Physiotherapy Blog. Sharing knowledge & Encouraging growth.

Injuries to the posterolateral corner of the knee

March 08, 2016 by Sian Smale

The posterolateral corner of the knee (PLC) is an inherently complex region both anatomically and functionally, and in recent times has been 're-discovered' for the role it plays in knee function and stability. In fact, the PLC of the knee has 28 seperate components, all of which play a vital role in both static and dynamic stability to prevent excessive hyperextension, tibial external rotation and varus angulation. This week, Grant Freckleton - now APA-titled Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist - shares his knowledge about injuries to the posterolateral corner of the knee.

Can we pick the clinical signs of excessive sleepiness & sleep disorders?

September 11, 2015 by Sian Smale

There is a strong bidirectional relationship between sleep disorders and serious medical conditions such as cardiovascular disease, depression, hypertension and cerebrovascular disease. The purpose of this blog is to broaden your knowledge about common sleep disorders and to understand what questions can be incorporated into the subjective examination to improve patient assessment and identification of sleep disorders.

Can the risk of Vertebral Artery Dissection be determined with pre-manipulative screening?

August 14, 2015 by Sian Smale

Cervical manipulation has inherent risks. One of the the most dangerous adverse effects following cervical manipulation is vertebral artery dissection (VAD). For the past two decades, functional pre-manipulative screening tests have been used by Physiotherapists to identify patients at risk of vertebral artery insufficiency (VBI). Many experts in the field of VAD and cervical manipulation have started to question the clinical validity of these tests and currently there is great uncertainty if the tests themselves are potentially dangerous enough to cause VAD.

This blog aims to review the risk of cervical manipulation, the clinical presentation of VBI and the current assessment recommended by the Australian Physiotherapy Association. I'm also pleased to include the thoughts and recommendations of Dr. Mark Percy, Specialist Radiologist from MIA Lilydale, Victoria.

Distinguishing features of Cervicogenic dizziness

March 13, 2015 by Sian Smale

This is a sequel post on the topic of sensorimotor control and cervicogenic dizziness. This blog looks more specifically at the distinguishing features, the subjective examination of dizziness and the physical assessment of sensorimotor control.

Lumbar disc herniation with radiculopathy - a case study

February 27, 2015 by Sian Smale

How would you treat a patient presenting with severe low back pain radiating into their leg? What treatments do you fall back on day 1? Lets take a look at my clinical reasoning of a young female with lumbar disc herniation with radiculopathy.

Functional assessment of a water skiing injury

February 07, 2015 by Sian Smale

The aim of this blog is to outline a case study on a lower back injury sustained from waterskiing and the importance of performing a thorough functional assessment. After completing my Masters I developed a framework for performing a initial musculoskeletal assessment, which I could apply to almost all presentations. For this presentation however my main focus was on the functionally task and mechanism of injury.