What you need to know about Physical Therapy

Physical therapy is an ancient method of treating diseases and a very effective and efficient way to treat them without the use of medicines. It is basically treatment of pain, disease, or injury by physical means, and is also termed as “physiotherapy”.

Physical therapy or physiotherapy is a branch of rehabilitative medicine aimed at helping patients maintain, recover or improve their physical abilities. Physical therapists study medical science subjects, including anatomy, neuroscience and physiology in order to acquire the health education needed for prevention, diagnosis, treatment.

It is a very important knowledge which everyone should know of, because in many cases physiotherapy can be given as first aid. And it is something easy to learn and if learned properly every home can have a doctor at times of emergencies. It is something that just requires patience and skill and just imagine the treatment can be done without spending a single penny!

But a very important thing that can be taken as “statutory warning” is that if done in a wrong way it can sometimes prove to be disastrous and painful as well.

According to the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, UK:

“Physiotherapy is science-based, committed to extending, applying, evaluating and reviewing the evidence that underpins and informs its practice and delivery. The exercise of clinical judgment and informed interpretation is at its core.”

Physical therapy helps people get back to full strength and movement in key parts of the body after an illness or injury. Physical therapy doesn’t just help a person rebuild strength and range of motion, though — it also can help someone manage pain, whether that pain is caused by bad posture, an injury, or a disease like arthritis.

There are different types of physical therapy.

These may include:

1: orthopedic,

2: acute care,

3: post-operative care,

4: cardiovascular and pulmonary rehab,

5: lymphedema management, wound care, and

6: neurologic rehabilitation.

Five common areas of specialization in physical therapy are:

1: Cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitation physical therapy:

This deals with patients who have a disease or disorder of the heart, patients with pulmonary problems and circulatory system. Helps people who have just recovered from a heart attack, bypass surgery or chronic pulmonary diseases.

2: Orthopedic physical therapy:

The orthopedic physical therapist treats injuries and disorders of the musculoskeletal system. In simple words it deals with problems such as sports injuries, post operative joints, amputations etc.

3: Pediatric physical therapy:

As the name suggests, pediatric physical therapy deals with treating children with various diseases and disorders like e.g. Cerebral palsy.

4: Neurological physical therapy:

This kind of therapy is mainly concerned with the disorders in our nervous system. It includes disorders like stroke, walking disabilities, vision impairment, Alzheimer’s disease, paralysis etc

5: Geriatric physical therapy:

Geriatric physical therapy basically aims at physical disorders in older adults. It treats diseases such as Arthritis, Osteoporosis, Cancer, Joint replacement, Balance problems etc

When Last did you try out Physical Therapy?