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

Knee Osteoarthritis, Stretching and Physiotherapy

Knee osteoarthritis is a common condition with a very large number of sufferers across the world, symptoms including knee pain, swelling, loss of joint movement and limited weight bearing function. Loss of extension of the knee is common and may be related to an increase in the activity of the hamstrings which limits the range of the knee into extension as we walk when a knee is osteoarthritic. Reid and McNair (Physiotherapy, March 2010) looked into this matter in older people as most stretching research has been in younger people. They studied a group of people with osteoarthritis of the knee, giving them three stretches of 60 seconds duration to see if this changed the way the knee behaved.

The two groups who had the stretching showed increased ranges of knee extension, similar in the osteoarthritic and the non-osteoarthritic groups, with some increase in the power available to be exerted. It may be useful to perform hamstring stretches before working on the range and power of the knee and this technique may also have a relevance in knee replacement which is becoming more common as a treatment for end stage osteoarthritis. Limitation of full extension is common after total knee replacement and physios treat it routinely.

Exercise for Neck Pain

Exercise is a good choice to manage neck pain and is a safe way to treat the neck. Simple neck exercises are useful and help reduce pain and maintain the ranges of motion of the joints. It is important to stretch out the muscles, joints and other structures in the neck which might be tight and stiff. A degree of discomfort and soreness is to be expected after beginning to exercise and this should not be a cause of concern. Concentration on repeating the movements until full range is achieved is the key and with this a reduction in pain is likely.

No particular exercise suits everybody.s neck problems so a bit of experimentation is often necessary to find the right combination for any individual. Neck exercises should be performed slowly and steadily to get the right result as quick movements may cause injury or aggravate the pain. All exercises should be performed to the end of the range of movement available with a steady push to go a bit further held for a few seconds each time. The neck itself is an obvious choice for exercises but the shoulder and the shoulder girdle are involved in the function of the area and should also be included.