Blackpool Physiotherapy Centre

10/08/2026

SHOCKWAVE THERAPY NOW AT BLACKPOOL PHYSIOTHERAPY CENTRE
Shockwave Therapy – A Proven Treatment for Persistent Pain
Are you struggling with a long-standing injury or persistent pain that's stopping you from doing the things you love?
Shockwave Therapy is an evidence-based treatment that has helped thousands of people recover from chronic tendon and soft tissue conditions without injections or surgery.
Shockwave Therapy works by delivering high-energy acoustic waves to the injured tissue. This stimulates your body's natural healing response, increases blood flow, encourages tissue repair, and can significantly reduce pain while improving function.
Research has shown Shockwave Therapy to be highly effective for a range of stubborn conditions, including:
✔ Plantar fasciitis (heel pain)
✔ Achilles tendinopathy
✔ Tennis elbow
✔ Golfer's elbow
✔ Patellar tendinopathy (jumper's knee)
✔ Rotator cuff tendinopathy
✔ Calcific shoulder tendinopathy
✔ Greater trochanteric pain syndrome (lateral hip pain)
✔ Hamstring tendinopathy
Clinical studies report success rates of 70–90% for many chronic tendon conditions, particularly when combined with a personalised rehabilitation programme. International clinical guidelines recommend Shockwave Therapy as a first-line treatment for several musculoskeletal conditions before considering more invasive options.
Treatment sessions are quick, require no anaesthetic, and most people can return to normal daily activities immediately afterwards. Many patients notice improvements after just a few sessions, with continued healing over the following weeks.
At Blackpool Physiotherapy Centre, Shockwave Therapy is delivered by experienced physiotherapists who will carry out a full assessment to ensure it's the right treatment for you. We combine Shockwave Therapy with tailored exercise programmes to maximise your recovery and help prevent your symptoms from returning.
Don't let pain hold you back any longer.
📞 Contact Blackpool Physiotherapy Centre on 01253 301118 today to book an assessment/price information and find out whether Shockwave Therapy could help you get back to living life pain-free.

08/06/2026

PART 2
Top 5 tips to immediately reduce Plantar Fasciitis symptoms
Fortunately, there are ways to alleviate plantar fasciitis immediately, here are our top 5 suggestions:
Ice
Apply ice wrapped in a towel to the area of pain for up to 20 minutes several times throughout the day, or after exercise. Please don’t apply the ice directly onto your skin and this can cause ice burns!

Change how you exercise.
Keeping active is important but in a way that won’t aggravate your symptoms so changing to low impact exercise can be beneficial. Swimming is a great way to do this!

Self-tissue release
Grab a golf ball or tennis ball and place your foot on top of it applying some pressure and rolling the ball backwards and forwards to help reduce tightness in the plantar fascia.

Changing footwear
It is recommended to wear supportive footwear that has a shock absorbing insole and adequate arch support and avoid walking in bare feet or flip flops.

Stretching
Regular stretching is an important part of treatment, here are two really useful ones!

Stretches to relieve Plantar Fasciitis symptoms
Plantar fascia stretch:
Place the front of your foot and toes against the wall and lean forwards over your ankle until you feel the stretch on the bottom of your foot. Hold this for up to a minute.
Gastrocnemius stretch:
Using a wall for support, plant your affected foot flat on the floor behind you. Keeping this leg straight, lean forwards reducing the angle between your front foot and shin until you feel the stretch in your calf muscle of the leg planted behind you, ensuring your heel doesn’t come off the floor. Hold this for up to a minute.
Plantar Fasciitis Treatment at Blackpool Physiotherapy Centre
Plantar fasciitis can have a significant impact on your movement even during the most basic everyday tasks; if you are experiencing any of the symptoms listed above, please contact us right away so we can explore your options.

18/05/2026

PART1
Plantar Fasciitis is the overload of the band of tissue (plantar fascia) at the bottom of your foot that runs from your heel to your toes, causing pain on the bottom of the foot near the heel. This pain can often be worse when you take your first steps in the morning or after a long period of rest, for example after a long car journey.
The symptoms of Plantar Fasciitis
Increased pain after exercise:
Exercising repeatedly can injure or tear the plantar fascia, and if you’re just starting out, it can put fresh strains on the fascia.
A swollen heel:
When the thick band of tissue on the bottom of the foot is overextended or overworked, swelling occurs.
Tightness in the Achilles tendon:
Tight Achilles tendons, which connect your calf muscles to your heels, can also cause plantar fascia pain.
Who is affected by Plantar Fasciitis?
Plantar Fasciitis, which affects approximately one in every ten adults, is a frequent issue among active men and women aged 40 to 70. However, women have higher susceptibility than men, and obesity is a risk factor for developing symptoms.
It is not always clear why the overload occurs on the plantar fascia but you may be more susceptible to develop symptoms if you:
• Recently started exercising on a hard surface regularly
• Exercise whilst having tightness in your calf
• Overstretching the sole of your foot when exercising
• Wearing shoes that don’t support your feet regularly
• Standing for prolonged periods of time
What are the treatment options for Plantar Fasciitis?

Accurate diagnosis and treatment are critical for Plantar Fasciitis rehabilitation. This includes a thorough examination of the lower limb to aid the development of a diagnosis and the origin of the discomfort. The treatment attempts to reduce pain, repair minor tears in the plantar fascia, enhance strength and flexibility, and allow you to resume normal activities.
Our treatment will likely include massage therapy, stretches and strengthening for the lower limb and foot, and other methods such as taping to help support the appropriate structures.

03/04/2026

NINE TENDINOPATHY FACTS
1) Tendinopathy does not improve with rest – the pain may settle but returning to activity is often painful again because rest does nothing to increase the tolerance of the tendon to load.
2) Although there are some inflammatory biochemical and cells involved in tendinopathy, it is not considered to be a classic inflammatory response. Anti inflammatories may help if you have very high pain levels but it is unclear what effect they have on the actual cells and pathology.
3) Tendinopathy can be caused by many different risk factors. The main factor is a sudden change in certain activities – these activities include 1) those that require the tendon to store energy (i.e. walking, running, jumping), and 2) loads that compress the tendon. Some people are predisposed because of biomechanics (e.g. poor muscle capacity or endurance) or systemic factors (e.g. age, menopause, elevated cholesterol, increased susceptibility to pain, etc). Predisposed people may develop tendon pain with even subtle changes in their activity.
4) Exercise is the most evidence based treatment for tendinopathy – tendons need to be loaded progressively so that they can develop greater tolerance to the loads that an individual needs to endure in their day-to-day life. In a vast majority of cases (but not all) tendinopathy will not improve without this vital load stimulus.
5) Modifying load is important in settling tendon pain. This often involves reducing (at least in the short-term) abusive tendon load that involves energy storage and compression.
6) Pathology on imaging is NOT equal to pain – pathology is common in people without pain. Also, if you have been told you have ‘severe pathology’ or even ‘tears’ this DOES NOT necessarily mean you will not get better or have a poorer outcome. Further, we know that even with the best intentioned treatment (exercise, injections, etc) the pathology is not likely to reverse in most cases. Therefore, most treatments are targeted towards improving pain and function, rather than tissue healing, although this still is a consideration.
7) Tendinopathy rarely improves long term with only passive treatments such as massage, therapeutic ultrasound, injections, shock-wave therapy etc. Exercise is often the vital ingredient and passive treatments are adjuncts. Multiple injections in particular should be avoided, as this is often associated with a poorer outcome.
Exercise needs to be individualised. This is based on the individual’s pain and function presentation. There should be progressive increase in load to enable restoration of goal function whilst respecting pain.
9) Tendinopathy responds very slowly to exercise. You need to have patience, ensure that exercise is correct and progressed appropriately, and try and resist the common temptation to accept ‘short cuts’ like injections and surgery. There are often no short cuts.

23/03/2026

01/02/2026

Back Pain: Why and How it happens.
Back pain is one of the most common reasons people visit physiotherapists and get to know them. It's a common enemy among the young and the old, the active and the inactive.
In today's post, I'm here to share some good news……

Most back pain is manageable and often reversible.
Whether it’s a dull ache or a sharp reminder every time you move, understanding your back pain is the first step toward finding relief.
Most common causes of Back Pain are
not untreatable. Back pain usually isn’t caused by something “serious,” but rather by how we use our bodies every day.

Common causes include:
Poor posture from long hours of sitting, from bending your neck during phone use or watching TV at awkward angles.
Muscle strain from lifting incorrectly or sudden movements.
Prolonged inactivity,which leads to stiff joints and weak muscles.
Weak core muscles, making the spine work harder than it should.
Stress and tension, which can cause muscles to tighten and ache.
Sometimes, disc issues or nerve irritation may be involved, but these are less common than muscle and joint-related causes.

What can I do to relieve back pain?
Relief doesn’t always mean bed rest because in fact too much rest can/will slow recovery.
Physiotherapy focuses on:
•Gentle movement and stretching to reduce stiffness.
•Manual therapy to ease muscle tension and improve joint mobility.
•Postural correction for daily activities like sitting, standing, and lifting.
•Heat or cold therapy to manage pain and inflammation.
Small changes in daily habits often make a big difference. You have to do the work for your body to feel good.
Recovery time for back pains varies depending on the cause and how early you address it.
Acute back pain may improve within a few days to 2 weeks, while persistent or recurring pain may take several weeks even with guided treatment.
The good news though? Consistency is key and following your physiotherapist’s advice speeds up healing.
Your physiotherapist will give you guided treatment ranging from electrical therapy, massage therapy and exercise therapy, this will all depend on the cause of your pain.
Unfortunately, most patients are skeptical about exercise therapy as a form of treatment, even though exercise is one of the most effective treatments for back pain (backed up with tons of evidence)
Strengthening the core, hips, and back muscles provides better support for your spine and gives relief from pain. Gentle exercises also improve flexibility, circulation, and confidence in movement. The key is doing the right exercises, not avoiding movement altogether.

Bottom line
Your back is designed to move. With proper guidance, movement is medicine and physiotherapy helps you move safely, confidently, and pain-free.

12/01/2026

SPINAL MANIPULATION – WHAT’S REALLY HAPPENING
You cannot push vertebrae back into place with your hands. The spine isn’t dislocating and relocating every time someone cracks your back. If it were actually misaligned the way some claim, you’d be in hospital, not on a treatment table.
When a practitioner performs a spinal manipulation, the movement is extremely small — a few millimetres at most. The joint surfaces briefly separate, creating a rapid change in pressure within the synovial joint. That change causes gas (mostly CO₂ and nitrogen) to form and collapse inside the joint fluid — the audible “pop.” It’s called cavitation — a pressure change in the joint capsule.
Physiological Effects
Manipulation affects the body mainly through neurophysiological responses, not through physical repositioning of bones. The quick stretch activates mechanoreceptors within the joint capsule and surrounding tissues. These receptors send a flood of sensory input to the spinal cord and brain. This temporary barrage can reduce the sensitivity of nociceptive pathways (pain signalling) and alter muscle tone via reflex mechanisms. That’s why after a manipulation, patients often feel “looser,” “lighter,” or notice an improved range of motion — it’s not because their bones were realigned; it’s because their nervous system has momentarily adjusted how it’s interpreting movement and pain.
The effect can also increase local blood flow and help restore normal joint motion if it’s been restricted by protective muscle guarding. Again — that’s a functional change, not a structural one.
Why the Realignment Myth Persists
The “realignment” myth continues because it sounds dramatic and easy to sell. It gives people the impression something was out of place and the practitioner fixed it. It’s a neat story — but it’s nonsense. The vertebrae are held in place by strong ligaments, discs, and deep stabilising muscles. A single thrust cannot overcome that structure and magically shift things back.

17/12/2025

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from all the team at the Blackpool Physiotherapy Centre!!
Last appointments this year will be on Christmas Eve
and we will re-open at 8am Friday 2rd January 2026. Have a fantastic festive period!