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

Flat Feet

It is common for patients to present with progressive flat foot deformity, also known as pes planus. However, despite it being common there the causes and treatments are still under debate. Adult acquired flat foot is most likely to be caused by an imbalance between the active arch maintenance structures and the passive arch maintenance structures. The foot may have been normal at some stage and something has changed to bring on the process of flattening of the arches. The posterior tibial tendon plays a strong role in actively maintaining the inner arch and a dysfunction or weakness of this structure is thought to be important in flat foot.

However, the ligaments binding the medial arch together and maintaining its structure may also be deficient in some way, leading to flat foot problems. The spring ligament, a strong ligament running between the calcaneus (heel bone) and the navicular, supports the head of the ankle bone (talus) and stops its slipping downwards, thereby maintaining the arch of the foot. Deficiency of this ligament complex is thought to be equally important to problems with the posterior tibial tendon. Treatment typically starts with insoles and modified footwear and progresses to foot surgery.

Wrist Fractures

The wrist is the most commonly injured part of the upper limb with fractures of the end of the radius and ulna making up three-quarters of all wrist injuries. The wrist bones can be injured in isolation but this is much less common. The frequency of these injuries and the importance of the hand to normal dexterous functioning means that the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of these injuries is vital for the best eventual outcome and limitation of any longer term disability. In the wrist bones the scaphoid is more vulnerable than most to injury and fracture, with between 60 and 70 percent of all wrist bones fractures.

Scaphoid fractures are difficult to see on x-ray and a number cannot be seen on typical x-ray investigation, meaning that this fracture can be easily missed. However, missing a scaphoid fracture can have serious consequences for the future of a person's wrist due to the particular anatomy of the bone. The scaphoid has a waist where most of the fractures occur and blood flow occurs from one end of the bone to the other. A fracture can cut off the blood supply to one end of the bone, causing the bone to die, a condition known as avascular necrosis.