3 Tools Used by a Physiotherapist
Physiotherapy is the practice of managing pain, restoring function, and improving mobility in order to prevent or manage debilitating diseases or injuries. Physical therapists (also called physios) can treat people with a variety of disorders, such as traumatic brain injury, stroke, arthritis, and sports injuries. This article goes into some detail on how physiotherapy works with your muscles and body from head to toe.
Heat
Heat is used to treat muscle and joint pain. In order to reduce joint and muscle pain, therapists use heat packs or warm packs to either heat up a certain place directly or to cause the blood vessels around that area to dilate (widening). This makes the blood flow easier, which can help increase the supply of nutrients to that area. Heat can also help your muscles to relax, which helps to release any tension and to reduce the level of pain you may be experiencing.
Water
Warm water can be used in a multitude of ways in physiotherapy. The most common way is to immerse the patient in a swimming pool while they perform different exercises and stretches. This involves moving the joints in different directions in order to increase blood supply, help it flow and help to restore range of motion. For this to be effective, the patient performs a movement at one end of the bath and moves their joints through its entire range of motion until they reach their starting point. The water heats the muscles while also providing a lot of additional support to the body and any injured areas. This extra support allows the patient to perform exercises that would be impossible on dry land. The water also provides resistance to movement which can be useful if you are trying to increase your muscle mass.
Massage
Physical therapists use massage as a treatment for pain related to muscles and joint problems. It can also be used as a form of relaxation therapy or for more specific purposes such as inducing labour or treating chronic headaches such as migraines. It is also used as a part of rehabilitation after injury or surgery to break up scar tissue and sores in the skin. Massage can also help to relieve tension by applying pressure to specific parts of your body so that the muscles react and move into new positions.
If you would like to find out more, contact a physiotherapy service today.