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

Total Knee Replacement

Joint replacement is one of the most successful medical technical interventions with the highest quality of life improvements of any treatments. The most common reason for having a knee replacement is the occurrence of osteoarthritis, the typical age related joint change which occurs in many millions of people around the world. Osteoarthritis causes joint pain, stiffness, gradually increasing loss of range of movement and difficulties with walking, climbing stairs and rising from sitting. If conservative treatments are not successful and there is significant disability associated with continual pain and difficult sleeping then joint replacement may be considered.

In knee replacement the joint surfaces are replaced by stainless steels components and a plastic liner is inserted between them and on the back of the patella. The operation takes up to two hours and the person is typically seen and mobilised up into standing or walking the next day by the physiotherapist and an assistant. Rehabilitation with the physios is now very important, with exercise practice, gait supervision and functional activities. Length of stay in hospital varies between three and seven days with routine referral to physiotherapy on discharge to work on range of movement and strength.

Shoulder Dislocation

The shoulder is an anatomically unstable joint as it is optimised for mobility rather than stability, allowing the hand to be placed in the very large number of positions required for optimal function. The shoulder socket (glenoid) is relatively small compared to the very large humeral head, leading to problems for the muscular and neurological systems as they struggle to keep the ball of the humerus centred on the socket during movement. The capsule of the shoulder, the fibrous bag which surrounds the whole shoulder joint, is relatively lax to allow for the large ranges of movement. This means it and its ligaments have little control over the joint and it relies on muscle control.

Dislocation is usually caused by a fall on the arm, especially if the arm in a position of abduction and lateral rotation, the position adopted by the .hands up!. posture. This is the most vulnerable position for the shoulder to dislocate anteriorly, i.e. the ball comes out of joint to the front. Immediate severe pain is the first symptom with the patient holding their arm in a protective position. Medical help is usually required to relocate the joint and there can be damage to the axillary nerve which control the deltoid muscle.