What Is the Purpose of Physical Therapy?
Physical therapy helps in long-term pain management. Physiotherapy focuses on manual therapy to treat movement-related diseases and injuries. Physical therapy is a rehabilitative health treatment that relieves pain through a number of approaches rather than medicines.
The purpose of physical therapy is to:
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Reduce feelings of pain.
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Strengthen muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
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Restore balance when imbalances are present.
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Improve the range of motion.
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Address issues like scar tissue.
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Improve general functioning.
The most common reason for pain is injury and sickness. To improve a patient's quality of life, a physical therapist employs specialized equipment, exercises, and techniques.
When You Will Be Referred for Physical Therapy?
When your doctor recommends physical therapy for pain-alleviation, the physical therapist has a wide choice of treatment alternatives. When chronic pain develops or when a loss of mobility and function occurs as a result of a stroke or an auto accident, physical therapy for pain reduction is frequently recommended. The physical therapist will guide the patient closely to provide passive and active treatments, as well as give instructions on how to exercise at home.
What Are the Common Pain Conditions Physical Therapy Helps With?
Physiotherapists are crucial in the treatment of both acute and chronic pain. Following a comprehensive evaluation, we will create a treatment plan with you to assist alleviate discomfort and treat the causes of the symptoms in order to prevent a recurrence. Soft tissue massage and stretching to release tension and spasm, joint mobilizations, acupuncture, electrotherapy, corrective exercise, posture awareness, and guidance on how to overcome pain in daily activities are all examples of physiotherapy treatments for pain relief.
The professional provides customized supplemental treatment for pain due to conditions like the following.
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Lower back pain.
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Shoulder pain.
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Neck pain.
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Bursitis or tendonitis.
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Post-surgical rehabilitation.
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Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
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Herniated discs.
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Leg pain.
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Rotator cuff injuries.
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Sciatica pain.
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Fractures.
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Overuse injuries.
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Foot and ankle dysfunction.
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Lumbar stabilization.
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Muscle strains.
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Tennis or golfer elbow.
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Nerve injuries.
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Fibromyalgia.
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Diseases like parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis.
In fact, most conditions causing pain and limited movement can benefit from physical therapy.
How Does Physical Therapy Help in Understanding Pain?
A physiotherapist can help you figure out why your joints, muscles, and soft tissues hurt. It will be easier for you to handle and overcome pain if you have a better understanding of it.
When you are in a lot of pain, staying in bed with a hot bottle, taking paracetamol, and not moving is a good idea. Exercise and mobility have been found in studies to be one of the most effective treatments for chronic pain. So you can keep moving, your physiotherapist will give you guidance and suggest a safe exercise regimen based on your situation.
Acute pain lasts for a shorter period of time and serves as a warning sign that something is wrong. While the majority of minor aches and pains are readily addressed and forgotten, others are indicators of something more serious that we should not ignore.
Chronic pain is pain that lasts longer than the average period it takes for tissues to heal after an injury. Most soft tissue injuries heal in some weeks, while some may take months to fully recover. Pain that lasts more than three to six months is referred to as chronic or persistent pain by pain specialists. Chronic pain has a variety of causes, but in certain cases, the pain is thought to be caused by the nerve fibers' pain messages being jumbled. The brain is then unable to fully comprehend the impulses.
What Are the Physiotherapy Treatments Available for Pain?
Physical therapy (PT) includes a variety of methods, but the pain management approaches used in PT are generally divided into two categories: passive PT and active PT.
Passive physical therapy treatments require the patient to remain motionless while treatments are administered, and they are successful in providing pain relief quickly. Active physical treatment necessitates patient involvement and may benefit a patient for longer periods of time.
Both types of physical therapy treatments have been found to be helpful in studies, and combining them in a treatment plan can be very effective in addressing problems like arthritis, low back pain, and neck discomfort.
Passive Physical Therapy Treatments:
Some of the common passive physical therapy treatments include the following.
Application of Heat, Cold, or Both:
Inflammation and muscle spasms can be reduced by using heat or ice packs or by alternating between the two.
Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulator (TENS):
Electrical stimulation is used in the TENS unit to relieve pain by overriding pain signals supplied to the brain. The electrical pulses are transferred through the skin to the sensory nerves.
An electrical current is used to apply the steroid to the skin. The current leads push the steroid deeper into the skin, where it can help with inflammation and pain.
Laser Therapy:
Laser photons penetrate beneath the skin, reducing unpleasant inflammation and speeding up tissue recovery.
Ultrasound:
On the skin, a cold gel is applied. Ultrasound equipment is then used to apply sound waves to the gel site. Soft tissues are penetrated by the waves.
Massage Therapy:
Massage therapy can aid in the relaxation of muscles and other soft tissues.
Active Physical Therapy Treatments:
The patient participates in active physical therapy treatments while the physical therapist gives instructions and help.
Range-Of-Motion Exercises:
Range-of-motion exercises can help people who have had a stroke, have had an injury, or have spent a long time in bed. During each session, the physical therapist assists with moving the limb through a broader range of motion and beyond the point of pain.
Dynamic Lumbar Stabilization:
This treatment focuses on stretching to reduce back and neck discomfort. Stretches help to relieve muscle tension and increase the range of motion. Exercises like the back flexion stretch and the knee to chest stretch are among them.
McKenzie Approach:
The physical therapist helps the patient execute activities that stretch the spine and relieve pain. It focuses on moving discomfort from the leg or arm to the back, where it can be tolerated better.
Aquatic Exercise:
A pool is used for aquatic exercise. The buoyancy of the water relieves and reduces pressure on the spine. Especially in cases of severe shoulder, neck, or back pain, the patient can work the muscles while feeling less discomfort than they would otherwise.
Targeted and General Conditioning:
Physical therapy exercises can target a specific body component, such as the lower back, neck, joints, or an inflammatory area. General conditioning physical therapy could help a patient with a total-body medical ailment like fibromyalgia. There are workouts for strengthening, stretching, aerobics, and endurance.
Physical therapists have a variety of therapy alternatives at their disposal, allowing them to tailor the treatment plan to the patient's individual needs.
Conclusion:
Physical therapy includes a wide range of treatments and therapies, so individuals who do not respond to one may benefit from another. Massage, joint manipulation, dry needling, and electrical stimulation are just a few of the treatments available. Just because something does not work the first time, or even if it makes the pain worse, does not indicate a person has failed physical therapy. There are countless ways to tweak a person's program to keep them comfortable and progressing.
