Muscular pain is a burden for everyone, not just high-performing athletes. Pre-existing health conditions, injuries, and poor sporting technique can all contribute to you waking up in the morning with aching joints and stiff muscles. Simple tasks such as getting the kids ready for school or walking to the bus stop can become difficult, while turning up to the gym already stiff and sore means you’re unlikely to perform at your peak.
Freedom Sports Medicine’s team of qualified and experienced professionals are passionate about ensuring that our patients can enjoy the best quality of life. As a leading physio in Croydon, we know that pain and stiffness are common complaints that can have a significant effect on your health and wellbeing. Fortunately, there are a range of strategies that can be implemented to help you attack your day with energy and enthusiasm.
Manual therapy
Manual therapy is the kind of treatment you most likely picture when you think of a physiotherapist’s appointment. Stretching, massage, and joint manipulation can all be used to diagnose musculoskeletal issues and provide effective treatment.
In addition to standard physiotherapy and sports physiotherapy, the team at Freedom Sports Medicine can provide myotherapy as a holistic treatment option for pain. Myotherapy combines trigger points with soft tissue massage to first identify the underlying cause of pain and stiffness before providing relief.
Myotherapy can be used to treat all manner of conditions, from headaches, neck pain and back pain, to chronic conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.
Dry needling
Dry needling is a form of treatment that can be used to both treat and prevent pain. It aims to release trigger points — tight or overworked areas of a muscle — providing relief from muscular stiffness.
During a dry needling appointment, your clinician will insert a number of filiform needles into the area of concern. Filiform needles are short, stainless steel needles that don’t inject fluid into your body, hence the name ‘dry needling’. The needles will remain in your body for a short period of time before being removed.
The team at Freedom Sports Medicine often use dry needling as a way of restoring range of motion (ROM) and enabling effective movement.
Exercise prescription
Oftentimes, treating pain or poor performance requires work away from the physiotherapy clinic. Exercise is like a physiotherapist’s version of medication — it needs to be done on a routine basis and for the fully prescribed length of time for you to reap the full rewards.
Your physio may prescribe exercise as a way of treating musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and even mental conditions.
Alternatively, you may have a particular physical goal you are trying to reach — perhaps to compete at a certain level or attain a personal best. A structured exercise program, focusing on your weaknesses and enhancing your strengths, could be the tool you need to get you there.
Clinical pilates
Pilates is often seen as an alternative to yoga. There are certainly countless benefits to practising it on a regular basis, including improved core strength and posture. Clinical pilates is also often prescribed as a method of treating pain and muscular stiffness, particularly in the neck, back, and hips.
Clinical pilates can form part of a broader treatment regime. One of the many benefits of attending Freedom Sports Medicine is the comprehensive level of care we provide. Our services include both physiotherapy and clinical pilates — an appointment with your physiotherapist could see them recommend you book in for a 1:1 or group pilates class as part of a well rounded treatment plan.
Shockwave therapy
Shockwave therapy is typically used to treat tendon soreness and injury. Traditionally, tendon concerns have been treated using a cortisone injection. Shockwave therapy is designed to instigate a healing response, fixing the root cause of the issue rather than simply masking it.
At Freedom Sports Medicine, shockwave therapy will be administered by a fully qualified physiotherapist or podiatrist. Shockwave therapy is typically prescribed in combination with other treatment methods, including exercise and manual therapy, the overall goal being to strengthen the tendon and reduce the risk that injury, pain, and stiffness will return.
Musculoskeletal pain can hold us back from doing the things that we love. Even if you’ve suffered from chronic pain for most of your life, there is still hope that the right combination of treatment strategies could bring much needed relief.
Here at Freedom Sports Medicine, our team is passionate about working with you to help you reach your physical fitness goals. Our comprehensive range of services means we can attend to every aspect of your health, providing holistic, patient-centric care and cementing our place as a top physio in Croydon. To find out more about our sports medicine offerings, contact our friendly team today.
