Main Road West Physiotherapy and Sports Injuries Centre boast a well equipped gymnasium enabling many forms of stretching and strengthening exercises and programs. Such facilities allow progression of rehabilitation programs from early stages to high level return to function or sport.

As well as a gymnasium, the clinic also has a Pilates reformer. This spring loaded apparatus is extremely effective for the recovery and management of spinal problems. Clinical pilates focuses on the core stabilizers in the back and facilitates muscle control, activation and endurance in the back to make it more efficient and to reduce overstrain of the spine. The physiotherapist will be able to teach you specific exercises on the reformer to increase your core stability strength in your back whether it may be acute or chronic.

To assist our patients in further recovery, hydrotherapy classes are run every Monday and Thursdays a few hundred metres from the clinic. Hydrotherapy is a form of treatment or exercise instructed by one of the physiotherapist in a heated pool. By using heat, buoyancy and resistance of the water, it allows the muscles and joints to move and strengthen and also helps to reduce pain.

Not only are all the physiotherapists committed to a ‘hands on’ approach in treatment, other modalities are provided to help our patients achieve maximum relief and well being.

Such modalities include:

• Ultrasound therapy is a form of heat treatment for soft tissue injuries. Used to treat joint and muscle sprains, bursitis and tendonitis. Ultrasound makes high frequency sound waves and vibrates tissues deep inside the injured area which creates heat and draws more blood to the tissues. The tissues will then respond to the healing nutrients brought in by the blood thus initiating the healing process in your body.
  

• Interferential therapy is a type of therapy which uses electrical currents to pass through the affected area. By penetrating deeper into the tissues, it is able to increase localized blood flow which helps to increase healing and reduce swelling. The stimulation of local nerve cells helps to reduce pain by blocking the transmission of pain signals to the brain. Interferential therapy is also effective for muscle stimulation as muscle contraction can be achieved by the application of the electrical current.
  

• Intermittent compression therapy is a device which is extremely effective for swelling and lymphodema. Main Road West Physiotherapy uses this machine to treat acute sprains of ligaments and swelling of joints and muscles. Comprising an inflation and deflation mode, it allows fluid to pump away from the affected area thus reducing swelling, reducing pain and increasing mobility.
  

• Traction therapy addresses the functional and mechanical aspects of discogenic pain. A predetermined force is applied to the back and this gently separates the bones of the lower back or neck. By creating negative pressure within the disc, it allows the protruded or herniated disc to assist back within the normal confines of the disc thus allowing healing to occur. Additionally, the negative pressure forces nutrients and fluid into the disc to assist with rehydration and healing of the disc. Pressure is also released off the inflamed nerve roots allowing the inflammation to subside.