Practice Principles
Dr Speed’s practice is based on holistic principles: care of the patient ‘as a whole’ – physically and psychologically, attending to their specific needs and goals.
Dr Speed combines clinical expertise with advanced technologies in the effective diagnosis and management of every patient.
‘Diagnosis is not the end, but the beginning’
Obtaining an accurate diagnosis is the vital first step in the journey to recovery. Without an early diagnosis, many conditions can become more challenging to treat, and cause other secondary problems.
Detailed clinical evaluation can be combined with the use of diagnostic technologies, including imaging, laboratory tests, biomechanics assessments and exercise or fitness testing to explore the underlying nature of the condition and its cause. In many situations these several different approaches may be used to fully assess the individual before defining best management. Examples of useful diagnostic utilities include:
Imaging
Modern technology has advanced the ability to diagnose and treat medical conditions. Various imaging techniques are used to investigate symptoms. The quality of those techniques is dependent upon many things: the clinician, the radiology doctor supervising the imaging, the equipment and the way the equipment is used to obtain the best quality images. Some of the imaging techniques commonly used are:
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MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)
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CT (Computed tomography)
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Diagnostic Ultrasound
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X-Ray
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Isotope Bone Scanning
Medical thermography
This is an accurate, specialised and no-invasive, diagnostic technique that allows the examiner to visualise and quantify changes in skin surface temperature using high performance infrared cameras. Dr Speed has an interest in this field and has expertise in the use of infra-red technology.Infrared thermography analyses skin surface temperatures to reflect of normal or abnormal human physiology using a high performance infrared camera, used within a specially designed thermal imaging suite. The camera generates images with thermal data in real time and in a fraction of a second, a large area of the human body can be imaged and dynamic responses to stimuli are easily documented.
Thermography has been evaluated as a diagnostic tool over the course of 30 years. It is a safe, non invasive and effective means to assess the human body and specific pathologies. It does not expose the patient to radiation. Thermography can be useful in the diagnosis of complex pain syndromes, soft tissue injuries and arthritis.
Many base line thermographic studies have been performed which show the anticipated normal pattern of temperature in a thermal image, both in steady state as well as dynamic situations, as for example during skin heating and cooling. Characteristic changes in the normal pattern are associated with different pathological phenomena. These changes provide the basis to be able to carry out objective non-invasive investigations, which are of diagnostic value.
Laboratory tests
Typically, these are blood tests. These are used to check health and disease markers, and can also be used to assess nutritional status.
Biomechanical assessment
Biomechanical assessment approaches are used to evaluate the body during motion. This is important and yet often neglected in the assessment of a patient who has a musculoskeletal condition. Examples include the sportsperson with a recurring injury can be evaluated in relation to their sporting technique to look for a cause, or an individual with arthritis of the knee may benefit from gait analysis to change the load imposed through the affected joint when walking.
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Isokinetics evaluation
This is a specific form of strength and endurance testing. It allows identification of muscle strength deficits that may not be apparent from other forms of assessment. Such muscle imbalances are a common cause of injury and are often seen in patients with arthritis. Once detected, rehabilitation programmes can be designed to correct them.
Exercise testing and fitness assessment protocols
Fitness testing has a wide range of formats, to suit the needs of the individual. Specific methods and protocols are used according to the circumstances and goals. Assessment using this approach is not just for the athletic individual – it has many uses in those who have medical conditions, and those who are simply ‘unfit’.
