Usually when people think of physiotherapy, they imagine a person who is in a wheelchair who is trying to learn to walk again. They might also imagine a person recovering from an accident or illness. The truth is that physiotherapy can be crucial in dealing with certain types of pain or discomfort. While for minor aches and pains you may want to pop a Tylenol, for more significant issues you may need physiotherapy.
Physiotherapists use therapeutic exercises to improve mobility and strengthen the area of the body that is affected. They also use massage and other hands on techniques. Two of these techniques are the application of heat or ice and the use of ultrasound.
Here are five signs that you may need physiotherapy:
Balance and Coordination
Physiotherapy can be used to train someone to move without falling over if they have a problem with disequilibrium. Without this training, you might have some falls. While you may want to resolve the underlying issue, physiotherapy can help with the symptoms.
Pain that Won’t go Away
Physiotherapy is designed to help this kind of problem. If you have severe back or neck pain or other conditions that result in muscle pain, physiotherapy can help. Physiotherapy both targets pain and helps increase mobility (Source: Physiomobility Don Mills).
Old Injuries
Sometimes an old injury will flare up because it was not resolved when you first got it. Maybe you have an injury that has symptoms that just won’t go away. Physiotherapy can handle this type of a problem.
Mobility Issues
Many times a small injury can affect the mobility of the entire body. If you have ever had a fracture, then you know what this feels like. Physiotherapy can resolve issues with mobility that come about because of a major or minor injury.
Neurological Problems
If you have had a stroke, then sometimes you have paralysis or mobility problems. Sometimes the body needs to learn how to use certain muscles and structures all over again. If you have had a stroke or some other neurological problem, then physiotherapy can help many times. You must have the problem assessed and treated.
There are other signs as well that have not been mentioned here. If you have pain or mobility problems that are severe and ongoing, then it would make sense for you to see a physiotherapist for evaluation and treatment.
*Our content is not intended to provide medical advice or diagnosis of individual problems or circumstances, nor should it be implied that we are a substitute for professional medical advice. Users / readers are always advised to consult their Healthcare Professional prior to starting any new remedy, therapy or treatment. Your Wellness Group accepts no liability in the event you, a user of n-gage and a reader of this article, suffers a loss as a result of reliance upon or inappropriate application of the information.