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

Simple Neck Exercises . Two

Performing routine simple neck exercises every day fulfils a number of functions. It moves the joints through their normal ranges of movement and to the ends of the movement each time, an area where movement can be easily lost without us being aware of it. Movement also stretches out and maintains the length of the annulus of the cervical discs, pulling on the collagen and cartilage fibres of the disc walls. Muscles normally shorten when they are contracting and moving the joints of our bodies and if they are called upon to contract a lot in a particular position they can become more permanently shortened.

Range of movement exercises fully in the opposite direction can stretch out over tight muscles and allow them and the joints to return to more appropriate postural positions as part of a therapy programme. Since much of the use of the neck muscles is to maintain static posture of the head and shoulder area this exposes the head and neck area to long periods in poor positions with unhelpful patterns of muscle contraction. Neck exercises can be done routinely such as three times a day for a certain period or can be done regularly throughout the day to correct poor posture.

Total Hip Replacement

Total hip replacement was the first of the joint replacements to be developed and has not been practiced for over forty years. The results overall have been very impressive with great improvements in the quality of life of patients, placing the intervention near the top of the most effective medical treatments. Osteoarthritis, the most common joint condition throughout the world, is the main reason for hip replacement. As the joint wears it will show increasing stiffness, pain , loss of range of motion and increasing limitation of functional abilities such as walking and getting up from chairs.

Hip replacement is performed by removing the upper part of the thigh bone which bears the ball, drilling a cavity down into the thigh bone, filling this with cement and introducing a metal component which again bears a ball at the top. The socket is enlarged to receive a plastic socket which then articulates with the ball of the other component. Patients are mobilised into standing or walking the day after surgery by the physiotherapist and an assistant, and are taught range of motion exercises for the hip and correct gait. Once independent in mobility patients are discharged home at between three and five days post surgery.