A person working through a guided rehabilitation exercise with resistance equipment in a bright treatment studio

Musculoskeletal physiotherapy

Find out what is actually causing the pain — then train it out

Third Crest is a physiotherapy clinic for backs, knees, shoulders, post-operative recovery and pain that has outstayed its welcome. Every course of care starts with a long assessment and ends with you knowing exactly what to do without us.

Request an assessment See how care works

No referral required · 45-minute first visit · Written plan after every session

Come straight to us

Physiotherapy is direct access, so you do not need a doctor's referral to be assessed. If we think another clinician should see you first, we will say so at the first visit.

Forty-five minutes to begin

First appointments are long on purpose: history, movement testing, strength and load testing, hands-on treatment and the first version of your plan all happen in one visit.

You leave with it written down

Exercises, loads, repetitions and the things to avoid for now are sent to you after each session, so nothing depends on remembering what was said in the room.

Lower back & sciatic pain

Pain on bending or sitting, morning stiffness, a leg that aches or tingles below the knee, or a back that locks up after lifting.

First-line approach Clear up what movements are safe, settle the irritability with hands-on work and graded movement, then rebuild hip and trunk strength so the back is not the only thing taking load.

Knee pain & patellar problems

Ache on stairs and hills, swelling after activity, a knee that gives way, or pain at the front of the knee when sitting for long periods.

First-line approach Load testing to find the tissue that is complaining, short-term activity modification instead of total rest, then progressive quadriceps and calf strengthening with measured targets.

Shoulder & neck complaints

Trouble reaching overhead or behind your back, night pain on one side, headaches that start at the base of the skull, or desk-related stiffness.

First-line approach Separate the stiff shoulder from the irritated tendon from the referring neck, then use manual therapy plus rotator cuff and scapular loading in the ranges you actually need.

Post-operative rehabilitation

After knee or hip replacement, ligament reconstruction, shoulder repair or spinal surgery, once your surgical team is happy for rehab to begin.

First-line approach Work to your surgeon's protocol and timeline, restore range and gait first, then stage strength and return-to-activity criteria rather than guessing by calendar date.

Running & sport injuries

Achilles and shin pain, hamstring strains, ankle sprains that never fully settled, or a niggle that reappears at the same distance every time.

First-line approach Review training load and footwear, test the tissue under the demand that provokes it, then build a week-by-week return plan with clear mileage and intensity steps.

Persistent & recurring pain

Pain lasting beyond three months, flare-ups that feel random, or a long history of scans and advice that contradicted each other.

First-line approach Longer appointments, a clear explanation of what is driving sensitivity, pacing that fits your week, and slow confident exposure to the movements you have been avoiding.

How care works

Four stages, and an exit plan from the first visit

Most people need somewhere between three and eight appointments. We tell you at the end of the assessment roughly how many to expect, and review it as we go.

Stage 01

Assessment

Forty-five minutes to hear the history and test the problem properly.

What you can and cannot do now
Movement, strength and load testing
Whether imaging would change anything

Stage 02

Explanation

A working diagnosis in plain language, plus the plan it leads to.

What is irritated and why
Expected timeline for your tissue
Number of visits we expect to need

Stage 03

Treatment & loading

Hands-on work to make movement tolerable, then loading to make it durable.

Manual therapy and soft tissue work
Progressive strength in the gym space
Weekly plan updates in writing

Stage 04

Discharge

You finish with a maintenance plan and a flare-up protocol.

Strength targets to keep hold of
What to do if symptoms return
Optional review at six weeks

A physiotherapy client holding a supported mobility position on a mat during a guided rehabilitation session — Stage three — loading work is coached in the clinic before it goes into your home plan.

A physiotherapist examining a patient's shoulder movement during a one-to-one clinic assessment — Treatment room one — assessment, manual therapy and movement testing in the same space.

The clinic

One clinician, one room, the whole appointment

Third Crest is a small practice on purpose. You see the same physiotherapist each visit, appointments are one-to-one, and nobody hands you over halfway through a course of care.

There are two treatment rooms and an open rehabilitation space with a platform, benches, free weights, bands and a bike — enough to test real loads rather than guess at them. If your plan needs a step that is heavier or more sport-specific than the room allows, we will tell you where that work belongs.

Quiet appointments can be requested if busy spaces make symptoms worse, and the ground-floor rooms are step-free from the entrance.

What to wear: Shorts or loose trousers, and a vest or t-shirt you can move in. We need to see the joint working, not just hear about it.
What to bring: Any scan or clinic letters you already have, a list of current medication, and the shoes you train or work in.
Time to allow: An hour for a first visit, including a few minutes to complete a short health questionnaire before we start.
Bringing someone: A family member, carer or interpreter is welcome in the room, and parents stay for any appointment with a child.

Appointments

Pick the appointment that matches where you are

Not sure which one applies? Request the first assessment and we will move you to the right slot before you arrive.

Appointment types, lengths and what each one covers
Appointment	Length	Who it suits	What happens
First assessment	45 min	Anyone new to the clinic, or returning with a different problem.	Full history, movement and strength testing, a working diagnosis, first treatment and the opening version of your plan.
Follow-up	30 min	Patients partway through a course of care.	Re-test the markers from last time, hands-on treatment where it helps, and the next progression of your loading plan.
Extended rehab session	60 min	Post-operative recovery, persistent pain, or return-to-sport stages.	Longer coaching in the rehabilitation space, heavier or more technical loading, and a full plan rewrite.
Six-week review	30 min	Discharged patients who want their plan checked.	Strength and range re-tested against your discharge targets, with the maintenance plan adjusted to what you are doing now.

Questions

Asked before most first appointments

If something here is not covered, add it to the note in the booking request and we will answer it before you come in.

Do I need a referral from a doctor?

No. Physiotherapy is direct access, so you can book an assessment yourself. If your insurer requires a referral for reimbursement, check with them first — and if we believe you need a medical review before rehabilitation starts, we will tell you at the first visit and explain why.

Will treatment hurt, and will I be sore afterwards?

Assessment involves moving and loading the painful area, so you will feel some symptoms — we work within what you can tolerate and stop if it is too much. Mild soreness for a day or two after hands-on work or new exercises is common and settles. Pain that is sharply worse for more than 48 hours means the plan needs adjusting, so tell us.

How many appointments will I need?

Most problems take three to eight visits, usually spread further apart as you improve. You will get an estimate at the end of the assessment, and we revisit it at every session. If you are not responding as expected by the third visit, we change the approach or refer rather than repeating the same treatment.

What should I wear?

Clothing you can move in: shorts or loose trousers for lower-limb and back problems, a vest or loose t-shirt for shoulder, neck and upper-back problems. Bring the footwear you run, train or work in, since it tells us a lot about how you load the joint.

Do I need a scan before physiotherapy?

Usually not. Most musculoskeletal problems are diagnosed from history and physical testing, and scans often show changes that are normal for your age and unrelated to your pain. We will recommend imaging only when the result would genuinely change your treatment, and we will explain what we are looking for.

Do you see children and teenagers?

Yes, from age twelve upwards, mainly for sport and growth-related injuries. A parent or guardian stays in the room for the whole appointment and receives the written plan. For younger children we will point you towards a paediatric physiotherapy service instead.

What if I need to cancel or rearrange?

Let us know at least 24 hours before your appointment and we will move it at no charge. Inside 24 hours the slot is usually impossible to refill, so a cancellation fee may apply — flare-ups and illness are an obvious exception, so just tell us what has happened.

What happens with my exercise plan between visits?

Your plan is written up after each appointment with the exercises, loads, repetitions and frequency, plus what to do during a flare-up. If something in it provokes your symptoms or does not make sense once you are at home, message us and we will adjust it rather than leaving you to push through.

Booking

Request an assessment

Tell us what is going on and when you can get here. We reply with the first two slots that fit, and the appointment type we think you need.

Response timeRequests are answered the same working day, or first thing the next morning if they arrive in the evening.
Late clinicsTuesday to Thursday appointments run until 8pm for people who cannot attend during work hours.
Urgent symptomsFor sudden severe pain, loss of bladder or bowel control, numbness in the saddle area or a joint you cannot weight-bear on, contact urgent medical care rather than waiting for a reply here.

Your name

Area of concern

Preferred time

What is happening, and how long for?

This is a request, not a confirmed appointment — nothing is booked until we reply.