Physiotherapy is one of the most popular treatment plans most people resort to in case of muscular or bone injury. We often go to a physiotherapist to relieve our pain but seldom ask questions like what physiotherapy is and how it works. In this article we have encompassed all the details that a person should know about physiotherapy.
The first and foremost question that will come to the mind of any novice is what actually physiotherapy is? Physiotherapy is a holistic treatment plan which encompasses of rehabilitation, injury prevention and promotion of health and fitness. It is basically a kind of treatment which has science of motion as its main focus. It plays an important role in maximising the physical strength, flexibility, function, motion and over all well being of the person.
What are the different types of physiotherapy?
Now that we know what physiotherapy is, let us understand various kinds of physiotherapeutic treatments. This classification will help you in better judgement about the kind of treatment that is suitable for you.
1. Orthopaedic and Sports physiotherapy: It is one of the most popular and common type of physiotherapy as it addresses wide range of issues related to muscular and bone injury. Mostly athletes need orthopaedic injury as they have maximum danger of muscular and bone injury.
2. Neurological physiotherapy: It is a kind of physiotherapy that is required by patients having problems in their nervous system. Usually stroke victims are the ones who need neurological physiotherapy.
3. Geriatric physiotherapy: Geriatric physiotherapy can be associated with elderly people suffering from diseases like Alzheimer’s and cancer. Such patients usually have limited mobility and geriatric physiotherapy is given at home only.
4. Cardiovascular physiotherapy: Cardiovascular physiotherapy is usually given to patients suffering from heart ailments such as heart attack and heart surgery.
5. Paediatric physiotherapy: As the name suggests paediatric physiotherapy mainly deals with injuries and developmental issues in infants, young children and younger teens.
How does physiotherapy works?
It will be interesting to note that a physiotherapist always has a holistic approach while treating a patient. They do not focus on the injury or particular body part alone. On the contrary they focus on entire body and work on all the possibilities to eliminate the ailment. They understand that one symptom or problem can be due to many causes. And they work on all of them to eliminate the problem from root.
Different physiotherapy techniques used by physiotherapist across the globe are:
1. Manual therapy
2. IASTM
3. Dry Needling
4. Mobilization and Manipulation
5. Movement and exercise
6. Energy based therapy using tens, ultrasound, laser therapy, Shock wave therapy and diathermy.
7. Hydrotherapy