In plain English

Treatments & techniques explained

Short, plain-English explanations of the treatments and machines you may come across — what each one does, what the evidence says, and when it is actually useful.

Back to normal.

Explained

Cervical Traction

Cervical traction applies a gentle sustained or intermittent pull to the neck, slightly separating the vertebrae to reduce pressure on nerve roots. It is used mainly for neck pain with arm symptoms, and gives relief that lasts while it is combined with exercise.

Explained

Dry Needling

Dry needling uses a thin filament needle inserted into a tight, tender band of muscle — a trigger point — to reduce muscle tension and pain. It is called "dry" because nothing is injected. It is a Western technique based on anatomy, not acupuncture.

Explained

Heat Therapy

Heat therapy applies warmth to increase local blood flow, relax muscle and reduce stiffness. It suits chronic stiffness and muscle spasm, and should be avoided on a fresh injury that is swollen, hot or inflamed.

Explained

Interferential Therapy (IFT)

Interferential therapy passes two medium-frequency electrical currents through the skin, which intersect to produce a low-frequency effect in deeper tissue. It is used for pain relief and muscle spasm, and gives short-term relief that makes exercise more comfortable.

Explained

Manual Therapy

Manual therapy is hands-on treatment of joints and soft tissue — mobilisation, manipulation, massage and stretching — used to reduce pain and restore movement. It works well as a way to make exercise possible, and works poorly as a treatment on its own.

Explained

Osteopathy

Osteopathy is a manual therapy profession that treats musculoskeletal problems through hands-on techniques, with an emphasis on how body structure and function relate. In practice its treatment of back and joint pain overlaps substantially with physiotherapy.

Explained

Paraffin Wax Bath

A paraffin wax bath coats the hands or feet in warm molten wax, delivering even deep warmth to small joints. It is used mainly for arthritic hands and feet, easing stiffness enough to make exercise and daily tasks more comfortable.

Explained

Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF)

PNF is a hands-on technique using diagonal movement patterns and cycles of contraction and relaxation to improve flexibility, strength and coordination. It is used both to gain range of movement and to retrain movement after neurological injury.

Explained

Shortwave Diathermy (SWD)

Shortwave diathermy uses high-frequency electromagnetic energy to heat tissue several centimetres below the skin, deeper than a hot pack reaches. It is used for chronic joint stiffness and muscle spasm, and works best as preparation for movement and exercise.

Explained

TENS Therapy

TENS — transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation — passes a mild electrical current through skin electrodes to reduce pain perception. It gives short-term relief, is safe for home use, and is best used to make movement and daily activity more manageable.

Explained

Ultrasound Therapy

Therapeutic ultrasound passes high-frequency sound waves into tissue through a gel-coated head, producing gentle deep warming. It is widely used for soft tissue pain, though the evidence for it is modest, and it works best as an adjunct rather than a primary treatment.

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