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

Supraspinatus Tendinitis

The supraspinatus muscle is one of the rotator cuff muscles of the shoulder and a vital part of a normally functioning shoulder. It originates in the supraspinatus fossa (anatomical depression) at the top of the scapula or shoulder blade and passes outwards towards the head of the humerus. Above the shoulder joint the muscle gradually becomes more tendinous until it passes over the top of the head of humerus and inserts onto the bony area called the greater tuberosity. The muscular action is to move the arm away from the side but a more important action is to hold the humeral head against the glenoid.

Due to the proximity of the tendon to the acromioclavicular joint above it can suffer compression and inflammation from repetitive overactivity, giving a sharp pain on lifting of the arm in many activities. Physiotherapy examination involves testing shoulder abduction with compression and tension stresses to change the impingement and palpation of the supraspinatus insertion on the humeral head whilst the patient's arm is behind their back. Treatment involves limiting aggravating activities, ultrasound to the tendon insertion and strengthening of the remainder of the rotator cuff muscles. Anti-inflammatory medication may also be useful.

Back Pain - Yellow Flags for Disability and Work Loss

Low back pain is one of the most common and disabling musculoskeletal conditions prevalent in the population, causing high degrees of work loss, suffering and expense. Back pain sufferers are affected by a variety of physical and psychological issues which affect the severity, duration and outcome of the back pain episode. The ideas of yellow flags, to add to red flags which are an indication of serious spinal pathology, has been formalised by work in New Zealand under the title of .Yellow Flags . Indicators for Work Loss and Disability.. These psychosocial factors are important and they are much stronger predictors of how well the person is going to turn out with their back pain than any of the physical factors.

Physiotherapists ask yellow flag questions to find out what their patients are thinking and thereby to be able to target their interventions more closely to the presenting problems. Typical yellow flag positive indications might be the belief that activity is harmful, the belief that pain means there is damage going on in the back and the idea that work is harmful. These beliefs are important in holding some people back from going back to doing normal activities.