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

Treatments for Acute Neck Pain

A collar used to be recommended for neck injuries but are only suggested now if the injury is very severe or the spine is unstable. Keeping the neck in collar over a long period can increase the stiffness and pain, although wearing a more flexible .beanie. type collar at night only may improve a patient.s sleep. Overall, collars are to be avoided for the best chances of a quick recovery. Using cold on the area over the first forty eight hours or so may be useful to reduce pain, with the best technique to use a packet of frozen peas inside a wet tea towel for ten minutes or so, repeated regularly.

Placing a frozen object on the skin could give a cold burn so a wet tea towel should always be used between the cold and the skin. After 48 hours heat can be used for pain relief and to relax muscles, and many people prefer this at any stage, using a hot water bottle or heat pack or having a bath. Heat can burn the skin so the same precautions should apply, putting something between the object and the skin if needed, and limiting the time initially.

Sudden Loads On Lumbar Discs

In experiments on lumbar spines from cadavers the commonest way a disc will fail is if it is placed in significant bending and compressed quickly is to form a prolapse at the rear of the disc. Prolapse occurred most easily in discs which had not degenerated but were between forty and fifty years old. It was not possible to make a very degenerated disc prolapse. The angle of bend or the compressive forces do not need to be excessive as if one of them is over the normal limits it can generate a prolapse. Prolapses mirrored what people say as they occurred with an audible popping sound and occurred suddenly.

Typically a complete split appeared in the rear part of the disc wall and through this fissure the internal nuclear material prolapsed. The prolapse either occurred at one corner of the back of the disc (a common finding in people with disc problems) or more centrally where the nearby ligament prevented it from moving out further. Disc prolapse occurs mostly in discs with some weakening of the disc wall fibres yet a reasonably good nucleus which can respond to the forces by generating high pressures. Degenerated discs did not prolapse on testing.