Connacht Physio Clinic provides a variety of Specialist Physiotherapy Services This can predispose them to further injury/pain. This includes the GAA.
Physiotherapy services offered at Connacht Physio Clinic include:
• Assessment and diagnosis of musculoskeletal conditions
A comprehensive assessment and early diagnosis of the patient’s presenting complaint is the key to effective management and ultimately results in a quick recovery.
• Return to work/sport assessment
Many people return to work/sport without being fully rehabilitated. At Connac
ht Physio Clinic we carry out a fitness test to ensure our patients are ready to return to their chosen sport/work and educate them on strategies on how best to manage the initial return to work/sport period.
• Trigger point release and dry needling
Trigger point release and dry needling are two of the soft tissue techniques offered at Connacht Physio Clinic. These techniques are used to release tension and pain from taut bands within the muscle.
• Soft tissue techniques
Massage and muscle energy techniques are two other forms of soft tissue techniques on offer at Connacht Physio Clinic. They may be used as part of treatment of muscle tension and to aid in lengthening tight muscles.
• Joint mobilisation and manipulation
Joint mobilisation and manipulation are key features of physiotherapy treatment in conditions where joint stiffness has been identified as contributing to the patient’s problem.
• Exercise prescription
Accurate and individual exercise prescription is an integral part of all physiotherapy treatments at Connacht Physio Clinic. We believe that it is important that the patient understand why they are doing the exercise, what they should feel while doing it and when they should stop. We also realise that patients are busy people and we always try to fit exercise around the patient’s schedule. At Connacht Physio Clinic we have access to a large gym area with equipment including weights machines and treadmills. Physiotherapy specific exercises may include exercises to improve motor control, improve movement patterns, along with exercises to stretch and strengthen specific muscles, as well as exercises to improve the mobility of the nervous system.
• Biomechanical analysis/Running assessment
Biomechanical assessment forms an integral part of all our lower limb assessments. Altered biomechanics can place a person at risk of hip, knee, ankle or foot pain. Commonly patients present when they alter their activity levels or commence a new activity. Biomechanical analysis in conjunction with a thorough lower limb assessment can identify factors that can lead to pain, or that can place a person at risk of developing pain. Following your assessment, a plan will be developed to address the deficits found on assessment. Frequently this plan will include such strategies as strengthening muscles, stretching muscles, orthotic prescription, addressing motor control and postural issues along with any faulty sports technique. The aim of a running assessment is to prevent injury, help with injury recovery and to improve performance. This assessment will include a subjective enquiry to assess any potential risk factors for running injury such as previous injury, along with a thorough objective assessment including such elements as flexibility and motor control assessment, biomechanical analysis including treadmill assessment. Following the assessment a plan will be put in place to address any problems found.
• Orthotic prescription
Orthotics are custom made devices that support your foot and place your lower limb in a better mechanical position. They are used to address specific biomechanical faults found on assessment. Altered foot mechanics can impact on how joints higher up the body such as the knees, hips and back move and are loaded. At Connacht Physio Clinic orthotics are only prescribed when a clear link has been identified between the client’s symptoms and their foot mechanics. Clients will be offered a temporary orthotic or taping as part of their treatment and the effect of the orthotic/taping on the symptoms will be monitored prior to the prescription of any permanent orthotic device. This ensures effective management of the client’s condition and minimises any unnecessary cost to the client.
• Taping
Taping may be used as part of a physiotherapy treatment at Connacht Physio Clinic for a number of reasons. Taping can be used to promote a change in posture, to help ‘switch on’ or ‘off’ a muscle and can also be used to protect an injured joint, provide support and as an aid to return to sport.
• Expert advice and patient education
At Connacht Physio Clinic we aim to ensure that the patient understands their injury/condition, thus allowing them to fully participate in, and optimise their rehabilitation and recovery. Expert advice and education also aids people to self manage their conditions and avoids frequent visits to physiotherapy. We will provide you with an explanation of your injury/ condition; will advise you on what you should and shouldn’t do to optimise the conditions within your body for healing to occur; will discuss approximate timeframes for recovery; will advise you on how best to manage your symptoms and how to prevent a recurrence of your symptoms.
• Management of acute and persistent (chronic) pain
As mentioned above, at Connacht Physio Clinic we aim to ensure that the patient understands their injury/condition, thus allowing them to fully participate in, and optimise their rehabilitation and recovery. Understanding the background to why you are feeling pain is particularly important when dealing with persistent pain problems. Often pain continues long after the original source of the injury has healed and there can be a number of factors which cause this pain to be maintained. There are many management strategies that Connacht Physio Clinic can offer to the patient with persistent pain problems such as education on pain science, how to best manage your pain using appropriate pacing and stress reduction strategies and how to cope with flare ups of your condition.
• Pitch side cover
Connacht Physio Clinic can provide pitch side cover when required. Services provided as part of pitch side cover includes pre training/match soft tissue work and strapping, pitch side assessment of any injuries sustained during training/matches along with correct first aid and early management of all injuries sustained. We also provide expert advice and education to the injured player to ensure they optimise the conditions for the injured tissue to heal. We also advise you on onward referral to the Team Doctor/ ED/other medical specialities. Some Sports Clubs insurance only covers Chartered Physiotherapists at the pitch side. More information can be found at www.gaa.ie
• Advice on further investigations and onward referral
At Connacht Physio Clinic we will clearly let the patient know when we feel treatment is not indicated and can advise the patient on onward referral to other medical specialities or on further investigations such as x-ray, blood tests, MRI etc.
