Sports Injury Specialists
At Bristol Physio we have a team of Physios and a Sports Therapist who have participated, and still participate, in a range of sports. We are expert sports injury specialists and a leader in sports injury physio in Bristol. We understand the hours of training that can go in to preparing yourself for an event - whether that event is the World Championships or your first 5km run - it matters to you so it matters to us.
We are specialists in sports injuries, performance and restoring your ability to participate and achieve.
The Bristol Physio team have all worked with professional and amateur athletes and therefore have specialist experience in dealing with all sports injury. From acute injuries (injuries that have just happened), chronic injuries (injuries lasting more than 4 weeks) to all of those little niggles. We are also concussion specialists and have vast experience in this field, please book in for a concussion assessment and review with any of the team. Brain Injury should always be taken seriously and we are experts in its recognition and concussion management.
We will endeavour to find the root cause of your sports injury so that we can prevent re-occurrence and even maximise future performance. Our broad range of hands-on treatments will compliment your rehabilitation program, during which you will be educated about your sports injury and your body. We also work closely with personal trainers, nutritionists and sport injury consultants, such as Stuart Miller, who is the lead physician for the U.K. Para-Olympic team. He is available when a second opinion or further investigation is required. These local links are vital to ensure we are able to offer the highest level of service.
We have a specialist, multi-disciplinary team who are able to diagnose, treat according and help you prevent the injury from occurring again. We will always look to use the entire team to help you on the mend through your rehabilitation and help you through your sporting career - whether that is Olympic qualification or a weekly 5k run. We are a unique sports injury clinic in Bristol in that we have a specialist, highly experienced expert team who work together and with local services to get the best outcome for our patients.
Running Gait Analysis
We also provide running gait analysis at our sports injury clinic. Many running injuries are brought about by poor running technique, which can be as a result of muscle imbalances or insufficient muscle patterning. By combining what we see in a Physiotherapy assessment with your video analysis, we can piece together a comprehensive management program. Michael Thompson is our specialist in this field, but all of Physiotherapists will be able to advise on running gait. See here about biomechanical assessment. This is an in-depth view of your running style, footwear and global biomechanics to help you understand how your body likes to move and what we can do if anything needs tweaking to optimise performance and reduce the risk of sports injury.
Bike Fit
If you are spending more time in the saddle and wonder why your your back, neck or knees hurt - it may be because of something simple - such as distance from your seat to handle bars, or your saddle is too far forward increasing the stress on your spine. A bike that is not set up for you individually can potentially lead to pain and reduced performance and power. At Bristol Physio we can have a specialist's look at you and combine the information gained in an 'off-the-bike' assessment to ascertain if and where your bike may need adjusting. Our colleague Simon Shepherd has written an article on training for cyclists and how to prevent a sports injury.
Physiotherapy is not just for PAIN, but for PREVENTION and PERFORMANCE
Physiotherapy has long been used to screen individuals to identify areas of weakness and tightness. This information is then used to prevent the development of a sports injury and even increase performance.
Bristol physio has many clients who pop in once a month for an ‘MOT’, where their problem areas can be checked, exercises progressed, and areas of tightness loosened. This enables them to keep on top of looking after their body and if their individual goals require, improve their competition performance.
If you are gearing up for an activity of a lifetime please ask for an Injury Screening Assessment.
Other specialist services that we provide, such as Sports Massage, Podiatry and Running Gait Analysis, will also aid in sporting performance. Our neighbours, Oakfields Personal Training, are also available to provide you with tailored strength and conditioning sessions. They are all highly experienced and will liaise with our physio team to develop a plan for you.