What Is Acupuncture?

Web Definition of Acupuncture

A system of complementary medicine that involves pricking the skin or tissues with needles, used to alleviate pain and to treat various physical, mental, and emotional conditions. Originating in ancient China, acupuncture is now widely practiced in the West.

What Is Acupuncture?

Sunday, 07 November 2010 08:45

 

Acupuncture is one of the many skills employed within physiotherapy as part of an integrated approach to the management of pain and inflammation. Physiotherapists base their treatments on scientific research and clinical evidence that Acupuncture can reduce pain by stimulating the brain and spinal cord to produce natural pain-relieving chemicals such as endorphins, melatonin (which promotes sleep) and serotonin (to promote well-being), to name but a few. These chemicals assist the body's healing processes and offer pain relief as a precursor to other treatments such as manual therapy or exercise in order to aid recovery.

Acupuncture forms part of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). This ancient system of medicine dates back as far as 1000 years BC and is based on a holistic concept of treatment which regards ill health as a manifestation of imbalance in the body’s energy. Re-establishing a correct balance is the aim of TCM. Energy is referred to as Qi, (pronounced chee) and is described in terms of Yin energy – quiet and calm and Yang energy –vigorous and exciting. They are complementary opposites and in health exist in a dynamic but balanced state in the body. Practitioners of TCM believe that stimulating certain Acupuncture points on the body can help to restore the balance between Yin and Yang that becomes disturbed in illness.

AACP members combine TCM principles with scientific evidence as a means of reducing pain and promoting healing, always with the aim of enhancing physiotherapy treatments such as exercise and rehabilitation techniques to promote recovery and improve quality of life.

Conventional acupuncture

Conventional acupuncture involves the use of single-use, pre-sterilised disposable needles of varying widths, lengths and materials that pierce the skin at the acupuncture points. The physiotherapist will determine the locations of these points on the basis of an assessment of the cause of the imbalance. A number of needles may be used during each treatment, and these are typically left in position for between 20 and 30 minutes before being removed.

Trigger point acupuncture may also be used to facilitate relaxation in specific muscles following traumas, for longer-term unresolved muscle pain, or as a means of increasing muscle length in order to aid stretch and rehabilitation. In the latter case, the needle is inserted into the affected muscle until the tissue is felt to relax under the needle, which is then removed. Trigger point needling often produces an effect much more quickly, and therefore, does not require the 20–30-minute treatment time.

Acupressure

In acupressure treatment, physiotherapists use their hands to activate acupuncture or trigger points in order to relieve muscle tightness, or to stimulate Qi flow and balance the body. It is a healing art in which the fingers are applied to key acupuncture points. The amount of pressure used varies according to the condition and requires trained, sensitive hands. It is often used to treat patients who are sensitive, those with a phobia of needles, children and frail people.

PHYSIOTHERAPY + SPORT INJURIES

PHYSIOTHERAPY + SPORT INJURIES

Sports injuries are injuries that occur to athletes participating in sporting events. In many cases, these types of injuries are due to overuse of a part of the body when participating in a certain activity. For example, runner's knee is a painful condition generally associated with running, while tennis elbow is a form of repetitive stress injury at the elbow, although it does not often occur with tennis players. Other types of injuries can be caused by a hard contact with something. This can often cause a broken bone or torn ligament or tendon
Injuries are a common occurrence in professional sports and most teams have a staff of Athletic Trainers and close connections to the medical community. Controversy has arisen at times when teams have made decisions that could threaten a players long-term health for short term gain.

Sports injury Classification

Sports injuries can be broadly classified as either traumatic or overuse injuries. Traumatic injuries account for most injuries in contact sports such as Association football, rugby league, rugby union, Australian rules football, Gaelic football and American football because of the dynamic and high collision nature of these sports. These injuries range from bruises and muscle strains, to fractures and head injuries.
A bruise or contusion is damage to small blood vessels which causes bleeding within the tissues. A muscle strain is a small tear of muscle fibers and a ligament sprain is a small tear of ligament tissue. The body’s response to these sports injuries is the same in the initial five day period immediately following the traumatic incident - inflammation.

Sports Injury Signs & Symptoms

Inflammation is characterized by pain, localized swelling, heat, redness and a loss of function.

Mechanism

All of these traumatic injuries cause damage to the cells that make up the soft tissues. The dead and damaged cells release chemicals, which initiate an inflammatory response. Small blood vessels are damaged and opened up, producing bleeding within the tissue. In the body’s normal reaction, a small blood clot is formed in order to stop this bleeding and from this clot special cells (called fibroblasts) begin the healing process by laying down scar tissue.
The inflammatory stage is therefore the first phase of healing. However, too much of an inflammatory response in the early stage can mean that the healing process takes longer and a return to activity is delayed. The sports injury treatments are intended to minimize the inflammatory phase of an injury, so that the overall healing process is accelerated. intrinsic and extrinsic factors.

What Do You Want?

Hey guys,

Just a quick post to you today, All of us here at Therapyworks wanted to know what would you like us to post about next?

We've got a few ideas but would love to hear what you think.

Our next blog post will mostly likely be towards the end of the week, possibly Wednesday or Thursday.

If you could leave us a comment on what you would like us to give you more information on that would be fab.

If you have any questions please leave a comment below or visit our

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Twitter - https://twitter.com/#!/therapyworksltd

Website - www.therapyworks.co.uk/pontypridd

We'd be happy to help you

From all at

Therapyworks

BACK PAIN HELP!

Back pain (also known "dorsalgia") is pain felt in the back that usually originates from the muscles, nerves, bones, joints or other structures in the spine.

What is Back Pain?

The pain can often be divided into neck pain, upper back pain, lower back pain or tailbone pain. It may have a sudden onset or can be a chronic pain; it can be constant or intermittent, stay in one place or radiate to other areas. It may be a dull ache, or a sharp or piercing or burning sensation. The pain may be radiate into the arm and hand), in the upper back, or in the low back, (and might radiate into the leg or foot), and may include symptoms other than pain, such as weakness, numbness or tingling.
Back pain is one of humanity's most frequent complaints. In the U.S, acute low back pain (also called lumbago) is the fifth most common reason for physician visits. About nine out of ten adults experience back pain at some point in their life, and five out of ten working adults have back pain every year.
The spine is a complex interconnecting network of nerves, joints, muscles, tendons and ligaments, and all are capable of producing pain. Large nerves that originate in the spine and go to the legs and arms can make pain radiate to the extremities.

Back Pain Classification

Back pain can be divided anatomically: neck pain, upper back pain, lower back pain or tailbone pain.
By its duration: acute (less than 4 weeks), subacute (4 – 12 weeks), chronic (greater than 12 weeks).
By its cause: MSK, infectious, cancer, etc.

Associated Conditions With Back Pain

Back pain can be a sign of a serious medical problem, although this is not most frequently the underlying cause:
Typical warning signs of a potentially life-threatening problem are bowel and/or bladder incontinence or progressive weakness in the legs.
Severe back pain (such as pain that is bad enough to interrupt sleep) that occurs with other signs of severe illness (e.g. fever, unexplained weight loss) may also indicate a serious underlying medical condition.
Back pain that occurs after a trauma, such as a car accident or fall may indicate a bone fracture or other injury.
Back pain in individuals with medical conditions that put them at high risk for a spinal fracture, such as osteoporosis or multiple myeloma, also warrants prompt medical attention.
Back pain in individuals with a history of cancer (especially cancers known to spread to the spine like breast, lung and prostate cancer) should be evaluated to rule out metastatic disease of the spine.
Back pain does not usually require immediate medical intervention. The vast majority of episodes of back pain are self-limiting and non-progressive. Most back pain syndromes are due to inflammation, especially in the acute phase, which typically lasts for two weeks to three months.
A few observational studies suggest that two conditions to which back pain is often attributed, lumbar disc herniation and degenerative disc disease may not be more prevalent among those in pain than among the general population, and that the mechanisms by which these conditions might cause pain are not known. Other studies suggest that for as many as 85% of cases, no physiological cause can be shown. 
A few studies suggest that psychosocial factors such as on-the-job stress and dysfunctional family relationships may correlate more closely with back pain than structural abnormalities revealed in x-rays and other medical imaging scans.

Underlying Causes & Sources of Back Pain

There are several potential sources and causes of back pain. However, the diagnosis of specific tissues of the spine as the cause of pain presents problems. This is because symptoms arising from different spinal tissues can feel very similar and is difficult to differentiate without the use of invasive diagnostic intervention procedures, such as local anesthetic blocks.
One potential source of back pain is skeletal muscle of the back. Potential causes of pain in muscle tissue include Muscle strains (pulled muscles), muscle spasm, and muscle imbalances. However, imaging studies do not support the notion of muscle tissue damage in many back pain cases, and the neurophysiology of muscle spasm and muscle imbalances are not well understood.
Another potential source of low back pain is the synovial joints of the spine (e.g. zygapophysial joints). These have been identified as the primary source of the pain in approximately one third of people with chronic low back pain, and in most people with neck pain following whiplash. However, the cause of zygapophysial joint pain is not fully understood. Capsule tissue damage has been proposed in people with neck pain following whiplash. In people with spinal pain stemming from zygapophysial joints, one theory is that intra-articular tissue such as invaginations of their synovial membranes and fibro-adipose meniscoids (that usually act as a cushion to help the bones move over each other smoothly) may become displaced, pinched or trapped, and consequently give rise to nociception.
There are several common other potential sources and causes of back pain: these include spinal disc herniation and degenerative disc disease or isthmic spondylolisthesis, osteoarthritis (degenerative joint disease) and spinal stenosis, trauma, cancer, infection, fractures, and inflammatory disease.
Radicular pain (sciatica) is distinguished from 'non-specific' back pain, and may be diagnosed without invasive diagnostic tests.
New attention has been focused on non-discogenic back pain, where patients have normal or near-normal MRI and CT scans. One of the newer investigations looks into the role of the dorsal ramus in patients that have no radiographic abnormalities. See Posterior Rami Syndrome.

Back Pain Treatment

The management goals when treating back pain are to achieve maximal reduction in pain intensity as rapidly as possible; to restore the individual's ability to function in everyday activities; to help the patient cope with residual pain; to assess for side-effects of therapy; and to facilitate the patient's passage through the legal and socioeconomic impediments to recovery. For many, the goal is to keep the pain to a manageable level to progress with rehabilitation, which then can lead to long term pain relief. Also, for some people the goal is to use non-surgical therapies to manage the pain and avoid major surgery, while for others surgery may be the quickest way to feel better.
Not all treatments work for all conditions or for all individuals with the same condition, and many find that they need to try several treatment options to determine what works best for them. The present stage of the condition (acute or chronic) is also a determining factor in the choice of treatment. Only a minority of back pain patients (most estimates are 1% - 10%) require surgery.

So what is a Physiotherapist?

Todays blog post is going to tell you more about what a physiotherapist is, the training they have had and what to expect when first meeting your Physiotherapist.

so first things first what is a physiotherapist?

The web definition is as follows:

Physical Therapist: therapist who treats injury or dysfunction with exercises and other physical treatments of the disorder.


Not much of an explanation is it. Let me give you our definition of a physiotherapist.

A Physiotherapist is a therapist who helps patients recover from injury and illness. Physiotherapy is a profession, which is very popular in the UK, Europe and Australia.

What is a Physiotherapist?

•    A physiotherapist is a health care professional who specialises in maximising human movement, function and potential.

•    A physiotherapist may work with someone after injury, accident or surgery, or may work to prevent injury for instance with sporting clubs or in the workplace.

•    Physiotherapists work in a wide variety of settings: hospital; private clinics; hospices; nursing homes; a patients own home; the workplace; sports clubs and gyms.

Physiotherapists are the British equivalent of a Physical Therapist

What training does a Physiotherapist have?

•     In July 2005 a law was passed in the United Kingdom protecting the title “physiotherapist” and “physical therapist” restricting its use in the UK to persons who are eligible to register as a physiotherapist with the Health Professions Council.

•    In order to receive a certificate to practice and register with the Health professions council Physiotherapists study for three years to gain a BSc in Physiotherapy. Some universities now also offer an accelerated two year course to students who hold a previous degree in a relevant subject.

•    Once registered with the Health professions council Physiotherapists must maintain a portfolio documenting their continuous professional development, undertaking extra courses and study.

You can check whether your therapist is registered with the HPC on their web site.   

What should I expect if I consult a Physiotherapist? 



First of all the physio will undertake a comprehensive assessment of your problem. This will include asking you a lot of detailed questions about the problem such as how it started, what activities make it better or worse, as well as more general questions about your general health and work, hobbies and sporting activities.
Treatment options depend on the problem that you are having but may include exercises 

to stretch tight structures, strengthen weak ones, improve balance, or change the way you move; hands on mobilisation to move joints; or electrotherapy which is the use of machines such as ultrasound or TENS

I hope you found this helpful and that you now fully understand the term Physiotherapist. Again why not click on the links at the side on this post and come visit our sites. We'd be happy to hear from you.


Also if there is anything you would like to ask, please feel free to leave a comment below and i shall reply to you asap.


TherapyWorks


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What is Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy?

Hey guys,

As promised here is the blog post giving you more information about Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy.

Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy

Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy is a specialised area of Physiotherapy treating injuries and conditions, which affect the muscles, joints, and soft tissues. Injuries, which can be treated by Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist, can include:

•    Ligament sprains

•    Muscle strains

•    Arthritis

•    Cartilage tears

•    Pre and post surgery rehabilitation

•    Fracture rehabilitation

•    Back pain

These injuries can require a musculoskeletal physiotherapy assessment and treatment session to optimise healing and speed the recovery process. Upon assessment the physiotherapist will work with the patient to set goals and develop an appropriate rehabilitation plan. Some of the treatments, which the Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist may use, can include:

•    Exercise Therapy

•    Manual Therapy

•    Electrotherapy

•    Massage

•    Self-management strategies

The most appropriate treatments will be selected upon the clinical judgment and the experience of the Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist on the findings from the initial assessment. Treatments for musculoskeletal injuries aim to:

•    Optimise healing

•    Speed the recovery process

•    Increase strength

•    Restore normal movement

•    Decrease pain

•    Decrease swelling and inflammation

•    Increase independence

The Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist will consider all these when they are developing the treatment plan. 

I hope you all find this information very help and that your knowledge on Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy has now had a boost. Thanks again to everyone who reads our blog.

Why not check out our other sites that have been linked at the side.

What is Musculoskeleta?

Hello Everyone,


Now we've been blogging about us here at Therapyworks Ltd and what we do but i've notice that we haven't really gone into detail about Musculoskeleta. Now many of you will most likely be wondering what this is so today we will be giving you a little bit more about this.


So what is Musculoskeleta?


A musculoskeletal system (also known as the locomotor system) is an organ system that gives animals (including humans) the ability to move using the muscular and skeletal system. The musculoskeletal system provides form, support, stability, and movement to the body.

It is made up of the body's bones (the skeleton), muscles, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, joints, and other connective tissue that supports and binds tissues and organs together. The musculoskeletal system's primary functions include supporting the body, allowing motion, and protecting vital organs. The skeletal portion of the system serves as the main storage system for calcium and phosphors  and contains critical components of the hamatopoictic system.

This system describes how bones are connected to other bones and muscle fibers via connective tissue such as tendons and ligaments. The bones provide the stability to a body in analogy to iron rods in concrete construction. Muscles keep bones in place and also play a role in movement of the bones. To allow motion, different bones are connected by joints. Cartilage prevents the bone ends from rubbing directly on to each other. Muscles contract (bunch up) to move the bone attached at the joint.

So what is Musculoskeleta Injury?

Musculoskeletal injury (MI, not to be confused with myocardial infraction) refers to damage of muscular or skeletal systems, which is usually due to a strenuous activity. In one study, roughly 25% of approximately 6300 adults received a musculoskeletal injury of some sort within 12 months—of which 83% were activity-related. MI spans into a large variety of medical specialities including orthopaedic surgery (with diseases such as arthritis requiring surgery), emergency medicine (acute presentations of joint and muscular pain) and rheumatology (in rheumatological diseases that affect joints such as rheumatoid arthritis ). In many cases, during the healing period after a Musculoskeletal injury, a period in which the healing area will be completely immobile, a cast-induced muscle atrophy can occur. Routine sessions of physiotherapy after the cast is removed can help return regain strength in limp muscles or tendons. Alternately, there exist different methods of electrical stimulation of the immobile muscles which can be induced by a device placed underneath a cast, helping prevent atrophy.

So thats it! you now know all about Musculoskeleta and Musculoskeleta Injury. Why don't you come back on next week to find out more about Musculoskeleta Physiotherapy?

Therapyworks Ltd Pontypridd

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Our Services

Hey Everyone!


I hope you are all doing fine on the first day of February! Hasn't it gone quick.


Anyway today i'm going to blog about all the services we provide here at Therapyworks.

As a client of Therapyworks we want your rehabilitation not only to be a comfortable and enjoyable one, but an effective one too.   

 We are a Physiotherapy led organisation and as such your care will be delivered at all times by a Chartered Physiotherapist who will also be a member of the Health Professions Council (HPC). 

 Your care will be delivered on an individual basis within a private and comfortable environment.  

 We will also endeavour to ensure that you are given an appointment within forty eight hours of first contact with us and that you continue to see the same Physiotherapist throughout you care.

As a practice we specialise in Musculosketelal Physiotherapy and offer many effective methods to treat conditions such as :

• Neck and Back Pain
• Sports Injuries
• Whiplash
• Arthritis 
• Post Surgery Rehabilitation
• Headache
• Post Fracture Rehabilitation

• Ligamant Injuries
• Muscle Injuries
• Work Related Injuries
• Overuse Injuries
• Sciatica 

If you suffer with one of the above then why not give us a call and arrange an appointment. Many people who suffer with these problems find physiotherapy a great help on the road to recovery. Why not give us  call on 01443 841181 we'd be happy to help