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

Hammer toes

Hammer toes are a common deformity of the foot and often associated with more profound changes in the foot such as pes cavus where the inside foot arch is exaggerated. The small intrinsic foot muscles, which allow the toes to be kept straight as they grip the ground, weaken and the extensor muscles then pull the near part of the toe upwards. This makes the near joints of the toes bend up leading to a clawing of the toes. The extensor tendons can then shorten, leading to a permanent deformity where the person cannot get the toes flat down onto the ground any more.

There are a series of consequences from this deformity. The toes curl up and thereby take up much more room at the end of the shoe, causing the tops of the joints to suffer pressure against the shoe and develop sore areas or calluses. A more spacious toe box in the shoes can relieve this. The metatarsal heads suffer increased pressure from weight bearing and also develop calluses under the ball of the foot where the loading is greatest. In time these changes can lead to foot pain and require stretches or surgical correction.

Hand Injuries - Acute Management

Most injuries, apart from the most minor, benefit from being seen and assessed by a doctor as a relatively minor dysfunction in the hand can cause long term functional disability. Initial management of a hand injury should be to control any bleeding by applying gauze or a clean cloth to the wound and putting some pressure on it. In a closed injury (i.e. no wound) then ice can be applied to the damaged area to reduce inflammation and pain. Jewellery such as rings needs to be immediately removed as hand swelling can be very dramatic, rendering easy removal later impossible.

Once in the Emergency Department the doctor will x-ray the hand routinely and may inject the nerve at the wrist level or at the base of one of the fingers to numb the hand or the finger so that they can examine the area without too much pain. Wounds will be cleaned if they are dirty and then closed by stitching or a related method, with antibiotics prescribed to prevent infection developing. Splinting is often used to immobilise the hand in a specific position to prevent further injury or maintain anatomical integrity. A referral to a hand specialist or a plastic surgeon is typically written and pain control medication will be encouraged for a few days.