It’s no secret that living a healthy lifestyle can be tough. Between work and family commitments, it can be hard to find time for yourself. But when you do, it’s important that you take care of yourself so you can enjoy the things you love doing with the people you love.
Physiotherapy is a great way to get back on track and feel better about yourself. It’s an affordable option that helps people get stronger and feel better—whether they are recovering from surgery or injury or just trying to live a healthier life.
So, if you’re ready to start living an active life enriched with positive emotions and energy, in the following sections we will help you understand what is physiotherapy, why is physical therapy so important, and how physical therapy can help you reach your goals as quickly as possible!
Read along for more information, or you can call us to book your next physiotherapy appointment. We service Doreen, Mernda and the surroundings.
What Conditions Do Physiotherapists Treat?
Enlisted are 6 of the most common conditions that physiotherapists treat.
1. Orthopaedic
Orthopaedic conditions can be treated by physical therapists, who have extensive training in the treatment and rehabilitation of disorders of the musculoskeletal system. The musculoskeletal system includes bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, and muscles.
These conditions include:
Back pain
Back pain is one of the most common reasons for seeking medical attention. It can be caused by a number of factors including injury, arthritis, or spinal abnormalities. In some cases, it may not be possible to identify the exact cause of your pain, but physical therapists are skilled at identifying the root cause and providing an effective treatment plan.
By diagnosing the cause of your pain, physiotherapists can work with you to reduce and manage it. They may use a range of techniques including massage, joint mobilization and manipulation, exercise rehabilitation, ultrasound, and electrotherapy.
Joint pain
Joint pain usually affects joints such as knee or hip joints which are very commonly affected by osteoarthritis (OA). OA occurs when cartilage breaks down leading to inflammation and pain in these areas.
Physiotherapists can help keep you mobile by providing exercises that strengthen muscles around joints to reduce pain and increase mobility—for example, they may advise you on strengthening exercises for your knees or hips.
They may also recommend exercises to improve flexibility and fitness levels which will help reduce the risk of developing OA in the future.
Arthritis
Arthritis is another common condition affecting people of all ages although it’s more likely to develop with age and is more common in women than men. There are many types of arthritis, but osteoarthritis (OA) affects about 1 in 4 people over the age of 50.
OA is a degenerative condition that affects the joints and their surrounding tissue, causing pain, stiffness, and loss of function.
By contrast, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in the joints. It’s more common in women than men and can also affect other areas of the body such as the skin, eyes, and lungs.
A professional physiotherapist, drawing on their experience and training, will be able to assess your condition and recommend the best course of treatment for you.
They’ll also help you to maintain your mobility by providing advice on exercises that will help strengthen muscles around your joints.
2. Neurological
When you think of the word “physiotherapist,” what comes to mind? If it’s something along the lines of “back pain” or “knee problems,” then you’re not too far off. But did you know that physiotherapists can treat a wide range of conditions?
One such condition is neurological—that is, it involves the nervous system, which includes your brain and spinal cord. There are many different types of neurological disorders: stroke, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and more.
The good news is that there are specialized treatments for these conditions that can restore your quality of life. In some cases, they might even help prevent permanent damage from occurring!
Physiotherapy can help you manage your condition and prevent it from getting worse. It can also reduce your need for medications, thereby reducing their side effects and improving your quality of life. If you have a neurological disorder, contact us at The Local Physio and have a chat about your condition and how we can help!
3. Cardiorespiratory
The cardiorespiratory disease is a broad term for heart and lung conditions. The most common forms of cardiorespiratory disease include asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
There are many things that can cause a person to develop cardiorespiratory disease. Asthma, for example, is caused by inflammation in the bronchi that causes them to become inflamed and narrow. This leads to difficulty breathing and wheezing when doing so.
COPD develops over time from repeated exposure to irritants like tobacco smoke or other pollutants. It causes airflow obstruction in the lungs leading to shortness of breath.
Physiotherapy can help with these conditions by helping patients learn how to control their breath through proper breathing techniques and exercises that stretch muscles around the lungs to help them expand more easily during inhalation or exhalation.
Cardiorespiratory physical therapists also help patients deal with anxiety and stress, which can exacerbate symptoms such as wheezing or coughing fits while exercising.
4. Vestibular
Physiotherapy can help with vestibular conditions such as BPPV and vertigo. Vestibular diseases are a common cause of dizziness and loss of balance, but they can also be associated with hearing loss or other problems that affect the inner ear. Physiotherapy is a great way to treat these conditions because it is focused on restoring balance and improving coordination.
BPPV stands for Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, and it’s a condition that causes vertigo when you move your head in certain ways while lying down or sitting up straight. It’s caused by crystals getting dislodged in your ear canal, which triggers the sense of motion when they move back into place again!
You may have this condition if you get dizzy when you stand up quickly or turn your head too quickly while looking straight ahead. You might even feel like someone is pushing your head from one side to another! You may also find that you’re more likely to feel this way after having been sick or after drinking alcohol or caffeine (which often dehydrates you).
Physiotherapy can help you to identify the cause of your vertigo and then make a plan to manage it. In many cases, this involves some form of physical therapy. Your vestibular physiotherapist will assess your condition and then come up with an effective treatment plan that can reduce your symptoms or eliminate them altogether!
5. Pelvic Issues
Pelvic floor physio is a great way to help with pelvic girdle issues. Pelvic girdle pain is caused by the ligaments and muscles that support your pelvis. Physiotherapists can help you strengthen your pelvic floor muscles, which will reduce the pain you experience from these issues.
In addition to helping with pelvic pain, physical therapists can also help with bladder and bowel programs. If you have problems urinating or moving your bowels, physical therapy can help you regain control of these functions.
If you’re looking for a way to improve your quality of life and decrease your risk of developing serious health conditions like constipation or urinary incontinence, then contact us at Doreen physiotherapy today. Physiotherapists can help you regain control of your body so that you can live a normal, healthy life.
6. Sports Injuries
Sporting injuries are common and can be incredibly painful. From muscle strains, fractures, and sprains to dislocations and even concussions, there are many types of sporting injuries that can leave you sidelined for weeks or months.
Sports physiotherapy is a form of physiotherapy that focuses on treating the physical effects that occur during sports and exercise, as well as improving performance for those who play sports. Sports physio works alongside other health professionals such as doctors, nurses, and other therapists to ensure an athlete receives the best care possible for their injury.
Sports physiotherapy aims to diagnose and treat injuries by using various techniques including manual therapy (massage), electrotherapy (ultrasound), therapeutic exercise, and heat/ice therapy.
By combining these different treatments together into one package, seeing a sports physio can speed up recovery times while also improving your overall health by strengthening muscles around the injured area so they are less likely to tear again in future injury incidents.
What Are the Reasons to See a Physiotherapist?
Many things can make it difficult to choose if you need a physiotherapist, chiropractor, or osteopath when dealing with muscular pain. All three of these professionals can help to relieve pain and improve mobility.
But they each have their unique approach.Now that we have discussed what physiotherapy is and why it’s important, let’s get into the benefits of having a physiotherapist on your side.
Physiotherapy can help with:
1. Prolonged Illness That Impacts General Strength, Affecting Mobility and Balance
If you have an injury or illness that is impacting your functional ability to move around and balance yourself, then seeing a physiotherapist can be the first step in helping you to recover. This may be due to an injury or illness that has been ongoing for a long time and has caused your body to weaken over time, or it could be something that happened more recently and has left you with muscular imbalances that are affecting your mobility and balance.
According to Canadian Physiotherapy Association, physiotherapy can help with both of these scenarios by addressing the root cause of your problem including environmental factors. If you’ve been ill for a long time, then this is likely due to deconditioning, a lack of exercise and physical activity.
Physiotherapy sessions can help get you moving again so you can regain strength and stamina. They can also teach you how to move in ways that support good posture and balance, so you don’t fall over as easily when walking around.
If it’s a more recent injury or illness, then our physiotherapists at Doreen may be able to help with active recovery and reducing pain levels while working towards full healing—so that you can get back to the activities you enjoy as soon as possible.
2. Chronic Health Conditions
Chronic health conditions can be frustrating, and it’s not always easy to find a professional who understands and can help you manage your condition. Physical therapists are trained to do exactly that: they’re experts in helping people with chronic health conditions improve their quality of life through physical activity, exercise, and other wellness techniques.
When you visit a physiotherapist at Doreen, they’ll take a look at your medical history and listen to your concerns. They’ll also spend time with you doing an evaluation of your current condition and goals for improvement. This will help them create a customized treatment plan that includes exercises, stretches, massage therapy, or other forms of physical therapy. Your treatment plan may also involve lifestyle changes such as dietary adjustments or sleep hygiene recommendations.
Your physiotherapist will work with you throughout your sessions to make sure that you’re progressing at the right pace for your body type and condition. They’ll give you tips on how to continue improving outside of their office visits as well—so you can maintain your strength, flexibility, and mobility long after your sessions are over.
3. Following Surgeries
If you’ve had surgery, it’s important to follow your doctor’s instructions for physical therapy. The health of your muscles and joints will depend on how well you do this. Here are some of the ways that a physiotherapist can help you after surgery:
Following Fractures: After a fracture, it’s crucial to restore mobility and strength in the affected area. A physiotherapist can teach you exercises that strengthen your muscles and joints so that they are able to handle everyday activities like walking or running.
Joint Replacement Surgery: If you’ve undergone joint replacement surgery, you’ll want to regain as much function as possible. Your physiotherapist at Doreen will help guide you through exercises that improve mobility in the affected area while also strengthening surrounding muscles, so they don’t end up compensating for the injured joint.
Arthroscopes: An arthroscope is a small telescope-like instrument used by orthopedic surgeons to examine and treat problems inside bones, such as fractures or torn tendons or ligaments. Following an arthroscope procedure, it’s important to avoid putting too much stress on the joint until your surgeon gives you the go-ahead.
This may mean that you need to use crutches or a cane temporarily and avoid activities like running or jumping.
Strength of Muscles: The strength of muscles is one of the most important factors in determining whether or not you’ll be able to return to sports. If you’ve suffered a joint injury and undergone physical therapy, then your doctor will want to see that you’ve regained full range of motion before he or she clears you for full activity again.
Regain Function: The function of the joint is another important factor to consider. If you’ve suffered a knee injury, it’s important that you regain full range of motion and strength before returning to sports. This may take several weeks or months depending on the severity of your injury.
4. Postural Issues from Prolonged Sitting or Bad Biomechanics Causing Repetitive Stress Injury to the Body
Prolonged sitting is a major contributor to postural issues in the office, and can actually cause musculoskeletal injury and pain. This is because prolonged sitting causes tightness in the hip flexors, hamstrings, and lumbar spine, which puts pressure on the pelvis and can lead to back pain.
Prolonged sitting also causes tightness in the hip adductors, which can lead to knee injuries like patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS). People who sit all day are more susceptible to these conditions because they don’t move around much during the day and their bodies start to adapt to this over time.
In order for you to avoid these issues and get relief from them if you already have them, we recommend seeing a physiotherapist who can do a full assessment of your body mechanics and movement patterns (both while standing still and while moving) so that they can prescribe an exercise plan that will help correct any imbalances or asymmetries between different muscle groups in your body.
5. Following Pregnancy or Post Pregnancy to Improve Pelvic Floor Tone, Improve Spinal Mobility, Core Strength
You’re a new mom. You’ve been through the wringer, and now you just want to get back to being yourself.
You’re not alone—most women experience some sort of pelvic floor weakness following pregnancy or childbirth. It’s not unusual for your pelvic floor muscles (which are responsible for supporting your bladder, uterus, and bowels) to be compromised after giving birth. And that can lead to issues with incontinence and even pain during sex!
But your physiotherapist can help! Your Doreen physiotherapist can help you with specific exercises that will improve your pelvic floor tone and core strength, which will allow you to return to your pre-pregnancy life faster than ever before.
If you’re ready to get started on the road to recovery, contact us and see a physiotherapist at Doreen today!
6. Following Sports Injuries to Improve Strength and Endurance to Maximise Physical Performance
If you’ve ever had a serious injury, you know that it can be hard to get back into your sport. You may have been sidelined for weeks or months and are nervous about coming back to your old level of performance.
In order to help you get back into the game as quickly as possible, physiotherapists often work with athletes who have recently suffered sports injuries. A physiotherapist can help you strengthen your muscles, improve your flexibility, and decrease pain so that you can return to sport at full strength.
Physiotherapy following an injury can also help with endurance training by improving cardiovascular fitness, coordination, balance, and posture. With these improvements in place, you’ll be ready for any physical challenge thrown your way!
7. General Wellness to Stay on Top of Body to Stay Healthy, Mobile and Flexible
You’ve got a busy schedule, and you’re not always able to make it to the gym or yoga class. But that doesn’t mean you can’t stay on top of your health — physical therapists are here to help!
If you’re looking for a way to stay in shape without having to go through the hassle of getting up early or waiting around for hours before class starts, physiotherapy is an option worth exploring. This treatment helps patients get back on their feet after injury or surgery by keeping them mobile and flexible. A physiotherapist can also help with general wellness by offering advice and exercises that can be done in your own home.
In addition to helping people recover from injuries, according to American Physical Therapy Association, physical therapy can also be used as an alternative treatment for conditions such as arthritis or sciatica. It’s been shown that regular sessions with a physiotherapist can reduce pain and improve function in those suffering from these conditions.
Physiotherapists are trained professionals who have studied at the university level and have passed rigorous exams before being allowed to practice. They know how to treat a variety of different conditions from chronic back pain to sports injuries, so if you’re looking for someone who understands what it’s like being active but suffering from acute pain, a physiotherapist can be an ideal choice.
Physiotherapy treatment is often combined with other forms of treatment such as exercise physiologist or massage by professionals in physiotherapy clinics to help reduce the symptoms associated with injury and illness.
What to Expect When You See a Physiotherapist?
Health is a lot more than just the physical body. It’s also about your emotional and mental well-being. And it’s about connecting with others to share experiences, learn from each other, and grow together.
A physiotherapist can help you achieve all of these things and more. And the best part is that it doesn’t take very long to see results! In the following sections, we will explain what you can expect when you see a physiotherapist and how they can help you.
1. Thorough Understanding About Your Medical History
Physiotherapists are trained to ask you questions about your medical history. They want to understand your current health status, as well as any chronic conditions or injuries you’ve had in the past. This helps them determine whether there are any physical factors that may be impacting the way your body functions now.
The key here is thoroughness—a good physiotherapist will want to know about everything from minor complications like colds and allergies to major conditions like diabetes and heart disease. They’ll also want to know about any surgery or injury that you’ve had, including broken bones and torn ligaments.
Knowing this information can help them create a treatment plan that’s tailored specifically for you and your needs.
2. Assessment
After checking your medical history, your healthcare professional will perform a physical assessment. This is where they take a look at your joints, muscles, and other body parts to determine what’s causing your pain (such as neck pain, low back pain etc).
To ensure the most accurate results of their examination, they’ll ask you to do things like bend in different ways or walk on the spot so they can see how your body moves. They may also have you perform certain exercises as part of the assessment process.
Your physiotherapist will use this information to create a treatment plan that aims to help ease your symptoms as quickly as possible—and hopefully helps prevent them from returning in the future!
3. Treatment Through Physical Therapy
Now comes, perhaps the most important part of your physiotherapist’s visit: treatment.
The treatment you receive will be based on the diagnosis your doctor made in step 1 and 2. Your Doreen physiotherapist will do a number of things to help you recover from your injury or condition. The type of treatment depends on what’s going on with your body and how much pain you’re in.
The most common treatment is exercise therapy—a holistic approach to healing that includes both physical and mental activities. Your physiotherapist will come up with a treatment plan based on your diagnosis and your goals, which may include exercises to improve flexibility, strength, endurance and more.
Another common treatment is manual therapy, which involves physical manipulation of soft tissues (muscles, tendons, and ligaments) to achieve the desired result, such as helping you relieve pain or increasing the range of motion in a joint or muscle group.
Manual therapy can also be used as a diagnostic tool to help determine the cause of pain due to soft tissue release by assessing how well certain joints move when compared against each other during different motions like bending forward at the waist while keeping both feet flat on the floor (called functional testing).
4. Treatment Plan Which Will Include Both Exercise Therapy And Manual Therapy
Your treatment plan for disease health conditions will involve one or more of the above treatments, as well as education about how to manage your pain and discomfort. Your physical therapist will also provide you with an exericse program to help speed up recovery and prevent further injury.
After all, the whole objective of your physiotherapy treatment is to help you get back to your normal activities as quickly as possible—and without pain. And by better understanding your needs and ability, your physical therapist can develop customized programs designed to meet your specific needs.
Contact us now to see one of our physiotherapists at Doreen.