Physiotherapy supports the development of the healing and repair processes of the damaged tissues following trauma (by accident or surgery) or in the evolution of certain chronic pathologies, being used successfully even in the case of children or during the pregnancy period. Depending on the patient’s diagnosis and medical history, physiotherapy can sometimes successfully replace the surgical treatment of certain osteoarticular pathologies, considerably improving the patient’s quality of life while avoiding the risks associated with this type of intervention.
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Physiotherapy – when is it recommended?
The main indications for performing physiotherapy procedures are:
Spine disorders secondary to injury or surgery Sprains, dislocations, tendinitis or tendon ruptures Rehabilitation of fractures after removal of the cast device Musculoskeletal disorders, especially those of the neck and back Rehabilitation of patients who have suffered an acute myocardial infarction or a stroke with motor deficit Relief of lumbago (back pain) associated with pregnancy and during the postpartum recovery period Rehabilitation of people who have undergone surgical interventions followed by the appearance of disorders in the lymphatic circulation (treatment of lymphedema after mastectomy) Adjunctive treatment of patients suffering from ailments chronic respiratory conditions such as bronchial asthma and cystic fibrosis Improvement of the manifestations associated with pathologies with chronic evolution such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis Post-interventional rehabilitation in patients who required the fitting of a hip or knee prosthesis.
Physiotherapy in the case of children addresses musculoskeletal disorders, movement coordination difficulties and motor development delays.
Physiotherapy versus physical therapy
Physiotherapy uses natural or artificial physical agents to improve the symptoms of various ailments
Physical therapy it represents movement therapy and involves the execution of certain types of physical exercises and specific procedures with the help of the physiotherapist.
Both physiotherapy and physical therapy are aimed at pathologies associated with decreased muscle tone, reduced mobility, lack of coordination of movements or difficulties in maintaining postural balance.
What is the duration of physiotherapy treatments?
How many physiotherapy sessions are needed to improve the symptoms is one of the most frequently encountered concerns among patients who were recommended physiotherapy.
Physiotherapy is a long-term process that requires structuring according to the patient’s degree of tolerance and the final goal of the treatment.
Physiotherapy treatment includes approximately 10 sessions structured over a period of several weeks in mild cases, but it can take up to a year or more in the case of patients with complex pathologies, who present a high degree of functional impairment. On average, a physiotherapy session lasts between 60 and 90 minutes, depending on the applied procedures and the patient’s tolerance level.
Types of physiotherapy
Pediatric physiotherapy it addresses newborns, infants, small children, preschool and school age, including adolescents up to the age of 18 and uses a complex program of techniques and physical exercises for the rehabilitation of this category of patients.
Pediatric physiotherapy aims to restore lost motor functions or facilitate their acquisition in the case of children with growth and development deficits or atypical development in the context of certain congenital pathologies.
The rehabilitation techniques applied during the physiotherapy sessions are adapted to the needs and age of each individual child and are mainly addressed to:
Orthopedic conditions such as kyphosis, scoliosis, lordosis, incorrect positions, genu varum, genu valgum or flat feet. genetic determinism Speeding up the healing processes that occur after muscular and skeletal traumas – limb fractures, sprains, dislocations Recovery after certain surgical interventions.
Physiotherapy in children is applied to improve motor functions, coordinate movements and maintain balance, increase tolerance to effort and mobility, reduce pain discomfort and inflammation, re-educate posture, correct sagittal or lateral deviations of the spine and last but not least, ensuring a harmonious development from a physical and mental point of view.
Physiotherapy is indicated for athletes in order to speed up healing processes and reduce the recovery period required after an injury or surgery.
In the pre-competitive stage, physiotherapy applied to performance athletes aims to reduce the sensation of pathological muscle fatigue due to the accumulation of lactic acid in overtrained muscles. Intercompetition, individualized treatments and specific muscle massage techniques contribute to the athlete’s recovery and reduce the risk of injuries due to physical overuse.
Stretching exercises contributes to increasing flexibility and stabilizing the joints, successfully preventing the risk of microtraumas.
Physiotherapy applied to women with lymphedema secondary to a radical mastectomy with axillary lymph node evacuation aims to:
Pain reduction – the pain is felt especially at the level of the shoulder joint and the back and is due to the asymmetric stress of the upper limbs Stimulation of lymphatic drainage. Improving posture, increasing muscle tone and regaining shoulder mobility. Regaining the functionality of the affected upper limb.
Physiotherapy in disc herniation
The main objectives of physiotherapy for people diagnosed with disc herniation are represented by:
Stopping the evolution of this condition. Decreasing the disabling pain discomfort. In the long term, the favorable effects of physiotherapy in patients with disc herniation are obtained by applying individualized procedures that gradually reposition the displaced intervertebral discs, under the careful guidance of a highly specialized medical team.
Disc herniation physiotherapy can include electrotherapy, hydrotherapy and balneotherapy procedures with anti-inflammatory, decontracting (relaxation of the paravertebral muscles) and hyperemetic (stimulates local blood circulation) effects.
However, there are disc herniations that have an absolute surgical indication and cannot be completely cured by physiotherapy.
Physiotherapy after stroke
Physiotherapy sessions applied to patients who have suffered a stroke have as their main goal the restoration of physical function by improving the ability to maintain postural balance, muscle strength and coordination of movements. Physiotherapy started immediately after a stroke increases the patient’s chances of recovery, successfully preventing the onset of muscle atrophy and joint stiffness.
Physiotherapy and joint pain
Arthralgias caused by overuse, trauma or certain pathologies with a chronic evolution, can be improved with the help of physiotherapy that uses the therapeutic applications of physical factors, to reduce pain discomfort.
Physical factors act on the thermal, tactile and painful skin receptors which respond accordingly through reduction of joint pain associated with different types of injuries. Cryotherapy, Tecar therapy (heat produced by the body through electromagnetic energy), laser therapy, ultrasound therapy and the Tens technique (the use of a low-intensity electric current for the direct stimulation of tissues), represent some of the methods used in the physiotherapy sessions addressed to patients with arthralgia.
Physiotherapy during pregnancy
Prenatal physiotherapy is applied in order to reduce the back pain that occurs in most pregnant women with the increase in volume of the pregnant uterus, correcting the postural defects of the spine and stimulating the pelvis, abdomen and perineum to facilitate birth.
Headache, insomnia, sacral and pubic pain, edema of the lower limbs and the feeling of heavy legs are other symptoms frequently associated with pregnancy, which can be alleviated through the sessions prenatal physiotherapy.
In the vast majority of cases, prenatal physiotherapy can be started around the 3rd trimester of pregnancy (the 7th month of amenorrhea), but there are also situations in which the doctor can recommend starting it from the first months of pregnancy.
Physiotherapy during medical recovery
Medical recovery through physiotherapy aims to regain functionality and mobility in different segments of the body affected after prolonged postoperative rest and is addressed to patients who have undergone surgery:
Hip arthroplasty Knee arthroplasty Arthroscopy Ligamentoplasty Neurosurgical interventions Neurological interventions Cardiovascular interventions.
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2023-08-31 22:08:24
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