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

Physiotherapy Shoulder Exercises after Breast Cancer Operation

Breast cancer is the commonest cancer in women and in England there are over 36,000 people diagnosed yearly. Treatment is complex but surgery is common to remove the tumour and to remove four or more lymph nodes in the axilla or armpit. This is to work out what stage the cancer is at and prevent it recurring in the axilla. A side effect of this treatment is the development of swelling in the affected arm, known as lymphoedema, which can remain over time and cause physical and psychological problems. Physiotherapists routinely assess and treat patients with cancer, pre or post operatively, to manage the mobility and joint problems which develop after diagnosis and treatment.

Removal of the axillary nodes impacts upon movement of the shoulder as the tissues in the axilla are stretched by raising the arm above the head. A paper in Physiotherapy (December 2008) by Todd and co-workers compared two groups of post operative patients, with one group having unrestricted shoulder movement after 48 hours and the other with this delayed for seven days. The results showed that delaying the movement for seven days avoided the incidence of increased arm lymphoedema, an important consideration as the level of swelling can remain long term.

Joint Position Sense (JPS)

Joint position sense, also called proprioception, is the ability of the brain to sense the positions of the joints and segments of the body and the degree of muscle contraction being exerted at any point in time. It is a precise sense and we rely on it to move about accurately, with loss of the JPS causing us significant difficulties. The brain relies on the incoming information from the muscles, ligaments and joints to understand where the body is and thereby to plan what the next movement requires in terms of direction and muscle activity.

Loss of any degree of proprioception causes the person significant problems with understanding where they are and how to perform the next movement safely and successfully. It is much more disabling than a loss of muscle power alone and requires that they pay much more visual attention to their position and the outcomes of each new attempted movement. Physiotherapists work routinely with people with proprioceptive loss to restore this sense after operation or stroke. Gym exercises prescribed by physios include standing on a wobble board and performing activities such as bouncing and catching a ball against a wall. Restoration of JPS is vital before return to sport.