Orthopedics

This area deals with muscles, bones and joints, and is perhaps the most widely known. Musculoskeletal physiotherapists can deal with many acute or chronic conditions such as:

• Back and neck pain or stiffness
• Muscle strains/contusions
• Joint sprains/stiffness/instability
• Arthritis
• Muscle imbalances/weakness
• Muscle spasm
• Tendonitis/bursitis
• Rehabilitation following occupational injury, surgery, sporting injuries.

The musculoskeletal physiotherapist uses a variety of different treatment methods to help speed up the healing process and reduce the likelihood of the same thing happening gain. Some of the techniques include:

• Manual techniques (massage, joint mobilization, manipulation, stretches)
• Electrotherapy (ultrasound, interferential, TENS, shortwave, laser)
• Heat and cold
• Therapeutic exercise
• Correction of posture, lifting techniques, sporting techniques which contribute to the problem
• Taping, bandaging, splinting
• Hydrotherapy
• The musculoskeletal physiotherapist is not only concerned with treating the injury, but with finding the cause and correcting any biomechanical factors which may contribute to the injury.