Physiotherapists in Norfolk treat many different conditions including the condition profiled below.

Disc Pain

It is not possible to diagnose discogenic pain by clinical examination of a patient as there are no specific examination techniques for this condition. Various physiotherapy techniques, such as testing centralisation and peripheralisation, show some connections with having disc-related problems, but do not go as far as to solidly diagnose disc pain. The accepted way of diagnosing this type of problem is to attack the disc itself with techniques such as discography. Discography involves inserting a needle right into the disc and injecting a contrast material which will show up on x-ray examination. The most important point is that the test is only positive if it brings on the typical pain the patient is normally complaining of.

The injected material allows the shape of the nucleus to be seen inside the disc and whether there any problems with it. The discs nearby are also tested and they should be negative if there is to be sufficient confidence in the findings from the symptomatic disc. Internal disc disruption (IDD) is quoted as the underlying pathology responsible for lumbar pain of disc origin, where the internal structure of the disc is altered by fissures occurring radially from the centre towards the outside.

Physiotherapy and Tennis Elbow

Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) is a troublesome and often chronic pain condition which affects the tendon and bone junctions of the forearm muscles near the elbow. It appears to be a tendinopathy, in other words a degenerative condition of the tendon rather than an inflammatory one. Pain can come on after an overuse of the arms such as a lot of painting, cleaning windows, gardening or racket sports. Elbow pain can be very disabling as it affects everything the person does with their arms and can limit employment and leisure activities. Physiotherapy examination starts with the history of the condition and what uses the patient makes of their arms in their job or at home.

Treatment involves reducing the aggravating stresses on the tendons by changing the way or frequency of activities and by applying an epicondylitis clasp around the forearm which may be helpful by realigning the angles of pull of the forearm muscles away from the painful areas. Deep transverse frictions can be applied by the physio to the painful area and they may also apply ultrasound to the area to reduce inflammation and scarring. Stretches and eccentric movements can be performed to reduce the pain.

Physiotherapists in Norfolk have contributed some of the many articles on this site such as the one extracted below.

Observing the patient rising up on their toes as the calf muscle performs the tiptoe action to bring the weight over the metatarsal heads, we should see an inward deviation of the heel area. This will often be absent if the tendon of the posterior tibial muscle is not working well and the patient may not be able to achieve tiptoes, or can do so partially with pain. Palpation around the tendon insertion is the next action for the physiotherapist, searching for tenderness, swelling and pain in the areas. The muscle power will now be tested as the patient is asked to push the foot inwards against resistance.During the strength test the tendon can be felt to check that it is present all along its route, then the ability of the patient to pull their foot up with the knee straight is measured, typically at least 20 degrees. In flat foot which has been present for some time this movement may be limited with the inward movement, the foot having been in an outward and downward position for long...

more Flat Feet - Part Two