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

Internal Fixation for Fractures

Many fractures can be managed by immobilisation if not displaced or can be repositioned and maintained in position by a plaster cast. Some fractures cannot be maintained in position, slip out of position once re-positioned or cannot be immobilised because of the length of time required or the awkwardness of the anatomical location. In these cases internal fixation with plates, screws, wires or nails is considered. Internal fixation requires an operation which carries the usual risks including infection so is only performed when required from a clinical standpoint.

Fracture alignment is important to maintain the relative position of the nearby joints so that excessive forces are not thrown onto one part of a joint or another. Wrist fractures which do not remain in a good position can be plated then immobilised until healed. Fractures with many pieces may need re-assembling and maintaining in position by metalwork. Femoral shaft fractures cannot be immobilised except by traction and with the healing period being 12 weeks the decision is usually to place a nail down the femur and get the patient up and out of hospital in a few days. Complex fixation may be used to restore the structure of a badly damaged bone in some cases.

Simple Neck Exercises . Two

Performing routine simple neck exercises every day fulfils a number of functions. It moves the joints through their normal ranges of movement and to the ends of the movement each time, an area where movement can be easily lost without us being aware of it. Movement also stretches out and maintains the length of the annulus of the cervical discs, pulling on the collagen and cartilage fibres of the disc walls. Muscles normally shorten when they are contracting and moving the joints of our bodies and if they are called upon to contract a lot in a particular position they can become more permanently shortened.

Range of movement exercises fully in the opposite direction can stretch out over tight muscles and allow them and the joints to return to more appropriate postural positions as part of a therapy programme. Since much of the use of the neck muscles is to maintain static posture of the head and shoulder area this exposes the head and neck area to long periods in poor positions with unhelpful patterns of muscle contraction. Neck exercises can be done routinely such as three times a day for a certain period or can be done regularly throughout the day to correct poor posture.