Discover MyPhysio's Physical Therapy Services

Cervico-Thoracic Spine, Migraines and Headache Management

Headaches can result due to a variety of reasons:

• Poor sleeping position
• Stress
• Poor posture
• Accidents
• Whiplash

Often the cause of your headache could be joint dysfunction in your neck, shoulders, or upper back. By correcting the joint mechanics in those areas we are able to minimise your symptoms and often take the headache away completely. We can then prescribe specific exercises for the problem area/s in order to prevent a recurrence.

Headache/Migraine-related conditions we treat:

• Neck Headache
• Migraine
• Tension Headache
• Cluster Headaches

Neck Pain

Physiotherapy for neck pain typically includes the following goals:

• Reduce pain and stiffness
• Improve neck range of motion
• Develop strength of the neck and it’s supporting musculature
• Develop postural improvements to prevent pain from recurring

We treat the following conditions as well as the common causes of neck pain:

Neck Joint Injuries

• Facet Joint Pain
• Wry Neck

Muscle-related Injuries

• Neck Sprain
• Text Neck
• Whiplash
• Muscle Cramps
• DOMS - Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness

Bone-related Injuries

• Osteoporosis
• Spinal Stenosis
• Spondylosis
• Spondylolysis
• Spondylolisthesis
• Scoliosis

Disc-related Injuries

• Bulging Disc - Slipped Disc - Herniated Disc
• Degenerative Disc Disease

Nerve-related / Referred Pain

• Cervical Radiculopathy
• Neck Arm Pain
• Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
• Nerve Pain
• Pinched Nerve

Systemic Diseases

• Ankylosing Spondylitis
• Fibromyalgia
• Rheumatoid Arthritis

TMJ

Temporomandibular Disorder (TMD) is a broad term that encompasses disorders of the temporomandibular (jaw) joint and its associated structures.

Causes of TMD

Intra-Articular Causes:

1. Inflammatory conditions within the joint – most often caused by teeth grinding at night

2. Internal derangement describes conditions where there are structural changes within the joint. This can be caused by direct trauma, such as a blow to the jaw or falling on the chin, indirect trauma, such as a whiplash injury, long term clenching or grinding, heavy or hard chewing or prolonged periods of mouth opening, such as a dental procedure or a general anaesthetic.

3. Arthritis

4. Hypermobility can result in excessive anterior movement of the jaw and the cartilage in the joint. 

Extra-Articular Causes:

1. Muscle Spasm 

2. Cervical Postural Disorders can cause jaw pain

3. Temporal Tendinopathy 

4. Fractures of the mandible 

TMD is a recurring, but self-limiting condition that tends not to be progressive. Non-invasive, conservative treatments have found to be effective.  Physiotherapy treatment is very effective in relieving TMD symptoms and managing chronic issues, even when the symptoms are severe. With appropriate physiotherapy most patients will see a significant improvement in their symptoms within 2 to 6 weeks.

Back Pain

Low back pain physiotherapy can be a complicated business. The lumbar spine is made up of 5 large vertebrae with discs positioned in between each of the vertebrae. Exiting at each vertebral level are a pair of spinal nerves, these nerves supply motor and sensory information to the lower limbs with each individual nerve responsible for different areas and muscles of the lower extremities.

There are many muscles and ligaments passing through, as well as attaching to and from the lower back, so between the joints, discs and all these muscles, ligaments and nerves it means there are multiple structures that operate as potential sources of low back pain. Physiotherapy is the go-to treatment for lower back pain, often receiving direct referrals from neurosurgeons in an effort to avoid surgery.

Conditions treated include:

• Stenosis
• Sciatica
• “Slipped” Discs
• Facet Joint Pain
• Sprains & Strains
• Stiffness
• Arthritis
• Pinched Nerves
• Herniated Discs
• Post-surgical Rehab
• Lower back pain
• Lumbago
• Degenerative Disc Disease
• Spondylosis
• Spondylolisthesis
• Piriformis Syndrome