Pain relief in 3 easy steps
- Step 1
- Contact us to arrange a convenient time when you can come in and see us.
- Step 2
- We'll ask carefully selected questions designed to get the important facts about your condition
- Step 3
- Your problem will be assessed, diagnosed and your treatment will commence*.
Types of injuries
Headache
May originate from the neck as a result of trauma or poor daily working posture. Usually upper cervical in origin near the base of the skull. May be from joints, muscles or both.
Possible treatments - massage, ultrasound, acupuncture, postural correction exercises, joint manipulation (pops) joint mobilisation, gentle cervical traction.
Jaw Pain
May be from a dysfunction of the tempero-mandibular joint mechanism (in front of the ear) requiring specific mobilisation techniques. May also be affected by the neck muscles and joints or by poor posture. Also irritation of the facial nerve at tyhe base of the skull may be the cause.
Shoulder pain (Needs thorough investigation)
May be caused by round shouldered posture or tendon strain around the ball and socket of the shoulder. Pain may originate from a trapped nervein the neck but feel like it is in the shoulder. There may be an instability in the shoulder blade or stiffness in the thoracic spine. The collarbone andfirst rib may be impinging on a nerve. The shoulder joint may seize up completely if left too long and become a frozen shoulder. There may be tendon impingement in the shoulder causing pain when raising the arm.Brought about by an imbalance of the Shoulder/Scapula muscles. There may be inflammation of the sub-acromial bursa.
Possible treatments - Exercises, Acupuncture, Spinal mobilisation or manipulation, Ultrasound, Deep friction massage, Steroid injection.
Whiplash
Severe trauma to the spine affects the joints, ligaments, muscles and the nerves of the back neck and upper limbs.
Possible treatment - depends on severity and date of ouset. Focus on regaining range of movement and reduction of pain. Acupuncture, spinal manipulation, ultrasound, exercises and massage, cervical collar or traction.
Neck pain
A disc or joint dysfunction in the neck can cause pain locally in the neck or, if severe, can trap a nerve and cause pain in the shoulder elbow or hand.
Possible treatment - manipulation, mobilisation, traction, acupuncture, cervical collar.
Tennis elbow/golfers elbow
Repetitive strain at the attachments of the muscles acting on the wrist.
Possible treatment - deep friction massage, wear a Tennis elbow brace. - if there is nerve involvement treatment may include neural/nerve stretches or spinal manipulation.
RSI (repetitive strain injury)
Applies to any injury which comes on gradually through over use. Can occur at any tendon in the body but commonly used to describe the wrist and arm pain experienced by over use of a keyboard/typewriter. Affects the tendons and nerves of the wrist and arms.
Possible treatment - nerve stretching/mobilising, friction massage to tendons, postural correction, spinal manipulation.
Carpal Tunnel Pain
Compression of the nerve that enters the hand at the front of the wrist. It may be possible to mobilise the nerve at the wrist and relieve the compression or the nerve maybe irritated further up in the arm, elbow or neck. The facia at the front of the wrist may be stretched to relieve pressure on the nerve.
Disc problems
Common in the lumber spine but also can occur in neck and thorax. The disc slowly starts to bulge and compress nerves and soft tissues in the spine which can cause pain in the arm or leg.
Possible treatment - maybe mechanical traction and/or home exercises. Spinal mobilisations can also work torelieve pressure from the disc.
Oesteoarthritis(OA)
Very similar to Degenerative Arthritis. The cartlilage covering the joint surfaces wears away quicker than it is reproduced. Mainly a problem in weight bearing joints of knees, hips, spine but occurs everywhere.
Possible treatment - the joint must be moved regularly through its full range of movement to nourish the joint surfaces and muscles around the joint must be strengthend to support the joint. Acupuncture and joint mobilisations can relieve pain and increase ROM. Supplements such as Chondroitin Sulphate, Glucosamine Sulphate, Cod liver oil have been shown by research to reduce the amount of cartilage wear.
Groin strain
Common male injury especially football rugby type injuries. A tendon strain where the muscles of the inner thigh attach to the pubic bone.
Possible treatment - a deep friction massage to the sore point (not a nice job but someone has to do it) and a progressive exercise regime. Ultrasound or acupuncture (ouch) are also useful. Hamstring tears. As with all muscle tears the area needs to be protected as much as possible from further tearing i.e use strapping, crutches etc and encouraged to heal properly with ultrasound. As healing has progressed further massage is used to strengthen the muscle and improve flexibility. A rehab programme is needed before returning to sport.
Sciatica
Iirritation of the sciatic nerve which runs down the back of the leg from the lower spine. Tends to cause pain in the back of the thigh or calf and when really bad numbness or pins and needles in the foot.
Possible treatment - find out where the nerve is being trapped and relieve it. Traction is very good as are spinal mobilisations. Acupuncture can also be used for pain relief and is very good when the sciatica has been very long standing to return the nerve to normal.
Aching knees, Anterior knee pain, Maltracking patella
The kneecap is very prone to developing a muscle imbalance due to the strain put on it and the number of muscleswhich work on the knee joint. This muscle imbalance can cause the patella to run slightly out of alignment. This in turn causes increased pressure behind the kneecap which cause pain and ache in the knee and eventually to cartlilage degeneration.
Possible treatment involves manual stretches around the kneecap and exercises to correct the muscle imbalance. Taping may be used and acupuncture for pain relief.
Shin splints
Maybe due to stress fractures, repetitive strain of the soleus muscle attachment to the shin bone or due to compartment syndrome. Rest is always needed. Accurate diagnosis is essential. I can't do anything for stress fractures- the diagnosis needs to be confirmed by a bone scan and if positive you need to change your sport.
- Repetitive strain of the soleus muscle is treated by rest and ultrasound. Acupuncture is remarkably good and speeds up the healing process.
- Compartment syndrome is where the muscles swell up with exercise and cut off their own blood supply - thus causing pain. Usually occurs when someone has recently increased their activity level.Treatment is to rest and start a slow progressive exercise regime.
Calf tears / Archilles tendon strain
May be traumatic or can come on gradually if the biomechanics of the foot and lower limb are disfunctioning.Treatment requires a full lower limb joint and muscle assessment.Insoles can be persribed if required. Otherwise massage, exercises and ultrasound should sort the problem out. Heel pain, pain on the base of the heel is due to inflammation of the planter facia in the sole of the foot.
Possible treatment - usually acupuncture, ultrasound and soft heel cushions. It needs to be ascertained wether the planter facia is to tight, in which case it needs to be stretched or if it is being overstretched eg because of flat feet - in which case an orthotic needs to be perscribed.
What next?: How our Physiotherapy can Help
Go back to: Norwich sports injuries clinic @ Physio World
