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

Whiplash Syndrome

Whiplash syndrome is typically the result of low velocity car crashes. Usually affecting the neck, whiplash can also affect the lumbar spine as it is almost fully flexed in sitting, allowing the spine to be over flexed by even a small further movement. Most tissues in the neck can be injured in a rear shunt collision but the evidence points to facet joint injury as being the most likely cause of chronic pain and disability. Any warning about the impact can result in the individual tightening up the stabilising muscles around the spine but also increases the forces compressing the spine at the same time. This could allow the discs and vertebrae themselves to be damaged in a compressive injury.

If there is no warning of the accident then there will be no protective muscle contractions to prevent spinal injury, with the posterior ligaments taking stress as the head is bent forward and the posterior bony elements impinging as the head is bent back. The exact position of the head at the moment of impact is also important as if it is rotated then the structures can suffer a rotational injury which could involve the facet joints.

The Rotator Cuff

The rotator cuff muscles of the shoulder function to stabilise the large humeral head on the relatively small shoulder socket or glenoid cavity. The origin of the rotator cuff muscles is the large flat areas of the scapula or shoulder blade, but for the muscles to be able exert their forces the shoulder blade must itself be stabilised. The shoulder blade floats over the thoracic rib cage and is attached by various muscles to the trunk, the rhomboids, trapezius and serratus anterior. If there is a dysfunction in these muscle groups the stability of the scapula will be compromised, making it difficult or impossible for the rotator cuff group to do their work effectively.

The rotator cuff muscle all originate medially to the shoulder, i.e. further in towards the middle of the body. They pass outwards towards the head of the humerus, becoming tendons close to the shoulder itself and then inserting into the greater tuberosity, a bony protrusion on the outside of the head of the humerus. The primary pull of the rotator cuff muscles is in a directly inwardly direction, pulling the humeral head firmly against the glenoid. This counteracts the tendency of the deltoid muscle to pull the humeral head upwards.