Physiotherapy

Low back pain is very common and most people have some experience of a back pain episode at some time of life. Attendances at physiotherapy clinics for low back pain are very high so physios have a variety of assessment and treatment techniques to manage spinal pain and improve patients’ function.

A serious medical condition such as cancer or infection is a very uncommon cause of back pain, but several medical problems can present this way and physiotherapists need to be aware of this so they can refer the patient on to the appropriate doctor. The physio will ask about past medical history (cancer, arthritis, diabetes, epilepsy), any loss of weight or appetite, bladder and bowel control,… Read More…

How Physiotherapists Treat Golfer’s Elbow
by Jonathan Blood-Smyth

Golfer’s elbow (medial epicondylitis) is not confined to golfers, but occurs in many sportsmen and women, with racquet sports the most common causes. Other sports where golfer’s elbow occurs are in bowlers in cricket, archers and weightlifters. This and the more common tennis elbow are tendinopathies, overuse syndromes where there is no significant inflammation but a pathological alteration in the body of the tendon at the painful site.

The medial epicondyle is the bone prominence on the inside of the elbow where the forearm and rotatory muscle originate from. The muscles become tendinous near the bone and the tendon inserts into the bone to anchor the muscles. This area is… Read More…

Cervical Nerve Root Neck Pain Treatment by Physiotherapy
by Jonathan Blood-Smyth

Cervical radiculopathy is a pain syndrome involving one of the cervical nerve roots, with the C7 root (60%) and the C6 root (25%) being the most commonly involved. In younger persons this is due a direct injury which compromises the nerve exit or due to an acute disc prolapse. In older age groups this syndrome can also occur, but in this case is due to narrowing of the nerve exit by arthritic joints and ligament enlargement, disc bulging and bony outgrowths. Cervical nerve root pain referred to physiotherapists for the management of neck pain and arm pain.

The regular lifting of weights over 12 kilograms (25 pounds),… Read More…

The gleno-humeral joint, known in lay terms as the shoulder, is a vital part of the links in the upper limb and responsible for our ability to place our hands where we can see them to perform activities. Because flexibility is a prime requirement the shoulder is a less stable joint with moderate muscle power and a large range of motion. It is described as a “soft tissue joint”, implying that the joint’s functional ability is dependent on its soft and not its hard components. Physiotherapists are closely involved in treating and rehabilitating the shoulder, dealing with the muscles, ligaments and tendons.

The shoulder joint is constructed from the socket of the scapula and the humeral head,… Read More…

The cost of low back pain to society is very great, with high financial costs in terms of lost income, lost production and time off work and the costs of medical and physiotherapy and other treatments. This is apart from the personal consequences of the loss of one’s work or job role, loss of the ability to do normal activities and the pain itself. Many back pain treatments have been developed, most of which do not have high levels of effectiveness, and much is down to self management. An exercise programme has been shown to be an important aspect of this and this includes stability work, gym or aerobic exercise and lumbar and pelvic ranges of movement.

Joint… Read More…