Physiotherapists in Lytham St. Annes treat many different conditions including the issues profiled below.

Wrist Fractures

The wrist is the most commonly injured part of the upper limb with fractures of the end of the radius and ulna making up three-quarters of all wrist injuries. The wrist bones can be injured in isolation but this is much less common. The frequency of these injuries and the importance of the hand to normal dexterous functioning means that the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of these injuries is vital for the best eventual outcome and limitation of any longer term disability. In the wrist bones the scaphoid is more vulnerable than most to injury and fracture, with between 60 and 70 percent of all wrist bones fractures.

Scaphoid fractures are difficult to see on x-ray and a number cannot be seen on typical x-ray investigation, meaning that this fracture can be easily missed. However, missing a scaphoid fracture can have serious consequences for the future of a person's wrist due to the particular anatomy of the bone. The scaphoid has a waist where most of the fractures occur and blood flow occurs from one end of the bone to the other. A fracture can cut off the blood supply to one end of the bone, causing the bone to die, a condition known as avascular necrosis.

Ice Treatment and Physiotherapy

Ice and other cold treatments are important techniques in the armoury of physiotherapists and useful for a wide range of conditions. The major use of cold therapy or cryotherapy is to reduce and control inflammation and swelling in recent or acute injuries to the musculoskeletal system. In the first few days after injury heat will increase the metabolic rate and may aggravate the injury while cold will do the opposite and also provide some pain relief. Pain relief is important as a reduction in pain is not only pleasant for the patient but allows them to move the part and contract the muscles more effectively, beginning rehabilitation of the area.

Ice should not be directly applied to the skin, especially if packs from a freezer are used, as this may cause an ice burn which is a form of skin damage. Patients are assessed by the physiotherapist for safety and a layer of wet material is placed inbetween the skin and the ice pack. The skin is checked at intervals to make sure it is not reacting badly to the cold and the treatment time may be up to twenty minutes. Compression may be more important than cold and often they are combined.