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

Hand Injuries

Hand injuries are very important as the hand is such a vital functional part of human anatomy, with an injury to the hand causing a significant degree of disability in the short term and potentially over the long term. The hand is exposed to a very large number of risks in normal and work life, from burns to cuts to crushing, which can cause a wide variation in injuries from soft tissue damage, tendon transection or rupture to fractures of any of the bones of the hand. In many cases several types of injury will coexist in the damaged hand.

Because our hands are the medium by which we interact with much of the world they are often placed in situations which render them vulnerable to injury. They are a combination of a large number of small bones and joints with complex ligamentous, tendinous and muscular components optimised to perform the multiple skilled manual functions we require. All the complex functioning of the hand results from the successful interplay of all the anatomical components working in very tight spaces. Any disruption of a part of the hand typically has knock on effects for the whole unit.

Physiotherapy for Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is an increasingly common condition, mostly but not exclusively occurring in women after the menopause when hormonal changes mean the bone density drops steadily with time. Those women who have good bone density to start with and whose density does not drop at a high rate may never reach the risky category. If osteoporosis is present then the incidence of fractures is higher, with vertebral body fractures and fractured neck of femur being the most common, both requiring intervention and causing distress and expense. Physiotherapists are involved in the assessment and management of people with low bone density.

Physios assess patients for their lifestyle, refer them for dietary advice if appropriate, generally advise on management, warn against inappropriate functional activities and prescribe exercise routines to maintain independence and maximise bone health. Physios may advise that lumbar flexion to pick up weights is inappropriate as the front aspects of the vertebral bodies are vulnerable in this activity to crush fractures. General and weight bearing exercises are taught as weight bearing stimulates bone maintenance and growth due to the jarring involved. Swimming and cycling are good aerobic exercise methods but do not have the bone stimulating effect of walking or doing exercises in a gym.