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

Shin Splints

Shin splints (also called medial tibial stress syndrome) is the name given to a complaint of pain and disability in the calf area, especially the anterior and lateral area, during sport or other heavy activity. Runners commonly exhibit this problem and the diagnosis of a stress fracture in the area needs to be excluded. This appears to be a chronic exertional syndrome related to compartment syndromes, where the relatively inextensible anatomical compartments in the leg suffer increased pressure due to increased vascular input. The exact reasons why this process leads to pain on activity have not been discovered.

Patients with shin splints complain of pain or tightness in the calf during exercise, with the pain being aching, burning or cramping. The affected part of the leg may feel full and this feeling gradually increase as the activity continues, being related to the degree of exertion or the length of time it is maintained for. Pain typically settles with rest and the person thinks the problem may then go away, but then it reoccurs when the activity is returned to. The leg may feel weak and under less obvious control, with pins and needles or other abnormal feelings possible in the region supplied by an involved nerve.

Sciatica - Physiotherapy Management

True sciatica is uncommon and occurs in less than 5% of people who suffer from low back pain problems. It is characterised by severe leg pain of a surging nature, typically worse in the lower leg and foot and with sitting or bending. Physiotherapists exclude red flag causes for the pain and examine the patient carefully to avoid aggravating the situation. Initial treatment might be explanation, the finding of a comfortable resting position to relieve the nerve root and taking analgesia appropriately because more active treatment would be too painful. Once the patient's pain has settled to a degree then more active treatment can be started.

Spinal mobilisation techniques may be used to mobilise the spinal segments and put mechanical input into the area where the nerve root is being compromised. This can start the process of moving the inflamed area and allow the patient to perform regular mobilising exercises within comfort. Exercises are progressed to put greater and greater mechanical stresses through the back as the patient improves and mobilisation techniques may be continued to open the nerve exits and continue the process of encouraging the nerve to settle down. Neural mobilisations may be prescribed once the pain has settled well to prevent adhesions developing.