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

Clavicle Fractures

The clavicle (collar bone) is commonly fractured in activities which involve the risk of falling on the upper quadrant of the body such as sport, bicycling or simple falls in children and the elderly. The clavicle is a stabilising bone between the scapula and the sternum, holding the arm away from the body during activities and allowing the exertion of force and power. Fracture give acute pain over the bone itself, swelling and bruising and perhaps deformity as the alignment of the bone is disturbed. The fracture may crunch on attempted movement of the arm and be very painful.

To allow healing the arm should be rested for three weeks in a sling to minimise the forces through the clavicle until the fracture begins to unite, during which time the patient should limit arm movement to below shoulder level. Once the pain has reduced after the three week point the arm ranges of movement can be gradually increased. In some cases healing of clavicular fractures can be slow or internal fixation become necessary if they show no signs of uniting after two months or so. Limitation of shoulder movement after fracture is uncommon and physiotherapists typically advise patients on exercises to restore full range.

Fitness

Fitness means different things depending on what we define as the characteristics of being fit, and typically includes a number of physical states and abilities. Aerobic fitness is the ability to maintain an activity (such as jogging) for twenty minutes or more whilst keeping one.s heart rate between 60 and 80% of maximum. We have to be aerobically fit to perform repetitive work moving our bodies about such as in running, swimming or cycling and these activities, along with fast walking, can be used to increase fitness. Muscular fitness is the ability to muscle to exert force against resistance and divides into the abilities of strength and endurance.

Muscular fitness can be trained against resistance in the gym and this kind of training needs to be undertaken to some degree even by those who almost exclusively wish to be fitter in the aerobic sense. It can be argued that two more things need to be added to make ultimate fitness in a person, stretching and core stability. Stretching can be performed after an activity to maintain muscle length but should be avoided before as it may increase the likelihood of injury. Evidence for stretching being therapeutically useful is not very good.

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

A diverticulum (called diverticula if there are more than one of them) is a protrusion of the inner lining of the intestine through the outer muscular coat to form a small pouch with a narrow neck. The commonest site for diverticula to develop is the lower left part of the colon. The presence of diverticula is often referred to as diverticulosis.What is the cause of diverticula?Some people are born with a diverticulum, most often from the small intestine. Most diverticula develop during later life and are more common with increasing age. In Britain over half the well population aged more than 70 years have diverticula of the large intestine. In some rural areas of the world, particularly in Africa, diverticula are rarely seen. The difference from western countries is not fully understood but is thought to be due to diet. The colon exists to process otherwise indigestible plant foods known as dietary fibre.In the west we eat less fibre than in other, primarily vegetarian, regions of the...

more Diverticulitis and Diverticular Disease " Part One"