- •What is physiotherapy?
- •Attitude of the medical community regarding physiotherapy
- •Different types of Physiotherapy
- •Treatments
- •Exercise Therapy
- •Acupuncture
- •Hydrotherapy
- •Sports Rehabilitation
- •Ergonomic and postural advice
- •Myrotherapy
- •Back pain
- •Cerebral palsy
- •Developmental co-ordination disorder
- •Electrotherapy
- •Fractures
- •Incontinence
- •Juvenile arthritis
- •Knee replacement
- •Lymphoedema
- •Mental health problems
- •Nerve disorders
- •Osteoarthritis
- •Pain relief
- •Quadriceps
- •Repetitive strain injury (rsi)
- •Strokes
- •Tinnitus
- •Varus (club foot)
- •Water therapy
- •Z plasty
- •Statistics of People Currently Under Physiotherapy Treatment
Theme 9. Elementary physiotherapy methods.
What is physiotherapy?
Physiotherapy (also known as Physical therapy) is defined as the assessment, evaluation, and treatment and prevention of physical disability, movement dysfunction and pain resulting from injury, disease, disability, or other health related problems. A person who is engaged with these activities is known as physiotherapist.
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"Physiotherapy is a health care profession concerned with human function and movement and maximising potential:
it uses physical approaches to promote, maintain and restore physical, psychological and social well-being, taking account of variations in health status
it is science-based, committed to extending, applying, evaluating and reviewing the evidence that underpins and informs its practice and delivery
the exercise of clinical judgement and informed interpretation is at its core."
The above definition is taken from the CSP curriculum framework (January 2002).
Physiotherapists work in a wide variety of health settings such as intensive care, mental illness, stroke recovery, occupational health, and care of the elderly. Physiotherapy can be useful in the diagnosis and management of a wide range of injuries, disease processes, and other conditions, including:
sports injuries
back and neck pain
postural problems
occupational injuries
arthritis
amputee rehabilitation
spinal cord injuries
chronic airways disease
rehabilitation following cardiac surgery
stroke rehabilitation
asthma management
developmental and paediatric problems
neurological conditions
impaired mobility
women's health
incontinence
geriatric problems
specific children's conditions
Where do Physiotherapists work?
Physios work in many different places and situations, including:
Hospitals
Private practices
Medical centres
Rehabilitation centres
Nursing homes
Sports clinics
Sports clubs
Gymnasiums
To build a better picture of the range of conditions that physiotherapists can treat, see our A-Z of physiotherapy:
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What do Physiotherapists do?
A common misconception is that physiotherapists only deal with injuries to backs, necks, joints, muscles and other 'sports' type injuries. While many physios certainly do treat these types of conditions, there are other areas in which physiotherapists are trained and can help you. For simple explanation, physiotherapy can be divided into three broad areas.
Musculoskeletal physiotherapy
Cardiothoracic physiotherapy
Neurological physiotherapy
Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy (Orthopaedics). As the name suggests, this area deals with muscles, bones and joints, and is perhaps the most widely known. Musculoskeletal physiotherapists can deal with many acute or chronic conditions such as:
back and neck pain or stiffness
muscle strains/contusions
joint sprains/stiffness/instability
arthritis
muscle imbalances/weakness
muscle spasm
tendonitis/bursitis
rehabilitation following occupational injury, surgery, sporting injuries.
The musculoskeletal physiotherapist uses a variety of different treatment methods to help speed up the healing process and reduce the likelihood of the same thing happening again. Some of the techniques include:
manual techniques (massage, joint mobilisation, manipulation, stretches)
electrotherapy (ultrasound, interferential, TENS, shortwave, microwave, laser)
heat and cold
therapeutic exercise
correction of posture, lifting techniques, sporting techniques which contribute to the problem
taping, bandaging, splinting
hydrotherapy
The musculoskeletal physiotherapist is not only concerned with treating the injury, but with finding the cause and correcting any biomechanical factors which may contribute to the injury.
Cardiothoracic Physiotherapy. Cardiothoracic physiotherapists deal primarily with the function of the cardiorespiratory system. The cardiothoracic physiotherapist, often working in the acute hospital, deals with a variety of situations, some of them being:
Chronic Obstructive Airways Disease (Emphysema, Asthma, Chronic Bronchitis)
Following general surgery
General medical conditions
Following cardiac surgery
Following most types of thoracic surgery
Intensive Care Unit patients
The cardiothoracic physiotherapist aims to optimise the function of the cardiothoracic system and patient comfort, resulting in increased exercise tolerance, a reduced chance of developing complications such as chest infections, reduced shortness of breath, and a reduced length of stay in hospital. Some of the treatment techniques at the physiotherapists disposal are:
breathing techniques either to reduce shortness of breath or increase lung expansion
patient positioning
sputum clearance with percussions, vibrations, coughing, deep breathing, suction
mobilising, sitting out of bed, or walking
oxygen therapy
mechanical ventilators
medications
exercise programs
Neurological Physiotherapy. Neurological Physiotherapy, as the name suggests, is concerned with disorders of the nervous system. The neurological physiotherapist is involved in the assessment and treatment of patients suffering conditions such as:
acquired brain injuries/head injuries
strokes
brain surgery
Parkinson's disease
multiple sclerosis
Guillian-Barre syndrome
balance disorders
spinal cord injuries
other neurological conditions
The neurological physiotherapist is involved in determining how these conditions affect the patients movement and function, and implementing strategies to regain maximum function, depending on the type of disorder.
What Does A Physiotherapist Do?
Many people are now just beginning to understand about physiotherapy. If you or a loved one has been injured, or have suffered an illness or undergone an operation, chances are that you have come into contact with a physiotherapist. Many people wonder "What does a physiotherapist do?" There is no set answer as physiotherapy encompasses many different aspects of medicine. A physiotherapist is a medical individual who uses a variety of treatments, including manipulation, massage, exercise therapy and even counseling to help individuals who have been immobilized due to various reasons, to regain their mobility and aid their recovery process. A physiotherapist cannot prescribe medicine, instead, he or she relies on using a variety of techniques that have proven to be just as effective or, in many cases, more effective than medication. Medication often only masks pain. In prior years, those who experienced chronic pain were often prescribed pain medications that were not only physically dangerous when abused, but also very addictive. In most cases, individuals would have to take additional doses of the pain medication to achieve the same relief. Abuse of prescription pain medication is almost an epidemic in this country and accounts for many people who have had to enter rehabilitation centers to rid themselves of this addiction. Other methods doctors prescribed to alleviate pain often involved surgery. Sometimes this surgery had substantial risks, particularly back surgeries. Back pain is the most common reason why people visit the doctor each year. Yet there is little a medical doctor can do but prescribe pain medication and recommend surgery. What does a physiotherapist do to alleviate back pain? He or she finds the root of the pain, most often in the spinal column, and through massage and manipulation can alleviate the pain and in many cases, cure the condition, without the use of surgery or drugs. In the past, people who were recovering from an operation spent quite some time in the hospital, after which, they were sent home under strict bed rest. This can be dangerous, particularly for an older person who runs the risk of developing blood clots in their legs that can travel to their heart or brain. It became advisable to recommend that these patients begin to mobilize at a slow pace. This is where the physiotherapists came in. Now, instead of releasing elderly patients home after operations, many are released to rehab centers where qualified physiotherapists can ease them into mobilization and allow them to make a full recovery.