Not every musculoskeletal problem fits neatly into one particular category. You may have pain, stiffness, weakness or restricted movement affecting a muscle, joint or tendon, or simply be unsure what is causing your symptoms.
At Corsham Physiotherapy, you don’t need to know what your problem is before you book. We can assess your symptoms, movement and history, help establish what may be causing the problem and advise you on the most appropriate treatment.
Muscle & Soft Tissue Problems
Muscle and soft tissue problems can develop following an injury or unusual activity, but they can also build gradually through repeated activity, overuse or changes in what you have been doing.
Symptoms might include pain, tightness, weakness, stiffness or difficulty with particular movements or activities. Physiotherapy can help assess what is happening and, where appropriate, initially focus on relieving your symptoms and supporting recovery before gradually restoring movement, strength and function.
Joint Pain & Stiffness
Joint problems can affect people of all ages and may result from injury, arthritis, changes within the joint or problems with the surrounding muscles and soft tissues.
You may notice pain, stiffness, swelling, reduced movement or difficulty with particular activities.
Our physiotherapists can assess the joint and surrounding structures and advise you on treatment, movement and rehabilitation. If we think your symptoms require further investigation or a different type of medical assessment, we will advise you on the appropriate next steps.
Tendon Pain & Tendinopathy
Tendons connect muscles to bones and are exposed to load whenever the muscle works. Tendon problems can occur following injury, but frequently develop gradually as the demands placed upon a tendon change or exceed what it is currently able to tolerate.
You may hear terms such as tendinitis, tendinopathy or tendinosis used to describe different tendon problems. The exact terminology is less important than establishing which tendon is affected, what may be contributing to your symptoms and what it currently needs to recover.
Common tendon problems we see include:
Achilles tendinopathy • Tennis elbow • Golfer’s elbow • Shoulder tendon problems • Patellar tendon problems • Hip tendon problems • Tendon problems affecting the wrist, hand, foot or ankle
How can Physiotherapy help Tendon problems?
Treatment will depend on which tendon is affected, how long you have had the problem, your symptoms and the activities you want to return to.
Initially, treatment may focus on relieving pain and symptoms and supporting the recovery of the affected tissues. Depending on the particular problem, treatment may include hands-on techniques, advice about activity and load, medical acupuncture, electrotherapy, therapeutic laser or shockwave therapy where appropriate.
Exercise and rehabilitation can then be progressively developed to improve the tendon and surrounding muscles’ ability to tolerate load and help you return to your usual activities, exercise or sport.
Problems that keep coming back
Sometimes pain settles only to return when you resume a particular activity, increase your exercise or return to sport.
In these cases, as well as treating your current symptoms, we can look at factors such as movement, strength and the demands you are placing on your body. Rehabilitation can then help you progressively rebuild strength and function.
Read more about Exercise & Rehabilitation
Not sure which type of appointment you need?
You don’t need to diagnose yourself before seeing a physiotherapist. If you have a muscle, joint or tendon problem that isn’t covered elsewhere on our website — or you’re simply not sure what is causing your symptoms — we can assess it and advise you on the most appropriate next steps.
Please either contact our reception or book online to make an appointment.