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

Severe Arm Pain and Physiotherapy

Neck pain is very common but, like sciatica in the leg, severe arm pain is uncommon but distressing for the sufferer. Nerve root conditions are caused typically by compression or inflammation from a disc protrusion near to the nerve exit in the spinal column or by bony encroachment on the same areas in older people. Patients complain of severe pain in the arm, often worse below the elbow and into the hand, with a surging quality which is very unpleasant. Typically patients are not able to sleep with this so appear tired and miserable due to the loss of sleep and constant severe pain.

Physiotherapy management starts with a careful assessment of the neck and arm but this may be severely limited by the severity of the pain and the irritability, the ease by which the condition can be stirred up by minimal input. Initial treatment is aimed at pain relief with analgesia, restriction of aggravating activities and a collar at night to restrict neck movements. Once the pain begins to settle the patient is encouraged to start gentle exercises or the physiotherapist performs mobilisation techniques to put mechanical stresses through the joint to start the process of restoring the area's capacity to cope with stress.

Managing Acute Neck Pain

Most neck pain episodes which come on suddenly (acute neck pain) are managed by the sufferer independently and this is the best approach. The initial approach is to take some painkillers to reduce the pain levels to a more manageable state. Painkillers cannot abolish the pain completely, but simply allow the person to get moving and stay active in the early period rather than being forced to rest. It is quite safe to take the recommended painkillers, they don.t mask the pain so much that a person can damage themselves without knowing. It is important to take the drugs appropriately.

It is recommended to take the painkillers every four to six hours as advised in the instructions and to do this for several days, even if the person feels better now and then. Stopping taking them too soon means the pain flares up again at some point, inhibiting movement and recovery. Taking the painkillers regularly allows the build up of the drug levels in the blood which keeps the pain suppressed. People often stick it out until the pain becomes more severe but this is unhelpful as it is harder to relieve a pain than to prevent it developing.