Assess
A detailed history and 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 4 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 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.
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.
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?
-
Age-related cartilage wear under cumulative joint load: most common in the knee, hip, hand, and spine
-
Previous joint injury such as a meniscal tear, ligament rupture, or intra-articular fracture (post-traumatic OA)
-
Excess body weight loading the lower-limb joints: the strongest modifiable risk factor for knee osteoarthritis
-
Reduced strength and movement around the affected joint, often following a period of inactivity
-
Family history of osteoarthritis, with a genetic predisposition particularly for hand OA
-
Inflammatory and rheumatological conditions (rheumatoid, psoriatic, ankylosing spondylitis): a different disease process, managed with your rheumatologist
What happens at your first appointment?
Your first visit is a full 60-minute assessment: a detailed history, then testing of how you move, how strong you are and what the painful area is actually doing. We explain the working diagnosis in plain English and agree a plan with you before any treatment starts.
You leave with a written summary and a home programme, emailed the same day and loaded into the Move Health app so the technique stays right between visits.
The starting point for better health. Our clinics work together to take you from injury, through recovery and performance, to the kind of health that holds up for decades. One team, one plan, one record of where you started.
- Two London clinics: inside UNTIL at 280 Bishopsgate by Liverpool Street, and in Canary Wharf.
- Led by Amanda Yardley, an HCPC-registered, CSP-chartered physiotherapist with 15 years in the profession.
- Objective VALD strength and asymmetry testing, so progress is measured rather than guessed at.
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 to reach.
- Initial consultation: £120 for 60 minutes, including assessment and treatment plan
- Follow-up: £95 for 60 minutes, or £75 for 30 minutes
- Sports massage: £85 for 60 minutes, or £55 for 30 minutes
- Self-referral: book directly, no GP referral required
- Open Monday to Friday, 7am to 7pm, at both London clinics
- A written plan and a home programme emailed the same day, every time
From injury to longevity
the Origin Health journey
Most people arrive with something that hurts. What happens after that is the part most clinics leave to chance. We treat the problem, rebuild the capacity you lost, then keep you strong enough that it stays fixed.
Treat
Hands-on manual therapy chosen for your presentation, with Western medical acupuncture or soft-tissue work added where they help. Treatment is not the goal in itself: it opens the window to move and load properly.
Rebuild
Progressive, coached exercise rehabilitation restores the strength and load tolerance you lost, with full gym facilities at both clinics. This is the stage that decides whether the fix lasts.
Stay well
Each follow-up measures you against your own baseline. We discharge you when you have the strength and the tools to manage alone, with clinical Pilates, sports massage and golf screening on hand to keep you there.
What we treat
- Musculoskeletal physiotherapy for back, neck, shoulder and joint pain
- Progressive exercise rehabilitation, with full gym facilities at both clinics
- Sports and deep tissue massage for recovery and ongoing maintenance
- Western medical acupuncture within the AACP framework
- Post-operative and sports-injury rehabilitation
- Post-natal and paediatric musculoskeletal physiotherapy
- VALD strength and asymmetry testing for objective, tracked progress
- TPI golf physiotherapy movement screening with Amanda
Treatment approach
How do we treat arthritis?
Physiotherapy
£120Therapeutic 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
From £75A progressive, individually loaded strengthening programme builds the muscle support around an arthritic joint, improving shock absorption and function over time.
See treatment detail →Clinical 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
Book a physiotherapy appointment
in the City or Canary Wharf.
Origin Health • 280 Bishopsgate, Liverpool Street, London EC2M 4RB
BookAppointments typically available within 1–2 weeks