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

Physiotherapy and Falls

Falls are a problem at any age but particularly so in elderly due to the frequency and the severe potential problems which can result. The incidence of fractured neck of femur (fractured hips) in the elderly is considerable and carries significant risk of long term disability or death in people who are already frail and at the edge of independence. Falling is a complex problem which demands a multidisciplinary approach from health professionals to have any chance of success. As we get older our muscular, balance, joint, vision and hearing systems all change for the worse and reduce the speed and amount of information and postural change we are able to understand and accommodate at any time.

Physiotherapists assess and manage falls problems by assessing the medical history and present status of the patient, getting a social history from them and assessing their mental and physical status. The physio checks the patient's ability to see clearly and their awareness of the space around them which is impaired in many medical conditions. The patient is asked to get up and their balance reactions assessed, after which the physio will get them to walk to check for gait abnormalities or balance problems in dynamic activities such as gait.

Bone and Ageing

Bone loss occurs much more rapidly than the equivalent process in muscle tissues, with reductions in hormone production and in activity playing a part. After the menopause, the reduction in hormone production in women can result in lowered bone density which is initially termed osteopoenia and then osteoporosis when the bone approaches the levels where it will fracture easily during normal activity. Bone loss affects the trabecular honeycomb bone more than the denser outer cortical bone and also the vertical struts more than the horizontal ones. Once one of the struts is broken it does not repair.

Because they are made up of large amounts of trabecular bones, the spinal bones are often badly affected by osteoporosis, with the process eventually allowing a buckling of the upper and lower surfaces of the vertebrae. The fronts of the vertebrae are more vulnerable to fracture as the trabeculae lose more mass in this area. Physiotherapists teach weight bearing exercises to counteract bone loss and drug therapies can halt breakdown and even increase bone mass. Getting our bone mass up to a high level during younger years so that the steady loss with age does not become important may be the best strategy.