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

Physiotherapy and Manipulation

Manipulation is the moving and affecting of bodily tissues by using the hands and encompasses a wide variety of techniques including massage, deep frictions, mobilisation techniques and the forceful treatments commonly referred to as manipulation. Physiotherapists often train to perform manipulations which in this case are sudden, strong movements directed at a joint in an attempt to force it beyond the range of movement it is presently capable of. Mobilisation techniques are gentler and work within the ranges of motion available to the joint, while manipulation aims to restore what movement the joint should have.

Manipulation can be performed in the acute setting such as treating acute wry neck or a sudden onset of severe back pain. Treatment in this case may relocate the structure which is .out of place. or allow a pinched tissue area to be released and so relieve the compression suffered. Manipulation has been shown to reduce the length of time the person suffers the problem but has little effect on the overall outcome in time. More chronic conditions may be helped by manipulation to restore a range of movement which is restricted and the potential cause of pain. Physios are trained to safely and effective manage manipulative techniques.

Disc Nutrition and Posture

The supply of nutritional substances to the inner parts of the discs is in general poor and a lack of this supply is connected with degenerative disc changes. Large differences in the compression forces inside an intervertebral disc can be generated by relatively small changes in posture. These changes have correspondingly large effects on fluid flow out of and into discs and on diffusion of metabolic agents into the disc. The effectiveness of the transport of these materials depends on how far they have to travel from the nearest blood vessel which is usually in the vertebral endplate (top or bottom of the disc).

When bending, the back of the disc walls is stretched and the fronts are compressed, with stretching making the wall thinner and therefore more easily crossed by nutrients. This brings more food supply into the central area of the rear of the disc, the area which receives least nutrition. Compression from movement also squeezes water from the disc and as it returns when the pressure is relieved the incoming water brings nutrients along with it. Changes from a lordosis to a flexed position regularly increase the fluid flow in and out of the disc, encouraging the transport of nutrients.