5 Ways Physiotherapy Can Relieve Aches and Pains

Physiotherapy is a structured program that relies on a number of management therapies to achieve greater mobility and strength for patients who have had their mobility impaired through disease or injury. Physiotherapy can involve programs of manual manipulation and exercise, assistance with adapting to the use of prostheses, massage, stimulation by heat, cold, or electricity and the use of mechanical manipulation such as traction.

Listed below are 5 ways that physiotherapy can relieve aches and pains

Help with Painful Knees: Researchers from the University of Western Ontario in Canada maintain that physiotherapy, when combined with medication, was just as successful at treating weak and painful knees as invasive surgery. It was found that often the condition was noticeably improved by physiotherapeutic work on flexibility and strength. A physiotherapist would do a biomechanical assessment of the knee and then work out a program of exercises to increase strength and flexibility. This therapy directly treats the cause of the problem and not just the symptoms.

Help with Breathing Disorders: It has long been acknowledged that many conditions like asthma, sleep apnea and stress are exacerbated by incorrect breathing technique. A cardiovascular physiotherapist would work out a program of correct breathing exercises and then coach you in their correct implementation.

Relieve Pelvic Floor Disorders: The pelvic floor muscles are involved in many areas of bodily function, such as sexual function and bladder and bowel function. The pelvic floor muscles also help to keep the spine straight and the internal organs in their proper place. The physiotherapist will be able to pick up whether your pelvic floor muscles are too tensed or too stretched. The therapist would then suggest a series of exercises to alleviate the cause, and would also apply pressure point massage on the specific muscle to bring immediate relief.

Relieve Chronic Pain: The chronic pain linked to spinal compression fractures can be alleviated by exercises to strengthen the muscles supporting the lumbar region. Patients have noticed a decrease in the use of pain medication and an increase in mobility after a few months of physiotherapy treatment.

Lower Back Pain: There are roughly twenty four muscles in the lower back that are really important for correct posture. Physiotherapy has developed exercises that not only work on strengthening specific muscles, but also on re-programming the other muscles to work together in a specific co-ordinated way. This inevitably results in an alleviation of back pain.

Physiotherapy has been practised since the time of the ancient Greeks. Since the First World War, physiotherapy has advanced by leaps and bounds, assisted by advances in our understanding of how our bodies function.

There is a solid body of reliable evidence to attest to the fact that a program of physiotherapy would greatly assist in the alleviation of aches and pains, and with their accompanying loss of mobility. We have only listed 5 ways that physiotherapy can assist pain relief.

There are many more ways that physiotherapy can help you to overcome physical challenges. If you are interested, book an appointment with a reputable physiotherapist to find out how he or she can help you, or ask your general practitioner for advice on physiotherapy for your medical condition.