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

Back Pain - Red Flags for Serious Conditions

Most people with back pain have just that, back pain secondary to injury, time and the mechanical stresses of holding a posture or performing an activity. However, a small proportion of people present with back pain when the underlying reason is a serious pathology of some sort. The signs that indicate that mechanical back pain may not be the reason for the patient's pain are called red flags. Physiotherapists routinely ask the red flag questions to try to exclude the likelihood of a patient having a serious underlying condition which might also be worsened by physio treatment. Examples of red flags for back pain are: age over 55 or under 20 when back pain first presents and significant trauma involved (like a fall).

Other red flags include: significant weight loss; significant night pain; use of steroids; a history of cancer; bladder or bowel disturbance and loss of sensation in the saddle area around the genitals and anus. A degree of judgement is required as the outcome of the questions is rarely clear cut and most red flag situations turn out not to be serious conditions but physios routinely evaluate these to ensure safe treatment and refer questionable cases on for medical evaluation.

Bunions

Bunions is the term given to problems which occur with the joint of the big toe as it meets the foot, the first metatarsophalangeal joint or MTP joint. Problems with this joint may be familial with some inherited tendency but can also be do to poor foot use such as ill fitting footwear. Signs may start with an increased prominence at the inner border of the foot as the big toe drifts slightly towards the outside of the foot, eventually leading to rubbing of the prominence on the shoe in walking. Progression may occur as the deformity becomes worse and the joint itself becomes painful, with the big toe compressing the second toe and perhaps overriding or under riding it.

A highly arthritic joint can be very disabling, severely restrict the ability to walk very far and cause huge problems in choosing suitable footwear. Initial physiotherapy treatment can be provision of insoles, mobilisation techniques, gait correction, provision of walking aids and moderation of aggravating activities. More severe problems can be treated by joint injection, shaving of the joint surgically, removal of the joint to leave a fibrous union, fusion of the joint (arthrodesis) or replacement of the joint with a prosthesis.