Provide Health

Braintree Community Hospital

Physiotherapy (www.providephysiotherapy.org.uk)

Here at Braintree Community Hospital, we provide a range of services.

You can park at this location for free. Once you enter the building, follow to the left for our physiotherapy department.

Check in at reception and then take a seat in the waiting area. Your clinician will come and get you and take you through to an assessment room. Here you can see an example of one of these rooms.

The clinician will need to ask you questions to find out how they can help you.

They will be looking at their computer a lot.

This is because they need to take notes to help treat you.

They are listening to you even if they are not looking at you the whole time.

The area we show you now is a gym.

There may be times where the clinician needs to assess you in a bigger space. If at times this area is too loud, too bright, or too overwhelming for you. Please let us know and we can make reasonable adjustments for you. We look forward to seeing you at your appointment.

Provide Health

Braintree Community Hospital (BCH), Chadwick Drive, Braintree CM7 2AL

Care Co-Ordination Centre – phone 0300 131 0111

Braintree Community Hospital – phone 01376 555900

www.providephysiotherapy.org.uk

www.providehealth.org.uk

Provide Community Learning Disability and/or Autism Initiative (www.Ihaveavoice.co.uk)

If you find it easy.If you can complete your whole program without challenge. If you do not have any flare ups.

Progress – Increase the weight and/or increase the repetitions. If you have only recently progressed. If you feel there is still a challenge, but your pain does not worsen.

Maintain – You might need a bit longer doing what you’re doing. If you find it too difficult. If your pain is worsening. If you lose good technique/movement pattern.

Regress – Reduce the load. Reduce the repetitions. Reduce the depth/angle of the movement(s).

It is okay to push into some discomfort during your exercise programme. This is because we are pushing the muscles and soft tissues to adapt to a new stress or strain. Aim to avoid causing pain that does not settle back to baseline within 24 hours. Pain does not mean you have caused damage; it is often your body letting you know that you have challenged it.


When exercising with an injury, it is often thought that pain equals harm. This is not necessarily true.We often use a 0-10 scale to grade how bad the pain is that you are experiencing.

This graphic shows this as a traffic light system.When you are completing your exercises consider how the pain feels.

0-3 or green is regarded as a safe zone and activity should continue.

4-5 or orange is an acceptable level of discomfort to be feeling when exercising and is safe to continue with and should settle within 24 hours of stopping.

6-10 or the red zone is seen as too much and you should think about modifying the exercise, reducing the weight being used or avoiding that exercise all together and trying again the next day.

Staying active during injury will not do harm, it is important to be aware of what is considered reasonable. If the worsening pain persists for a few days after exercise please consult your physiotherapist or healthcare professional.

Flare ups of pain are a common part of the recovery process. Be reassured, this is a temporary increase in pain that will often improve with rest and by gradually resuming your activities. Using ice packs or a warm pack can help to reduce pain and inflammation. Try these, covered in a thin towel for 15 minutes, a few times per day. Sometimes you may need pain relief to help your pain to settle. You should discuss this with your GP or pharmacist if you have any questions.

One of the most common questions we get asked is “Does getting pain when exercising mean I am causing damage?”

For the most part, no it does not. This simple guide can be useful to determine what the safe level of pain is when doing your rehab.

More information can be found here.

After being placed on the PIFU pathway, to book a follow up appointment, you will need to email our Care Co-Ordination Centre (CCC) on provide.askus@nhs.net and include the following information:

• • • Your full name
    • Your NHS Number (if known)
    • Your address
    • The service you require (eg Physiotherapy)
    • Preferred appointment type (eg face-to-face or video)

You will then receive a link via SMS, email or call from the CCC asking you to book your PIFU follow up appointment online, if possible, with your physiotherapist.  Once you receive the link you will be able to look through the upcoming free PIFU appointments and book one that works for you, preferably with the physiotherapist you have previously seen if available.  You can call the CCC if you cannot do this via email or access the online booking portal on 03001310111.

If you experience any symptoms which require urgent medical advice you should contact your GP  or phone 111.

Your PIFU plan will last for a specific amount of time which will be explained to you by your physiotherapist. You will be able to book at PIFU appointment if you feel you need one. If you need an appointment after your PIFU timeframe, you will need a new referral which can be done via the online self-referral platform or your GP.

If you feel that you do not require an appointment then you do not need to contact the CCC. Your physiotherapist will explain how long it will last and when you will be discharged.