THE RED DOOR CLINIC · MELLIEĦA
Physiotherapy for work injuries
Treatment for the injury and advice for the desk, van or site that caused it.
Common work injuries
The injury we see is rarely a single dramatic moment. It is more often a task repeated until a joint or tendon complains. The three patterns below cover most enquiries. If yours does not fit neatly, still tell us. The label matters less than the job you need that body part to do.
Desk-related back and neck pain
Long hours at a laptop, a second screen at the wrong height, and a chair that looked fine in a showroom all show up as neck, upper-back and lower-back pain. Headaches that build through the afternoon often travel with the neck. Tell us how many hours you sit, whether you hot-desk, and whether the pain is better at the weekend. That pattern is a clue, not a verdict.
Repetitive strain
Wrists, forearms, thumbs and shoulders take the load of typing, scanning, hairdressing, kitchen work and any job with a repeated grip. Tennis elbow is not only for tennis. It is a tendon problem that builds from the same wrist and grip demand, on a mouse or on a tool. Describe the movement you repeat, not only the sore spot, so the plan can change the task as well as the tissue.
Lifting injuries
A lift that went wrong, or a hundred lifts that were almost fine, can leave a back, shoulder or knee unwilling to trust the next one. Manual handling on a site, in a warehouse, in care work or in a shop all count. Bring the weight, the height and how often. Advice that ignores the real lift is advice you cannot use.
How we treat them
Treatment follows the same principle as the rest of the clinic: find the cause, then give you a plan you can follow between visits. Work injuries need that plan to survive a shift, not only an hour in the treatment room.
Assessment
We take the history of the job as carefully as the history of the pain. When it started, what changed at work, what you have been told by a doctor or occupational health, and what you must still do to keep the job. The physical assessment looks at the movement the task demands. A consultation with Andrew is €55 and a follow-up is €45.
Treatment
Hands-on physiotherapy is used when it helps you move more comfortably, not as a substitute for changing the load. You will also get clear advice on what to modify this week. We do not hand you a generic posture poster. If acupuncture is being considered alongside treatment, ask whether it is available for your concern.
Graded return to work
If you are off work or on restricted duties, the return should be graded. Hours, lifting limits and desk breaks are decisions to make with you, and where needed with your employer or doctor. We will not invent a restriction your clinician has already set, and we will not clear you for full duties because a calendar looks tidy.
Workstation set-up
Ergonomic advice is part of the visit when the desk is in the story. We talk through screen height, chair support, keyboard position, laptop use, and how often you stand. The best set-up is the one you can keep in the office you actually have, including a shared desk or a kitchen table on the days you work from home.
We do not sell chairs, and we do not visit every workplace. If a visit is not available, bring photos of your desk and a short description of the chair. That is usually enough to give advice you can act on the same week. A chair guide on this site can help you compare options; the assessment tells you what your back actually needs.
For manual jobs, “workstation” means the lift, the van seat, the tool and the floor. We will talk about those with the same practical bias: change what you can, pace what you cannot, and do not pretend a perfect set-up exists on every site.
Reports for employers and insurers
Some employers and insurers ask for a short report after an assessment: what was found, what was advised, and whether a graded return is reasonable. If you need one, say so before the appointment so the visit can include the questions the letter must answer.
A report describes the assessment. It is not a legal opinion, and it is not a guarantee about liability. If your insurer needs a referral or a GP letter before they will pay, check that before you travel. Bring any form they have given you.
You can ask for a copy of what we send. We will not share clinical detail with an employer without your agreement. If you are unsure what they are allowed to ask, say so and we will keep the letter to what the appointment can honestly support.
LET’S FIND YOUR NEXT STEP
Not sure where to start? Start with us.
Tell us what hurts, what has changed, or what you want to get back to.
YOUR NEXT STEP
Related reading and next steps
A LITTLE CLARITY
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a referral from work?
You can enquire without one. If your employer or insurer is paying, ask them what they require first, sometimes a referral, a claim number, or their own form. Bring whatever paperwork you already have.
Can you tell my employer I am fit for work?
Only if that is a fair conclusion from the assessment, and only with your agreement about what is shared. Fitness for a specific task is not the same as “fully better”. We would rather describe limits clearly than sign a blanket clearance.
What if I cannot change my desk?
Then the plan leans on what you can change: breaks, the way you sit for the worst hour of the day, strength, and how you recover after the shift. Advice that requires a new office is not a plan. Tell us the constraints on the first visit.
LET’S FIND YOUR NEXT STEP
Your next chapter starts with a conversation.
Tell us what hurts, what has changed, or what you want to get back to.