Physical Therapy                                        See "what's new"

Most back problems result from a combination of poor posture, either when seated at a desk at work, or during walking and in particular lifting. Furthermore, inappropriate self-taught exercises may actually make matters worse. This can lead to chronic pain in the lower back (lumbar spine) or neck (cervical spine). People in certain occupations or with particular recreational habits may be more prone to such problems. A number of people are born with a weakness in the spine, which may pre-dispose them to problems, such as back pain, later in life.

These problems are exactly the ones which therapy can address. The trained physical therapist can, through a range of postural and dynamic exercises, educate the patient to develop a better posture or lifting pattern and by improving muscle tone, as well as usage, increase overall fitness.

Most patients who are seen in the clinic will be offered physiotherapy as their initial treatment option, unless they have a condition requiring urgent surgery, or they have already been under an experienced physical therapist and failed to benefit. Such patients may well go on to need surgery.

Any patient undergoing an interventional procedure at the London Spine Clinic will be pre-assessed by our own, highly trained, staff.  This should smooth the course after treatment and should improve the overall outcome.  The patient will be aware of the necessary goals in terms of recovery that are likely to be set, and how best to achieve these.

The other facility of great value is the hydrotherapy pool.  This is situated within the Spinal Surgery Unit of the London Clinic and is an excellent way of initiating exercises in patients, either in the post-operative period, or when they have been relatively immobile for a long time.

The pool is staffed by dedicated, trained staff and can be accessed either by stairs or a hoist (for the less mobile). The temperature is kept at a steady 94^o F to ease any muscle discomfort and allow the patient to exercise more effectively.

Patients undergoing invasive treatments may benefit from an exercise program coupled with a detailed spinal rehabilitation program, which may be run jointly with their local physiotherapist and the rehabilitation team at the London Spine Clinic.