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

Walking with Crutches

In cases of lower limb injury or operation the surgeons may want to restrict weight bearing for a length of time. They instruct that the patient should be .non weight bearing. or .partial weight bearing. for the period specified. To achieve what is required the physiotherapist will instruct the patient in the use of crutches, or in some cases a frame. Initial assessment includes the nature of the condition and the state of the patient's other leg and arms. Arthritic joints in the other limbs may alter what is required in terms of technique or aids, the physiotherapist having to be flexible with what they suggest.

Standing up is performed by pushing up on the armrests of the chair, then the crutches are fitted and placed a short distance in front of the patient so they and the patient make a stable triangle. Initially the crutches are placed forwards and then, if partial weight bearing, the affected leg is placed forwards between the crutches and then the good leg brought up to line. This is a good initial technique to teach as it is straightforward and safe. Patients can progress to a more advanced technique, moving the affected leg at the same time as the crutches.

Losing and Gaining Muscle

Muscle is a dynamic tissue, changing greatly to accommodate to changing requirements. If a person.s leg is immobilised the thickness of the quadriceps muscle decreases by 15-20% in six weeks as the Type 1 muscle fibres reduce their protein production. This is the reason why immobilisation of a fracture or sprain is kept to an absolute minimum as losses of muscle and bone tissue are important, with joint stiffness another potential damaging side effect. Muscle will also respond quickly and strongly to increases in loading, with a maximum weight to be lifted increasing by 100% over a 12 month training period.

Much of the increased strength of muscle is due to hypertrophy of the muscle fibres, although other factors contributing are muscle endurance and learned coordination of the movement. A 30% increase of muscle mass can occur in four days after a muscle is overloaded in a stretched position, indicating the speed by which this part of the musculoskeletal system can adapt to new conditions. Exactly what makes muscles increase in strength is under discussion, but unexpectedly high activity, particularly in eccentric contractions, can cause the exercise induced damage which leads to repair and hypertrophy.