Sometimes in life, unexpected things such as accidents, injuries as well as illnesses happen. Sometimes, this may affect an individual’s body parts like the hands and legs in such a way that they may not be able to use them as they should. This can cause pain and even immobility. These kinds of people usually still have their body parts intact but have difficulty using them although some may not. Physical therapy is a field of medicine that helps such persons to literally and idiomatically “get back on their feet”.
Physical therapy is the process whereby physiotherapists help people get back to full strength and mobility. It will usually involve helping them regain the full use of key parts of their bodies that may have been affected by an injury or illness. Much more than regaining strength and motion, physical therapy also helps with the management of pain. It can help prevent permanent damage as well as recurring issues. You can find out more about it here.
Other ways physical therapy can help include:
- Improved balance
- Prevention of disability as well as a need for surgery.
- Speed up recovery from most forms of injury for example in sports.
- Management of severe illnesses such as arthritis and diabetes.
- Rehabilitation after a stroke.
- Recovery after giving birth.
- Help with learning to use an artificial limb or assistive devices such as a cane or a walker.
Physical therapy can be used in the treatment of a host of medical problems and anyone can get it no matter their age. It is useful for managing problems especially related to old-age.
Common Remedies
There are different types of physical therapy. You can find them in this article https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/160645#types. It can also include the use of a range or combination of remedies and techniques for treating as well as providing relief for medical conditions such as pain, immobility, and arthritis. These remedies may be passive or active.
Some of these can include:
Exercises
When it comes to physical therapy, exercises are different from the conventional ones. It is controlled and applied to the affected areas in a way that helps improve strength, flexibility and motion. A lot of the time, the physiotherapist, or PT as they are called for short, applies physical pressure while the patient is relaxed. Depending on how far gone the patient is, they may also get involved in active exercises in a way where they by themselves go through the motions while they are supervised by the PT. Examples of these include using a treadmill.
Joint Mobilization
This is when a therapist passively helps the patient move joints in specific directions. This will result in a reduction in pain as well as an improvement in mobility and balance. When the joints move, there is a gliding motion that occurs and this is increased during a joint mobilization session. Joint mobilization helps a patient return to full fitness as soon as possible. Although it is a passive treatment, the therapist can teach an individual how to do joint mobilization techniques for self-management.
Ultrasound
Ultrasound provides a deep heating treatment for musculoskeletal issues like strains, sprains, and tendonitis. To use an ultrasound machine, a physical therapist applies a small amount of gel and presses a wand, usually called the sound head, against the skin in the affected region and this is moved in small rotational sweeps. The gel enables ultrasound waves to be absorbed into the skin and also into the muscles.
Traction
Traction is usually employed in the treatment of neck and lower back pain and to improve the mobility of the spine. It involves being strapped to a machine with a vest that supports the ribs. Another device is wrapped around the pelvis and both are stabilized with straps. The patient may either lie or sit before a mechanical force is applied by the aid of a machine. Traction decreases pressure on spinal nerves.
TENS or Electrical stimulation
Transcutaneous electrical neuromuscular stimulation (TENS) can also be used as a remedy in physical therapy for decreasing pain around injured tissues. Electrical stimulation may also be used for muscle contraction. This process is referred to as neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES). It is used to make injured tissues and muscles relearn how to function.
Other common remedies may include the use of heat, ice, iontophoresis, laser therapy, massage, Kinesiology taping and so on.
You can visit Liberty physical therapy to find out more about how to get in touch with a suitable physiotherapist in New York.
Conclusion
From all we have discussed above, we can see that there are various physical therapy remedies that can help a person regain control of whatever part of their body which may otherwise have become dysfunctional due to injury or illness. Though a person may sometimes need a referral from a physician for treatment, you should know that you can get the needed treatment and support to regain full mobility and fitness when you need it.
