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A physiotherapist assessing a patient's shoulder movement in a treatment room

Musculoskeletal physiotherapy

Find the thread that runs through the pain.

We work with stubborn joint and tendon problems, post-injury rehabilitation and the slow return to running, lifting and long days on your feet. Every course of care starts with an unhurried assessment and ends with you knowing what to do on your own.

Request an assessment See how care runs
First appointment
Fifty minutes: history, movement testing, hands-on assessment and a plan you leave with in writing.
Referrals
No referral needed to book. If a scan or a medical opinion would change the plan, we will say so early.
How we work
Manual therapy where it helps, loading and movement work where it lasts. Usually four to six visits, not open-ended care.

What we see most

An index of the problems that fill our diary

If your complaint is on this list, we can almost certainly help you make a decision at the first visit — even if that decision is that you need someone else.

  • 01

    Low back and hip pain that keeps returning

    Recurring episodes, morning stiffness, pain that follows a desk week or a heavy weekend. We look for the load pattern behind the flare rather than treating each episode as new.

  • 02

    Neck, jaw and upper back tension

    Headaches that start at the base of the skull, shoulder blade ache, restricted rotation. Assessment covers breathing, screen posture and the shoulder girdle, not just the sore segment.

  • 03

    Tendon problems: Achilles, patellar, gluteal, elbow

    Tendons respond to graded load and very little else. We set the starting dose, the progression rule and the signs that mean you moved too fast.

  • 04

    Knee and ankle injuries, including post-operative rehab

    Sprains, meniscal irritation, cartilage overload and structured rehabilitation after surgery, coordinated with the timeline your surgeon has set.

  • 05

    Shoulder pain and loss of overhead range

    Impingement-type pain, frozen shoulder patterns and rotator cuff loading. Expect range work, strength testing and honest timelines.

  • 06

    Return to running, lifting and sport

    You are out of pain but not back to full training. We rebuild the volume in steps, with criteria to pass before each increase.

A person performing a supervised strength exercise in a rehabilitation gym
The rehabilitation space, used from the second visit onward for loading and movement work.

Care pathway

Four stages, and a clear end point

A course of care is not open-ended. We agree what success looks like at the first visit, then work towards handing the programme over to you.

  1. Assessment

    Full history, movement and strength testing, and hands-on examination. You leave with a working explanation, a plan and two or three things to start immediately.

    Visit one · 50 minutes

  2. Settle the symptoms

    Manual therapy, activity adjustment and early loading to reduce irritability enough that you can train the tissue properly.

    Visits one to three

  3. Rebuild capacity

    Progressive strength and movement work in the rehabilitation space, reviewed against the criteria we set at the start.

    Weeks two to eight

  4. Hand over

    A written maintenance programme, the early warning signs to watch for, and an open door if the picture changes.

    Final review

Session types

Choose the appointment that matches where you are

Not sure which one applies? Request an assessment and we will move you to the right slot before your visit.

  • Initial assessment

    50 minutes · first visit

    The long conversation. We take the full history, test movement, strength and tolerance, examine by hand, and explain what we think is driving the problem. You leave with a written plan and a starting programme.

    SuitsNew problems, recurring pain with no clear diagnosis, or a second opinion on a plan that has stalled.

  • Treatment and progression

    35 minutes · follow-up

    Hands-on work where it is useful, then the part that matters: reviewing how last week's loading went, adjusting the dose and adding the next progression.

    SuitsAnyone mid-pathway. Most people need three to five of these, spaced a week or two apart.

  • Movement and load review

    45 minutes · standalone

    A single session focused on how you run, lift or carry. Video where it helps, strength testing, and a written plan for the next training block. No treatment table unless something turns up.

    SuitsPain-free athletes and returning runners who want their training volume checked before it becomes a problem.

A quiet, well-lit clinic treatment room with a plinth and equipment

A note from the practice

“Most people arrive with a folder of contradictory advice. The useful work is rarely a new technique — it is finding the one thread that connects the flare-ups, then loading the tissue honestly enough to change it.”

Naomi Ashford-ReyesClinical lead, Common Thread Physiotherapy

Before your visit

What to bring, and how to make the hour count

Nothing here is mandatory. It simply means we spend the appointment assessing you rather than gathering paperwork.

Bring or wear

  • Clothing you can move in — shorts for a lower limb problem, a vest or loose top for neck and shoulder work.
  • The trainers or work boots you spend most of your day in, including the worn pair.
  • Any scan reports, surgical notes or discharge letters, even old ones.
  • A list of the medication you are currently taking.

Think about in advance

  • When the problem started, and what you were doing in the weeks before it did.
  • What reliably makes it worse, and what gives you relief — including things that only help briefly.
  • Your current weekly activity: training, hours standing, hours at a desk, sleep.
  • What you want to get back to. Be specific: a distance, a lift, a shift pattern, a flight of stairs.
Close view of a therapist's hands performing manual therapy on a patient's leg
Hands-on treatment is used to make loading work tolerable — not as the whole plan.

Questions

The things people ask before they book

How many appointments will I need?
For most musculoskeletal problems, four to six visits across six to eight weeks. Long-standing tendon problems and post-surgical rehabilitation take longer, because the tissue timeline does. We give you an estimate at the end of the first assessment and revise it out loud if it changes — you should never be unsure why you are booking the next visit.
Do I need a referral from a doctor?
No. You can request an assessment directly. If your insurer requires a referral for reimbursement, check with them first, as the rules vary by policy. Where we think a medical review or imaging would genuinely change your plan, we will tell you and write to your doctor with your consent.
Will treatment hurt?
Assessment sometimes reproduces your symptoms briefly — that is how we confirm what is involved. Hands-on treatment should sit at a level you would describe as firm but acceptable, and you can ask us to stop at any point. Loading work may leave you mildly sore for a day; if soreness lasts longer or your baseline pain rises, the dose was too high and we adjust it.
What does it cost, and do you handle insurance?
Fees differ between an initial assessment, a follow-up and a movement review, and are confirmed in writing when your appointment is arranged — never after the fact. We issue itemised receipts suitable for private health insurance claims. If you are self-funding and cost is a factor, say so in your enquiry: a plan built around fewer visits and more independent work is often just as effective.
What is your cancellation policy?
Let us know at least twenty-four hours ahead and we will move your appointment at no charge. Inside that window the slot is usually impossible to fill, so a fee may apply. Genuine illness and emergencies are an exception — tell us what happened and we will sort it out sensibly.
Can any of this be done remotely?
Follow-up and progression sessions work well by video call once we have examined you in person, and they are a practical option if you travel or work away. A first assessment is better in the room: strength testing and hands-on examination change the plan often enough to be worth the trip.

Request an assessment

Tell us what is going on

Send a short description of the problem and when you are usually free. We reply with the appointment type we think fits and the available times.

  • Reply timeWe respond to every enquiry within one working day.
  • No commitmentAn enquiry is not a booking. Nothing is confirmed until you have the time and the fee in writing.
  • Urgent symptomsFor severe pain after trauma, progressive weakness or signs of infection, contact a doctor or urgent care service rather than waiting for our reply.
We only use what you send here to answer your enquiry.