Physiotherapy

What is Physiotherapy?

Physiotherapy is a healthcare profession with a science foundation. The range of work is very broad and varied and involves working with people to promote their own health and well being.

Physiotherapy helps restore movement and function to as near normal as possible when someone is affected by injury, illness or by developmental or other disability. (Definition from the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy)

As a primary health care, we don’t just treat the symptoms! We diagnose, find the cause of the problem or injury and treat it

When do you need Physiotherapy?

• An explanation of your problem
• An understanding of the cause of the problem
• A diagnosis
• Hands on treatment
• Advice on speeding up recovery
• Advice on preventing recurrence

Physiotherapy can help you with:

• Back ache
• Sports injuries
• Whiplash
• Work related aches and pains
• After surgery such as ACL, knee replacement and bone fracture rehab
• Pregnancy related problems
• Stiffness following removal of plaster cast

Your injuries, pains and aches are best cured as soon as they appear by contacting us at the onset of your problems. Have early treatment – return quickly to sport or work! Most conditions can be treated and resolved faster the earlier you come in. Long standing problems often require more treatments than those diagnosed and treated early.

PHYSIOTHERAPY TREATMENTS

Low Back Pain

Some 80% of us will experience low back pain at some time in our life. Low back pain episodes normally settle within one month. However, if you are off work and/or your back pain is not improving then it is important to be assessed by a Chartered Physiotherapist to manage your back pain early and seek the most appropriate advice.

Neck Pain

The neck has a significant amount of motion and supports the weight of the head. However, because it is less protected than the rest of the spine, the neck can be vulnerable to injury and disorders that produce pain and restrict motion. For many people, neck pain is a temporary condition that disappears with time. Others need medical diagnosis and treatment to relieve their symptoms.

Painful Joints/Arthritis

Joints in the back or the limbs can be achy for a number of different reasons. If you develop aching in a number of joints at the same time, you should seek the advice of your GP. However, aching in one joint only may be associated with posture, repetitive strain or low grade osteoarthritis. Thorough assessment by your physiotherapist will help identify the cause of the problem and identify ways to reduce or resolve your pain.

Ankle Sprains

The term “ankle sprain” is usually used to describe injury to one or a number of the ligaments around the ankle. This can be a minor injury or a more serious ligament rupture. More serious ankle sprains can take as long as a broken ankle to recover and need specific strengthening and balance exercises in order to recover fully.

Frozen Shoulder

Frozen shoulder is a condition where the shoulder capsule becomes restricted and tight. It is a painful condition which leads to considerable restriction of movement of the arm. It is not clearly understood why it occurs but in most cases will resolve over 8-24 months. However, physiotherapy can help to reduce the pain and stiffness over this time.

Headaches

Headaches are commonly felt at the front, temple or back of the head and may be caused by stiffness in the joints and muscle of the neck. These can be treated very effectively with physiotherapy.

Knee Ligament Injuries

There are four major ligaments in the knee. There are two Cruciate ligaments deep in the knee, and two Collateral ligaments at the side of the knee. Injury to any of these ligaments is painful and will often lead to swelling, stiffness and knee instability. It is essential that the knee is assessed fully to rule out any ligament rupture. Physiotherapy will help you recover knee movement, strength and stability in the knee.

Knee Cartilage Injuries

All joint surfaces are covered in articular cartilage. However, the knee has two important shock absorbers in the knee- the Menisci – which are often referred to as the knee cartilage. These can be bruised or torn. The knee should be carefully assessed and monitored during rehabilitation to ensure that normal recovery is being made. If this is not the case, your physiotherapist will recommend an orthopaedic surgeons opinion.

Sciatica

Sciatica is a term often used to describe leg pain, which is caused by irritation of the sciatic nerve. It is important to note that the Sciatic nerve is rarely trapped, but simply irritated or inflamed by a mechanical or chemical irritant. As a result, symptoms will usually improve with the correct assessment and treatment.

Shoulder Instability

The shoulder is a very mobile joint due to the shape of its articular surfaces. We all have varying degrees of mobility in our shoulders. Some people have too much flexibility, either due to their genetic make-up, or because they have injured the shoulder. This can lead to a sense of instability in the shoulder or, at worse, problems with dislocation. Shoulder instability can be treated very effectively with strengthening work.

Shoulder Tendonitis

The shoulder is a very mobile joint which relies on deep tendons to provide stability and strength. These are known as the rotator cuff tendons and the tendon of the long head of biceps. The tendons are prone to inflammation (tendonitis) caused by repetitive strain or trauma.

Tennis and Golfers Elbow

Tennis and golfers elbow are terms used to describe pain arising from the outside (tennis) or inside (golfers) elbow, usually as a result of over-strain of the muscles of the forearm.

Whiplash

Whiplash is not a diagnosis but a term used to describe any number of neck and back symptoms which result from a road traffic accident or other high velocity injury such as a fall. We can help to treat you, and if appropriate produce physiotherapy report to your insurance company or work place. Usually insurance companies recognize such injury/symptoms and likely reimburse the cost of your treatments!

Wrist Strains

The wrist is a complex structure made up of several small bones, the ligaments holding them together, the shock absorbing disc in the main wrist joint, and the tendons that pass over the joints. Any of these structures can be strained during sporting activity or through repetitive work activities.

Foot Pain

Most common conditions of the foot that result from poor foot function include:

• Plantarfascitis
• Heel spurs (Heel Pain)
• Achilles tendonitis (Rear Foot pain)
• Metatarsalgia (Forefoot pain)
• Bunion (Big Toe Pain)
• Arthritis of the Foot
• Tired/aching feet/legs
• Tibial Stress syndrome (Shin splints)
• Pes Planus (Flat Feet)
• Rheumatoid Arthritis

Osteoporosis/Osteopeniea

Osteopenia is the precursor to Osteoporosis, both of which involve a thinning and weakening of the bones. Osteopenia is the beginning of bone loss that is identified by performing a bone density test. Osteoporosis is the progression of bone loss. Once Osteoporsis has been identified a person becomes more at risk for fractures— particularly of the spine. Your grandmother’s loss of height wasn’t really poor posture but a series of fractures that developed over time.

Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia and Myofascial Pain are diagnoses frequently given to patients with chronic pain when test results for other problems are negative. There is no specific test for these diagnoses other than tenderness of various points throughout the body. Often physical or emotional trauma can contribute to this type of extremely devastating and debilitating pain. Frequently doctors prescribe medications which may add to the patient’s general malaise, fatigue or depression. This type of pain is often under treated or treated inappropriately with medication because the patient does not “look” sick.