Tag Archive Rehabilitation

Podiatrist Joins Our Team!

By Chris Liversidge In Ankle, Expert, Expertise, Foot, Heel, Holme Valley, Holmfirth, Honley, Huddersfield, Insoles, Nail, Orthotics, Plantar Faciitis, Podiatry, Rehabilitation, Simon Gleich, Toe

North Light Physiotherapy delighted to add Podiatry to our list of services

Simon Gleich (BSc Hons Podiatric Medicine)

Simon graduated from the University of Huddersfield in 2002 with a BSc (Hons) in Podiatric Medicine. He has worked for the NHS in Barnsley since then. In 2008 Simon became a clinical specialist and lead in Biomechanics, heading a team of 9 podiatrists. They provide treatment for Musculoskeletal pain in the foot, ankle and lower limb.

Working closely with Rheumatology and Diabetes consultants enables him to oversee the protection of feet. This is because a team approach to reduction of pain enables a higher quality of life for patients with high risk conditions.

Clinical Experience

With over 18 years of clinical specialism Simon has developed excellent diagnostic and assessment skills. This enables him to develop high quality individual treatment plans, and empower education. This empowers patients to maximise their foot health and comfort, particularly in activity. Often using custom made (orthoses) insoles to reduce mechanical workload and protect the feet, Simon is able to positively affect the biomechanics of the lower limb, to the advantage of your comfort and performance.

Sporting Excellence

Simon has a long standing interest in rehabilitation of injury and pain in sport, particularly football. He is the current sports podiatrist for Huddersfield Town Women’s Football Club. Simon has enabled a high number of people to return to sport, and continue participating when otherwise they may have had to stop due to pain.

Key Skills and Specialisms

-Excellent foot and ankle diagnostic skills of general and mechanical foot pain and problems

-General foot care and treatment

-Custom prescription, manufacture and fitting of orthoses / insoles

Joined up working with Physiotherapy Team

Physiotherapy and Podiatry work hand in hand, to the benefit of the whole lower limb. Biomechanical podiatry and insoles can often offset mechanical pain quickly. Alongside Physiotherapy rehabilitation incorporating bespoke exercises, the longer-term lower-limb mechanics can be positively affected.

Poor skin and nail health can often cause pain, and thus negatively influence lower limb function. Attention to, and positive influence on the health of skin and nails of the foot, enable better function, alongside good Physiotherapy care.

Introductory Discount

Simon Gleich- Lead Podiatrist

Throughout February 2025 only, we are offering 15% off all new bookings for our Podiatry service!

Click link below to book!

https://north-light-physiotherapy-associates-ltd.uk2.cliniko.com/bookings?business_id=934636319945007581&practitioner_id=1543631671075545207

or..

Call our office to book, on 01484 660663.

Neurological Rehab at North Light Physiotherapy

By Chris Liversidge In Balance, Berry Brow, Brain Injury, Chris Shorter, Elderly, HD1, HD2, HD3, HD4, HD5, HD6, HD7, HD8, HD9, Holmfirth, Honley, Huddersfield, Lockwood, Meltham, Motor Neurone Disease, Multiple Sclerocis, Multiple Sclerosis, Netherton, Neurological, Neurological physio, Newsome, North Light Physio, North Light Physiotherapy, Parkinsons Disease, Rehab, Rehabilitation, South Crosland, Stroke, West Yorkshire

For our latest blog, Chris Shorter, our Neurological Rehab specialist at North Light Physiotherapy discusses the specifics on offer

“Physiotherapy is strongly recommended in the national guidelines for rehab and management of neurological conditions”, he says.

Experience
From working in the field of neuro-rehab for over 14 years now, Chris has seen its effectiveness first hand in many ways. Conditions treated include, but aren’t limited to Parkinsons Disease, Multiple Sclerosis and Stroke. Neurological disorders and disease are vast. Chris relishes the variety, and the challenge this variety presents, and takes an enormous amount of satisfaction in patient outcomes.

Chris says: “We are now very happy to offer assessments and treatments at North Light Physiotherapy, either in our clinic or in our spacious gym setting, which has level access. We know that in some cases mobility can be severely limited, so we can also offer the option of home visits. *” (* – within a maximum range of 3 miles from the Clinic)

Expectation

“Physiotherapy begins with a thorough assessment: gaining information on the patients’ goals and targets for rehab / condition management. A typical physical assessment may include assessment of movement, strength, muscle tone, balance and gait pattern. There are also more condition-specific assessments that we would include, depending on the presentation.”

“Treatment may entail work on improving movement and strength through a combination of exercise, hands on therapy and movement re-education. Advice on orthotics or walking equipment is also considered. Balance rehab and specific feedback on how to improve gait (walking) pattern is also a common approach. ”

Whether your problem is pain caused by your condition or balance problems, maybe even falls, we would provide treatment or advice for this. A goal for many of our patients is to improve mobility levels. This can be broken down into more specific steps, and advice can be provided on the areas to work on along with education on what may be causing the current problems.

Treatment Specificity

As an example, one persons problem may be due to weakness around a specific joint or more than one joint, for another it may be due to higher level balance problems; the role of the physiotherapist is to identify the contributing factors causing the problem and to provide specific advice on how to work on this.

Living with a neurological condition that can often be for the long term can be a strain on our resources and motivation. However a therapeutic alliance between physio and patient is key. We give our patients the time they need to discuss how their conditions impacts on their wellbeing, because an empathic listening approach is therapy in itself and helps the rehab process.

One on one rehab can be a very motivating experience and achievement of goals is rewarding no matter how small…and when our patients takes control of their condition, that’s our favourite outcome!

For details of how we can help with your Neurological condition, get in touch!

To book an appointment with Chris Shorter or any of our expert Team at North Light Physiotherapy Associates, PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE A COMMENT HERE ~ Use our Contact form, or call us on 01484 660663.

Dizziness: Life in A Spin…?

By Chris Liversidge In Armitage Bridge, Balance, Berry Brow, Chris Shorter, Dizziness, Dizzy, HD1, HD2, HD3, HD4, HD5, HD6, HD7, HD8, HD9, Holmfirth, Honley, Huddersfield, Meltham, Newsome, North Light, North Light Physio, Physiotherapy, Rehabilitation, South Crosland, VBI, Vertigo, Vestibular, West Yorkshire, Yorkshire

Physiotherapy is highly effective for the diagnosis and treatment of dizziness, and for balance rehabilitation. In this piece we look at Vestibular Rehabilitation at North Light Physiotherapy, with Chris Shorter

Dizziness can be very limiting on our lives, impacting our ability to move normally and has a huge impact on our emotional wellbeing. It often leads to falls and causes anxiety and avoidance of many activities. Many people live very restricted lives with this condition.

If dizziness is related to the inner ear (a problem with our peripheral vestibular system), Physiotherapy can be highly effective. For example: the Epley technique is a postural movement technique than can reverse dizziness. Specific eye and head exercises are often used to challenge the balance system in order to improve it. A graded exposure to dizziness is also recommended, the system will only reset itself if we expose ourselves to dizziness, and this is carried out gradually at a rate the patient can handle.

Some medical causes of dizziness can be ruled out during Physiotherapy assessment, such as postural hypotension (blood pressure drop that occurs during a change in posture) or VBI – vertebrobasilar insufficiency- where the blood supply to the brain gets temporarily blocked by neck movements. A key role of the Physiotherapist is ascertaining what isn’t manageable with Physiotherapy, and in these cases, referring on to the correct specialist.
Postural hypotension and VBI can be medically managed, and if these problems are found during screening we would provide advice and then refer to your GP for further assessment.

Factors such as stress and anxiety are also considered in the holistic process of assessment and treatment, as in my clinical experience dizziness is often linked with times of stress, poor health or even bereavement. Addressing these factors or even making the links to your dizziness symptoms can also play a big part in recovery.

If your life is limited by dizziness, you have a problem with your balance, or you are prone to falls, Physiotherapy may well be the solution!

Call North Light Physiotherapy Associates on 01484 660663, or send a message on our Contact page.

Chris Shorter of North Light Physiotherapy Associates, Huddersfield, UK, qualified as a Physiotherapist in 2003. He has a special interest in balance and vestibular issues, which he comes across daily in his clinical practice.

Knee Physiotherapy

By Chris Liversidge In Knee, knee physio Holmfirth, knee physio huddersfield, knee physio Meltham, kneecap, kneecap dislocation, MPFL, MPFL reconstruction, MPFL rehab, MPFL rehabilitation, Orthopaedic, patella, patellofemoral, patellofemoral dislocation, patellofemoral instability, Rehabilitation, subluxation

Huddersfield Knee Rehabilitation Specialist Opens Up on Yorkshire Star

As a preeminent Physiotherapy clinic in the Yorkshire region, North Light Physiotherapy is once again involved in delivering its evidence-based care to one of Yorkshire Cricket’s leading lights. Image result for will fraine images

Will Fraine is under the care of Yorkshire CCC’s Physiotherapy Team, and the Huddersfield cricketer, Yorkshire’s most recent 1st Class centurion, has made a great start on his knee rehabilitation in Huddersfield, here at North Light Physiotherapy, as he continues on his road back to fitness.

Patellar Dislocation

Having sustained multiple dislocations of his Patella (knee cap) over a number of years, Will recently underwent a MPFL reconstruction, a procedure to mechanically stabilise the Patella, and reduce the likelihood of further episodes of dislocation.

Lead Physiotherapist Chris Liversidge explains:

Dislocation of the Patella, or even subluxation (“partial dislocation”) is an extremely debilitating injury, particularly in athletic people. Under normal circumstances, it is stabilised within a groove at the bottom end of the femur (thigh bone), and held in place securely by strong ligaments which surround the knee. Strong Quads (front thigh muscles) also increase the dynamic stability of the Patella within its groove.

In some individuals, the groove at the end of the thigh can be relatively shallow, (see below X-Ray image) making it easier for the patella to come out of place- often day to day activity is enough to cause this in people who are hyper-mobile. The medical literature also points to teenage girls being more at risk. Unfortunately, these things can’t be changed, but Quads strength can! Image result for trochlear dysplasia skyline

However in cases where the Patellofemoral joint (the joint between the kneecap and the groove in the femur) is very stable, excessive force, in the context of a sporting or other traumatic injury can be enough to overcome the strength of the supporting ligaments, and cause a dislocation. This most often occurs in the direction of the outer part of the knee/leg.

This can be a very painful injury, and causes significant swelling, and subsequent reduction in Quads strength.

Initial Management

After pain and swelling settle down from the initial injury, Physiotherapy rehabilitation is critical to restore as much normality as possible. This involves lots of strength and balance work for the whole leg, and sometimes the trunk muscles! Depending on the future demands needing to be placed on the knee, Physiotherapy alone may be enough for the kneecap to behave normally in future. However if Physical demands are high, e.g. the knee is needed for sport, or heavy manual labour, the kneecap may be at risk of further subluxations or dislocations. The primary mechanical reason for this is that the supporting ligaments are over-stretched when injured- they contain elastic fibres, and once stretched beyond their elastic limit, they remain slack, making future dislocations more likely. Sometimes very strong Quads, and excellent balance and spatial awareness (proprioception) can compensate for the ligament deficiency, especially if demands on the knee aren’t very high. But in cases where demands are high, this is less likely. In these cases, where dislocations continue, help is needed from a specialist soft tissue knee surgeon.

MPFL Recon

Surgical Management

If the groove behind the patella isn’t on the shallow side, quite often reconstructing the MPFL, the major stabilising ligament of the kneecap, known as the Medial Patellofemoral Ligament (or MPFL), is required. This is achieved by fixing a borrowed piece of hamstring tendon into the side of the patella and the end of the femur, to effectively replace the deficient MPFL. (See picture: slight operative technique variations may mean if you have this procedure, it may not look exactly like this..) , after this, the knee is swollen, pain can be significant, and the Quads become extremely weak. To improve the Quads, the primary job is to reduce pain and swelling as quickly as possible. As these improve, we can become more progressive with the rehab demands we place on the knee. But we have to go slowly at first, so we don’t lose control of the pain and swelling! Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS) is a good way to initially fire up the Quads muscle, if it is inhibited. To return to a point where high-level demands can be placed on the knee, especially in the context of professional sport, can take 4-6 months.

Interestingly, the operation scars nowadays are relatively small, due to advances in surgical equipment and the skill of the surgeons using it! For this reason, the operation wounds can appear small, and give the impression that this “minimally invasive” type of procedure is a minor one…but we have an important job in explaining the extensive nature of these types of procedure to our patients, so they understand the significance of the extent of surgical treatment.

Returning to play

For Will, he is now well on the way to recovery. He is doing lots of static cycling, and quads, hamstrings and glutes work in the Gym, (see video links below), not to mention the all-important spatial awareness rehab, and some early cricket drills. He’s really enjoyed being able to bat against some tennis ball under arms, to encourage his front foot placement, and we have used a squat position to rehab his quads, whilst mimicking a slip catching position!

The aim is for him to be ready as soon after the start of the season as possible, assuming everything goes to plan. We’re all working hard to ensure his maiden 1st Class century, secured at Scarborough last season, is the first of many! Yorkshire opener Will Fraine

To book your Knee rehabilitation with Chris Liversidge, our Lead Physiotherapist, or one of the North Light Physiotherapy team, you can contact us here or call us on 01484 660663

Physiotherapist in Low Back Pain Shock!

By Chris Liversidge In Back Pain, Chris Liversidge, Holmfirth, Huddersfield, Musculoskeletal, pain, Physio, Physiotherapy, Rehabilitation, West Yorkshire, Yorkshire

Hi everyone-
Just wanted to send a quick message of encouragement to those carrying back injuries, frustrated at being unable to exercise “normally”, however that may be. There is always hope!!

Physio Develops Back Pain!

Last April, I had a sudden onset of Lower Back Pain. In the initial stages, it took me an hour to get from the bedroom to the kitchen!! Not the usual story for someone with my energy levels!

Out of Hours GP

So, I had to put my own advice into action-as it was a Saturday, with the GP closed, I had to go to the out-of hours GP at the Hospital (**Note- I didn’t go to A&E**). Armed with Naproxen and strong Co-Codamol, I was able to get my pain levels under control (this was my new 10/10 pain!). The key here, is that exercise/mechanotherapy is the critical component, but without pain relief, this would have been impossible! Don’t fall into the trap of believing that pain relief “masks” further damage- normal movement **doesn’t cause damage**!! However, even at this stage, simple tasks such as getting on/off the bed, putting shoes/socks on etc, were a major undertaking, and remained painful.

From there, I was slowly able to exercise/position myself in my direction of preference, and things started to ease. However, I was still a long way off either running or cycling- my 2 main exercise passions. This really did demoralize me, and scramble my brain.

Turning a Corner

By the time June arrived, I felt my pain was under sufficient control to begin a light jog. We were in Scarborough, and I was covering a game with Yorkshire Cricket, I had 1/10 pain, and the sun was shining.
I plodded very slowly, for a 1/2 mile, and on arriving back at the hotel, was in 6/10 pain!
“So you’ve caused more damage again” I hear you say! But how I reply? Movement is physiologically normal, and running didn’t cause me trauma or damage in the absence of back pain, so why should it cause me damage in the presence of back pain?!

At this stage, the tissues in my back were still sensitive, and so would register pain more readily- the brain has a clever way of sensitising tissues if it perceives a threat, a bit like an over-anxious parent wanting to protect their child if they try to climb a tree, for example.
The key thing was, on arrival back at the hotel, I had some Paracetamol, did my back exercises, and my pain was quickly back to 1/10!

From there, the process was repeated- I managed to slowly increase my running distances- setting off with little or no pain, returning with 3-4/10 pain, but reassured that I was progressing, each time getting a bit further, with slowly decreasing pain (at this point, remember that 2 months earlier I was in 9/10 pain just to put on my socks!!) It still took a bit of convincing for Mrs. L. to believe that although I set of running with no pain, and came home in 4/10 pain, I was not “damaging/worsening” my back!

And so it continued- and now, here I am having run two 10k races (my favourite distance), in 42 and 41 mins respectively!!

Physios are made of the same stuff

Now don’t get me wrong- there were dark times-I did doubt myself- pain messes with your head in that way-, and I did come in for some criticism too (“you’re a Physio, you shouldn’t have problems like this-what hope is there for the rest of us?”). This was hard to take, but I had to reassure myself I could sort the problem. The thing is, I’m made of the same stuff as everyone else, so there’s no reason I shouldn’t develop back pain. The measure of me was, whether I was good enough to solve the problem? The answer was a resounding yes!

Reassurance

So what can one learn from this experience? I am clearly able to empathize with sufferers of lower back pain. But I’m proof it can be managed- and the 2 keys were: pain control allowing me to then do the bit that works- rehab exercises!
Whatever happens- don’t give up- when the pain was at its worst, I did question whether I’d ever get back to running and cycling- that’s just human. The human body is extremely adaptable, resilient and robust- trust this, and with a good dose of patience, you can get there!

Send us a message, or call 0845 177 0780 to see how we can help!

Chris Liversidge is Practice Principal and Extended Scope Practitioner at North Light Physiotherapy Associates, Huddersfield, UK.

Posterior Ankle Impingement

By Chris Liversidge In Ankle, Chris Liversidge, Elite Sport, Expertise, Huddersfield, Musculoskeletal, North Light, North Light Physio, Orthopaedic, Physio, Physiotherapy, Rehabilitation, UK

Afternoon!

Here’s the latest #Advent instalment in our series. A daily evidence-based info-hit from the North Light world of physical health, wellbeing & performance! This is a day late-you know, like when you forget to open your calendar on one day, so you get 2 the following day? (Another instalment to uploaded earlier this afternoon!!)

Also look out for an announcement in the next couple of days in the run-up to Christmas – you can be involved, as long as you’re not on the naughty list!.

So…
I had the privilege recently of attending the operating theatres at Leeds Nuffield hospital to observe Mr Mark Farndon carry out a hindfoot endoscopy (keyhole surgery approaching from the back of the ankle). These opportunities are a key part of the ongoing development of our private service provision at North Light Physio, our individual professional development and in our responsibilities to the sporting partners we provide to. Critically, a great means of reinforcing well-grounded knowledge, and developing relationships with surgical staff – collaborative working being critical to patient care.

The case in question related to a cricket player (bowler) complaining of pain at the back of the (in this case, left) ankle on delivery of the ball. See image of the front foot below, and how the shin bone is angled backwards against the back of the foot/ankle (forced weight-bearing dorsiflexion).

This is not uncommon, but we weren’t able to settle his symptoms sufficiently with Physiotherapy alone. On referral for imaging, an os trigonum (accessory bone at the back of the Talus) was demonstrated- see images below.

The consequence is the likelihood of impingement in the back of the ankle, due to a physical lack of space – the joint lining can become inflamed, and swelling can build. The long tendon flexing the big toe (Flexor Hallucis Longus, FHL), can also become involved, given its proximity.

In this particular case, following surgery to remove the Os Trigonum, recovery has been excellent, and as we speak, the player is taking a full part in pre-season training, with no symptoms at all.

So, what did I learn from this case?

1. As good as we are as Physiotherapists, we can’t solve everything through Physio – knowing when to refer on is critical. The skill of knowing when to refer-on takes years of exposure – especially with conditions which do not appear regularly in our practice.

2. Reinforced my strongly-held belief in team-working across specialities- and how vitally important this is outside of the hospital setting, particularly when working in different geographical areas to the surgical team. Being there to discuss the rehab with the surgeon during the procedure is completely invaluable.

3. Knowing the pathology, the surgeon, the individual, and the feeling from the surgeon as to how well the procedure went, all give us a great advantage in preparing for, and delivering high-quality and timely ankle rehabilitation, to allow a speedy recovery!

An informative case to work on, and rewarding to see excellent progress!

Remember- get in touch below if you want our advice with your ankle problem!

———————————————————————————————————————

Christopher Liversidge (MSc, BSc (Hons) MCSP, SRP) is Practice Principal at North Light Physiotherapy Associates, Huddersfield, UK. Click here to contact Chris, or call 01484 660663

5 Keys to Healthy Knees – use our expertise!

By Chris Liversidge In ACL, Armitage Bridge, Berry Brow, HD1, HD2, HD3, HD4, HD5, HD6, HD7, HD8, HD9, Holmfirth, Honley, Huddersfield, Joint Pain, Knee, Meltham, MPFL, MSK, Musculoskeletal, Newsome, North Light Physio, North Light Physiotherapy, patella, Physio, Physiotherapy, Rehab, Rehabilitation

Having specialised in the rehabilitation of lower limb injuries, and particulary knee injuries, for many years now, I have observed 5 key objectives to achieve quickly to optimise knee function. This is irrespective of whether the rehab is post- injury, or post-operative. With these 5 goals in place, the knee will quickly function more normally.

1. Reduce swelling.

After an injury to structures inside the knee, it will swell- an effusion. This is known to cause reflex muscle inhibition, which can cause the quadriceps muscle to switch off, and the knee to feel as though it may give way. Minimise the effusion to optimise quads activity.

2. Restore full Active Extension.

The ability to actively fully straighten the knee is critical. This is the ability for you to switch on and tense your front thigh muscle (Quadriceps) by choice. If this is not possible, you cannot actively keep yourself upright on your feet- the knee will give way.

3. Restore full Passive Extension.

This is the ability of an external force, i.e not you or your quadriceps muscle, to straighten your knee: e.g. ability for it to sag straight under the weight of gravity, or for someone (usually a Physio, when testing the knee), to pull it into a fully straight position. If this is not possible, it may indicate something inside the knee is mechanically blocking it. This must be dealt with quickly, as a block to extension left untreated can leave the knee stiff in the long-term, and will disable your ability to actively straighten your knee, and may again lead to giving-way or buckling of the knee.

4. Mobilise the Patella.

The patella (kneecap) is free to be moved within a specific range when the knee is relaxed. Often, usually after surgery, this ability for the kneecap to be freely moved is limited, and can have a consequential negative impact on the ability to develop quadriceps strength, and cause kneecap pain. This can be restored by manual therapy during Physio sessions.

5. Normalise Gait.

The walking (gait) cycle is often significantly affected by pain/stiffness after injury or surgery. The adaptations to the walking pattern, if left unaddressed, can have significant negative effects on knee health: loss of movement, stiffness, muscle shortening and quadriceps inhibition. Normalising the gait cycle as quickly as possible is critical to knee health!

If you, or anyone you know are affected by these problems, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Our expertise will get you on the path to healthy knees in no time!!

To book an appointment with the experts at North Light Physiotherapy, PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE A COMMENT HERE!

Call us on 01484 660663, or pop over to our Contact page

North Light Physiotherapy

Appointments

01484 660 663

North Light Gallery, Top Row, Bankfoot Lane,

Huddersfield, HD4 7NP

Get in touch

admin@northlightphysio.co.uk

Tag title