FAQ's
Of course, we understand that physiotherapy is a big step and you want to be sure before
committing. Please call us on 01795 606066 or email us at [email protected] to book
a free discovery visit.
When you ring up to book an appointment, the reception team will explain all of this to
you over the phone. You never have to remove lots of items of clothing. To make your
experience as comfortable as possible, we recommend that you think about the location of
the injured body part.
For example, if you have a lower back injury, then shorts and a loose vest would be ideal.
Your physio will always aim to remove as little clothing as possible and never ask you to
remove clothing that completely exposes a large part of your body. Occasionally we may
ask you to remove something if it makes it easier to treat. Of course, we leave the choice to
you if you are happy to do this.
If the truth be told, the majority of those appointments take place over the phone or via
video link. Shocking, but unfortunately very true. Whilst they will give you exercises to help
you manage your condition; it is unlikely that you will get the hands-on style of treatment
that you really need.
No, not at all. As a physio, the pain is just a symptom of the injury. I’m more concerned
with finding out what causes the pain in the first place.
If your injury is a couple of weeks old, then one of two things is happening:
Either the joints or muscles are locked stiff or jammed in one place, so that every time you
make a certain movement or get to a certain point, they don’t want to move anymore and
this is what causes you pain.
Or, the muscles have become inflexible and weak and this means that you could be heading
for longer term problems.
When you are being treated, we will stop when the pain starts, so you are always in
control. Unfortunately, pain is often a side effect of physio that is unavoidable. Most
patients concede that this is a nice sort of pain (as if that exists!) as it is doing them good
and they are in no worse pain than they were before!
The pain does reduce as the treatment progresses. I will always advise ice and heat if it is
sore the next day as this can often soothe it.
Often this is massage combined with the stretching and loosening of joints and muscles.
Throw in an exercise regime and advice to improve posture or positioning and you pretty
much have the majority of what will happen.
Yes, we can help, but we cannot cure arthritis nor make it go away. We can however,
help you to manage the symptoms it causes. Many people come to see me past the age of
45, suffering from pain and stiffness of the joints or wear and tear of areas such as the knee
or ankle.
A physiotherapist looks for a cure to your issue and we aim to help you as much as we
can to ensure that you will not need to constantly come and see us. A physiotherapist will
work out a plan of care which is individual to you, so that we can work together to stop
your issue from happening again.
We use similar techniques to osteopaths and chiropractors, such as the manipulation of
your spine, but we also use massage and stretching. I believe that the combination of that
plus exercises and posture correction will first reduce your pain in the first instance but also
help you to manage your pain in the future and avoid you having to come back to us
frequently.
Osteopaths and chiropractors are both fantastically effective at reducing back pain and many
of the good ones will even refer their patients to a physio for massage and exercises.
Often within days if you need an emergency appointment. Please let us know if this is the
case and we will do our very best to accommodate you as soon as possible, sometimes even
within 24 hours.
Whilst I have the utmost respect for GPs and the amazing work that they do, there are
often a few common reasons why physiotherapy is often not recommended.
Many GPs do not like the idea of a Private Health Sector, so they do not go out of their way
to recommend anything that can be done privately.
Some GPs do not want to add to the waiting times of the already overworked NHS by
adding their own referrals.
Most GPs are not trained in the benefits of what somebody can achieve through
physiotherapy. They are able to help the patient manage the pain (usually through
medication), but their expertise lies elsewhere. This is quite shocking, but unfortunately
often true.
During your first physiotherapy session, the therapist will discuss your symptoms, medical history, lifestyle and Red flag screening for serious conditions. We’ll conduct a thorough physical assessment, checking your movement, strength, flexibility, and posture. This may include palpation (gently feeling the affected area to identify tenderness or swelling), assessing functional movements like walking, squatting, or lifting, and performing special tests to pinpoint the source of your pain. Based on the findings, the therapist will explain your diagnosis and recommend a personalized treatment plan, which may involve exercises, manual therapy, or electrotherapy. They will also provide tips to manage pain, advice on activities to avoid, and prescribe home exercises. Treatment may begin in the first session,
and you'll be booked for a follow-up appointment to track your progress.
Manual therapy helps your body heal naturally by resetting your nervous system to calm overactive pain signals, trigger natural painkillers like endorphins and serotonin, and reduce inflammatory chemicals, while also creating physical changes that release stiff joints and tight muscles while improving blood flow to injured areas, and fostering a positive mind-body connection that reduces movement fears and boosts recovery confidence, ultimately leading to less pain, easier movement, and faster healing—all without medication.
Physiotherapy for children is different from adults because they are still growing and developing movement skills. Their bones, muscles, and joints are still maturing, requiring specialized care. A paediatric physiotherapist focuses on play-based learning, family involvement, and early intervention to shape movement patterns, prevent long-term issues, and support developmental milestones effectively to empower children reach their full potential in daily activities and play. At Xcel Health, our experienced paediatric physiotherapists specialize in treating children with tailored, evidence-based techniques to ensure the best outcomes for your child’s growth and development.
We have written a FREE report with the 51 Questions about Physiotherapy that people have always wanted to know, but feel stupid asking.
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GOOGLE REVIEWS
"Just finished a course of physiotherapy on a calf injury at Xcel Health and can't praise them enough. Friendly, welcoming and professional staff and my physio Xavier has been excellent throughout, providing great treatment and advice. This isn't my first visit to Xcel Heath and when I found that I needed treatment, there was only one place I was looking to go. Highly recommend."
- Mark Bullen, 2 weeks ago
"We recently moved down from London having used the same physio for years who was excellent. Over the past 3 years I have tried three physiotherapists in the Sittingbourne area and I have finally found through a friend's recommendation probably the best one of all. I was treated by Xavier who completely cured an extremely painful back which I've had for years following surgery I can't thank him enough and would highly recommend Xcel."
- Stephen Quirke, 3 weeks ago
"Hi, I'm Carolyne Holding and I've recently had a course of physio treatment at Xcel health. I've had problems with kneck & shoulder pain/tension and have found my treatment at Xcel most beneficial. I cannot thank them enough. I would certainly recommend their practice to anyone. And finally a very big thankyou to Desiree Vaz who treated me"
- robert holding, 3 weeks ago
"I have had several sessions with Desiree and she has been so helpful!! Came to see her with a strained thumb joint that was causing me severe pain for months. A few sessions with her along with the exercises she gave me and I no longer have any pain in my hand!! Would definitely recommend Xcel Health to friends and family."
- Nicola Smith, a months ago
"My experience at Xcel Health was wonderful. The staff are welcoming, friendly, hospitable and professional. My practitioner was Anagha Chandrashekhar and she is very good at what she does. She made all my physio sessions interesting and helpful. She taught me some new exercises which helped to alleviate the pain in my back and strengthen my biceps. She is very calm, patient and friendly. Every session I attended was good and no complaints. I will definitely recommend Xcel Health to friends."
- Oluwasesan Adamolekun, a months ago
"I had my first treatment with V. She was amazing, she made me feel relaxed, talked me through each stage in terminology I understood and I left in a lot less pain than I arrived with! I can’t recommend V enough. Thank you!"
- Eve S, 2 months ago
"Xcel Health is amazing! My son (age 8) first had treatment there and amazing and big improvements. So helpful. I am having treatment for my ankle and walking issues with Xavier. The pain has gone from 10(being the worst) to 4 and that’s in four appointments. I can now walk without pain, put shoes without pain and now go back too exercise!! I can even go running without pain. Xavier is great and makes me feel comfortable and explains everything in detail."
- Rebecca King, 3 months ago
"I have just had my third session with Xavier and am beyond delighted with my experience of Xcel Health. Xavier is a tremendous physio but what has struck me most about the whole process is the welcoming nature of the entire team.The guys clearly care about the mental health side as much as the physical and are easy to talk to and extremely empathetic.I would recommend Xcel to anybody, outstanding service!"
- Danny Essen, 3 months ago
"I was pretty confident I knew what the problem was when I arrived for my first appointment. It turned out to be something completely different.Xavier explained everything really well without going too technical. I like to understand what’s going on and how to fix it so it was really refreshing that Xavier did that without needing to ask him. I have exercises to help support my recovery but not just a bit of paper or a video to watch, Xavier asked me to do each exercise before I left so that I could feel what muscles I’m trying to engage and He could make adjustments to my positioning so that I get the most out of my effort."
- louisajayne, 3 months ago
"Xcel Health is amazing! My son (age 8) first had treatment there and amazing and big improvements. So helpful. I am having treatment for my ankle and walking issues with Xavier. The pain has gone from 10(being the worst) to 4 and that’s in four appointments. I can now walk without pain, put shoes without pain and now go back too exercise!! I can even go running without pain. Xavier is great and makes me feel comfortable and explains everything in detail."
- Rebecca King, 3 months ago
