Advice & guides

Lovely Figueroa is an Ascenti Physiotherapist based in the East Midlands. The sudden onset of neck pain and stiffness when you wake up is a common condition that can be very worrying. Lovely explains why this happens, what you should do and how to prevent future problems.

Afsaneh Abedi is an Ascenti Physiotherapist based in the East Midlands. Having worked in a hospital setting and with a keen interest in musculoskeletal (MSK) physiotherapy, Afsaneh has seen many ankle injuries. Here is her expert advice about ankle sprains and how to manage them.

Although injuries vary considerably, management of the majority of musculoskeletal complaints is often very similar. This brief guide is not exhaustive, but will help advise you on the basic management of your injury or condition.

Jacek Garbacz is an Ascenti Physiotherapist based in Plymouth and East Cornwall. In this article Jacek provides some practical advice about how office workers can stop pain before it starts with simple stretches and small changes. 

Alan Young is an Ascenti Physiotherapist based in London.   He is an experienced clinician and a walking enthusiast himself, having climbed the Himalayas, the Alps and more recently mountains in Japan as part of an eleven-day trek.  Alan combines his physiotherapy expertise with his own personal walking experiences, to bring you his top tips. 

As a seasoned gym goer, a passionate runner and someone who competes in endurance challenges regularly, Patrick gives us his top tips on how to reach your goals, build muscle and avoid injury.

Ascenti physiotherapist and former rugby pro Huw Dimond shares his top tips on how to minimise the risks of the game, reduce the long-term effects of injury and return to action faster.

Ascenti physio and snowboard instructor Huw Dimond gives his top tips on how to prevent injuries, perform better and fully enjoy your time on the slopes.

Slips, trips and falls are a fact of life, but there are things that we can all do to prevent mishaps that may lead to injury.

Back pain can affect different people in different ways. Here Nick Worth, our National Lead Clinician, talks us through the common symptoms, causes and treatment.

Persistent pain is complicated and is not easily ‘fixed’. However, there are steps you can take to manage your pain and reduce the impact that it has on your life.

Feeling frustrated by pain? Following these steps can help you to manage pain and move forward with your life.

Discover how to use ice and heat effectively to treat pain or injury at home.

Josh Conway is an Ascenti Physiotherapist based in Leicester. He's an enthusiastic cyclist and has completed many charity challenges, including the first stage of the Tour de France as part of the 'The Grand Depart', and a ride from London to Paris. In this article, Josh combines his personal experience with his clinical expertise to bring you his top tips.

Sleep is essential if you are recovering from an injury or looking to improve your physical wellbeing generally. Read our six tips for a restorative night's sleep.

Your mental health can have a big impact on your physical health and vice versa. Take our stress test and discover 10 tips to help you stress less.

Injuries can be frustrating, especially when they interrupt your ability to regularly play sport or workout. Before trying to jump back to your normal levels of exercise, here is some guidance to help you safely and effectively return to exercise.

Nick Kommatas is an Ascenti Physiotherapist based in Stoke on Trent.  In his clinic he sees a lot of patients with whiplash who have been referred to us for treatment by a medical agency or solicitor.  Nick explains what whiplash is and the best way to manage your recovery. 

Sprains, strains and other soft-tissue injuries can be painful, frustrating and sometimes hard to shake off. Find out the best way to effectively treat your injury here.

Georgina Hoare is an Ascenti Physiotherapist based in Kidderminster. She has a keen interest in treating persistent lower back pain and has specialised in this area through a range of additional training.

Helen Davison is an Ascenti physiotherapist based in London. Here she combines her personal experiences of travelling the world with her clinical expertise, to bring you top advice about coping with the aches and pains associated with long-haul travel.

You use most of the joints in your body every single day, so when they become acutely painful it can be a real problem that impacts on your day to day life.

Peter Gizauskas is an Ascenti Physiotherapist based in Bristol. He is an experienced clinician, as well as a keen music fan who regularly attends festivals.  Here he gives us his top tips on how to avoid injury and the best way to recover from those aches and pains afterwards. 

Ascenti Physiotherapist and Clinical Mentor, Matt Rawlins, explains what you can do to protect yourself and minimise the risk of injury when playing football.

Ascenti Physiotherapist, Beverley Gorbutt, shares some advice on the steps you can take to stop lower back pain before it starts.

Ascenti Physiotherapist and running enthusiast, Olukayode Faleye, shares his top tips on avoiding common injury pitfalls when training for a running event.

Ascenti Physiotherapist and our resident kayak expert, Ryan Sneddon, shares his top tips on how to prepare for an extreme challenge event.

Eating a balanced diet and maintaining a healthy weight will help you to feel your best. It is especially important if you are recovering from an injury, are training hard or if you are managing a long-term condition or complaint.

Pain at the front of the knee is a common problem experienced by around 25% of the population at some point in life. Clinicians and physiotherapists call this anterior knee pain, or patellofemoral pain.

The achilles tendon is the large band of tissue at the back of your ankle and heel. Achilles tendonitis or tendinopathy is when this tendon becomes inflamed, causing pain and discomfort.

Neck pain and stiffness is a common complaint and can occur for a variety of different reasons. It can feel painful and uncomfortable because there are so many different muscles, ligaments, joints and nerve ends within your neck.

Osteoarthritis of the knee is a long-term condition causing the cartilage in the knee to gradually wear away. This is a normal part of the ageing process known as degeneration.

Shoulder pain and stiffness can occur for many different reasons, but it is usually a result of the muscles surrounding the shoulder becoming irritated and inflamed. Symptoms may be related to posture, or there could be an underlying condition, such as shoulder impingement or frozen shoulder.

Pain in the lower back (lumbar spine) can be triggered by many different factors. It’s the most common reason people seek physiotherapy and can be painful and frustrating.