Physiotherapists in Cardiff 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.

Frozen Shoulder

Frozen shoulder is a somewhat mysterious condition which afflicts people mostly in their middle years and can give high levels of pain and disability which can last over several years. Onset of frozen shoulder is typically sudden and may follow a minor shoulder injury or even a tweak on some unaccustomed movement which may not seem relevant. The initial phase is of steadily increasing pain which can be very severe and badly interfere with sleep. During this phase the shoulder is very difficult to move and the patient needs strong analgesia to get some rest and function normally.

Once the acutely painful period has passed the shoulder begins to lose range of movement, particularly lateral rotation, the ability to rotate the upper arm bone outwards. As the pain gradually reduces slowly the stiffness of the shoulder increases until the arm is just very stiff without much in the way of pain. Overall the process can last two years or more until the shoulder loosens up although full range of motion may never be recovered. On examination lateral rotation and elevation will be severely limited and the patient will often lift the whole shoulder girdle in an attempt to raise the arm.