What is adult physiotherapy?
Adult physiotherapy helps you move with less pain and more confidence after an injury, a flare-up or a long period of stiffness. A physiotherapist finds what is limiting you, treats it and teaches you how to keep improving between visits.
It covers the common problems of working life: back, neck, shoulder, hip and knee pain, stiff joints, weak muscles and recovery from sprains and strains. Our other pages go deeper into back pain, neck pain and knee pain.
Who is it for?
It is for adults whose pain is getting in the way of ordinary days. Think of a cashier who cannot stand through a shift, or a driver whose back locks after the highway. Or a grandmother who cannot lift a grandchild.
It also suits people who have been told to “just rest” and are still sore weeks later. Rest alone rarely fixes a movement problem, and the right exercise matters more than more time on the sofa.
If your problem started after surgery, our page on recovery after surgery is the better starting point.
How common is back pain, and what helps?
Low back pain is one of the most common reasons people look for help. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that it affected 619 million people in 2020 [1].
WHO also says painkillers should not be the first-line treatment, and that physical therapies, psychological and social support, and staying active can help [2]. For knee wear and tear, a Cochrane review of 54 trials found land-based exercise reduced pain by about 12 points on a 0 to 100 scale [3]. The effect was smaller at 2 to 6 months [3].
These figures describe groups of people. Your own plan depends on what we find when we see you.
What do we check first?
We start by listening, because the story points to the cause. When did it begin, what makes it worse, what does a bad day look like, and what are you trying to get back to?
Then we look at how you move. We check posture, how you bend, sit and stand, joint movement, muscle strength, balance and the way you walk. We press gently to find sore areas and test the nerves if you have tingling or numbness.
By the end of the visit you should know what we think is going on, what the plan is and what to do this week.
What does treatment involve?
Treatment is a mix of hands-on work and exercise. Hands-on techniques can ease stiff joints and tight muscles so that you can move more freely.
Exercise does the long-term work. We give you a short set of movements matched to your problem, show you how to do them and change them as you get stronger.
We also adjust daily habits, such as how you lift, how you set up your chair and how long you stay in one position.
How does an Ipoh working week fit in?
We plan around your real routine. A hawker at a hot stove for hours needs a different plan from an office worker in Greentown. A lorry driver on the North-South Expressway needs another.
Send us your work pattern on WhatsApp. If you work nights or weekends, tell us, and we will see what visit times can work.
You do not need to stop everything. Most plans keep you at work, with changes to how you do it.
When should you see a doctor first?
Some symptoms need a doctor or the emergency department before physiotherapy. Go straight to the emergency department if pain follows a serious fall or accident. Go too if you lose control of your bladder or bowel, or a leg suddenly weakens.
See a doctor soon if the pain wakes you every night, comes with fever or unexplained weight loss, or does not change at all with movement. Our guide on when back pain is a worry explains this in more detail.
Home visit or Canning Garden centre?
Both routes are run by the same team. A home visit is available now across Ipoh, and suits people who cannot travel easily, or who want their own chair, bed and stairs assessed.
Our Canning Garden centre, near Fatimah Hospital, is opening soon. It will suit adults who can travel and want gym equipment close by. Read more on in-centre physiotherapy or start with home physiotherapy.
Prices differ between the two, and a quote is given on WhatsApp after a short description.