Physiotherapy is a word that has been heard by many people on television, especially on the news while the reporters refer to a sportsman's recovery from injury, there are various physiotherapy centres present in almost every part of the country, but few people visit one while in pain.
Why? Because they are not aware or even if they have ever visited one, they have been scared of the machines. So either they are not aware of physiotherapy as a treatment or they do not know exactly what it includes and how it performed.
This is why this content is focused to provide one with all the information needed to burst all the myths they have about the treatment and answer all queries. Continue reading to know more.
The term itself explains the meaning where "physio" means physical and "therapy" means treatment. It is a treatment where a professional with comprehensive knowledge of human anatomy uses evidence-based methods like exercise, massage, manipulation and other methods to treat an injury, disease and disorders through physical methods.
While it is a common myth that the physiotherapy is opted by sportsperson while suffering from injuries, the treatment helps with many problems that are a result of the lifestyle of people.
It helps people suffering from back pain or sudden injury, managing a long-term medical condition such as asthma, and in preparing for childbirth.
Rather than focusing on merely sports injuries, it also treats people suffering from physical problems arising from injury, disease, illness as well as ageing.
Alleviating pain, restoring functions or lessening the effects of dysfunction due to injury, are few of methods via which the treatment helps in improving a person's quality of life.
The professionals who diagnose patients and implement a treatment programme to ensure that the patient back in position as he/she was before the injury.
These specialists work in a variety of environments and can be working in hospitals, community health centres, private practices, sports clubs, rehabilitation centres, schools, fitness centres and a workplace or have their own spaces for practice.
The key role of a physiotherapist includes re-training patients to walk or helping others to cope with crutches, walking frames, or wheelchairs, educating the patients and concerned family about injury prevention and leading a healthy lifestyle and issue a sick leave certificate should it be deemed necessary to do so.
These professional are trained to people of various age groups including the premature babies, children with cerebral palsy, pregnant women, people undergoing rehabilitation, athletes, the elderly, and people with heart disease, strokes or major surgery.
It can be an effective treatment for a plethora of conditions leading to reduced recovery time. Since the physiotherapists serve several different areas they can specialise in any one of them including
Orthopaedic Physiotherapy which is used to treat conditions like sprains, back pain, arthritis, strains, incontinence, bursitis, posture problems, sport and workplace injuries, plus reduced mobility. Rehabilitation following surgery is also included within this category.
The neurological physiotherapy is used to treat nervous system disorders including strokes, spinal cord injuries, acquired brain injuries, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease. It can also be used for rehabilitation following brain surgery.
Cardiothoracic Physiotherapy as the name suggests is the treatment given for heart-related diseases like asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema and other cardio-respiratory disorders.
A geriatric Physiotherapy is a form of physiotherapy that focuses on the unique movement needs of older adults and helps in treating their conditions like arthritis, cancer, osteoporosis, Alzheimer's disease, joint replacements and balance disorders.
Paediatric Physiotherapy focuses on the needs of infants, toddlers and adolescents physical needs and their variety of developmental, neuromuscular, skeletal or other physical disorders.
Sports injuries are usually sudden requires proper care before and after surgery. The sports physiotherapists are closely involved in the case of athletes injury from its diagnosis and to rehabilitation and progress injury management.
Women's Health: Physiotherapy also plays an essential role in women's health as it addresses the issues of the female reproductive system, childbirth, prenatal and postnatal care and issues of infertility.
The treatment for each individual is customized according to their lifestyle, condition and various other factors and the physiotherapist may choose from a range of therapies.
The manual therapy is usually inclusive of joint manipulation and mobilisation (which includes spinal mobilisation), manual resistance training, and stretching to treat musculoskeletal pain and disability.
The exercise programmes are also a part of the physiotherapy that helps to increase the movement in a joint or a muscle by including exercises like muscle strengthening, posture retraining, cardiovascular stretching and training.
Besides manual therapy and exercise, Electrotherapy techniques are also used to provide pain relief and increase the movement via Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS), laser therapy, diathermy, and ultrasound. These machines are used for a specific time under the supervision of a physiotherapist based on the need.
One can easily hire a physiotherapist by getting in contact with them through the nearest centres and hospitals.
The physiotherapist can render rehabilitation services by visiting the patient's home and providing them with manual therapy or equipment based therapy including IFR, Ultrasound, etc. It is usually an option opted by the bedridden patients as it is costly.
Physiotherapy as a treatment is being in demand as it has been effective in preventing the need for surgery for an injury that can be caused due to various underlying factors that exist in the current scenario.
It could be caused by repetitive work-related activities, bad posture, being overweight, or even adopting the wrong technique when playing a sport. The treatment treats the body as a whole and addresses the factors that could cause pain or inconvenience.
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