Back Pain

Back pain is typically caused because of poor posture, stress, disc trauma, ligament tears, repetitive movements, and degenerative joint wear. It is a common ailment faced by most Australians and we see a number of cases walking through our doors every day. Starting facts from the Australian Bureau of Statistics National Health Survey 2014-2015 indicate that 3.7 million or 16 percent of the Australian population suffers from some type of back problem. While minor in some cases, back pain can turn chronic and life-altering in others. We help to treat this condition through a range of therapies to help our patients return to their normal lives as quickly as possible.

Cervical Spine (Neck Pain)

Did you know that nearly 80 percent of all headaches and migraines are triggered through your neck? Our trained physiotherapists utilise the Watson technique to identify common faults in the upper three cervical neck joints that could potentially cause your headache or migraine. We use physiotherapy for manual therapies, home exercises and posture advice for degenerative joint diseases, wry necks, pinched or irritated nerve roots and disc bulges.

Thoracic Spine and ribs

Thoracic spine and ribs problems are usually because of faulty postures or some type of trauma. Since the ribs and thoracic spine are attached to a number of muscles in the human body, such as neck, shoulder blades, pelvis and lumbar spine, the problem can manifest in a myriad of ways such as rib joint pain, scoliosis, stress fracture, fractured ribs and ankylosing spondylitis. In some instances, thoracic spine pain can be because of medical issues like tumours, lung diseases, heart problems and kidney issues. Our physiotherapists are trained to treat different types of rib-related problems, including:

• Muscular problems – Muscle problems can cause upper back pain thanks to poor posture, thoracic facet joint arthritis or back and shoulder strains. We work closely with our patients to identify and alleviate these problems.
• Spinal Stenosis – Some are born with a congenital form of spinal stenosis but most develop it through degenerative muscles. Our experts treat both lumbar stenosis where the lower back nerve roots become compressed, and cervical stenosis where the spinal cord becomes compressed.
• Muscle Strain – Muscle strain around the ribs and spine is a common reason for lower back pain thanks to repetitive work, heavy lifting and bending. We treat these conditions to ensure they heal within a few days or weeks.
• Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction – Sacroiliac joint dysfunction can cause lower spine and leg pain triggered by either hypermobility or hypomobility. We will treat your condition and restore normal movements as quickly as possible.
• Facet Joint Pain – Facet joint pain is linked to a reduction in the cartilage thickness thanks to regular wear and tear. This type of pain is also causes because of excess friction between the facets. We identify and help treat your problem within the minimum possible time.
• Lumbar Disc Herniation: Lumbar disc herniation often occurs suddenly through a heavy lifting injury or slowly through general spinal wear and tear. Our experts are trained to identify and fix these issues in your body.

Apart from these, we also treat problems related to scoliosis, lumbar disc bulges, spondylolisthesis, lumbar stress fractures and lumbar spine osteoarthritis.

Workplace Injuries

Ergonomics play a key role in creating an enabling work environment to ensure that your body remains injury-free and efficient. But poor working, sitting and standing postures at the workplace can lead to all kinds of pains in your neck, back, shoulder, elbow and wrists. Workers who use computers all day will start to suffer from a range of injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome and tennis elbow, which can start from the neck and will result in swelling and numbness. Our treatment strategies not only look to correct ailments within the human body, but we also assess the workplace ergonomics and make effective recommendations.

Shoulder Pain

A person’s shoulder is made up of the upper arm, collar bone and shoulder blade. The way these bones are arranged enables flexible movement of the whole body. But this also makes the shoulders vulnerable to strains. Some of the shoulder injuries you could face include:

• Rotator cuff tears and impingement
• Sub-acromial decompression and bursitis
• Bicep tendinopathy
• Shoulder dislocation and labral tears
• Shoulder joint injuries or dysfunction
• Frozen shoulders and multi-directional instability
• Shoulder laxity and instability

At Wigg’s Physiotherapy Services, we seek to alleviate these kinds of shoulder pains and injuries with multi-faceted, personalised treatment techniques.

Elbow Pain

Elbow pain is another issue that people face, often complaining about problems like tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow. This problem is usually triggered because of over-exaggerated or excessive movements. Problems like neck, upper back and shoulder pain can also result in elbow pain. Wigg’s Physiotherapy Services also treats less common disorders like arthritis, ligament strains and olecranon bursitis, apart from elbow dislocations or fractures caused by falls. We will identify and treat the source of the problem to help you get back to your normal lifestyle as soon as you recover.

Hip Pain

Hip and groin injuries are more common than you think, but they are some of the hardest to treat thanks to the number of structures present in the region. Problems arising in your hip and groin area can be complex because they may emit similar symptoms to lower back or pelvic pain. Some disorders of the hip include hamstring tendinopathy, trochanteric bursitis, groin or muscle strain, hamstring strain, osteitis pubis, hip joint arthritis, labral tears and hip flexor muscle strain among others. We are well trained to identify and isolate the problem through accurate diagnosis and treatment measures.

Knee Pain

A tear in the knee usually occurs because of some trauma through a knee twist or hyper flexing of your knee joint. A torn knee will result in symptoms like knee pain, popping, swilling and giving way. If you leave any of these symptoms untreated, you run the risk of a baker’s cyst formation. Some of the knee pain problems you may face include:

• Quariceps and hamstring strain from direct blows or overuse
• Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tears through a sudden change in direction against a locked knee
• Medial and lateral collateral ligament (MCL) sprains
• Patella tracking issues and patellar tendinopathy
• Runner’s or jumper’s knee

A common cause of knee pain that occurs in adolescents is Osgood Schlatter’s Disease. This causes inflammation in the area just below the knee. This usually appears during growth spurts or when an adolescent is competing in some type of sport. We look into all kinds of problems associated with knees and will offer you a tailored solution for your particular situation.

Ankle Or Foot Pain/Injuries

Ankle and foot injuries can occur because of overuse or some type of trauma. Your foot is inundated with several bones, tendons, ligaments and muscles, which mean that injuries can occur at any time. Some of the more common problems associated with foot pain include:

• Achilles tendon ruptures
• Tears and strains in calf muscles
• Stress fractures
• Shin splints
• Ankle sprains like rolled ankles and lateral ankle sprains.

Our physiotherapists look into your walking pattern on a treatment to assess your particular situation before offering a solution for you.