Physiotherapy at Lycan Strength: how it works

Assessment first

Every course of physio at the gym starts with a full assessment. The aim is to find the root cause of the problem, not just to treat where it hurts. A sore knee might be driven by a sudden jump in running, a change in how you squat, or weakness further up the chain; a stiff back might be as much about long desk days and poor sleep as about your deadlift.

An assessment like this usually involves a detailed conversation about your symptoms, health, work and training, followed by a physical examination of how you move, your strength and the area that hurts. Our guide to what happens at your first physio appointment explains in more detail what to expect from a physio assessment in general.

A treatment plan tailored to you

After the assessment, you get a treatment plan built around your problem and your goals. Someone recovering from surgery, a runner with a sore Achilles and a lifter with a cranky shoulder all need different plans, even if some of the tools overlap.

A good plan should make sense to you. You should know what is going on, what the treatment is aiming to do, what you can keep doing in the meantime, and what you are working towards. If anything is unclear, ask; understanding your plan is part of what makes it work.

Plans also change as you do. As pain settles and strength returns, the focus usually shifts from calming things down to building you back to full training and daily life.

Why finding the root cause matters

Pain is where a problem shows up, but not always where it starts. Treating only the sore spot can bring short-term relief, only for the problem to return as soon as normal training or daily life resumes. Looking for the root cause means asking why this area became overloaded in the first place.

That often leads to changes beyond the injured area: how training is structured across the week, how quickly load has been increased, how you move in certain lifts, or how well you are recovering. Addressing those factors is what gives the best chance of the problem staying away, which is why injury prevention education sits alongside treatment.

What treatment may include

Depending on what the assessment finds, treatment may include some or all of the following.

• Manual therapy: hands-on techniques such as joint mobilisation and soft tissue work, generally used to ease pain and stiffness so you can move and exercise more comfortably.
• Therapeutic exercise: specific, progressive exercises to restore movement, strength and control in the injured area and around it.
• Injury prevention education: understanding why the problem happened and how to reduce the chance of it coming back, including how to manage training load.
• Home exercise programmes: a set of exercises to do between sessions, which is where much of the progress happens.

You can read more about these approaches in our guides to manual therapy and exercise rehabilitation.

What the physio treats

The on-site physiotherapy service treats a wide range of problems, including:

• Sports injuries
• Back pain
• Chronic pain
• Muscle and joint pain
• Men's and women's health
• Pre and post-operative rehab

That covers many of the problems people bring to a physio, from a hamstring strain picked up in a HYROX class or a back that flared after a heavy lifting session, to recovery after a joint replacement or managing long-standing pain. If you are not sure whether physio is right for your problem, our guide on when to see a physio can help you decide.

Physio in a training gym

Having physio on site at a gym can make it easier to keep rehab and training connected. Modern physio for most muscle and joint problems is exercise-led, and doing that work in a gym environment means you can keep training what you can while the injured area catches up.

It also means advice can be practical and specific to the kind of training you do, whether that is strength work, conditioning or preparing for a HYROX race. The aim is not to stop you training, but to help you train in a way your body can handle while it recovers.

Member discount, cancellations and booking

Gym members get 20% off physiotherapy treatment. If you are not a member yet and want to see what training here is like, there is a 7-day free trial with unlimited class access, full gym facilities and a complimentary fitness assessment, with no credit card required.

A cancellation fee applies if you cancel less than 24 hours before your appointment, so give as much notice as you can if you need to change it.

You can book a physio appointment online, or call 07428 442526. You can also email info@lycanstrength.co.uk. The gym is at Unit 2, The Oasis, Brinell Drive, Irlam, Manchester M44 5BL.

Before your first visit, it helps to note when the problem started, what makes it better or worse, and what you want to get back to, and to bring any letters or scan reports you have. Wear comfortable clothing that lets the physio see and move the area that hurts.

Physio is not the right first step for everything. If you have symptoms such as chest pain, sudden breathlessness, numbness around the genitals or buttocks, new bladder or bowel problems, or weakness in both legs, call 999 or go to A&E. For a hot, red, swollen joint or fever, call NHS 111 or see your GP urgently.

Questions