Physiotherapy Services

Sports Injury Treatment
If you participate in any form of sport or exercise activity then you are more than likely to sustain an injury at some stage. At Kildare Physiotherapy & Sports Injury Clinic we specialise in treating all sorts of sports/exercise related injuries and have had many years experience with patients from different sporting back grounds.

We treat various types of injuries such as ligament sprains & tendon strains, muscle tears, tennis/golfers elbow, rotator cuff tears, soft tissue injuries such as sprains, strains and nerve damage. In addition we are able to provide Sports massage and are always happy to pass on our technical expertise when it comes to helping patients with warm-up and training advice. Treatments available are varied however may include ultrasound, strapping/kinesio tapping and sometimes acupuncture.

We will work with each individual to provide a diagnosis and treatment plan specific to each patient. All treatment plans are discussed with each patient, goals set and agreement reached prior to treatment taking place.

In addition, we are always happy to pass on our technical expertise when it comes to helping patients with warm up, training advice, injury prevention etc. Treatments available are varied and mostly include manual therapy, rehabilitative exercises and advice along with taping (including K-tape), electrotherapy, core strengthening etc. as necessary.

Musculo Skeletal Physiotherapy
Musculoskeletal rehabilitation deals with all conditions involving the mechanics of the body systems from muscle strains, Low back pain & sciatica, ligament strains and tears, arthritic problems, tendonitis and muscle pain, whiplash for example.

As well as hands-on treatment, you will learn about posture correction, muscle strengthening, ergonomics etc. We will give useful advice and information to help you “manage” your muscle and joint problems on a daily basis. This will provide you with a much better quality of life and allow you to continue with most of your activities of daily living.

We will give useful advice and information to assist you with muscle and joint problems, and prevent them taking over aspects of your work and day to day life.

Pilates
Here are some of the benefits of Pilates:

• Strengthened, firmer, toned body
• Improved posture and balance
• Enhancement of sport activities
• Stimulates and energizes the mind / body connection
• Corrects imbalances and weaknesses in the body
• Daily movements improve with grace and ease
• Strengthened and supple spine

Pilates is a unique system of stretching and strengthening exercises developed over ninety years ago by Joseph H. Pilates. It strengthens and tones muscles, improves posture and provides flexibility and balance while uniting body and mind and creating a more streamlined shape.

Posture/Flexibility Programmes
Poor posture is something that can affect many individuals. If identified, your chartered physiotherapist can advise you on correcting your posture. Poor posture can place strain on the joint and muscles of the body. Lifestyle and occupational demands tend to be the most common causes of bad posture especially if they involve repetitive motions without frequent breaks. For example, if you spend several hours a day working on a computer, you may unconsciously find yourself adopting bad postural habits such as hunching over your keyboard.

We will need to assess and diagnose your postural habits. Following this, we will be able to educate and advise you in the best preventative and corrective measures that will need to be taken to promote good posture.

We may suggest a range of corrective exercises and movements in order to improve muscle flexibility, strength and posture. In some cases, postural taping may be necessary. We recommend our Pilates service as it focuses on improving core stability and muscle flexibility.

Osteoporosis
This is a very common disorder affecting the skeleton. In a patient with osteoporosis, the bones begin losing their minerals and support capabilities, leaving the skeleton brittle and prone to fractures.

Patients with osteoporosis or those at risk of developing osteoporosis will benefit from working with a physiotherapist at Kildare Physiotherapy. The goals of our physiotherapy treatment is to educate you on proper posture, teach you safe ways of moving and lifting, and to provide you with exercises you can do at home to help prevent a decline in bone mass and prevent fractures. The exercises we prescribe will particularly focus on activities that help to increase the strength in your bones, as well as exercises that help to maintain or improve your balance. Optimum balance helps to decrease your risk of falling, which can easily fracture an osteoporotic bone. We will also suggest exercises for your flexibility to help decrease the stress placed on the bones by tight muscles as well as improve your overall mobility. If you have experienced a fracture from osteoporosis, physiotherapy at Kildare Physiotherapy can also help with controlling your pain and gradually returning you back to your regular activities.

We will also advise on dietary measures to help your calcium and Vitamin D intake, to support your bones.

Post Natal
During pregnancy, your body undergoes many changes to allow for the growth of your baby.

Post natal problems may include; exhaustion, poor muscle tone and the aftermath of hormone changes can play havoc with your body and mind.

Sometimes the problems manifest themselves immediately, sometimes it can go unchecked for years. For a full range of services specifically for you after having your baby click here.

There are many benefits of exercise in the post natal periods and we actively teach and promote;

• Awareness and correction of common postural changes associated with pregnancy.

• Improved mobility and strength of the spine, abdominal, gluteal and pelvic floor muscles.

• Improved function of the pelvic floor muscles pre and post baby to help prevent and correct weakness, pain and leaking.

• Active exercise throughout and after pregnancy to keep womens strength, tone and attitude to exercise intune.

• Each person will be assessed individually to ensure that their exercise programme is specific to them and safe. Recommendations to join a Pilates class may be made – only when the person is ready.

Health and Fitness Solutions
It’s important that you receive the face-time you need with your physiotherapist, without added cost. At Kildare Physiotherapy all Physiotherapy sessions are one-on-one in private rooms with a highly skilled Chartered Physiotherapist trained in the latest methods proven to get you better.

Our goal is to help you achieve your rehabilitation and healthy living targets. A key component of our approach is to help clients take control of their own rehabilitation, health and fitness. Our services are designed to treat health difficulties, manage fitness levels, and to provide increased well-being for all our clients.

Our Health Programmes are  designed to suit any level of fitness and may range from “chair exercises” (for older people) to running a marathon. We can advise on flexibility, strengthening of muscles, improving cardio – vascular fitness, appropriate footwear and on other equipment for exercise etc.

Orthotics
We have decided in the past year to out source  custom made orthotics. During your assessment, if we feel that you need orthotics, we believe that they should be prescribed by either a podiatrist or a physio. who has a special interest in this area and assesses and prescribes orthotics on a frequent basis. In the clinic, we can provide a range of  OFF-THE -SHELF orthotics.   You can discuss the different types with our practitioner who will take into consideration several factors to determine which type of insole is best for you.

Foot posture can influence the total body posture. Other areas of poor posture in the body can be compensated for with the feet. Therefore, the body needs to be looked at as a whole. We look at joint range of motion, quality of motion, muscle strength and balance, leg length, posture non weight bearing and weight bearing, and your gait cycle as well as strength around your foot and ankle and also up along the whole leg to the core. Often whilst the symptoms may be centred around the foot/ankle, the origin of the problem may be weakness higher up along the chain. This SHOULD be addressed .

Whilst we can assess and provide Custom made orthotics – we often find that  “off the shelf” non–expensive orthotics give more than enough foot correction/stability to resolve symptoms (especially for children and teenagers). Generally an orthotic will provide a passive support and therefore we encourage all patients to actively strengthen their muscles also – so they are less dependent on orthotics/insoles.

Adolescent Growth Related Issues
The early teenage years coincide with a period of rapid growth for boys and girls. Very often muscle imbalance issues which develop as a result of rapid growth can lead to pain. In adolescents muscle growth and development lags behind bone growth.  Rapid growth in terms of height therefore often means that soft tissues such as muscles and tendons have some catching up to do.  This can result in tight muscles following growth spurts which can often present as joint, knee or back pain.  This is particularly the case in sporting teens, where training and exercising on shortened or tight muscles can lead to injury. At Kildare Physiotherapy we are equipped with the requisite experience & skills to address all these issues.

We will carry out a thorough assessment from the feet up to the spine, looking at joint movement, muscle flexibility, biomechanics, posture etc. Treatment often consists of flexibility exercises, posture re-education, core strengthening (which often tends to be poor as the body changes), exercises to improve balance and coordination etc. as needed.