What is physiotherapy?
Physiotherapy involves the treatment of injuries, disorders, and diseases by using physical methods that include exercises, massages, manipulation being preferred to medication, and surgery.
What are physiotherapy techniques?
These are the various techniques employed by physiotherapists in offering physiotherapy services to their clients and include but are not limited to the following:
- Hands-on physiotherapy techniques
Physiotherapists are trained to offer hands-on physiotherapy by employing methods such as; joint mobilization, joint manipulation, physiotherapy instrument mobilization, minimal energy techniques, and massage and soft tissue techniques.
- Physiotherapy strapping and taping
This is usually achieved through supportive strapping that is achieved by restricting joint movements through the use of a rigid strapping tape or in an instance where you need to compress and support a joint or muscle the physiotherapist uses an elastic adhesive bandage.
Taping is mostly used as a temporary technique and is mostly used by athletes as a protective mechanism where there is an existing injury. It aims at reducing swelling and as protection from pre-injury.
- Acupuncture and Dry Needling
Acupuncture as a practice of traditional Chinese medicine entails inserting thin dry needles into the 350 accessible acupuncture points in the body and at variable depths. These are seen as points in the body where nerves, muscles, and blood flow are stimulated.
- Physiotherapy Exercises
These types of exercises entail using tested and functional methods in effective ways that can alleviate pain and prevent injury. So usually the physiotherapists are trained to offer the patient the best exercise routine and dosage depending on your rehabilitation status. The physiotherapy exercises will include the following types of exercises; muscle stretching, core exercises, strengthening exercises, neurodynamics, balance exercises, proprioception exercises, real-time ultrasound physiotherapy.
- Hydrotherapy
These usually entail aquatic exercises that are mainly used to exercise the lower part of the body during physiotherapy.
Advantages of employing physiotherapy techniques
- Effective Pain Relief
Physiotherapists will recommend stretches and exercises that target problem areas and offer relief, as well as administer massaging techniques that can help relieve pain and minimize the risk of further injury.
- Better Flexibility And Mobility
The human body just like any machine gets worn out. For some, routine stretches and exercise that has been devised by a physiotherapist can help complement their lifestyle and improve any problems.
Disadvantages of employing physiotherapy techniques
- Biases in offering physiotherapy for neck and back pains
The problem with these biases is that, if you present a situation that is outside the skill set of the physiotherapist, you won’t achieve the desired results. Unfortunately, this is the case most of the time due to the complexity of the human body.