What Conditions Can Physiotherapy Treat
Medication and surgery are both things that people would prefer to avoid. Natural healing is the high road solution, but there are all-too many underqualified, and even unqualified individuals touting one or other “natural” remedy as a cure-all.
Physiotherapists, on the other hand, are very highly qualified medical professionals who help people to recover through treatments that include exercise, physical manipulation, and massage.
Physiotherapists at Bentall Physiotherapy work with people of all ages from premature babies to the elderly. They help with rehabilitation after illness or traumatic injury and can help people to recover after suffering a heart attack, stroke, or major surgery. Can a physiotherapist help you? We take a closer look at the conditions that physiotherapists can treat.
Musculoskeletal Issues
This area of practice is known as orthopaedic physiotherapy, and it covers everything from sports injuries to aches and pains, arthritis, and reduced mobility after accidents or injuries. Once again, people of all ages can benefit. From children and super-fit sportsmen and women to elderly people hoping to improve mobility, we treat a full spectrum of individuals who need help with musculoskeletal problems.
This is probably the single area that physiotherapists are best known for, but it’s by no means the only way in which we can help people to improve their quality of life and physical health. A 2011 study found that patients were “highly satisfied” with the outcomes of musculoskeletal physiotherapy treatments.
Neurological Issues
Nervous system disorders can result in slight to severe physical problems. The damage done may be permanent, but the body can learn to cope in new ways. Even when nerve damage has occurred, new neural pathways can be developed. The key to that is the right type of exercise, and that’s where a physiotherapist can help people achieve amazing feats like learning to walk again after a brain injury.
Here, we deal with people who have experienced brain or spinal cord injuries, those who suffer from degenerative neural disorders like Parkinson’s Disease and multiple sclerosis, and those who are recovering after brain surgery.
Cardiothoracic Issues
People who suffer from emphysema, asthma, or chronic bronchitis are among those who can breathe more easily with the help of physiotherapy techniques. Helping patients to clear fluid from the lungs and showing them postures that will allow them to help the body to drain out this fluid at home is one of the ways in which we help.
We also help them to breathe more effectively under normal conditions and teach them how to breathe during emergencies such as an emergency caused by an asthma attack. A study found that physiotherapy helped to reduce hospital stays for people in ICU with respiratory problems.
Although people may be surprised to hear that physiotherapy can help those with cardiovascular disease, the logic is quite simple. Strengthening the body reduces strain on the heart and can help you to recover faster, reducing the chance of heart attacks.
Safe, Gentle, Natural, and Supported by Science
Doctors, hospitals, and clinics often refer people to us for physiotherapy treatments. They know we’ll take good care of their patients. There’s no question of overstraining your body or placing yourself at risk when you work with a physiotherapist to improve your health. Instead, we work with you to help your body in its healing process, helping you to recover faster by using scientifically proven techniques. If you’re not sure whether physiotherapy can help you, ask your family doctor or give our offices a call.