Physiotherapists in Newcastle Upon Tyne treat many different conditions including the issues profiled below.

Function of the Upper Neck

The upper cervical spine is designed to hold the weight of the head and to facilitate the postural steadiness and positional changes required in our heads so we can communicate and gather the necessary information from our sensory organs. Most of our most important sensory organs are part of our heads so we need to have a stable and adaptable platform to gather accurate data so we can make accurate decisions. The upper neck vertebrae are wide to bear the forces of having a skull on top of the long column which is the neck. The deep and superficial muscles combine to allow long periods of relatively static posture to be maintained so we can keep our attention on something like a movie or the road when driving.

The position of the facet joints in the upper two vertebrae and the occiput are adapted particularly for rotation and much of the ability to turn our heads comes from these upper few joints. Turning the head is an extremely important function as it allows us to focus our eyesight on something to one side or another of us and to calculate whether it is a threat or an opportunity.

Achilles Tendon Rupture

The Achilles tendon is the largest tendon in the body, a large fibrous structure formed of collagen fibres lined up to form a very strong tendon which has to bear the force of weight bearing activities. The calf muscles are a very important part of propulsion in walking and when we walk, run or jump , very high forces are taken by the Achilles tendon as we perform vigorous movements with the ankle. As we get into our forties the strength of our tendons is declining but we often put the same forces on our body as we did twenty years previously. This can lead to the forces involved exceeding the strength of the tendon and a rupture, either partial or complete, results.

Treatment can be conservative or surgical, in many cases there being no significant clinical difference between the two in terms of outcome. Plaster of Paris used to be used routinely for immobilisation but new bracing systems have now been developed which allow precise control of the angle of the ankle and so the stresses on the tendon. This allows a graded progression of force as the tendon heals. Physiotherapists apply these braces and rehabilitate patients once they are out of the immobilisation.