Common Conditions We Treat //
Lower Back Pain / Sciatica
Lower back pain is pain or stiffness in the back otherwise known as the lumbar area. Most cases of Lower back pain are classified as ‘non-specific’ meaning the pain is not caused by any specific pathology.
Sciatica is when symptoms go down one or both legs due to irritation of the sciatic nerve which runs down the legs causing pain. Numbness and tingling can also be present along with muscle weakness.
Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS)
PFPS is pain experienced from the tissue within or surrounding the joint between the knee cap and thigh bone. Pain is typically noted around or under the knee cap and aggravated by high load activities such as running, lunges, squatting, down stairs and also sitting for too long with the knee bent.
Frozen Shoulder
The term “Frozen Shoulder” refers to a combination of shoulder pain and stiffness that causes sleep disturbance and loss of function. Sometimes it comes on after an injury or operation. There are usually three distinct phases namely the Freezing phase when pain is most prevalent, Frozen phase when the shoulder becomes stiff as well as painful and the thawing phase when the pain and stiffness begin to reduce.
Plantarfasciaitis
Also, known as Policeman’s heel patient usually complains of pain in the inside of the heel, most noticeable with initial steps in the morning and after a period of rest. Symptoms usually decrease with increasing level of activity during the day. Occasionally the pain may spread to the whole of the foot including the toes.
Tendonopathy
Common areas to be affected are Achillies, Knee (patella tendon), Glutes, Hamstring, Elbow (tennis and golfers) and Shoulder (Rotator cuff). These are caused when tissue breakdown from overloading starts to exceed the building of new tissue. When not managed well this can cause ruptures when the tissue is unable to take anymore load.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is a condition that affects your joints. Most commonly the hip and knee. The surfaces within your joints get affected so the joint doesn’t move as smoothly as it should. When a joint develops osteoarthritis, some of the cartilage covering the ends of the bones gradually roughens and becomes thin, and the bone underneath thickens. In an apparent attempt at healing some of the tissues within the joint become more active than normal causing bony growths, ligament and capsule thickening and swelling. Muscles around the joint will invariably get weaker adding to the problem. Exercises is therefore very important to maintaining and improving a joints load bearing capacity.
Headaches
Between 15-20% of headaches can be referred from the neck (cervicogenic headaches). They are usually one sided with irritated facet joint, present with loss of movement or tender points in head or neck. Sustained posture may also aggravate symptoms. X -Ray’s and MRI tend to be normal. Physiotherapy can help with these types of headaches.
Whiplash/ Neck Pain
Whiplash is a common term for sudden acceleration-deceleration forces on the neck usually as a result of a car collision although other mechanisms of injury are possible. These forces may result in bony or soft tissue injuries such as discs, ligaments, tendons, muscles, and nerves. Accordingly Symptoms can vary from mild discomfort to severe pain with weakness, tingling and numbness.
Post Operative Rehabilitation
Physiotherapy can assist in recovery after any Orthopaeidc operations including :
Total hip/knee replacements
ACL reconstructions
Shoulder and Knee Arthroscopies
Shoulder rotator cuff repair
Shoulder Stabilisations
Spinal operations