A 'Bursa' is basically a small pouch of a gel-like substance that is located between a bone and muscle attachment. Its role is to act as a lubricant and decrease the friction on the muscle's tendon as it repetitively moves and rubbs over a bone's edge.
'Bursitis' is the name of a condition in which the bursa becomes inflamed, swollen and occupies more space around a joint then it should. Typically this occurs due to overuse and excessive muscle tightness causing compression on the bursa. Bursitis is more prevalent surrounding your shoulder joint and your hip joint.
Physiotherapy can help to take the load off the bursa by releasing the tension compressing it, and can treat the true cause of the symptoms by addressing poor shoulder girdle posture to ensure that it does not become a recurrent injury.
'Tennis Elbow' is medically known as Lateral Epicondylalgia.
It typically presents with pain on the outer border of your elbow and difficulty gripping and lifting objects. It is caused by excessive use of your wrist extensor muscles, causing a significant pulling force on the muscle attachment point of your elbow, inflammation and pain.
If untreated by a qualified health professional, the condition can last months and months and months and months.
Osteoarthritis is a chronic condition involving the loss of articular cartilage (cushioning) within a joint, which can cause underlying bone structure changes and joint inflammation. It is a degenerative condition associated with aging and often referred to as 'wear and tear'. Osteoarthritis typically affects people beyond the age of 50 and most often affects large, weight-bearing joints such as your knee and hip.
A good Physiotherapist can help ease the pain caused by Osteoathritis and point you in the right direction on how to best manage the condition.
Your entire spine, from your head, all the way down to your tailbone consists of many bony structures called 'vertebrae' sandwiched alternatively between gel-like structures named 'discs'. Often, whilst doing something relatively innocuous such as picking up a towel off the ground, or whilst doing something beyond your capacity, like lifting a small 3-door car above your head, you may cause a sudden 'disc bulge'.
A disc bulge refers to a displacement or movement of the gel-like disc beyond its usual position. When a disc shifts position, it often causes a significant lack of movement and pain. The disc may also compress structures nearby such as a lumbar nerve, which can cause referral of pain travelling down typically one of your legs. This is what people often refer to as 'Sciatica', which gets its name from the sciatic nerve which runs from your spine, through your buttock and down your leg.
The good news. A very high percentage of disc bulge injuries will completely resolve with the assistance of a qualified Physiotherapist. However, this may take weeks to fully recover.
Headaches come in all shapes and sizes. There have been over 300 types of headaches documented.
Physiotherapy will have greatest benefit in headaches that are associated with your neck. The over-use of muscles that attach to your neck and the base of your skull can often cause headaches. The tension of the muscles can pull on the facet joints of your neck, limit there available movement, and cause stiffness and irritability at the base of the skull. This often leads to a 'Cervicogenic Headache'.
Physiotherapy can help allieviate such headaches by releasing the tension of the over-worked muscles, improve the movement of the underlying facet joints of the neck, and through teaching some specific and individually tailored stretching and strengthening exercises.
You may believe that your headache is caused by alcohol, chocolate or your menstrual cycle, and has nothing to do with your neck. However, very often there is an underlying neck issue that is the source of the headache, and it is simply the addition of alcohol, chocolate or your cycle that tips it over the edge. You may find that by neglecting to eat or drink certain foods does not eliminate your headaches, then this indicates that your neck is the likely 'driver' of the problem.
One last tip. Once the headaches have been relieved, they will return unless you make some lifestyle changes. Good examples of how to keep headaches away is to avoid prolonged sitting, be mindful of your posture, exercise and use heat when you feel a niggle.
This condition causes pain typically in the front of your knee. It is caused by mal-alignment of the knee-cap which will cause irritation between the knee-cap and the bone underneath. It commonly presents in people who are very active or have a sudden change in activity levels.
It can be treated very effectively and should be completely reversible by re-aligning the patella through massage, taping, stretches and a reduction in activity levels.
'Rotator Cuff' is a term used for a group of four small muscles that play a significant role in controlling your shoulder's movement. Your shoulder joint is very complex and can move in many varied directions, so over the years, typically between the ages of 40-60yrs, injuries to the rotator cuff become far more common.
In the early stages you may experience pain on the side of your shoulder with tasks above your head or behind your back. At this stage your rotator cuff is pinching, more accurately termed 'Impingement'. If left untreated, a section of your rotator cuff may tear and the most common culprit is a muscle called 'Supraspinatus'. This is very common, and if it is a significant tear, it may lead to arthroscopic surgery.
The good news. If treated early, Physio can help significantly by releasing the accumulated tension and tightness of your rotator cuff that has led to you experiencing pinching and shoulder pain.
As you age numerically, so too does your skeletal structure and cartilage within your joints. Cartilage is the cushioning between two bones designed to absorb mechanical loading forces as you walk, jog, etc. Cartilage over the years will wear thin, leading towards Osteoarthritis, and in advanced cases, Knee and Hip replacements.
Total replacements of your knee or hip joint involve surgical intervention whereby an artificial joint replaces your naturally 'worn out' joint. These surgeries are hugely successful and you are usually walking the day after surgery.
It is important following surgery to get some guidance from a Physiotherapist to rehabilitate the strength of the muscles surrounding your knee and also to regain full movement.
Plantar Fasciitis is the term used to describe pain on the sole of your foot, typically close to your heel. It is a condition that develops from overuse and increased weight-bearing loading stress on your feet. Your 'Plantar Fascia' is a thick connective tissue, much like a bed sheet pulled tight, that supports the arch of your foot. With overuse or strain, it can becomes tight and inflamed at its attachment points where it pulls on the bone.
A key complaint of people who suffer from Plantar Fasciitis is pain worst after rest. For Example - When they first get out of bed, or after prolonged sitting, the first few steps of walking are the worst, and then it slowly warms up and becomes more tolerable.
Physiotherapy can help by taping your foot to offer support, releasing the tightness in the plantar fascia, ultrasound therapy and a few stretches to ease your pain.
Should I see a Physiotherapist, Chiropractor or Masseuse?
Chiropractors focus on manipulation of the spine or joints, but may not directly treat the muscular component of an injury or pain.
A Masseuse essentially does the opposite. They focus on releasing the tension in relevant muscles, but do not treat the skeletal component of an injury or pain.
A Physiotherapist is qualified to manipulate the spine, massage and release the tension in muscles, and has many other tools to address both the skeletal component and the muscular component of an injury.
No.
You do not require a referral to be seen by a physiotherapist.
However, a doctors referral is needed if you have a WorkCover claim, are looked after by the Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA) or are on an Enhanced Primary Care (EPC) program.
Can a Physiotherapist treat dizziness and vertigo?
Yes.
Dizziness and vertigo have many causes. It can originate unexpectantly from an inner ear condition named 'Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo', or can be experienced following a rapid acceleration/deceleration injury to the neck, such as in a motor vehicle accident. Physiotherapy is able to assist in restoring normal function to the neck or inner ear resolving the symptoms of dizziness and vertigo with some often simple and unique techniques.
We do.
Physiotherapists use some simple techniques and strategies to assist the removal of mucus from blocking air passages.
Deep breathing, postural drainage, cupping and vibration are a few techniques used. Respiratory physio can help conditions such as Asthma, Chronic Obstructive Airway disease, Cystic Fibrosis and Bronchitis.
Do I need Physiotherapy following Orthopaedic Surgery?
Examples include total knee, hip or shoulder replacements, rotator cuff and arthroscopic surgeries.
Yes you do.
If you have one of the above mentioned surgeries and don't get the joint moving soon after, it will definitely 'stiffen-up' and you will not regain your maximal possible function.
