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

Ankle Sprain

The ankle is one of the most commonly injured joints in falling, twisting, slipping or in sport such as football. This joint is very vulnerable as it is at the end of series of long levers and takes the whole weight of the body in sometimes fast and violent movements. The ankle is a mortise type joint made up of the talus (ankle bone) and the bottom ends of the tibia and the fibula. Most of the joint surface is made from the tibia and the talus moving against each other, with the fibula on the outside. Powerful ligaments bind the ankle together on both sides to give stability.

When the foot goes over the ankle ligaments are sprained or torn, in some cases there may be a complete rupture. Mild sprains can be treated by ice, anti-inflammatory and a reduction in activity for a while. More severe sprains may need more rest and an ankle brace for a few weeks. Very severe sprains or rupture may require immobilisation in plaster of Paris or an Aircast boot until the ligament has healed well enough for weight bearing without protection to be restarted. In rare cases surgery is required if healing is not satisfactory.

Pain Management

Pain is a common and unwelcome symptom of many injuries and conditions, although there are some serious conditions and diseases which do not cause pain. Acute pain is typically secondary to injury and tissue damage, short term, easily treatable and very likely to settle with time back to normal. Chronic pain is long term, not well related to tissue abnormalities, not easily treated and does not settle down with time. It is for these more difficult types of pain that the discipline of pain management has become an important part of medical care.

Many types of pain are not directly treatable in terms of the underlying cause being treatable, or in many cases even understood. Pain management consultants concentrate on treating the pain itself as a pathological entity rather than any assumed underlying abnormality. They have a selection of specialised medications and can perform procedures such as nerve blocks and epidurals as well as referring to their therapy teams which typically include physiotherapists and clinical psychologists. Assessment of these patients is complex as physical, social, familial, work and psychological factors may all be important in explaining the levels of pain and disability suffered by the patient.