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

The Causes of Neck Pain

The neck is a strong structure, being part of the mechanically strong and durable spinal column, formed by the individual vertebrae which are bound together by the disc outer walls and large numbers of ligaments. The neck has some large powerful muscles and some smaller postural ones to maintain itself within safe limits. Disc problems or trapped nerves are uncommon in neck problems and surgery for neck symptoms is much less common than for back problems. As with mechanical low back pain, MRI scans and x-rays are not particularly helpful in normal neck pain and can even be confusing.

MRI scan reports often reveal .degenerative changes. in the discs or joints of the cervical spine, which sounds serious but is present in the necks of many people who do not have neck pain. These changes are time related and do not reflect ongoing damage in the spine. One of the frustrating aspects of neck pain is that the physiotherapist and the doctor are unlikely to be able to put their finger on the exact cause of the pain, but this is very common and not a cause for alarm. Most neck pain is thought to come from the joints, ligaments and muscles in the cervical spine.

Hand Injuries

Hand injuries are very important as the hand is such a vital functional part of human anatomy, with an injury to the hand causing a significant degree of disability in the short term and potentially over the long term. The hand is exposed to a very large number of risks in normal and work life, from burns to cuts to crushing, which can cause a wide variation in injuries from soft tissue damage, tendon transection or rupture to fractures of any of the bones of the hand. In many cases several types of injury will coexist in the damaged hand.

Because our hands are the medium by which we interact with much of the world they are often placed in situations which render them vulnerable to injury. They are a combination of a large number of small bones and joints with complex ligamentous, tendinous and muscular components optimised to perform the multiple skilled manual functions we require. All the complex functioning of the hand results from the successful interplay of all the anatomical components working in very tight spaces. Any disruption of a part of the hand typically has knock on effects for the whole unit.