What Is Physiotherapy?
Physiotherapists are primary healthcare providers offering physical therapy services. The main roles of physiotherapy include:
• Rehabilitation
• Promoting health
• Injury prevention
• Treatment of injury and disease
Physiotherapists have gone through years of training. As such, they have in-depth knowledge of the body and every function. They use their clinical skills to assess, diagnose and offer treatment of symptoms illness, injury and disability.
What Is The Definition Of Physiotherapy?
Physiotherapy refers to the treatment focusing on the science of movement. The main focus of physiotherapy includes maintaining, restoring and maximising physical function, strength and motion.
What Can You Expect From A Physiotherapy Appointment?
A physiotherapy works directly with you to explore your functional needs and abilities. He/she will come up with a treatment plan to incorporate your current techniques and approaches. At an appointment at an Exeter physio, the physiotherapist will do the following.
• Ask about your medical history to learn more about it.
• Assess your needs and diagnose your condition.
• Help you set physical goals and find ways to motivate you to meet them.
• Create a specific treatment plan considering your lifestyle, health and activities.
• Prescribe the right exercises and necessary devices if required.
What Are The Qualifications Of Physiotherapists?
Physiotherapists must meet the following qualifications.
• Master’s Degree in Physiotherapy
• National Entry-level education and mandated practise standards
• Pass national Physiotherapy Competency Examination
• Registration in the territory/province with the college of physiotherapists before practising.
Physiotherapists have the necessary skills required to identify the cause of an injury and treat it accordingly. A physiotherapist can practise in different environments such as fitness clubs, private clinics, community health centres, hospitals, assisted-living facilities, residential care, workplaces, home visit agencies and schools.
Treatments Offered In Physiotherapy
Physiotherapists work together with other healthcare professionals to offer patients the best treatment. A general physician may recommend physiotherapy services after a car accident, injury, heart attack, stroke or an operation (hip replacement). Physiotherapy treatments include the following.
• Personalised exercise programs to improve your range of motion, strength and function.
• Specific treatment plan to help you recover from a car accident.
• Massage
• Mobilisation and manipulation of joints to reduce stiffness and pain.
• Hot/cold packs and modalities used to reduce swelling, relieve pain, improve the healing process and improve function and overall movement.
• Airway clearing methods to assist people suffering from breathing difficulties.
• Skin and wound care.
• Management of incontinence such as re-education of the pelvic floor.
• Functional activity, tolerance testing and training.
• Occupation and work re-training and planning of return to work.
• Prescription, fabrication and application of adaptive, assistive, protective and supportive devices and equipment.
• Environmental changes mostly focussing on removing barriers to function.
What Are The Techniques Used In Physiotherapy?
A physiotherapist should apply updated and modern techniques fitting to your needs and injuries. Some of the commonly used physiotherapy techniques include:
• Manual Manipulation – The soft tissues and joints are manipulated to improve your circulation, drain fluid from your body and relax any muscles with spasms.
• Prescription Of Exercises – To improve joint strength and range of motion.
• Electrical Nerve Stimulation – Stimulating muscles using small electrical currents to promote suppression and blocking of pain signals to the central nervous system.
• Acupuncture – Needles are used to stimulate the nervous system thereby dulling pain, releasing muscles, boosting the immune system and regulating various functions of the body.
Physiotherapy offers a lot of benefits to your body. Look for a good physiotherapist to enjoy these and more benefits.