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

Continuous Passive Motion after Knee Replacement

Total knee replacement is an increasingly common treatment for knee osteoarthritis and large numbers of elderly people undergo this operation every year. Physiotherapy management and treatment of these patients post-operatively is therefore becoming increasingly important if the best functional outcome is to be achieved. Early rehabilitation focuses on improving strength in the quadriceps muscle, restoring range of motion of knee flexion and facilitating gait and activities of daily living. The restoration of knee ranges of movement is one of the key elements on which success is judged and much physiotherapy time is dedicated to this part of the treatment.

A continuous passive motion machine is commonly used to improve knee flexion range of movement, as regular passive movement of a joint has been shown to result in better healing as compared to resting. Research work has shown a minor short term effect of using this treatment technique and it is often reserved for difficult cases such as after manipulation under anaesthetic for a stiff joint. Patients can remain on the machine for long periods but it is important not to forget active practice of the ranges of motion to improve muscle function. Overall continuous passive motion has not been shown to play a significant role in standard knee replacements.

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.