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

Core Stability for Back Pain

Treatments and management techniques for low back pain are very numerous and for most of them the evidence of effectiveness is either nil or not very great. Core stability comes into the category of a treatment which has some evidence for usefulness and for which there is ongoing scientific research. The spinal segments have a stabilising muscular system which keeps them in line with each other and prevent abnormal movement occurring between them which might cause problems. The three main muscle groups involved are the multifidus in the spine, the transversus abdominis in the abdomen and the pelvic floor.

Research has shown that these three groups work in concert and that if a back injury occurs then the multifidus muscles in the spine waste and do not recover spontaneously once the back pain has settled. However, working these core stability muscles at around 30 percent of their maximum capacity can restore the stabilising part of the spinal muscle group. Physiotherapists have researched this method and routinely prescribe core stability exercises for patients, understanding that good scientific evidence for longer term changes in spinal problems is not yet forthcoming. The technique is simple however, easily applied, reasonably logical and has few if any adverse side effects.

Tennis Elbow

Tennis elbow is a troublesome pain condition affecting the outer part of the forearm around the elbow. It is common is people who do repetitive forearm activities in work or hobbies and while it mostly occurs in people who do not play tennis, it can occur in tennis players too. In the acute stage tennis elbow can be very disabling as it interferes significantly with the function of the arm and hand and can produce high levels of pain. A more gradual onset of pain over the outer part of the elbow may be more common, with difficulty gripping and holding objects or performing repeated actions.

Physiotherapy examination consists of palpating the musculotendinous junction of the extensor muscles of the forearm for tenderness and pain, testing resisted forearm extension and the ability to grip strongly. An abnormality of the tendon, a tendinosis, is thought to contribute to the pain of this condition. Physiotherapy treatment consists of reducing the stresses by activity modification and use of an epicondylitis brace, ultrasound, deep frictions and eccentric exercises to the forearm extensors. Local injections of corticosteroid or even a surgical tendon release can be used in difficult cases.