In reply to Milesy:
> Took me 6 months to see a physio on NHS. First appointment was paper print out of exercises to do and told to come back in 8-12 weeks. I kindly explained to them I had been waiting 6 months already and was already well versed in all the appropriate exercices. They didn't care. Paid to use the physio at Hampden Park sports injury clinic and they started immediately to deep massage the scar tissue out of the problem area. A few more sessions and I felt brilliant.
I have to agree NHS physios do as little as they can and it seems like some sort of unwritten competition to see who can treat a patient with the least effort possible.
I am off work at the moment with, I hope soft tissue injuries. Initially my employer was able to offer me four private treatments from an approved physio. At the same time, I was able to self-refer to see an NHS physio.
An example of the difference between the first two visits was frightening. The private physio gave me 90 minutes of his full attention with a variety of tasks. The first NHS treatment consisted of 10 minutes on a TENS machine and nothing else. Many, many weeks later I am reliant on NHS physios which I attend weekly. The best session I had lasted five minutes, of just conversation, before I was sent on my way.
I have several more months yet to go with NHS physio treatment, and I mean that in the looses sense, until I can return to work.
Private physios are excellant, and I pay for them when I can. NHS physios are limited by time, volume of patients and how much money they have to spend on treatment.
To the OP if you are in pain, get yourself to A&E, sit there for four hours and see a doctor. That way you will start the process of treatment. You will probably be told what you already know and are doing but, most importantly, you may get referred to another department for further treatment another day. If you want immediate treatent, such as physio then get your wallet out.