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

Physiotherapy and Manipulation

Manipulation is the moving and affecting of bodily tissues by using the hands and encompasses a wide variety of techniques including massage, deep frictions, mobilisation techniques and the forceful treatments commonly referred to as manipulation. Physiotherapists often train to perform manipulations which in this case are sudden, strong movements directed at a joint in an attempt to force it beyond the range of movement it is presently capable of. Mobilisation techniques are gentler and work within the ranges of motion available to the joint, while manipulation aims to restore what movement the joint should have.

Manipulation can be performed in the acute setting such as treating acute wry neck or a sudden onset of severe back pain. Treatment in this case may relocate the structure which is .out of place. or allow a pinched tissue area to be released and so relieve the compression suffered. Manipulation has been shown to reduce the length of time the person suffers the problem but has little effect on the overall outcome in time. More chronic conditions may be helped by manipulation to restore a range of movement which is restricted and the potential cause of pain. Physios are trained to safely and effective manage manipulative techniques.

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.