Do I need a referral for rheumatology physiotherapy?

No. You can book a Physiotherapy Assessment directly online. If you are under a rheumatology team, bring a recent clinic letter or your medication list if you have one.

I'm waiting for a rheumatology appointment. Can I still come?

Yes. Physiotherapy can help while you wait. If your symptoms suggest an inflammatory condition that has not been diagnosed yet, we will write to your GP so the referral is not missed. Diagnosis and medication stay with your GP and rheumatologist.

Can I come during a flare?

Yes. During a flare the aim changes: easing symptoms and keeping you moving gently rather than pushing strength work. Your plan is adjusted to where you are on the day.

Is rheumatology physiotherapy covered by health insurance?

Our physiotherapy service is Bupa recognised and Rory is a WPA-recognised physiotherapist. Cover depends on your policy, so check with your insurer before booking and bring your authorisation code if they give you one.

At our Ormeau Road clinic, 373 Ormeau Road, Belfast BT7 3GP.

Rheumatology Physiotherapy Belfast

Q: Who will I see?

Rory McIntyre, a Chartered Physiotherapist (MCSP, HCPC) with an MSc in Physiotherapy from the University of Leeds. He worked as a Highly Specialist Physiotherapist in Rheumatology at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and as Lead Physiotherapist for the National Axial Spondyloarthritis Society.

Bupa · recognised

WPA · recognised

HCPC & CSP · registered

Why rheumatology experience matters

Inflammatory arthritis is not a sports injury. Symptoms flare and settle, fatigue is real, mornings are often the hardest part of the day, and your medication shapes what your body can do. Rehab has to be built around all of that.

Our physiotherapy service is led by Rory McIntyre, a Chartered Physiotherapist who worked as a Highly Specialist Physiotherapist in Rheumatology at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and as Lead Physiotherapist for the National Axial Spondyloarthritis Society. That depth is uncommon in private practice.

The approach is rehab-led: understand your condition, use hands-on treatment where it helps you move, and build a progressive exercise plan you can keep doing for the long term.

Conditions we treat

Axial spondyloarthritis & ankylosing spondylitis

Inflammatory back and neck pain with morning stiffness that eases with movement. Regular, targeted exercise is central to managing axial SpA, and it is where Rory has led national work: he was Lead Physiotherapist for the National Axial Spondyloarthritis Society (NASS).

Rheumatoid arthritis

Joint pain, swelling and stiffness, often in the hands, wrists and feet. Physiotherapy focuses on keeping joints moving, rebuilding strength lost during flares, and keeping you doing the things that matter to you.

Psoriatic arthritis

Joint, tendon and spinal symptoms alongside psoriasis. Rehab is planned around the pattern of your joints and tendons and how your condition flares and settles.

Back pain that might be inflammatory

Back pain for more than three months that started before 45, is worse after rest, eases with exercise and stiffens you up in the morning can be inflammatory. We assess it, and if the pattern fits we write to your GP so you can be referred to a rheumatologist for diagnosis.

Osteoarthritis

Hip, knee and hand osteoarthritis respond well to strengthening and graded activity. We build a plan that reduces pain and keeps you active, whether or not surgery is on the table.

How it works

A rheumatology-aware assessment

Your history, medication, flare pattern, fatigue and morning stiffness, alongside a full movement and strength examination. We plan around your condition, not a generic injury template.

Exercise at the centre

Mobility, strength and cardiovascular work, progressed at your pace. Exercise is recommended for axial SpA in the ASAS-EULAR guidelines, and EULAR recommends physical activity for people with inflammatory arthritis and osteoarthritis.

A plan for flares

Inflammatory conditions flare and settle. You leave with a clear plan for what to do when things flare, so a bad week does not undo months of progress.

Progress you can see

Strength measured with VALD force plates and dynamometry, plus the questionnaires your rheumatology team will recognise, so you and they can see what is changing.

Alongside your rheumatology team

We work with your consultant and specialist nurses, never instead of them. We do not change medication; if something needs medical review, we tell you and write to your GP or rheumatologist.

Book rheumatology physiotherapy

Ormeau Road clinic. Self-refer, no GP or consultant referral needed.

Book a Physiotherapy Assessment 028 9013 9185

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about rheumatology physiotherapy at Lower Limb Clinic.

Rheumatology Physiotherapy