Nenungwi physiotherapy

09/01/2023

We welcome you into a new year ,Much love to you family your support doesn't go Unnoticed ❤️

17/08/2021

For all your back and neck problems call us and make an Appointment 012 320 5375

04/01/2021

Happy new year to all our patients..

25/11/2020

13/02/2020

SHOULDER IMPINGEMENT SYNDROME.

Shoulder impingement syndrome is a common cause of shoulder pain. It occurs when there is impingement of tendons or bursa in the shoulder from bones of the shoulder. Overhead activity of the shoulder, especially repeated activity, is a risk factor for shoulder impingement syndrome. Examples include: painting, lifting, swimming, tennis, and other overhead sports. Other risk factors include bone and joint abnormalities.

With impingement syndrome, pain is persistent and affects everyday activities. Motions such as reaching up behind the back or reaching up overhead to put on a coat or blouse, for example, may cause pain.

Over time, impingement syndrome can lead to inflammation of the rotator cuff tendons (tendinitis) and bursa (bursitis). If not treated appropriately, the rotator cuff tendons can start to thin and tear.

PHYSIO CAN HELP.

BOOK YOUR APPOINTMENT : 012 320 5375

29/01/2020

We are here for your physical well-being.
We are based in Pretoria Central.
BOOK your appointment with us 012 320 5375.

01/12/2019

MEDIAL COLLATERAL LIGAMENT STRAIN.

What is your Medial Collateral Ligament?
MCL strain

Your medial collateral ligament (MCL) is the knee ligament on the medial (inner) side of your knee connecting the medial femoral condyle and the medial tibial condyle. It is one of four major knee ligaments that help to stabilise the knee joint. It is a flat band of tough fibrous connective tissue composed of long, stringy collagen molecules.

The main function of the MCL is to resist valgus force, which occurs if the tibia/foot is forced outwards in relation to the knee.

What Causes MCL injury?
The MCL is injured when the (valgus) force is too great for the ligament to resist and the ligament is overstretched. This can occur through a sharp change in direction, twisting the knee whilst the foot is fixed, landing wrong from a jump, or the most common a blunt force hit to the knee, such as in football tackle. The incident usually needs to happen at speed. Muscle weakness or incoordination predispose you to a ligament sprain or tear.

Knee Ligaments Injury Severity?
The severity and symptoms of a knee ligament sprain depend on the degree of stretching or tearing of the knee ligament. You may notice an audible snap or tearing sound at the time of your ligment injury.

In a mild Grade I MCL sprain, the knee ligament has a slight stretch, but they don't actually tear. Although the knee joint may not hurt or swell very much, a mild ligament sprain can increase the risk of a repeat injury.

With a moderate Grade II MCL sprain, the knee ligament tears partially. Knee swelling and bruising are common, and use of the knee joint is usually painful and difficult. You may have some complaints of instability or a feeling of the knee giving way.

With a severe Grade III MCL sprain, the ligament tears completely, causing swelling and sometimes bleeding under the skin. As a result, the joint is unstable and can be difficult to bear weight. You may have a feeling of the knee giving way. Often there will be no pain or severe pain that subsides quickly following a grade 3 tear as all of the pain fibres are torn at the time of injury. With these more severe tears, other structures are at risk of injury including the meniscus and/or ACL.

How is an MCL Injury Diagnosed?
On examination, your physiotherapist will look for signs of ligament injury. There will be tenderness over the ligament site, possible swelling and pain with stress tests. MRI may also be used to diagnose a knee ligament injury and look at other surrounding structures for combination injuries.

How Long does it take for an MCL Injury to Heal?
Treatment of an MCL injury varies depending on its severity and whether there are other combination injuries.

Grade I sprains usually heal within a few weeks. Maximal ligament strength will occur after six weeks when the collagen fibres have matured. Resting from painful activity, icing the injury, and some anti-inflammatory medications are useful. Physiotherapy will help to hasten the healing process via electrical modalities, massage, strengthening and joint exercises to guide the direction that the ligament fibres heal. This helps to prevent a future tear.

When a Grade II sprain occurs, use of a weight-bearing brace or some supportive taping is common in early treatment. This helps to ease the pain and avoid stretching of the healing ligament. After a grade II injury, you can usually return to activity once the joint is stable and you are no longer having pain. This may take up to six weeks. Physiotherapy helps to hasten the healing process via electrical modalities, massage, strengthening and joint exercises to guide the direction that the ligament fibres heal. This helps to prevent a future tear and quickly return you to your pre-injury status.

When a Grade III injury occurs, you usually wear a hinged knee brace, locked into extension, and use crutches for 1-2 weeks to protect the injury from weight-bearing stresses. As pain resolves the brace can be unlocked to allow movement as tolerated. The aim is to allow for ligament healing and gradually return to normal activities. These injuries are most successfully treated via physiotherapy and may not return to their full level of activity for 3 to 4 months. All Grade III injuries should be rehabilitated under the guidance of your physiotherapist and knee specialist.

What is the Treatment for an MCL Injury?
Depending on the grade of injury you can start to feel better within days to just a few weeks of the injury. Your physiotherapy treatment will aim to:

Reduce pain and inflammation.
Normalise joint range of motion.
Strengthen your knee: esp quadriceps (esp VMO) and hamstrings.
Strengthen your lower limb: calves, hip and pelvis muscles.
Improve patellofemoral (knee cap) alignment
Normalise your muscle lengths
Improve your proprioception, agility and balance
Improve your technique and function eg walking, running, squatting, hopping and landing.
Guide return to sport activities and exercises
Minimise your chance of re-injury.
However, we strongly suggest that you discuss your knee injury after a thorough examination from a knee injury specialist such as a physiotherapist, sports physician or knee surgeon.

Knee Ligament Surgery
Most MCL injuries resolve well with conservative management, however, surgery may be considered if there is significant ligament disruption eg Grade III. Surgery may also be required if the are significant combination injuries involving the ACL and/or meniscus. In these cases a knee specialist will guide the need for surgery.

Risks of surgery include infection, persistent instability and pain, stiffness, and difficulty returning to your previous level of activity. The good news is that better than 90% of patients have no complications post-surgery.

Post-Surgical Rehabilitation
Post-operative knee rehabilitation is one of the most important aspects of knee surgery. The most successful and quickest outcomes result from the guidance and supervision of an experienced physiotherapist.

Your physiotherapy rehabilitation following knee surgery focuses on restoring full knee motion, strength, power and endurance. You'll also require balance, proprioception and agility retraining that is individualised towards your specific sporting or functional needs.

As mentioned earlier your physiotherapist is an expert in this field. We suggest you contact them for the best advice in your circumstances.

Your physiotherapist will guide your return to sport. It is highly variable and depends upon on your specific knee ligament injury and the demands of your sport.

How to Prevent Recurrence of MCL Injuries?
A knee strengthening, agility and proprioceptive training program is the best way to reduce your chance of a knee ligament sprain. Premature return to high-risk activities such as sport are best discussed with your physiotherapist or surgeon.

For more information call 012 320 5375 or ask your physiotherapist for advice

25/11/2019

PLANTAR FASCIITIS
Plantar fasciitis is where you have pain on the bottom of your foot, around your heel and arch. You can usually ease the pain yourself, but see a PHYSIOTHERAPIST if the pain does not improve within 2 weeks.

Check if you have plantar fasciitis
An image of the bottom of a foot showing pain around the heel and arch.
The main symptom of plantar fasciitis is pain on the bottom of your foot, around your heel and arch.
It's more likely to be plantar fasciitis if: the pain is much worse when you start walking after sleeping or resting the pain feels better during exercise, but returns after resting it's difficult to raise your toes off the floor

COMMON CAUSES OF PLANTAR FASCIITIS
Plantar fasciitis is caused by straining the part of your foot that connects your heel bone to your toes (plantar fascia).

It's not always clear why this happens.

You may be more likely to get plantar fasciitis if you:
recently started exercising on hard surfaces exercise with a tight calf or heel overstretch the sole of your foot during exercise recently started doing a lot more walking, running or standing up wear shoes with poor cushioning or support
are very OVERWEIGHT.

BOOK YOUR APPOINTMENT WITH A PHYSIOTHERAPIST.

15/11/2019

ILIOTIBIAL BAND SYNDROME

Iliotibial band syndrome is an overuse injury of the connective issues that are located on the outer thigh and knee.
The iliotibial band runs along the lateral or outside aspect of the thigh, from the pelvis to the tibia, crossing both the hip and knee joints. The iliotibial band is an important stabilizer structure of the lateral part of the knee as the joint flexes and extends.
Inflammation and irritation of the iliotibial band can occur as it travels back and forth, crossing the bony prominence of the femoral epicondyle as the knee flexes and extends.
Iliotibial band syndrome is an overuse injury causing pain on the outside part of the knee especially during running when the heel strikes the ground.
Rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE) and anti-inflammatory medications are first-line treatments.

Physiotherapy may be helpful. Surgery is rarely an option but is sometimes suggested for patients who develop chronic inflammation and who fail to respond to other treatment options.
Prevention includes maintaining flexibility and strength of the low back, hips, knees, and leg muscles, and is key to avoiding recurrence.
Iliotibial band syndrome is sometimes called ITBS, IT band syndrome, ITB syndrome, and ITBFS (iliotibial band friction syndrome).
decreasing activity.

12/11/2019

ARTHRITIS OF THE KNEE

Arthritis is inflammation of one or more of your joints. Pain, swelling, and stiffness are the primary symptoms of arthritis. Any joint in the body may be affected by the disease, but it is particularly common in the knee.

Knee arthritis can make it hard to do many everyday activities, such as walking or climbing stairs. It is a major cause of lost work time and a serious disability for many people.

The most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, but there are more than 100 different forms. While arthritis is mainly an adult disease, some forms affect children.

Although there is no cure for arthritis, there are many treatment options available to help manage pain and keep people staying active

DESCRIPTION

The major types of arthritis that affect the knee are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and posttraumatic arthritis.

OSTEOARTHRITIS

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis in the knee. It is a degenerative,"wear-and-tear" type of arthritis that occurs most often in people 50 years of age and older, but may occur in younger people, too.

In osteoarthritis, the cartilage in the knee joint gradually wears away. As the cartilage wears away, it becomes frayed and rough, and the protective space between the bones decreases. This can result in bone rubbing on bone, and produce painful bone spurs.

Osteoarthritis develops slowly and the pain it causes worsens over time.

osteoarthritis and bone spurs
Osteoarthritis often results in bone rubbing on bone. Bone spurs are a common feature of this form of arthritis.

RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease that attacks multiple joints throughout the body, including the knee joint. It is symmetrical, meaning that it usually affects the same joint on both sides of the body.

In rheumatoid arthritis the synovial membrane that covers the knee joint begins to swell, This results in knee pain and stiffness.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease. This means that the immune system attacks its own tissues. The immune system damages normal tissue (such as cartilage and ligaments) and softens the bone.

POSTTRAUMATIC ARTHRITIS

Posttraumatic arthritis is form of arthritis that develops after an injury to the knee. For example, a broken bone may damage the joint surface and lead to arthritis years after the injury. Meniscal tears and ligament injuries can cause instability and additional wear on the knee joint, which over time can result in arthritis.

SYMPTOMS

A knee joint affected by arthritis may be painful and inflamed. Generally, the pain develops gradually over time, although sudden onset is also possible. There are other symptoms, as well:

The joint may become stiff and swollen, making it difficult to bend and straighten the knee.
Pain and swelling may be worse in the morning, or after sitting or resting.
Vigorous activity may cause pain to flare up.
Loose fragments of cartilage and other tissue can interfere with the smooth motion of joints. The knee may "lock" or "stick" during movement. It may creak, click, snap or make a grinding noise (crepitus).
Pain may cause a feeling of weakness or buckling in the knee.
Many people with arthritis note increased joint pain with rainy weather in the winter months.

TREATMENT
There is no cure for arthritis but there are a number of treatments that may help relieve the pain and disability it can cause.

Nonsurgical Treatment
As with other arthritic conditions, initial treatment of arthritis of the knee is nonsurgical. Your doctor may recommend a range of treatment options.

Lifestyle modifications. Some changes in your daily life can protect your knee joint and slow the progress of arthritis.

Minimize activities that aggravate the condition, such as climbing stairs.
Switching from high impact activities (like jogging or tennis) to lower impact activities (like swimming or cycling) will put less stress on your knee.
Losing weight can reduce stress on the knee joint, resulting in less pain and increased function.

PHYSIOTHERAPY . Specific exercises can help increase range of motion and flexibility, as well as help strengthen the muscles in your leg. Your doctor or a physical therapist can help develop an individualized exercise program that meets your needs and lifestyle.

Assistive devices. Using devices such as a cane, wearing shock-absorbing shoes or inserts, or wearing a brace or knee sleeve can be helpful. A brace assists with stability and function, and may be especially helpful if the arthritis is centered on one side of the knee. There are two types of braces that are often used for knee arthritis: An "unloader" brace shifts weight away from the affected portion of the knee, while a "support" brace helps support the entire knee load.

Other remedies. Applying heat or ice, using pain-relieving ointments or creams, or wearing elastic bandages to provide support to the knee may provide some relief from pain.

Medications. Several types of drugs are useful in treating arthritis of the knee. Because people respond differently to medications, your doctor will work closely with you to determine the medications and dosages that are safe and effective for you.

Over-the-counter, non-narcotic pain relievers and anti-inflammatory medications are usually the first choice of therapy for arthritis of the knee. Acetaminophen is a simple, over-the-counter pain reliever that can be effective in reducing arthritis pain.

Like all medications, over-the-counter pain relievers can cause side effects and interact with other medications you are taking. Be sure to discuss potential side effects with your doctor.

Another type of pain reliever is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, or NSAID (pronounced "en-said"). NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen and naproxen, are available both over-the-counter and by prescription.

AND MANY OTHER OPTIONS INCLUDING SURGERY...

BOOK YOUR APPOINTMENT NOW....

07/11/2019

Let's learn together...

De Quervain's tenosynovitis

De Quervain's tenosynovitis refers to inflammation of the tendons in the thumb. The condition makes it painful when a person moves their thumb.
Activities linked to De Quervain's include:

golf
playing the piano
typing
carpentry
carrying a child
The condition is more common in women than men and often happens after pregnancy.

Other causes include scar tissue formation from an injury or inflammatory arthritis.

Symptoms
The main symptoms are pain and swelling at the base of the thumb.

These lead to:

pain when moving the thumb or wrist
pain when making a fist
swelling and tenderness on the side of the wrist
feeling or hearing creaking as the tendons slide through the sheath
reduced grip strength
Movements that involve the thumb and wrist, including pinching, grasping, or wringing will make the pain worse.

06/11/2019

Look after your health....

06/11/2019

PHYSIOTHERAPY
There are countless reasons why you may require physiotherapy. These reasons range from post-operative rehabilitation, acute or chronic pain, back pain, and work-related injury recovery, etc. Just to name a few!
There are countless reasons why you may require physiotherapy.

These reasons range from post-operative rehabilitation, acute or chronic pain, back pain, and work-related injury recovery, etc. Just to name a few!

There are many different physiotherapy disciplines offered at the NENUNGWI PHYSIOTHERAPIST :

Medico-Legal Report, Rehabilitation post Neurological insult, Physical Conditions such as Sprains and Strains, and Repetitive Strain Injury
Back and Neck Pain
Joint Arthritis and Fibromyalgia
Foot and Ankle Pain
General Orthopedics
Knee and Ankle Pain
Manual Therapy
Postoperative Rehabilitation (for example Shoulder surgeries, knee surgeries, total knee, and hip replacements, etc.)
Shoulder Pain and Tennis Elbow
Spine Rehabilitation
Sports Injuries
Work Injury Rehabilitation
Benefits of Physiotherapy

Helps you restore mobility, strength, confidence, and independence.
Restores physical function for quality of life enhancement.
Helps warding off the pain.
Improves joint mobility.
Our Physiotherapists indeed help people affected by musculoskeletal injuries, illness or disability.

Our comprehensive method of care combines orthopedic manual therapy with a holistic approach to achieve long-term wellness.
We offer prompt appointments through personally-designed and tailored physiotherapy plans, our physiotherapists offer comprehensive neurogical rehabilitation, can relieve the pain of sports injuries, postoperative pain, arthritis, as well as joint, muscle and nerve problems.