The Unity Rehab Care Pathway: From Pain to Performance

At Unity Health & Performance, we believe recovery should be a process, not a patch-up. Too often, people are passed between services without a clear plan — told to “rest,” to “strengthen,” or to “see someone else” — without anyone overseeing the full journey.

The Unity Rehab Care Pathway was created to change that. It’s our integrated model that guides you from the very first signs of pain through to full recovery and long-term performance. Every stage is delivered by a clinician who specialises in that phase of your progress — ensuring continuity, clarity, and confidence throughout your care.

Physiotherapy applies a joint specific approach to injury and pain rehabilitation.

Step 1: Physiotherapy – Restoring Function and Joint Focus

Your journey often begins with our physiotherapist.

At this stage, the focus is on reducing pain, restoring joint movement, and improving local function. Whether you’re recovering from injury, surgery, or long-term discomfort, physiotherapy offers a clear assessment and targeted plan for your specific joint or region of concern.

Physiotherapy provides:

• Diagnostic clarity and reassurance

• Joint-specific rehabilitation and loading strategies

• Education on tissue healing and pain mechanisms

• Early exercise and movement prescription

The goal here is to stabilise and reintroduce safe, confident movement — preparing you for the next stage.

Our osteopath treating a patient, looking beyond the source of the pain.

Step 2: Osteopathy – Whole-Body Integration

Once your pain is managed and movement restored, your care progresses to our osteopath.

Osteopathy looks beyond the site of pain to address how the whole body moves and compensates. At this point, we assess patterns that may have contributed to injury or pain in the first place — from posture and breathing mechanics to load distribution and motor control.

This phase focuses on:

• Restoring balance and efficiency throughout the kinetic chain

• Improving mobility, stability, and neuromuscular control

• Integrating exercise rehabilitation into functional movement patterns

• Encouraging long-term resilience and prevention

By addressing both local and global function, we build a foundation for performance rather than just recovery.

Our sports therapist focusing on performance and maintenance with patients on the Unity Rehab Care Pathway

Step 3: Sports Therapy – Return to Sport and Maintenance

Once your body is moving well as a system, our sports therapist guides you through the performance and maintenance phase.

This is where rehabilitation becomes conditioning. Sessions are built around your individual goals — whether that’s returning to sport, improving physical capacity, or maintaining strength and mobility for everyday life.

The sports therapy phase includes:

• Sport-specific reconditioning and performance testing

• Progressive strength and power development

• Movement quality and mobility training

• Ongoing recovery sessions and maintenance care

This stage closes the loop: turning rehabilitation into long-term physical autonomy.

Why the Unity Rehab Care Pathway Works

Most clinics operate as isolated services. At Unity, each clinician works collaboratively within one unified system. Your progress is discussed between practitioners, your notes are shared, and your plan evolves seamlessly between disciplines.

This model ensures:

• No duplication of care — every appointment moves you forward

• Consistent communication between professionals

• A joined-up strategy that respects both clinical recovery and performance goals

It bridges the traditional gap between healthcare and training — keeping you strong, capable, and confident at every stage of your recovery.

The Unity Rehab Care Pathway is for anyone suffering from acute or chronic pain.

Who It’s For

The Unity Rehab Care Pathway is suitable for:

• Individuals with acute or chronic pain

• Post-operative or injury rehabilitation

• Athletes returning to sport

• Anyone seeking a long-term, structured plan for movement health and performance

Whether you’re a desk worker with persistent back pain or a competitive athlete managing load and recovery, the same principles apply: we meet you where you are, and we take you the whole way through.

Conclusion

The Unity Rehab Care Pathway is more than a treatment plan — it’s a clinical philosophy. It recognises that lasting change comes from combining the right interventions, in the right order, at the right time.

From joint-specific physiotherapy, to whole-body osteopathic care, to performance-based sports therapy — every stage works together to help you move, perform, and live better.

References

1. Brukner, P. & Khan, K. (2017). Clinical Sports Medicine. 5th ed. McGraw-Hill Education.

2. Bialosky, J. E. et al. (2018). “The Influence of Psychological Factors on Recovery from Musculoskeletal Pain.” Pain Reports, 3(3), e685.

3. O’Sullivan, P. (2012). “It’s Time for Change with the Management of Non-Specific Chronic Low Back Pain.” British Journal of Sports Medicine, 46(4), 224–227.

Cook, G. et al. (2014). Movement: Functional Movement Systems: Screening, Assessment, Corrective Strategies. On Target Publications.