Physiotherapists in Bedford treat many different conditions including the issues profiled below.

Pes Cavus

This condition is also known as high instep or high arch and is a type of foot anatomy where the medial longitudinal arch (arch on the inner side of the foot) is significantly greater than normal. This is the opposite foot deformity to flat foot and may be without symptoms. However the limiting of weight bearing stresses to the heel and the metatarsal heads may put excessive stresses on the ball of the foot, causing calluses to form and a painful front foot problem. This can also go with hammer toes where the toes are flexed up in a clawed manner and take no part in contacting the ground in gait.

Pes cavus may cause difficulties in selecting suitable footwear as the height of the foot in the midfoot region is so much greater than normal, and some people may need insoles to support the arch and allow effective and painless walking. Pes cavus can be hereditary or can be secondary to a neurological or neuromuscular condition. Treatment is usually conservative such as physiotherapy for strengthening and stretching and the provision of custom insoles as surgery to treat foot pain of this cause is unpredictable in outcome.

Knee Cartilage Injuries

The knee cartilages are properly known as menisci and are almost circular cartilaginous structures which look like banked tracks, sitting between the flat upper surfaces of the tibia and the large rounded condyles of the lower end of the femur. Their function is not entirely understood but may be to guide the femoral condyles as they slide and glide, to distribute synovial fluid evenly around the knee or to give sensory feedback about the complex positions adopted by the knee at any moment. The menisci are vulnerable at times as the large femoral condyles can roll over them and being attached to the tibial upper surface they cannot always move out of the way.

This can result in the meniscus suffering compressive forces applied by the condyle and becoming injured in the process. Tears of the menisci are common injuries and occur in various patterns, common examples being a parrot beak tear and a bucket handle tear. The parrot beak is a small tear at the edge which then appears like a bird.s beak. If the tear is along the substance of the meniscus it can cause a loop with attachments at both ends, like a bucket handle.