A physiotherapist in Ulverston has shared his plan to help people regain their lives after living with pain.

Otto Physiotherapy provides clients with support and an easy system 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 that fits into their 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲.

Michael Otto has been practicing as a Sports Physiotherapist for 15 years and currently operates from The Little Green Clinic on Market Street.

With previous experience as a private practitioner as well as an NHS specialist, he decided to open a new private practice in April 2023.

Michael works with people who want more than short-term pain relief as he believes in developing long-lasting habits and empowering people to take control of their own bodies.

He explained that he can help people with persistent pain and those who have not seen the results they wanted from traditional healing routes.

Often pain is caused by specific movements and one part of the body overworking to compensate for a weaker area.

Michael said he sees people with back pain that can be traced to their hips. He treats the body’s weak links so clients can get back to doing the things they enjoy, such as running, walking and gardening.

Instead of treating symptoms he focuses on underlying movement patterns to understand what is causing problems and where pain is coming from. This allows him to treat the cause of the pain flares at the root. Looking deeper and treating an issue at its core can resolve problems and allow clients to avoid coming back indefinitely.

Although he commended the NHS for the standard of their service and care, Michael said that one thing he noticed when he was part of the trust was time pressure. He said the NHS often doesn’t have the time to provide enough frequent sessions to guide someone through the full process of rehabilitation. Whereas operating privately means Michael can devote more time to his clients.

“There are not many people doing what I do,” Michael said. “Most services focus on pain relief, and it is easier to sell a quick fix for pain, but I want to get people back to the activities they enjoy.”

Michael starts by asking what pain is stopping a client from doing and assessing their body, before creating a step by step plan, specific to the needs of the individual. After using a hands on technique to strengthen the weakest area, he sets the client a goal to keep the area strong.

The physiotherapist said he has been lucky to have met some ‘really good’ clients who have shared their results on social media and recommended his services to friends and family.

Clients normally do four sessions with Michael with a maximum of six, so he doesn’t see much repeat custom, instead relying on gaining new patients.

Otto Physiotherapy is moving to Apple Seeds by the end of the month.