Physiotherapy has been gaining a lot of popularity in the past few decades. Although there are records of physical therapy manoeuvres dating back thousands of years, it only surfaced as an established medical branch in the early 19th century. However, the general population didn’t perceive it as a form of medical care. Instead, people thought of it as more of a fancy form of massage. This happened because in the 1800’s surgery and drug treatments were at the centre of medical care all around the world. But things have changed since then, and today we’re looking at Physiotherapy in a fresh new light.
So what is Physiotherapy? It’s a type of medical treatment that targets your muscles and joints in order to increase your everyday mobility and reduce any pain caused by injury or disease. Two of the most common myths involving Physiotherapy are – it’s only useful for people who’ve been injured or have been in an accident, and it’s a painful type of treatment. Thankfully, these are both myths. The truth is that Physiotherapy is designed to relieve the pain and discomfort that you may have, be it of an acute or chronic cause.
Physiotherapy includes numerous types of treatment, from orthopaedic to cardiopulmonary, from paediatric to geriatric, and many more. Each branch offers different types of medical techniques that can be of help to many patients.
Orthopaedic Therapy
Orthopaedic therapy is probably the best known type of Physiotherapy, It involves the treatment of sport-related injuries, post-surgery mobility exercises, or other defects caused by crippling chronic diseases. The main goal of orthopaedic therapy is to increase the strength of the muscles, the range of motion of joints, and to increase overall endurance.
Cardiopulmonary Therapy
Cardiopulmonary therapy is beneficial for patients who are suffering from chronic heart failure, shortness of breath, or even patients who have suffered a heart attack and are still weakened by it. Most patients suffering from cardiopulmonary disease have lowered effort resistance thresholds. Through the use of cardiopulmonary therapy, patients regain their mobility faster and with less struggle, subsequently increasing their effort resistance threshold.
Paediatric Therapy
Paediatric therapy gives children with congenital motor diseases or neurological disorders, faster coordination and strength gain, while also improving their posture control. Children, due to their young age, are susceptible to long-term debilitating conditions if Physiotherapy isn’t started in the early stages of the disease.
Geriatric Therapy
Geriatric therapy mostly treats patients suffering from crippling conditions caused by old age, such as osteoporosis and arthritis. Other conditions that can be improved with therapy include Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, or rehabilitation therapy following knee or hip replacement surgeries. Therapy increases their overall mobility, reduces their pain, and accelerates recovery.
Remember that each type of physiotherapy treatment is individualised for each patient. There are many factors that are taken into consideration before the start of a treatment scheme. These factors include age, sex, bodyweight, and most importantly, the patient’s disease or condition.
