Our Services

• Manual Therapy (neck/back pain, shoulder pain, knee/ankle pain, etc.)
• Chronic Pain Assessment & Treatment (Cognitive Functional Therapy)
• Orthopaedic Post-operative Rehabilitation
• Sports Injury Treatment & Rehabilitation
• Exercise Prescription
• Biomechanical Analysis & Orthotic Prescription
• Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Imaging
• Electrotherapy/Dry Needling/Acupuncture
• Headache/Dizziness/Vestibular Rehabilitation
• Neurostructural Integration Technique (NST)
• Visceral, Vascular & Neural Manipulation
• Advanced On-field Medical & Concussion Care
• Consultant & Medical Imaging Referrals
• Patient Education/Preventative Care

What to bring

Although it is not necessary to have a doctor’s referral to see a Chartered Physiotherapist, if you have been referred by a doctor, please bring the referral letter with you. Any imaging reports (X-Ray, MRI, etc.), investigation results, list of current medications, etc. will also be very useful to enable your physiotherapist to have a clearer understanding of your problem.
Your physiotherapist will also be able to explain such information to you in everyday terms, which will enable you to be better informed. This is very important as research indicates that the better informed the patient, the better the treatment outcome.

What to wear

It would be preferable to wear or bring comfortable clothing to enable the affected area to be examined. Tight clothing, e.g. jeans, are not ideal as they are often restrictive. As we use a very hands-on approach to treatment, shorts and a vest/sports bra would be the most appropriate.

Initial Assessment (40 minutes)

Your Chartered Physiotherapist will initially ask you a variety of questions regarding your symptoms. This information is very important as it starts to give us an idea of what caused your problem and how we will resolve it. For example, we need to know when and how it started and how it affects you. What makes the problem better or worse. What is the nature of your pain. You will also be asked about your work, lifestyle and general health.

The physiotherapist will then perform a physical examination to determine a clinical diagnosis of your condition and to determine the best combination of treatment modalities to use. This may include assessing areas that are not painful but may be contributing to the problem, e.g. arm or leg pain may be referred from the spine. The physiotherapist will explain what they are doing and ask you how it feels as they perform different tests.

Our examination will take into consideration your level of pain and the techniques and tests used will be adjusted accordingly. If you are in a lot of pain we may have to leave some tests to the next appointment and just get on with reducing the pain in the first session.

Understanding Your Treatment

After your assessment your physiotherapist will discuss with you what the problem is and what may have caused it.  An approptiate treatment programme that is best for you will then be explained.

Expect some homework, as our clinic’s philosophy stresses an active component to treatment. It is proven that if you understand your problem and why it has occurred then this will greatly enhance your recovery and outcome. Folkloric myths that lead to unneccessary patient fears will be dispelled, i.e. there is no such thing as a ‘slipped disc’.

Finally, if the problem is not appropriate for physiotherapy or if further investigations are necessary then your physiotherapist will advise you accordingly and refer you on as appropriate.

Follow Up Treatments (40 minutes)

Every patient has individual needs, so the number of follow up treatments will vary. Our ethos however is to strive to empower the patient to take control of their own condition as much as possible whilst supporting them at all times when consultations are needed.

In order to optimise the patient’s outcome, your physiotherapist will, with your consent, collabotate with the appropriate doctors and other allied health professionals.

Conditions Treated

• Sports injuries, strains and sprains
• Tendon problems
• Back pain and sciatica
• Neck pain and whiplash
• Headaches and dizziness
• Shoulder, elbow and wrist pain
• Tennis and golfer’s elbow
• Knee and ankle injuries
• Foot problems
• Post operative rehabilitation (e.g. back, hips, knees & shoulders)
• Overuse and repetitive strain injury
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Work related injuries (e.g. postural strain from computer work)
• Pre- and post-pregnancy care
• Stroke, Parkinson’s disease, M.S.
• Osteoporosis/osteopenia
• Arthritis and degenerative disorders

David Ukich Physiotherapy Clinic Castlebar