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

Clavicle Fractures

The clavicle (collar bone) is commonly fractured in activities which involve the risk of falling on the upper quadrant of the body such as sport, bicycling or simple falls in children and the elderly. The clavicle is a stabilising bone between the scapula and the sternum, holding the arm away from the body during activities and allowing the exertion of force and power. Fracture give acute pain over the bone itself, swelling and bruising and perhaps deformity as the alignment of the bone is disturbed. The fracture may crunch on attempted movement of the arm and be very painful.

To allow healing the arm should be rested for three weeks in a sling to minimise the forces through the clavicle until the fracture begins to unite, during which time the patient should limit arm movement to below shoulder level. Once the pain has reduced after the three week point the arm ranges of movement can be gradually increased. In some cases healing of clavicular fractures can be slow or internal fixation become necessary if they show no signs of uniting after two months or so. Limitation of shoulder movement after fracture is uncommon and physiotherapists typically advise patients on exercises to restore full range.

Frozen Shoulder

Frozen shoulder is a troublesome and enigmatic condition which affects mostly middle aged people and causes significant pain and disability. As our shoulders age they become more vulnerable to injury or damage and in some cases this develops into the pain condition known as frozen shoulder. A sudden movement or small tweak of the shoulder may result in the area becoming more and more painful until the pain is very severe and interrupting sleep. This is the pain stage of frozen shoulder which is followed by the painful and stiff phase where the pain eases to some extent and the shoulder becomes restricted in movement.

Later in the process the pain recedes and the shoulder remains with just the joint stiffness so the person cannot lift their arm up far. The process may take two years or so to go through and the person may not regain their full shoulder movement. In the painful period physiotherapy is aimed at relieving the pain by gentle mobilisations and exercise and progressed to working at the joint stiffness as the pain recedes. Later physiotherapy involves stronger mobilisation techniques and stretching to ease out the strong soft tissue restrictions which have developed.