Physiotherapy can offer an effective treatment for a wide range of orthopaedic conditions, sports-related injuries and other muscle, bone and joint pathologies. At Manual Physiotherapy Physio Clinic we use evidence-based practices to develop individualized treatment and therapeutic exercise plans, following a patient-centered approach, using the latest technologies and equipment to enhance our patients’ healing and rehabilitation and prevent re-injury.
Tendinopathies
The effects of tendinopathies in everyday life can be so severe that the patient can stop any sports or significantly reduce other activities such as social, family, professional, etc.
Why come to Manualphysiotherapy and not do the exercises alone?
Because trying to cure yourself based on information you find scattered on the internet is the best recipe for failure. The risks are multiple and can be summarized in the following statement.
Ordinary patients
- can not evaluate the accuracy of the information seen on the internet
don’t have the ability to diagnose the exact mechanism that caused their pain. - can not do the differential diagnostic tests, ie to distinguish safely if the pain they feels is from the tendon at the point where it connects with the bone, the connection of the tendon with the muscle, the direction of the force that causes pain, its extent injury etc.
- don’t know the rehabilitation protocols with the exercises which, while they seem simple, but have points of attention in the way of execution which can’t be shown even in the gym and neither can be learned from the internet.
- can not adjust and modify the exercise program in case they have pain while performing an exercise.
- don’t have the ability to change the degree of difficulty of the training program because a patient does not have the necessary scientific knowledge to structure a personalized rehabilitation program, therefore the risk of re-injury and chronicity increases significantly.
What to expect from Manual Physiotherapy?
Instead we at Manualphysiotherapy will take your history in detail and examine the 10 points to find the exact mechanism and results of the lesion but also to find out exactly which tendon has been injured, at what point exactly, the percentage in which its performance has been reduced (strength and endurance), whether other sensitive tissues such as nerves or bones have been injured, but also if any other asymmetry has occurred which affects your quality of life and performance in sport or performance in your various professional but also social activities and hobbies. We will design for you the appropriate program for pain management and functional rehabilitation, so that you can return as soon as possible and safely to any activity you had before the onset of tendonitis.
You can contact us for any questions or complete Prosomatic Physio, a 10′ questionnaire for a free evaluation.
Shoulder Pain (Periarthritis)
One of the most common area that causes severe symptoms is the shoulder joint. Pain is the most usual symptom and it is often accompanied by inability to perform certain movements along with stiffness that is usually painful too.
Periarthritis of the shoulder and physiotherapy
The purpose of physical therapy is the complete restoration of joint movement, muscle strength, endurance and the return of the patient as much as possible to his activities (sports, professional, social, etc.).
When can physical therapy begin?
When the pain is at tolerable levels, physiotherapy can be started which may include painkillers such as tecar, electrotherapy etc and manual therapy techniques.
Periarthritis of the shoulder: techniques to reduce pain and restore movement
Some of the techniques used are mobilizations aimed at reducing pain and restoring the movement of the shoulder joint when it is restricted as in cases of fractures, dislocation, or any restriction of movement.
Periarthritis of the shoulder: shoulder exercises
Balance exercises for the shoulders, shoulder flexion exercises, shoulder flexibility exercises
How is classical physiotherapy different from what we do at Manualphysiotherapy?
Manual therapy is the best physiotherapy option for the treatment of shoulder periarthritis, because it addresses not only the symptom, but the cause of the dysfunction. It makes the difference because we pay very much attention in the history documentation of each patient, the clinical examination that is done with a detailed test and various movements that aim to reproduce and relieve the familiar pain of the patient. This is the bet and more accurate way to establish a correct diagnosis.
In terms of treatment techniques in which the therapist’s hands are used along with the therapeutic exercise which should start as soon as possible.
Our experience of over 20 years enables us to have the best possible results much sooner and in fact 8 out of 10 patients complete their therapeutic goal in half a year than expected, while the improvement of symptoms is visible in the first 3 – 4 treatments. The exercise program is always tailored to the needs and special characteristics of each patient. It should not aggravate the symptoms, and should always be accompanied by a package of exercises that the patient does at home between visits to the physiotherapist.
You can contact us for any questions or complete Prosomatic Physio, a 10′ questionnaire for a free evaluation.
Low back pain
Very common problem affecting millions of people around the world with enormous financial, social and health repercussions. Sometimes there is pain that can be very severe, without the patient being able to remember any movement that preceded it and could be blamed for his symptom.
Diagnosis and back pain
The first step to a proper diagnosis is to get a detailed patient’s history. Then various movements of the spine are done actively by the patient and passively by the physiotherapist to assess the joints of the spine, the strength of the muscles related to back problems and the health of the nerves that can be affected and be the source of symptoms. Based on the findings of the clinical examination, the problem is diagnosed and categorized in order to select the appropriate therapeutic techniques and exercises.
Points of caution: if we do not feel the skin between our legs as in the rest of the body and it feels like it is not “ours” then we must go to the doctor immediately. Likewise, if we suddenly lose strength in some muscles of our foot, we can not lift the sole and toes or if we suddenly show incontinence in urination or defecation!
Treatment in cases of back pain
Usually the treatment of back pain is conservative, ie physiotherapy. After the patient has visited his doctor and serious pathologies have been ruled out, very often medication is given. Physiotherapy will help you get back to your daily routine. At the beginning and as long as there are still painful symptoms, electrotherapy can be used, but the therapeutic exercise should start as soon as possible and in a painless way.
The techniques used are for treating pain when it is felt locally in the middle, or when it radiates to the foot or even the toes. They can be techniques of decompression of the lumbar spine like manual traction, in combination with movements of the vertebrae and various other combinations as shown in the photos that follow.
Then, as soon as possible therapeutic exercise begins, that aims at muscle strengthening, proper control of the body in daily movements and activities and avoiding the creation of fear avoidance for movement that has a huge risk of leading to chronicity.
The greatest risk is to become a chronic patient, that is, to suffer from pain that has nothing to do with the intervertebral disc, nor with the nerves or the muscles, but is the result of a complex process that includes wrong information, wrong stereotypes. and perceptions, increased levels of stress and destructive thinking. This is a huge social problem with significant economic, social, personal and other implications to the extent that efforts have been made to make tools for predicting which patient is a candidate to develop chronic pain. More information .
That is why exercise is not only the best medicine with the longest duration, but also the safest way both to prevent and to break the vicious circle of pain of impotence and mental suffering.
How Manualphysiotherapy can help you
- Our moto is “If your case is rare, we care!”. We provide personal care for each of our patients and follow every one up with telephone support after the treatment.
- Let us inform you correctly and help you overcome any of your fears about having to live with your issue.
- By examining the 10 points we will find the exact cause of the problem that concerns you and plan the appropriate treatment for you.
- With us you will learn what to look out for in your daily activities and how to set realistic goals to stay active and independent.
You can contact us for any questions or complete Prosomatic Physio, a 10′ questionnaire for a free evaluation.
Cervical Syndrome
Most often there is pain that may be accompanied by a feeling of tightness in the neck area (neck). The pain may be felt locally in the neck, or it may even reflect up to the fingers. Symptoms may include numbness, muscle weakness, feeling of electric current running the arm down to the fingers. In severe cases of cervical myelopathy disturbances in gait may be observed too.
Treatment of cervical syndrome
The most common treatment for cervical syndrome is Physiotherapy. Manual Therapy is the most effective, safe and scientifically proven method. In cases where the symptoms are very severe and the patient is very irritable, medication is needed and prescribed by the doctor in order to reduce the irritability. Sometimes a soft cervical collar can be used as long as it relieves the symptoms.
- Physiotherapy aims to first reduce pain and then begin therapeutic exercise to restore muscle function.
- Electrotherapy tools and Manual Therapy techniques can be used. All techniques must be completely painless.
- Neck decompression techniques can be applied with gentle hand pulls, to improve area movements such as turning or moving the neck up so that the patient can see the ceiling, etc.
- In addition, can be used in which techniques are used with high speed but without intense force, in order to improve the movement in a blocked joint.
How Manualphysiotherapy can help you if you have neck problems
Let us inform you correctly and help you overcome any of your phobias and the the stereotype that you have to learn to live with your problem. By examining the 10 points we will find the exact cause of the problem that concerns you and plan the appropriate treatment for you and provide solutions related to physical activity. With us you will learn what to look out for in your daily activities and how to set realistic goals to stay active and independent.
You can contact us for any questions or complete Prosomatic Physio, a 10′ questionnaire for a free evaluation.
Fibromyalgia
It is a form of chronic pain. Usual symptoms are stiffness, diffuse tenderness in muscles and joints without inflammation, memory disorders, concentration, mental activity. It needs patience and a the treatment usually takes time. Examination is only clinical and laboratory tests like magnetic tomography, electromyography, X rays etc are practically useless. Special medications along with specially designed exercises together with psychological support is very important. Therefore a multidisciplinary team of health professionals must cooperate to help patients with fibromyalgia.
Causes and diagnosis of fibromyalgia
Diagnosis of fibromyalgia
There is no imaging test or other special test for the diagnosis of Fibromyalgia. In most cases, only the patient’s history is enough.
Diagnostic tests such as X-rays, CT scans and MRI scans not only have no diagnostic value, but can contribute to the vicious circle of misinformation. Therefore do not bother with unnecessary examinations.
This is because the doctor or physiotherapist may focus on a finding, such as an intervertebral disc herniation, which has absolutely nothing to do with the mechanism responsible for the patient’s pain.
Causes of fibromyalgia
There is no single cause for Fibromyalgia. It is probably related to abnormal levels of chemicals in the brain and a disturbance in the way the various stimuli that reach it from the body are processed in the brain. Also, some people have a genetic predisposition to get sick, which means that heredity plays a role. Many times the onset of symptoms occurs after an event that may have caused intense stress to the patient such as injury or infection, childbirth, surgery, separation or death of a loved one, but also any situation that causes intense stress.
Myths and answers about fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is an extremely common problem in modern times. There are many myths surrounding the nature of the problem, the causes, the symptoms and the appropriate treatment. In this article you will get (perhaps for the first time) all the information about Fibromyalgia and how you can get help.
Research has shown that the percentage of patients with fibromyalgia who show such symptoms reaches 30%. These patients also have hormonal disorders that can lead to increased aggression, but also an outburst of crying. (more information here https://bit.ly/2JTKBkQ)
However, apart from the patient himself, his close environment also suffers with him, ie his family, since the climate at home is depressing, there are often conflicts, a feeling of rejection that the patient may feel, or he considers that others they do not understand him or their relatives consider him to be exaggerating. You can see additional information .
Until the correct diagnosis is established, patients often visit many doctors, do many examinations and may also hear different opinions. The result of this diagnostic quest is that sufferers often feel that they have a rare disease that no one can find and of course the mind creates fantasy stories related to mysterious and undetectable forms of cancer, etc. More about the effects of the disease on life of patients .
How can we help you with Manualphysiotherapy if you have Fibromyalgia?
Our vision is for each of our patients to fully recover physically and to know that they will now be able to enjoy life without suffering, pain or limitations.
We consider the correct information of the suffering person to be a very important weapon in the treatment of fibromyalgia and in general in the fight against any kind of pain, in order to reduce the stress, anxiety and uncertainty that accompanies every painful situation.
To better address your problem we will take a detailed history to find the cause of the discomfort you have.
Then you will be informed in detail about the treatment solutions and the treatment plan proposed by us, while we are in constant contact with you for support and guidance.
You can contact us for any questions or complete Prosomatic Physio, a 10′ questionnaire for a free evaluation.
Muscle sprains
These are very common injuries in athletes who reach 55% of acute sports injuries. Of course, very often muscle spasms occur in people who exercise to improve their health. A successful treatment includes a detailed clinical examination and documentation of the history of the accident and a carefully designed and customized treatment protocol that must include exercises that load the muscles in a very exact and spesific way to avoid re injury.
Following a muscle injury are some Frequently Asked Questions:
- How fast will the athlete return to his sports activity or the non-athlete to his daily activities after a muscle fracture?
- Will the injury be fully recovered?
- What are the chances of re-injury?
The answer to these questions is not always easy, because it depends on several factors such as how extensive the injury is, the type of injury, how well the injury was examined and categorized, if the limb is immobilized and for how long, if there are other factors that may affect healing and rehabilitation (sugar, medication for other diseases, etc.), how well the patient adheres to the rehabilitation program and if this program is properly designed .
The good news is that muscles are structures of the body that have a lot of perspiration and when there is a lot of perspiration healing can be done with the best conditions, when the recovery program for muscle fractures is properly designed.
Classification of injuries
Some injuries occur after immediate impact – hit . Very often we see formation of bruise (hematoma). It can be large or small and the pain is usually intense especially when the impact was extensive. In cases where the injury was caused by a sharp surface, a wound coexists.
Another type of injury is the indirect one, which is the well described by the patients as a sense of ” painful stretching”. These types of injury are categorized into non-structural and structural. In non-structural injuries there is no obvious anatomical damage to the muscle fibers. The other category is structural damage where there is a rupture of muscle fibers. This rupture can be large or small.
Treatment of muscle injuries
In the acute phase of muscle fractures, it is recommended to avoid movements and to cause pain. This is a very important information and should be followed throughout the recovery process, especially in the early stages. This phase lasts about 4-7 days depending on how extensive the damage is. Cool compresses may be used at this stage and the injured limb should be in a position higher than the body when possible. The use of ice, although very fashionable, is not necessary as it can increase the intensity of the pain or lead to side effects from careless use that can reach the burn!
Treatment for muscle injuries may initially include electrotherapy, such as targeted radiofrequency (Tecar) or painkillers to relieve pain. The rehabilitation program then includes exercises aimed at strengthening the injured structures.
This is the phase of functional recovery. The exercises are general but also specially adapted to the patient’s sport or hobby. They must have a gradual increase in the degree of difficulty. Weights, resistance bands, fitness equipment such as the total gym and combinations of exercises can be used. As healing, strength and endurance progress, exercises can be done with a high degree of difficulty, such as nordics in hip and tibial muscle injuries.
The patient may need to use crutches, a belt or hang the limb depending on where the lesion is. In some cases, painkillers may be needed. Anti-inflammatory drugs may be needed to alleviate an uncontrolled inflammation, but the goal is not to stop the inflammation because it is a normal process that is necessary for proper healing.
How we can help you in Manualphysiotherapy in the treatment of muscle injuries
Our team with more than 20 years of experience will help in the faster recovery from muscle injuries with the appropriate personalized treatment program. At the same time you will learn smart tips to prevent and avoid re-injuries. We are also here to support you by phone if you need to modify your training program in emergencies.
You can contact us for any questions or complete Prosomatic Physio, a 10′ questionnaire for a free evaluation.
Knee pain
The knee is probably the most “widely used” joint in our body and as such is next to hurt us at some point. The causes of knee pain are divided into two general groups. In all cases of knee pain the secret of a successful treatment is a good clinical examination and a treatment protocol that includes exercises that aim to gradual loading of the joint.
Useful information
- Cartilage degeneration does not necessarily mean that we will be in pain.
- Remember that many elderly people we see around us who although they certainly have lesions and degeneration in their cartilage, do not hurt.
- Noises coming from the knee are usually not dangerous if they do not cause pain.
- Even in some forms of arthritis with severe degeneration patents can have an improvement in pain and quality of life even without changing the condition of the cartilage.
- The Americans say “motion is lotion”, that is, the movement lubricates the joint.
- The best “medicine” for a knee with arthritis is painless movement.
- Cartilage’s health is ensured through normal circles of loading and unloading (eg walking).
- So the strengthening exercises, in loading positions that do not hurt, have spectacular results.
- If the symptoms worsen, the pain is nocturnal and the quality of life of the person is aggravated, then it is most likely that at some point surgery will be needed.
Can I treat the knee problem on my own?
The solution “strengthen the quadriceps to avoid problems” is incomplete and wrong. Many times the knee problems are the result of weakness of the hip muscles but also a consequence of poor muscle control in the lumbar spine (ie the waist) and the thigh.
Therefore we should avoid “dividing” our body into individual muscle groups – e.g. abdominal and dorsal for back pain, quadriceps exercises for the knee and treat it as a whole.
Therefore a proper clinical examination is the ideal treatment technique for musculoskeletal pain in the knee.
Remember, no matter how young or old you are, no matter how serious or slightly injured you are, movement is medicine!
How is knee pain treated?
that include traction, compression, assisted mobilization with movement. The goal is to increase the range of movement in the joint and make if pain free.
Targeted radio frequencies (Tecar) are often used to relieve symptoms and start treatment as soon as possible.
In cases where the cause of the pain is structural, ie there is damage to a ligament or rupture of a meniscus or damage to a cartilage, physical therapy can relieve the patient and help the function of the joint.
Also, the for strengthening, improving the balance and the reflex reactions of the muscles (specificity) are important and even in places where the knee receives the load of the body.
Finally, physiotherapy either in the conservative treatment or in the postoperative phase, plays an important role in improving mobility and as much as possible reintegrating the person into the activities he had before the accident or the onset of symptoms.
Conclusion
Like any pain, knee pain, regardless of the cause, is a fact that affects both the psychological state of each person and his functionality. The pleasant “paradox” is that in general the best drug with the longest action is exercise and loading the joint.
The treatment of knee pain with manual therapy is superior to the classic physiotherapy treatment, because it includes not only the application of electrotherapy, but the taking of a history, the clinical examination of 10 points to find exactly the mechanism of pain, the techniques with the hands for the treatment of symptoms, the restoration of normal movement and therapeutic exercise that not only accelerates complete recovery, but has the best and most lasting results.
You can contact us for any questions or complete Prosomatic Physio, a 10′ questionnaire for a free evaluation.
If you have any questions, or suffer from any kind of pain, allow 10 minutes of your time and complete the PROSOMATIC PHYSIO Questionnaire and we, in turn, shall communicate with you so that you receive the instructions you need to deal with your problem effectively!
By answering some simple questions you will make your first step towards addressing your problem by recovering your health and your functional capacity.