spine logo Highworth Physiotherapy Clinic
 13 High Street,  Highworth,  Swindon.  SN6 7AG
                       tel: 01793 763814

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PHYSIOTHERAPY


PHYSIOTHERAPY

Commonly treated conditions:
Tennis Elbow
Upper and Lower back pain
Headaches
Strains
Arthritis
Sports injuries

Homeopathy

Steroid Injection Therapy:
Why would I need a local Steroid Injection?
How long will the Steroid Injection take to work and how long will it last?
Do I need to do anything after the injection?
Orthotics

CSK website

What do the initials mean?
MCSP
HCPC
AACP
ACPAT
SRP

A bit of fun

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Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy is the treatment of a wide variety of injuries and conditions using a range of manual techniques, manipulation, masage, advice, exercise and electrotherapy. When appropriate, a lot of time is spent teaching the patient self help exercises so that they can manage their own condition. All the physiotherapists at this practice are experienced Chartered Physiotherapists who treat sports injuries, back pain, neck pain, arthritis, aches, strains and pains. We are committed to a high level of clinical expertise and customer satisfaction.
All our physiotherapists undertake at least 25 hours post graduate education every year.
After qualification many physiotherapists go on to train in specialist areas including acupuncture, pilates and animal therapy. As we have several physiotherapists at the clinic, with a range of different expertise, we may transfer you to a different physiotherapist within the clinic whose skills, we believe, will more succesfully treat your condition.


Common conditions treated by physiotherapists include:
Tennis Elbow
A common term used to describe pains in the forearm and elbow area. However this condition is not restricted to tennis players but can affect golfers, gardeners and factory workers who strain their arm. The condition can be treated with manual therapy, ultrasound and often the use of an arm brace can help prevent the condition returning.


Upper and Lower back pain
These can have a variety of causes from poor posture to whiplash and even uneven leg length. Most can be successfully treated with a combination of manual therapy, advice, postural correction and exercises. Lumbar rolls, seat wedges and neck pillows can also help maintain improvement as can workplace assessments.


Headaches
Headaches are often caused by problems in the top part of the neck at the base of the skull. Headaches with this cause can therefore be treated as a neck problem and do respond well to manual therapy and exercises.


Strains
Muscle and ligament strains are very common and not just in sports men and women. They can be extremely painful and debilitating but fortunately do respond very well to electrotherapy such as ultrasound or laser. Graded exercises and advice on how quickly to return to your normal activity are also very important.


Arthritis
Although the actual arthritis cannot be treated by physiotherapy, the pain, swelling and muscle weakness can. Physiotherapy can therefore make life much more comfortable and even delay or prevent the need for surgery.


Sports injuries
Often injuries occur during training and whilst rest would be the first choice treatment upcoming events eg a marathon or a football tournament dont allow this. Physiotherapy can speed up the healing process and specific training advice will ensure training can continue without causing further injury. RICE is the recognised first intervention, meaning rest, ice, compression and elevation. Physiotherapists are experts in the initial treatment and follow up rehabilitation of these types of injuries.



Homeopathy
A safe complementary medicine suitable for all ages.
Can treat stress and anxiety, migranes, eczema, childhood illness and behaviour problems.



Steroid Injection Therapy:
Why would I need a local Steroid Injection?
Steroid Injections can be given to treat inflammation or pain. They are usually injected into the joint of the surrounding soft tissue. Sometimes they are used alone, other times they will be followed by physiotherapy. Reducing pain and swelling with a steroid injection can help make the physiotherapy work better.
The steroid injection is usually combined with local anaesthetic. Local anaesthetic is used to increase the volume of the injection and help us know that the injection is in the right place.


How long will the Steroid Injection take to work and how long will it last?
This varies between different people, but usually improvement starts after one or two days. Sometimes it can take up to 6 weeks for the benefits to take effect. The benefit usually lasts from a few weeks to several months.


Do I need to do anything after the injection?
After the injection it is advisable to rest the injected limb for the first 3 to 7 days. Try to avoid activities that make the symptoms worse. Limit walking and don't participate in sports.



Orthotics to correct excess pronation and other foot posture problems
Excessive pronation of the foot (flat feet) causes the arch of the foot to flatten and can result in heel, knee, hip and back pain. It is very common and in most cases can be treated by a physiotherapist with supportive insoles. The insoles support the arch, realigning the lower limb correctly which alleviates the resulting pain. Incorrect foot posture and leg length discrepancies can also be corrected with appropriately positioned additional wedges. For more complicated conditions we can refer you to a specialist podiatrist.
The sequence of pictures below show: 1. Normal foot; 2. Flat foot with collapsed arch; 3. Over arched foot; 4. Patient with excess pronation commonly known as flat feet.
picture of normal foot picture of collapsed arch of foot picture of excessive arched foot picture of patient with flat feet & collapsed arch


CKS website  (Clinical Knowledge Summaries)
This is a NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) website designed to inform the public of most medical problems and treatments.
It contains lots of useful information on diagnosis and treatments of problems, and patients can also download patient information leaflets.


What do the initials mean?    (Look on the links page and follow the links for further information)

MCSP   Member of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy
To become CSP registered you must have completed a recognised degree course in physiotherapy. Membership of the CSP also gives the physiotherapist essential insurance to practice. Your physiotherapist MUST be a member of the CSP to practice physiotherapy.


HCPC   Health & Care Professions Council
The Health & Care Professions Council controls a number of health professions and police the quality of treatments the professions give. Your physiotherapist MUST be a member of the HCPC to practice physiotherapy.


AACP   Acupuncture Association of Chartered Physiotherapists
Some physiotherapists use acupuncture as a treatment for pain relief. They will have had post graduate training in acupuncture.


ACPAT   Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Animal Therapy
Some physiotherapists have undertaken further training to become category A members of ACPAT. These physiotherapists are allowed to treat animals referred by a vet. These are usually horses and dogs but can include cows, sheep and pigs or indeed any mammal.


SRP   State Registered Physiotherapist
This is an old title which has been superceeded by HCPC. If your physiotherapist is still using these initials they are out of date.



A bit of fun
Workmen operating on a spine













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