Physiotherapists in County Down treat many different conditions including the condition profiled below.

Achilles Tendon Rupture

The Achilles tendon is the largest tendon in the body, a large fibrous structure formed of collagen fibres lined up to form a very strong tendon which has to bear the force of weight bearing activities. The calf muscles are a very important part of propulsion in walking and when we walk, run or jump , very high forces are taken by the Achilles tendon as we perform vigorous movements with the ankle. As we get into our forties the strength of our tendons is declining but we often put the same forces on our body as we did twenty years previously. This can lead to the forces involved exceeding the strength of the tendon and a rupture, either partial or complete, results.

Treatment can be conservative or surgical, in many cases there being no significant clinical difference between the two in terms of outcome. Plaster of Paris used to be used routinely for immobilisation but new bracing systems have now been developed which allow precise control of the angle of the ankle and so the stresses on the tendon. This allows a graded progression of force as the tendon heals. Physiotherapists apply these braces and rehabilitate patients once they are out of the immobilisation.

Osgood-Schlatter Disease

Osgood-Schlatter disease is a condition affecting the tibial tuberosity (bony lump just below the kneecap) in children around eight to thirteen years old. It typically affects around 20 percent of athletic children of these ages as compared to less than 5 percent of nonathletic children. It tends to coincide with spurts of growth and is three times more likely in boys rather than girls. In young children the tibial tuberosity or tibial tubercle is formed of cartilage and only ossifies into bone later and it is postulated that repeated traction applied to this area can cause minor fractures or inflammation. This leads to pain on vigorous activities where the quadriceps are involved.

Pain, tenderness and swelling typically develop over the tubercle, exacerbated by activity, but the condition is self-limiting and as the growth plate areas fuse into bone the condition gradually settles. As the athletic young person perform sport, the stresses cause minor fractures in the tendon insertion area, which then heals with bony repair. When this is repeated many times the tibial tubercle may become very prominent and give long term problems with functional activities such as kneeling. Limitation of the aggravating activity or short-term immobilisation is required until the inflammation settles.

Physiotherapists in County Down have contributed some of the many articles on this site such as the one extracted below.

We thrive on participating in and completing many different activities which to a large extent depend on the condition of our body joints, from the large joints of locomotion (hips, knees) to the small joints such as the temporo-mandibular for speaking and eating. Our well-designed and durable joints do a very good job of allowing us to get about and involve ourselves in activity. Damage to our joints can be the result of disease, illness or trauma and this can restrict our mobility and reduce our functional capacity. Joint examination is a core ability of physiotherapists, consisting of a logical assessment, testing to find an abnormality and targeting of the treatment plan to these problems.Joints, the junctions between two bones, can have weight carrying, force transmission or movement properties depending on their design and position in the body. An example of a movement joint is the shoulder with its great range, the acromio-clavicular joint is a force transmission joint allowing ...

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