.
And remember 70 is the new 50 - the most important thing is to keep active. MOTION is LOTION. MOVE and IMPROVE!
Discover more
If you are interested in the information given above then this article is a scientific paper demonstrating the prevalence of "abnormal" findings on hip arthroscopy in a group of "normal" (asymptomatic) people.
Worth a watch
A video giving some useful guidance on how to manage pain relating to pain felt in the front of your knee/ under your knee cap.
TESTIMONIAL
I received the most amazing service and treatment from Dionne at Move to Improve. Dionne did the most thorough and comprehensive pre-treatment assessment (on zoom!) I have ever received and asked me questions about so many different aspects of my lifestyle which I felt gave her a real sense of the context in which my injury occurred. The in-person treatment sessions identified underlying causes. The rehab program was so thoroughly explained and after every session, I received a meticulously detailed summary. Dionne patiently explained that I needed to build my body’s capacity to take the load and not do what she called ‘boom and bust’. I saw huge improvements with pain levels dramatically reduced in severity and frequency. Dionne regularly and proactively followed up with me by email to check in with how the recovery was going and suggested adaptions in written instructions based on my feedback. Really exceptional service. I am now back to regular running with no pain.
Mrs S
"Kate is one of the rare physiotherapists who not only look at the specific injury but also take an holistic view to treatment taking into consideration lifestyle and well-being and well as physical health. She is innovative in her treatment and our discussions often involve up-to-date or current thinking around topics to aid recovery."
Miss T W