What is physiotherapy?
Physiotherapy is a health care practice that uses a holistic approach to help people maximize their physical functions by breaking down barriers caused by chronic diseases and illness. With the widening scope of the profession, physiotherapy can offer many benefits to address neurological, cardiopulmonary, and orthopaedic concerns among children and adults.
Physiotherapy is focused on the science of movement to help people expand their physical abilities and overcome any disturbance in the functioning of the body. The therapy is suitable for all ages, from infants to the geriatric population.
Physiotherapists treat a wide array of conditions. They manage orthopaedic cases including bone fractures, spinal problems, and sports injuries to name a few. When you consult with your trusted physiotherapist, he or she will perform a thorough assessment of your medical history, your joint range of motion, your cardio-respiratory status, and your movement patterns.
In addition to doing an extensive evaluation of your overall health, your physiotherapist will examine medical records, laboratory results, and surgical notes to obtain a better understanding of the treatment plan best suited for your unique functional needs.
What does Physiotherapy involve?
There are several forms of treatment under physiotherapy:
Massage – massage is one of the oldest methods of healing. It started over 4,000 years ago and continues to be used today for healthcare treatments including physiotherapy. This form of treatment is generally suitable for all ages, with the firmness of the massage adjusted for each patient’s specific condition. Massage involves patterns of movements, which are aimed at helping stimulate the normal function of different parts of the body. It also helps ease tension on the joints and muscles for improved blood flow and increased mobility.
Hydrotherapy – hydrotherapy is typically performed in a specialized pool where the patient is encouraged to do exercises that will help improve circulation. The warm water of the pool provides a unique environment to stimulate nerve activity and muscle movement.
Electrotherapy – electrotherapy is a technique that involves the use of controlled electric shocks for medicinal purposes. In physiotherapy, electrotherapy is utilized to increase nerve activity, aid muscle repair, and decrease any muscle pain. There are different electrotherapy treatments; laser therapy, interferential therapy, ultrasound, muscular stimulation, and TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation).
Exercise and Movement:
One of the main objectives of physiotherapy is to treat stiff muscles and joints and improve range of movement. Your physiotherapist will guide you in performing a variety of stretches and exercises that will help reduce stiffness of the muscles, so you can have improved flexibility. The intensity and duration of the exercises are tailored to suit each patient. Commonly, patients start by doing low-impact exercises before moving on to more physically challenging stretches and exercises.
Benefits of physiotherapy
Physiotherapy cures a wide range of ailments:
● It can treat multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and stroke
● Helps on treating damage on the spinal cord as well as brain damage resulting from trauma
● Physiotherapy can help treat orthopedic problems: frozen shoulders, amputations, arthritis, sprains and much more
● Musculoskeletal disorders including tendonitis, ligament sprain, back and neck pain, and radial tunnel syndrome can be treated with the help of physiotherapy.
● Cardiac rehabilitation programs can help patients recover from heart attack, so they can get back on their feet and return to normal activities.
● Physiotherapy can be used to treat people with respiratory problems such as cystic fibrosis, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases
● There are exercises and techniques that can help treat women’s health concerns including menopause, breastfeeding, postmenopausal heart disease, and breast and other cancers
● It helps promote overall health and wellness for patients experience pain from injuries.
● Physiotherapy gives patients the freedom to function as it helps relieve pain from the body