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

Good and Bad Lumbar Posture

Good and bad lumbar posture has often been decided on grounds that are not sufficiently scientific and future recommendations need to be based on solid research. Early research on the effects of different spinal postures indicated that maintaining a lumbar lordosis reduced the pressures inside the disc nucleus. This seemed fine until it was realised that these pressures were being transferred to the rear disc walls and the facet joints. As the facet joints are known to be frequent causes of low back pain and the nucleus of the disc is not a source of pain the idea that a lordosis is desirable in all circumstances does not stand up to examination.

Overall having some flexion in the spine is better in static positions whilst a slight lordotic posture is better when walking. Too much flexion interferes with the ability of the muscles of the back to protect the spine, so a moderate position should be taken between too much flexion and too much extension. The benefits of slight flexion are mirrored in the typical habits of people in postures, such as crossing the legs or putting a leg up on something at a bar, both actions which increase the flexion of the lumbar spine.

Ligament Bone and Tendon Bone Inflammation . Enthesitis Symptoms

Inflammation of the entheses, the anatomical junctions (insertions) where the bone meets a ligament or a tendon, cause pain in the local areas, persistent stiffness around the joint and swelling of insertions such as where the Achilles tendon attaches to the heel. If there is obvious joint swelling and other relevant symptoms then the diagnosis of an arthritic condition known as a spondyloarthritis is moderately clear. If the extra symptoms are not present the diagnosis is more difficult and patients may be referred for consideration of more localised musculoskeletal conditions such as sports or overuse injuries.

The pain, stiffness and swelling which typically accompany enthesitis commonly occur at the Achilles tendon and patellar tendon insertions but may also be present in the sole of the foot near the heel, in the elbows where tennis elbow typically occurs, around other ligament insertions of the knee and in the spine. Joint swelling which gives an effusion (water in a joint) may occur to confirm the diagnosis. Despite inflammatory changes of an arthritic disease obviously occurring in some patients the blood markers of inflammatory processes may not be raised, making it easy to miss the diagnosis in the absence of confirmatory tests.