Assessment
A detailed history, then a thorough examination of movement, strength and the affected area. You leave knowing what is wrong, why it happened, and exactly what we are going to do about it.
Concern
Arthritis Treatment in London
NICE-aligned physiotherapy for osteoarthritis and inflammatory arthritis affecting the knee, hip, hand, and spine. It is tempting to rest a painful joint, but inactivity tends to worsen both the pain and your wider health, and the muscle that protects the joint fades fast. We treat arthritis with therapeutic exercise, weight management support, and education to ease pain and restore function: self-referral, no GP letter needed, at our Liverpool Street clinic in the City.
Overview
Understanding arthritis
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis we see, typically affecting the weight-bearing joints: the knee, hip, and spine, and the hands. It is tempting to rest a painful joint, but the muscle that protects it fades fast, and inactivity tends to worsen both the pain and your wider health.
NICE NG226 recommends three things as first-line care for osteoarthritis at every stage:
- Therapeutic exercise to strengthen the muscles around the joint and improve how it absorbs load.
- Weight management where it helps, to reduce the load passing through the joint.
- Education so you understand the condition and can manage it with confidence.
Hands-on physiotherapy and progressive exercise rehabilitation support that programme rather than replacing it, and most patients notice meaningful change within 8 to 12 weeks. Inflammatory arthritis (rheumatoid, psoriatic, ankylosing spondylitis) is a different disease process led by your rheumatologist, and we co-ordinate exercise and function alongside their medical care.
Excellent
From 6 five-star Google reviews
Source: Google
I saw Amanda for a problem I've been having with a painful shoulder. She explained to me what the problem was, did a thorough treatment session and gave me some exercises to do to improve it. Very professional and friendly, I highly recommend her.
I booked with Michelle for my first appointment. When I stood up I said to her it feels like heaven as my continuous back pain had totally gone. I was totally pain free for 7 hours so bless you Michelle.
I first visited Amanda following a maisonneuve fracture. That day I walked 107 steps in a camboot with two crutches. I have visited weekly. Yesterday I walked 13,315 steps (no crutches, no boot). The transformation is truly amazing.
After my son's sports injury we spent many months trying to get help from various other doctors. It was so reassuring to finally speak with someone who really understood what was going on. Michelle was worth every penny!
Michelle was absolutely amazing during my pregnancy with the multiple issues I had. She diagnosed and treated pain in my knee and my back, and got me from a place where I couldn't kneel at all, to fully weight bearing in a short space of time.
Excellent treatment of my lower back and related sciatica injuries from CrossFit. Definitely my go-to therapist when in dire need of pain relief.
Physiotherapy for arthritis can help to:
Ease joint pain and improve how it works
Strengthening the muscles around an arthritic joint improves shock absorption and reduces the load passing through it, which changes the underlying picture rather than masking pain. Most patients notice meaningful change in pain and function within 8 to 12 weeks of structured loading.
Follow NICE first-line care for osteoarthritis
NICE NG226 recommends therapeutic exercise, weight management, and education as first-line care for osteoarthritis at every stage. Manual therapy supports the exercise programme rather than replacing it, and we build the plan around the joints affecting you most.
Keep moving instead of resting the joint
It is tempting to rest a painful joint, but inactivity worsens both the pain and your wider health, and the muscle that protects the joint fades fast. We design the programme around what your joint currently tolerates and progress it as you improve.
Build strength that lasts with low-impact work
A progressive strengthening programme builds the muscle support around a hip, knee, or spinal joint, and low-impact options such as clinical Pilates maintain range, strength, and confidence. It is a sustainable way to stay active over the long term.
Delay or avoid surgery where possible
Most people with osteoarthritis never need a joint replacement. Surgery is reserved for cases where pain and disability remain severe after good-quality exercise, weight management, and education. If it does become appropriate we will say so and continue your rehabilitation afterwards.
Co-ordinate care for inflammatory arthritis
Rheumatoid, psoriatic, and ankylosing spondylitis are a different disease process, led by your rheumatologist. We co-ordinate exercise and function alongside their medical care, and if we suspect inflammatory arthritis we will refer you for assessment.
Why it happens
What causes arthritis?
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Age-related cartilage wear under cumulative joint load: most common in the knee, hip, hand, and spine
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Previous joint injury such as a meniscal tear, ligament rupture, or intra-articular fracture (post-traumatic OA)
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Excess body weight loading the lower-limb joints: the strongest modifiable risk factor for knee osteoarthritis
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Reduced strength and movement around the affected joint, often following a period of inactivity
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Family history of osteoarthritis, with a genetic predisposition particularly for hand OA
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Inflammatory and rheumatological conditions (rheumatoid, psoriatic, ankylosing spondylitis): a different disease process, managed with your rheumatologist
At your first appointment we look for the cause, not just the sore spot: your history, how you move, and what your work, sport and life ask of your body.
Your first visit is a full musculoskeletal assessment: a detailed history, then testing of movement, strength and the affected area. We explain the working diagnosis in plain English and agree a plan with you before any treatment begins.
You leave with a written summary of what we found and a home exercise programme built around your diagnosis and your goals, so progress keeps going between visits.
Back to the work, sport and life you love. We settle the pain, get to what is driving it, then rebuild the strength that keeps it away, so you leave each visit a step stronger than the last.
- Based in the City of London, inside UNTIL at 280 Bishopsgate, with a second clinic in Essex.
- Rated 5.0 on Google across 11 patient reviews.
- Chartered, HCPC-registered physiotherapists with more than ten years of combined clinical experience.
Fees and booking
You can refer yourself, with no GP letter needed, and book online in a couple of minutes at whichever clinic is easier for you to reach.
- Self-referral: book directly, no GP referral required
- Two clinics, both led by our chartered physiotherapists
- Open Monday to Friday, 7am to 7pm
- Two minutes from Liverpool Street station, with free parking at our second clinic
- A written summary and a home exercise programme after every appointment
Your journey
with The Physio Rooms
It starts with finding the cause. Whether you are a City professional stuck at a desk or a weekend athlete chasing a comeback, we treat what is driving the problem, then build the strength that keeps it fixed.
Hands-on treatment
Manual therapy chosen for your presentation, with Western medical acupuncture added where it helps. Treatment is not the goal in itself: it creates the window to move more freely and load the tissue.
Rebuild
Progressive, coached exercise rehabilitation restores the strength and load tolerance you lost. Both clinics have full gym facilities, and this is the stage that decides whether the fix lasts.
Stay well
Each follow-up reassesses you against your baseline. We discharge you when you have the strength and the tools to manage on your own, with clinical Pilates and TPI golf screening on hand to keep you moving.
We specialise in:
- Musculoskeletal physiotherapy for back, neck, shoulder and joint pain
- Progressive exercise rehabilitation, with full gym facilities at both clinics
- Western medical acupuncture within the AACP framework
- Clinical Pilates with Pilates by Janie
- TPI golf physiotherapy movement screening with Amanda
- Post-operative and sports-injury rehabilitation
- Home-based rehabilitation, supported and progressed remotely
Treatment approach
How do we treat arthritis?
Physiotherapy
Price on enquiryTherapeutic exercise, education, and manual therapy is the NICE NG226 first-line treatment for osteoarthritis at every stage; most patients see meaningful improvement within 8 to 12 weeks.
See treatment detail →Exercise Rehabilitation
Price on enquiryA progressive, individually loaded strengthening programme builds the muscle support around an arthritic joint, improving shock absorption and function over time.
See treatment detail →Pilates
Price on enquiryLow-impact, controlled movement maintains range, strength, and confidence for hip, knee, and spinal arthritis: a sustainable way to keep active long term.
See treatment detail →FAQ
Frequently asked
questions
Can physiotherapy actually help arthritis, or does it just mask the pain?
It does more than mask pain. Strengthening the muscles around an arthritic joint improves shock absorption and reduces the load passing through the joint, which genuinely changes the underlying picture. NICE NG226 recommends exercise for everyone with osteoarthritis at every stage, including those awaiting joint replacement. Benefits typically build over 8 to 12 weeks.
Should I avoid exercise if I have arthritis?
No: the opposite is true. Inactivity worsens both joint pain and general health for people with arthritis. NICE recommends a combination of strengthening, aerobic, and range-of-motion exercise for osteoarthritis. We design the programme around what your joint currently tolerates and progress it as you improve. Some discomfort during sensible exercise is normal and does not mean harm.
Will I definitely need a joint replacement?
Most people with osteoarthritis never need a replacement. Surgery is reserved for cases where pain and disability remain severe after good-quality conservative care: structured exercise, weight management, education, and sometimes an injection. If surgery becomes appropriate we will say so, support a referral to an orthopaedic surgeon, and continue your rehabilitation afterwards.
What is the difference between osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis?
Osteoarthritis is mechanical wear of the joint, usually worse with activity and easing with rest. Rheumatoid and other inflammatory arthritis are autoimmune conditions causing prolonged morning stiffness, swelling, and fatigue, and are managed medically by a rheumatologist. We co-ordinate exercise and function alongside that care; if we suspect inflammatory arthritis we will refer for assessment.
Get Started
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Book today.
The Physio Rooms • 280 Bishopsgate, Liverpool Street, London EC2M 4RB
BookAppointments typically available within 1–2 weeks