Physiotherapy is a method of treatment which primarily focuses on the movement of the body. A physiotherapist uses a holistic approach to look at a person’s overall lifestyle when engaging them in therapy.
It helps the patients restore their physical well-being, their range of motion, their strength, balance, and coordination which might have been affected due to some underlying physical issue, or after some injury or surgery.
Physiotherapy not only involves the rehabilitation of a person, but it also encompasses injury prevention along with improving the health as well as the strength of the individual. Let’s know more of its benefits.
Who Can Benefit from Physiotherapy?
This therapy can aid you in:
- Preventing injury
- Managing chronic pain conditions
- Rehabilitation and recovery from severe injury
- Improving your physical health
- Teaching you how to take care of your physical injury and to prevent it from getting aggravated
People suffering from the following health concerns can reap immense benefits from this therapy:
1. Chronic Pain
This type of medical therapy aids you in building your strength and stabilizing your body, allowing you to combat chronic pain conditions.
2. Orthopedic Conditions
Patients who are suffering from orthopedic conditions such as arthritis or amputation can benefit from physiotherapy, as it helps them to manage their condition and also learn how they can take care of their body
3. Cardio-respiratory issues
People suffering from diseases related to their heart or lungs can benefit from improving their physical health and regaining their strength.
4. Women’s Health Concern
Issues such as pregnancy, pre-natal and post-natal care, menopause, menstrual problems, and others are made easy with the help of this therapy.
What Techniques Do Physiotherapists Use?
To aid in the therapy, physiotherapists use a variety of techniques. The method used to treat your condition also depends on the severity of the condition. In general, a physiotherapist will use the following techniques help the patient:
1. Manual Manipulation
The most common method used by a physiotherapist is to manipulate your joints manually and to massage the soft tissues. Moving the joint manually helps in relaxing tight muscles and massaging the tissues also helps in draining the fluids of the body.
2. Electrical Nerve Stimulation
This is used to treat an area of chronic pain. With the help of small electrical currents, a physiotherapist can block the pain signals which are sent to the brain from that area, providing the patient with relief.
3. Acupuncture
This is an ancient technique which has been around for centuries. Patients may benefit from acupuncture as it helps in dulling pain while also improving the overall health of the body as well as muscles.
4. Careful Demonstration
This involves teaching the patient proper movement patterns which are altered according to their condition. It helps the patient learn how to move their body in new ways.
5. Device Provision
A physiotherapy expert may also provide the patient with devices which will help the patient slowly learn how to move their body and manage their pain. Some devices also aim at providing the needed support to certain body parts.
6. Functional Testing
A physiotherapist may test the abilities of the patient regarding physical strength, the range of motion, balance as well as posture. Depending on this, he or she may devise a treatment therapy accordingly.
Physiotherapy is known to treat conditions of chronic pain, and it goes a long way in rehabilitating a patient who may be trying to recover from serious injuries. It is an excellent method to prevent injuries and is used by several athletes to manage their pain as well as to help increase their flexibility and physical capabilities. This type of therapy can go a long way in improving the physical strength of the body, and it may be useful as a precautionary step for anyone who is interested in keeping their body fit for a long time.
It’s great that you pointed out how physiotherapy could aid you in building your strength and stabilizing your body, allowing you to combat chronic pain conditions. My older brother has been complaining about some chronic body pains lately and he is trying to find a way to treat them. Physiotherapy might be what he is exactly looking for, so I’ll try to mention it to him later.