Stiffness & limited movement

Understanding it

Why movement gets restricted, in plain terms

You might notice it first thing in the morning, after sitting, or when you try something you have not done for a while: reaching a high shelf, checking a blind spot, getting down to the floor and up again. Restriction like this usually means muscles and joints have tightened, become guarded, or simply lost the habit of moving through their full range. Often the nervous system itself has become hyper-vigilant and guards the body, holding it in postural restriction long after the original problem has passed. It is rarely permanent, and it usually improves once the body is shown, gently and repeatedly, that the movement is safe.

We help with stiff necks and shoulders (including frozen shoulder), backs that have lost their bend, tight hips and hamstrings, and knees and ankles that no longer move freely. The restriction may sit in the muscles, fascia, tendons, ligaments or the joints themselves, and it may follow an injury or operation that healed tight, arthritis or another underlying condition, years of desk work or driving, a spell of illness or inactivity, or simple gradual change over time. Assessment works out where the restriction actually lives and why it is there, and care is then shaped to free it: hands-on treatment, guided movement, and a pace that suits you.