Physiotherapy isn’t just one type of treatment. In fact, there are lots of different ways physiotherapists can help you and improve your overall health. What are they though? Well, let’s go over a few of the common techniques that they use.
Exercise!
This is used to help improve the range of motion, flexibility, and strength. Lots of times, you can use passive exercise, where you focus on the affected area while the therapist applies the stress to this. For example, a hamstring stretch will help elongate the muscle.
Some use active exercise, such as those to strengthen the hips or even leg raising, and this helps improve the mobility of the affected area. Often, this one comes with a home exercise program to help improve the mobility of the area.
Joint Mobilization Techniques
These are used when you feel pain, or stiffness, are hypermobile or have all of these happening together. They allow you to attain a more normal range of movement for the joint, and to help alleviate pain. Nearly every restriction is regained through this, and it actually can help gently improve the range of motion. You can eliminate crunching, popping, and clicking of the joints with this.
Physiotherapy Instrument Mobilization.
This is also known as PIM and it’s a concept that uses the mobilization of the peripheral joints and the spinal cord according to different principles. It allows for spinal and joint mobilization, and from there, it can help with combined movements to make the area move better. It is often used to help reduce pain, especially near the spinal and peripheral areas of the body.
Stretching
Stretching is actually something that physiotherapists can help with. Stretching allows for the muscles to lengthen, so that stiffness and immobility are reduced. It allows for a longer tension ratio in the tendons that are there. When you exercise, you shorten those muscles, and postural habits, along with aging can affect this as well. With stretching, and through the help of a physical therapist, you can actually improve your flexibility, and allow you to have a better range of motion, which allows for static stretching that can help prevent injury during exercise. If you combine stretching with exercise, you can prevent the area from getting worse, and stop the pain in its tracks.
Ultrasounds
An ultrasound is a heating treatment used to treat musculoskeletal conditions that may happen, including tendonitis, sprains, and strains. You can get it from your physiotherapist. Becoming an ultrasound technician is a good career option as well and enables one to earn a handsome salary. You can get more ultrasound tech salary information on the internet. The process is simple, in that a wand that’s called a sound head is pressed onto the skin, moved about in circular motions, and kept near where the injury happened. A gel may be used so that the waves are absorbed into the muscles and skin, which can prevent it from getting worse, and is also seen as an effective treatment for a variety of conditions.
Electrostimulation and TENS
TENS is Transcutaneous Electrical Neuromuscular Stimulation, and essentially, both of these play a part in physical therapy, especially in reducing pain within an area. The electricity is used to help stimulate the area, and it uses the Gate theory and the Opiate theory in order to accomplish this.
Some also use electrical stimulation for the contraction of muscles, and this is entitled neuromuscular electrical stimulation, and this is used when muscles get injured so that they can “relearn” how to function in a proper manner.
Taping
Taping is actually a common physiotherapy technique. Strapping podiatry gold coast and taping are used to help with inflammation or to help strengthen the area. For example, if you’re apt to getting jammed fingers, strains, or sprains, this is a great way to help improve the problems within the area and reduce pain.
Kinesiotherapy is the use of a thin, cotton, and stretchy tape on there, and it can help with many different injuries or even inflammatory issues. it’s almost just like human skin in terms of elasticity and thickness and allows you to use it without binding, constricting, or even reducing the movements. You actually see many athletes use this, because it allows for them to have a pain-free experience, and even improve their performance as well. It is effective, and if you’re an athlete, this can help.
Traction
Traction is used to help treat lower back pain, along with neck pain, and is used to reduce pain, and improve mobility. you’re essentially strapped to a machine that supports the ribs, and one for the pelvis. they’re all stabilized, and a force is applied to it. There is also cervical traction, which is done sitting or lying down. The harness is put on the head, with weight there, and it essentially provides force while you sit there. If you lie down, they put the device against your forehead, and then, a pneumatic pump is used to apply a traction force to the area. This is used to help separate the joints and the discs within the neck and the lower back, which decreases the pressure within the spinal nerves.
Massage
Massage is used to help with the injured tissues, kneading them to help reduce pain, improve circulation, and decrease the tension in the muscles. The experts at the Australian clinic “Enhanced Physio” often have the most positive feedback after a massage due to the fact it gives almost instant relief. This is a focal part of physiotherapy, and it can really help with an affected area. Some massages use heat or coldness to help with the circulation of the area, relax the muscles and tissues, and provide pain relief. Some people like the heat, others don’t, but it does help if you’re suffering from a pain that won’t go away.
These are all different aspects of physio and you can get a lot of great benefits from each of these different types of therapy. Even if you’re doing okay health-wise, utilizing a physiotherapist to help prevent and reduce injuries can make a difference, and if you do have pain, especially in the back and joints area, this can be used to ultimately help you, and make things better for you as well in the long run.
Refs:
https://www.verywellhealth.com/physical-therapy-treatments-and-modalities-2696683
http://www.willisstreetphysiotherapy.co.nz/resources/treatment-techniques/
https://physioworks.com.au/FAQRetrieve.aspx?ID=30872
