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

Environmental Risks for Low Back Pain

The risks of low back pain are well known to be connected with high risk activities such as lifting heavy objects from the floor whilst twisted or doing activities requiring quick bending and twisting. A sudden and unplanned occurrence of having to exert high levels of muscle power quickly is also risky for developing low back problems. The physical demands of work such as lifting, twisting, bending and vibration are all risk factors for developing back trouble and in worsening already existing cases of back trouble. There is not a clear connection between work and back trouble although work stresses, if prolonged, can cause episodes or back pain or prolong already existing ones.

The reasons for not being able to work and for developing disability from a back pain problem are more closely related to complex factors of a psychosocial nature which are both individual and work related. Factors relating to sport have been contradictory in the research literature but activities which demand heavy loads such as gymnastics and weight lifting are associated with a higher risk of disc degeneration which could lead to symptoms in time. Spinal tissues may be affected adversely both by too little activity and by too much.

Supraspinatus Tendonitis of the Shoulder

The shoulder joint is controlled by a group of muscles known as the rotator cuff which originate from the scapula or shoulder blade and travel outwards until they become tendons and insert into the top of the arm bone. The cuff stabilises and holds the large ball of the arm bone in place on the small socket as the shoulder goes through its very large range of motion. Without the rotator cuff the large and powerful deltoid muscle would just pull the shoulder area upwards rather than lift the arm above the head. The supraspinatus muscle is one of the cuff group and its tendon runs just underneath the bony arch above the arm bone to attach to the outside.

If the shoulder is used repetitively for an unaccustomed activity the tendon can impinge on the bony arch above and become inflamed and painful. This is supraspinatus tendonitis, a condition which can be acutely painful or more chronically restricting for the use of the shoulder. Physiotherapy treatment consists of ultrasound or frictions to the tender area and correction of any shoulder muscle imbalances. Further treatment includes corticosteroid injections to reduce the inflammation and if severe enough, investigation to look for rotator cuff tendon tears.