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

Bone Metabolism

Bone, like muscle, is an adaptive tissue and bony mass and its structure changes to resist the forces which are applied to it in activity. Changes in the bone require that a large number of cells which are quite far apart join in to perform a particular activity and they do this by chemical messengers but also by long outgrowths from their cells connecting with others. How fast bones can strengthen or become weaker is not clear, although experiments have shown that a bone can increase its mineral content by 40% in six weeks if it is frequently loaded. A loss of 10-15% of bone mass can be expected if a bone is kept unloaded for eight weeks.

Cortical bone may be 35% greater in mass in the playing arm of a professional male tennis player and bone can react even more strongly as its density is very high in expert weight lifters. Sclerosis, an increase in density of vertebrae adjacent to discs which are suffering degeneration, is less beneficial a process and may impede nutritional transport through the bone. Osteophytes, bony outgrowths, may be an attempt to stabilise a joint but can also get in the way and cause nerve impingement.

Hand Injuries - Acute Management

Most injuries, apart from the most minor, benefit from being seen and assessed by a doctor as a relatively minor dysfunction in the hand can cause long term functional disability. Initial management of a hand injury should be to control any bleeding by applying gauze or a clean cloth to the wound and putting some pressure on it. In a closed injury (i.e. no wound) then ice can be applied to the damaged area to reduce inflammation and pain. Jewellery such as rings needs to be immediately removed as hand swelling can be very dramatic, rendering easy removal later impossible.

Once in the Emergency Department the doctor will x-ray the hand routinely and may inject the nerve at the wrist level or at the base of one of the fingers to numb the hand or the finger so that they can examine the area without too much pain. Wounds will be cleaned if they are dirty and then closed by stitching or a related method, with antibiotics prescribed to prevent infection developing. Splinting is often used to immobilise the hand in a specific position to prevent further injury or maintain anatomical integrity. A referral to a hand specialist or a plastic surgeon is typically written and pain control medication will be encouraged for a few days.