Common Conditions We Treat
This section covers the most common conditions encountered at the practice.
Low Back Pain
At Brook Physio our management of spinal pain has developed enormously over the last few years to embrace the multidimensional components of chronic spinal pain.
Research indicates that only 15% of patients suffering from chronic low back pain have a specific pathology that can be identified on a scan or x-ray and related to a patient’s symptoms. This means, that for 85% of chronic low back pain sufferers, the scan doesn’t help explain the symptoms and yet large sums of money are spent on unnecessary X-rays, CT and MRI scans. Unfortunatley the over-reliance and misinterpretation of these type of investigations can often dictate the management approach resulting in poor outcomes to many treatment approaches including physical and injection therapy and in some cases surgery.
For this challenging so called “non-specific group” there is now overwhelming evidence, for us as therapists, to embrace a bio-psychosocial model and to consider physical, life style, ergonomic, psychological and structural factors in the management of spinal pain. The challenge is to establish the key individual drivers for a patient’s problem and target their management accordingly. This is why at Brook Physio we place a great emphasis on the initial assessment to in order to clearly understand your condition.
Over the years, with this patient-centered focus, we have been able to achieve rewarding results giving hope to many patients with persistent low back who have failed other conservative and surgical approaches.
Shoulder Pain
The shoulder is the most mobile joint in the body which can make it vulnerable to injury and a common site of pain. At Brook physio we assess and manage a range of shoulder complaints including post-fracture, sports injuries and joint disease associated with age-related changes. Some of the most common conditions associated with shoulder pain are described below:
⦁ ‘Frozen shoulder’ or ‘Adhesive Capsulitis’ is a painful condition of the shoulder capsule that can severely impair normal movement
⦁ Rotator cuff tendon disorders including tears and degeneration
⦁ ‘Impingement syndrome' which represents a pinching of the rotator cuff tendons (principally the main supraspinatus tendon) due to a narrowing of the sub-acromial space.
The shoulder relies primarily on the rotator cuff and scapula muscles for stability. Impairment to this stabilising system will have profound effects on the shoulder complex in terms of movement and function. Analysis of control of the shoulder complex will include a detailed examination of posture, evaluation of natural movement patterns and assessment of specific dysfunction to enable the clinician to determine the mechanisms driving the disorder to best target treatment intervention.
To compliment the clinical assessment the initial examination may include a diagnostic ultrasound scan of the painful shoulder. Diagnostic ultrasound is a reliable examination tool in the diagnosis of shoulder pathologies and is useful to confirm clinical diagnosis and provide visual imaging to the patient.
Treatment will be targeted to specific needs and will include a combination of manual therapy, soft tissue techniques, motor control retraining and sports-specific gym based exercise rehabilitation to optimise mobility, control and function of the upper limb.
Knee Pain
The knee is an important weight bearing joint between the hip and the foot, and is commonly a site of pain associated with sporting activities or degenerative processes.It is important to understand that pain at the knee is not always indicative of damage to the knee structure itself and can be a consequence of issues relating to the hip, foot or lower back. It is common to find that looking at just the knee anatomy on the couch or medical images of the knee that there is still no explanation for the knee pain.
At Brook Physiotherapy we consider the whole lower limb when assessing or treating any knee condition.This involves a detailed assessment of the major joints at the pelvis and legs and how they are able to cope and work together with the loads of day to day or sporting activities. Other individuals have damage to knee cartilage, ligaments or muscles and may often be referred to physiotherapy, by their GP or consultant. Not all knee injuries end with surgery and a vast majority of patients return to full sporting activities with the right management plan. Being a joint that relies very heavily on the muscles that surround it makes the knee very responsive to conservative management.Treatment options may include manual therapy to allow the structures of the knee to move normally again and a structured progressive exercise plan to work towards your specific goals. All therapists at Brook Physiotherapist are well versed in exercise prescription and aim to bridge the gap between injury and returning to your desired activity level.
Sports Injuries
Millions of people worldwide are involved in sporting activities, ranging from professional to recreational levels. This has well documented physical, psychological and social benefits for the participants. Unfortunately, injuries can and do happen when participating in sports and this can be a frustrating time for athletes of all levels.
Injuries can be broadly divided into two main categories:
ACUTE INJURIES are injuries that happen all of a sudden. These can be down to outside factors such as contact with an opponent or intrinsic factors such as straining a muscle. Examples of acute injuries are ligament sprains, muscle strains, fractures, dislocations and cartilage tears.
OVERUSE INJURIES have a gradual onset and occur when the demands placed on a structure in the body exceed its ability to cope. Examples of overuse injuries include tendinopathy (tendinitis), stress fractures, groin pain and shoulder impingement syndrome. Overuse injuries can be particularly frustrating, as the sports person will often have an underlying biomechanical cause which predisposes them to the injury and prolongs its course.
At Brook Physio, we recognise the importance of not only diagnosing and treating the initial condition, but also identifying any underlying biomechanical or movement dysfunctions which have predisposed the sports person to injury. Correcting these will allow the sports person to return to sport without pain and reduce the likelihood of the problem recurring. Potential problems that can predispose to injury and will be assessed include; spinal, pelvic and limb control, muscle imbalances, lack of flexibility, training errors and inappropriate footwear.
We place a great emphasis on exercise therapy and rehabilitation and have the luxury of being based in a fully equipped gym. This allows us to work with sports people to rehabilitate fully from injury and ensure the transition from injury to full fitness is as smooth as possible.
To help with the diagnosis and management of sporting injuries, we have the benefit of diagnostic ultrasound at the clinic. This is especially useful for the diagnosis of soft tissue injuries such as tendon, ligament and muscle tears.
At Brook Physiotherapy, our physiotherapists have a great deal of experience working with injured amateur and professional sports people and to help them return to their previous levels of activity. We work closely with a wide range of other specialties such as orthopaedic and general surgeons, sports physicians, radiologists, rheumatologists, GP’s, podiatrists and fitness trainers. Our aim is to provide holistic management that is individual for each sports person’s needs.
Other Conditions We Treat
This section covers many of the common conditions encountered at the practice. The list is not exhaustive and we would ask you to contact us if you have any specific queries about a condition which you do not see on the list.
Chronic pain
Chronic low back pain
Chronic neck pain
Osteoarthritis
Chronic tendon pain
Nerve pain
Fibromyalgia
Widespread pain
Chronic fatigue
Whiplash
Hypermobility
Tendinopathy
Migraines and tension headache
Stress related disorders
Chronic joint related pain
Complex regional pain syndrome
Book an Appointment
To make an appointment please call 020 8501 1449 and speak to our reception staff or use our contact form to send us a message.
You can self-refer or be referred by your GP or consultant. Skype and Zoom consultations are available.
T: 020 8501 1449