I am not a physiotherapist but I do have a few techniques that can help relieve pain, increase range of motion, speed of contraction, strength, and re-calibrate posture. About 2 weeks ago a good friend of mine and our family Todd Meads called asking if I could help him out with a shoulder that had been bothering him, of course I said I would help him out.
I don't know exactly what was wrong with him, I have no "diagnostic" background, I simply asked which movements affected him, done some simple screenings, and some tests and retests. I have a simple strategy when it comes to injuries, "does this hurt?" if yes then that's a problem and we probably shouldn't get in that position too often just yet, if the answer is a no, then it probably isn't too bad to work in that range of motion or that movement. May not be scientific but it has served me well in rehabbing my injuries over the years and getting back on the field a lot quicker than many experts think possible.
With Todd I done some light soft tissue work, some activation techniques, some eye exercises, and some light joint distraction. We light to address how the brain interacts with the muscles and try to address as many sensory inputs as possible. This is where our techniques differ slightly to that of some other manual therapists.
Before the session Todd couldn't lift weights as he had pain and had a stiff neck continuously throughout the day. Having caught up with him over the weekend I was happy to hear that the results had stuck and he had been to the gym to lift 3 times since the work we done.
I am not a therapist by any nature and it is why I still refer on to osteopaths, physios, chiropractors, and sports medicine doctors, but if you have a nagging little problem and you want to get back in the gym or on the field I do have some techniques that can get you there. If you combine the stuff I do along with your regular treatment then your results will last longer and you may not need treatment as often.