Azzurro Physiotherapy

25/07/2024

https://youtu.be/BfV8ttQYElA?si=BjIdoZWAqFP8szT7

If I could choose a clip to show what we aim to do at Azzurro Physiotherapy , this is it.

I find it so incredibly motivating.

We want people to maintain their quality of life for as long as possible, and often it's within our control.

You only get one body, get the best out of it!

The Heart and Stroke Foundation asks: What will your last 10 years look like? The average Canadian will spend their final decade with sickness and disability...

03/06/2024

Another fantastic Ladies only strength class this evening.

It started out as an idea as we were hearing from an increasing number of ladies who had read about the importance of getting stronger as they approached their 40s, 50s and beyond.

But they didn't know where to start, and didn't have the confidence to get started.

Some had aches and pains.

So we did what we do best and now we have an amazing bunch of strong, confident ladies, reducing aches and pains whilst building something amazing that their future selves will thank them for!

21/05/2024

What we do at Azzurro Physiotherapy:

Step 1:
Assess and provide accurate diagnosis. No jargon, no complicated language and no fear mongering!

Step 2:
Provide relief - we'll use manual therapy to help reduce pain and restore function

Step 3 (this is where we're different):
Usually after the Manual therapy from Step 2, people will often walk out will less pain..

That's all well and good - however, this immediate pain relief is insignificant unless we develop strategies to KEEP THE PAIN AWAY!

Step 4:
Finding ways to help people fall in love with ways to keep their pain at bay for the long term. We work out what is achievable, what are peoples long term goals, and we start working towards them as soon as possible.

We pride ourselves on our long-term strategies for keeping pain away. We'll teach you and show you how, so you can move onto a future where you're independent and strong without being reliant on others to keep your pain away!

20/05/2024

This is the EXACT strategy I use to help people who are stuck in a rut with their pain...

One of my longer videos but I promise its worth it if you're someone struggling with aches and pains which have led to you living within yourself.

Maybe you’ve lost your confidence because every time you try something your pain flares up. This can be a frustrating, vicious cycle.

But this cycle can be broken if we look at the step by step process to start building you back to your goals...

It works time and time again, pretty much without fail, not because it's particularly clever or because of some elaborate strategy...

It's a methodical, step by step process of finding which level you're at, and then filling in the gaps between levels and progressively improving every week until you're where you want to be!

This works like a dream, especially in people who've found themselves struggling for extended periods of time!

Give us a shout if that sounds like you!

20/05/2024

What an amazing day!

A huge thank you to everyone who stopped by to help out and support us in reaching a total of 1,670,000kg lifted on Saturday!

This number was hugely meaningful for us as it represents 1kg for every person who has lost their life to cancer since 2014, when my dad sadly lost his battle to Sarcoma, an aggressive form of bone and soft tissue cancer.

We've smashed our target and raised well over £4000 - there's still time to donate of you can spare any change!

Thanks again to everyone who helped out and to everyone who has donated to help us raise much needed funds for Sarcoma UK.

https://www.justgiving.com/page/matthew-anstey-1670000kilograms?utm_medium=fundraising&utm_content=page%2Fmatthew-anstey-1670000kilograms&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=pfp-share

14/05/2024

'BRACING THE CORE'

Something I hear all the time.

Especially in people who have historically had bad backs.

The idea that we need to be in a constant, braced and rigid state is very outdated - and yet I still hear it preached in the media, or posts from so called social media experts.

It you watch a toddler moving around, picking up toys - are they bracing their core? Nope!

Humans should be able to move with freedom and without rigid, awkward movement

Back pain is often complex and strengthening /bracing the core feels like a sensible approach to protect the back, right?

But what if the back is overprotective, stiff and sore? Bracing can make it worse!

With these kind of clients I would start by finding safe, pain free and easy movement. This allows people so start moving again whilst feeling safe - then we can progress from there.

People are nervous when I first bring this up, so we always start at the most basic level. And the rates with which we can see these people progress can be amazing once we start helping with safe, progressive movement without fear.

We've discharged another person today who has had pain for over a decade - weve got them pain free in weeks - and the best part? I didn't even do anything other than show them how to move better.

They practiced it regularly and off they went!

02/05/2024

An intro to a piece of kit we often use to find weakness or imbalances in our patients.

Pain is an inhibitor and often leads to weakness, especially if you've had pain for weeks or months.

Our Dynamo device can compare different muscles as well as right Vs left sides to help us accurately find weakness which could be contributing to pain.

This helps us to accurately diagnose and treat issues which have been persistent and perhaps issues that previous treatments have failed for.

It's made a huge difference in helping people who previously have not found long-term relief from treatment for their pain.

If you've had pain for more than a couple of months, or pain that other treatments have not provided lasting relief, we're running 50% off our first assessment and treatment for a limited time!

We can show you the benefits of the Dynamo in person!

Get in touch today and we'll be happy to help.

07/03/2024

Accurate diagnosis is so important to creating a treatment plan.

Yesterday we assessed someone who's had pain in the shoulder blade for 20 years!

They've had treatment after treatment on the shoulder blade which has only given temporary relief.

They've had a scan on the shoulder blade which came back normal.

We completed a thorough assessment and within 5 minutes it was obvious this pain was actually being referred from a nerve in the neck.

Within 1 session, they've had more relief than they've had in years, and left with a clear treatment plan + a 5 minute daily homework routine focusing on take pressure off the nerve from the NECK!

If you don't find the underlying cause for symptoms, you can't treat it effectively.

I feel so frustrated that this happens all the time - this poor person has been suffering for so long because of previously having poor assessments/diagnosis - no wonder people lose faith in healthcare practitioners/ Physio!

04/03/2024

People often come to see us with chronic back pain.

So often they tell us that they've been told to 'strengthen their core' but so often this is misinterpreted.

They'll have tried doing things like planks or sit ups or abdominal exercises.

But whilst these do strengthen the abdominal muscles, they do nothing to actually address the root cause of the back pain

The key is not to have strong abs or even do endless cycles of 'core' exercises.

The key is to get stronger/more capable at the specific thing that the spine currently struggles with.

You must pick exercises that help with that specific task.

If someone has pain when bending, then the strengthening exercise must better prepare that person for bending.

If someone feels stiff and rigid, then setting bracing-type exercises like planks will only add to the stiffness and make things worse!

Pick exercises that help with the specific task, or address the specific problem being faced.

Not generic 'core strengthening'.

It's possible to feel better in a very short space of time when the right rehab is selected

If this sounds like the advice you've been given before then get in contact and we'll set you on the right path!

27/02/2024

Feeling stuck in a rut with your health and fitness? Caught in a cycle of aches and pains which are holding you back form living life on your own terms?

We can help!

Check out our latest blog post:

At Azzurro Physiotherapy, we understand the complexities of balancing personal health with the demands of family life. If you have been sidelining your own health needs to take care of your family, leading to persistent aches, pains, and concerns about your physical future, we're here to help. Under...

26/02/2024

Very excited to be able to offer Dynamo strength testing in clinic now

This technology was reserved for only the most elite of sports for a long time, but thanks to enhancements in technology, we can test strength from top to toe.

This gives us definitive data and allows us to compare different muscles, and compare left and right sides of the body, spotting imbalances or weakness.

By spotting gaps in strength and use this data to guide and build a bespoke rehab programme to fix any issues that be highlighted.

Please get in contact should you feel you have persistent pain that just won't seem to leave you alone. Strength testing can shed light In ways that were not possible until recently.