What is Physiotherapy?

Physiotherapy helps to restore movement and function when someone is affected by injury, illness or disability. It can also help to reduce your risk of injury or illness in the future.

When is physiotherapy used?

Physiotherapists offer treatments relating to the following conditions:

• Cardiorespiratory: providing support, prevention and rehabilitation for people suffering from diseases and injuries that affect the heart and lungs, such as asthma.
• Post-surgical Rehabilitation: Physiotherapy assists with post-surgical rehabilitation by developing customized treatment plans that focus on restoring mobility, strength, and function after surgery. It includes exercises, manual therapy, and modalities to reduce pain, improve range of motion, enhance healing, and promote a safe and effective recovery process.
• Cancer, palliative care and lymphedema: treating, managing or preventing fatigue, pain, muscle and joint stiffness, and deconditioning.
• Incontinence: managing and preventing incontinence and pelvic floor dysfunction.
• Women’s health concerns: addressing health issues surrounding pregnancy, birth, post-partum care, breastfeeding, menopause, bedwetting, prolapsed, loss of bladder or bowel control.
• Musculoskeletal: preventing and treating clients with musculoskeletal conditions such as neck and back pain.
• Neurological: promoting movement and quality of life in patients who have had severe brain or spinal cord damage from trauma, or who suffer from neurological diseases such as stroke, Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis.
• Orthopedic: helping patients prevent or manage acute or chronic orthopedic conditions such as arthritis and amputations.
• Pain: managing or preventing pain and its impact on function in patients.

Physiotherapy can improve your physical activity while helping you to prevent further injuries.

Physiotherapy Techniques: What Techniques do Physiotherapists Use?

Physiotherapists employ a variety of techniques, depending on the nature of the injury or problem they are treating. The most common physiotherapy techniques are:

• manipulation: Moving joints and soft tissue helps to improve circulation, drain fluid from the body, and relax overly tight or muscles with spasms.
• Electrical nerve stimulation: Small electrical currents delivered to affected areas helps to suppress and block pain signals to the brain.
• Acupuncture: Needles stimulate the nervous system and work to dull pain, release muscles, boost the immune system and regulate various body functions.
• Demonstration: Teaching proper movement patterns allows patients to help heal themselves.
• Functional testing: Testing a patient to assess his/her physical abilities.
• Device provision: Prescription, fabrication and application of assistive, adaptive, supportive and protective devices and equipment.

What to expect from a visit?

Each session with a physiotherapist is unique, because it depends on the client’s health issues and needs. However, a visit by a physiotherapist generally includes:

• Learning about the patient’s medical history;
• Assessing and diagnosing the patient’s condition and needs;
• Helping the patient set and reach physical goals;
• Creating a treatment plan that accounts for patient’s health, lifestyle and activities;
• Prescribing a course of exercises and necessary devices.

If you are experiencing issues with movement or function or are just seeking to optimize your health, why not check out a trusted hub like us for a professional physiotherapist.