People can seek physiotherapy for various reasons like rehabilitation, injuries, pain, or discomfort or for overall health and fitness. Physiotherapy can help patients restore, maximize, and maintain movement in the body. Physiotherapists have the hands-on skills to evaluate and treat illnesses, disability, or injuries. There are different types of physiotherapy treatments that focus on different conditions and areas of the body.
Doctors often recommend physiotherapy for patients who have chronic pain, gone through surgery, or sustained any sports related injury. Many people experience pain or discomfort due multiple reasons, and they may only see a physiotherapist when it gets worse. Sometimes you may have a condition and not be aware that physiotherapy can help with it. It is always better to stay proactive and take the right measures so that your injury or illness does not get worse.
If you think you may need physiotherapy here are some signs you can watch out for:
Pain that keeps coming back
Suffering from recurring pain in any part of your musculoskeletal system like muscles, bones, ligaments, or tissues, indicates that you need help. This type of pain can linger for a long time and cause stiffness and difficulty in movement. We all go through some type of pain in our lower back, neck, or any other area. However, if this pain does not subside or keeps coming back it can indicate a more severe issue. This can be a sign that you need physiotherapy.
If you have sustained any injury sometimes you may experience pain in that area often. Or sometimes sitting in awkward positions for long hours can strain your muscles and joints. Chronic pain can affect your daily life and make it difficult to perform simple activities. This indicates that you need to get this checked. A physiotherapist can help diagnose any musculoskeletal injuries or ailments you may have and come up with a treatment plan. Physiotherapy can help you manage and improve pain and restore movement to the problem area.
Injury
If you have sustained any injury like a sprain, fracture, strains, or any other tissue injuries, then you need physiotherapy. Physiotherapy is especially important for athletes or people who do any sports related activities often. Athletes sustain injuries all the time, hence they often need physiotherapy. Sports related physiotherapy is a type of physiotherapy that deals with assessing and treating injuries related to sports and exercise. This helps athletes recover and prevent injuries in the future.
Even if you are not an athlete and have gone through any accident, then your doctor may recommend physiotherapy as part of your treatment plan. It is beneficial to seek physiotherapy in case of injury as it helps you heal and strengthens your muscles.
You have gone through surgery
Post-surgery rehabilitation can be necessary for various surgeries like cardiac, thoracic, orthopedic, and neurological. These types of surgeries can lead to consequences that can be resolved through physiotherapy. After the patient is released from the hospital, the doctor may recommend physiotherapy as part of rehabilitation.
In these cases, physiotherapy can help with the following:
- Managing pain
- Strengthening weak muscles
- Stretching to restore movement
- Improving balance and posture
- Help improve circulation
- Going back to daily activities
Patients who have gone through surgery may need physiotherapy to help them recover completely and go back to living their normal lives. Physiotherapy can be an important part of post-surgery rehabilitation.
Vertigo or dizziness
If you suffer from vertigo and dizziness that makes you feel faint, woozy, or unsteady then this may be due to dysfunction of the vestibular system. Vestibular system is the sensory system that provides the brain with information about motion and head position. If you feel a sudden loss of your balance, then this can be illness or injury affecting your vestibular system.
If you experience any symptoms related to dysfunction of the vestibular system, then physiotherapy can help. Physiotherapists use different rehabilitation exercises depending on your condition to help improve these symptoms. Habituation, gaze stabilization and balance training exercises are used to treat various types of vestibular disorders. Physiotherapy can improve balance and help you deal with vertigo.
Difficulty controlling bladder
Many people experience urinary incontinence. This becomes more common as people get older. There are two types of urinary incontinence. One is stress incontinence where your bladder is under pressure if you sneeze or cough. Second is urge incontinence where you may feel a sudden urge to urinate. Urinary incontinence can occur due to weak pelvic muscles. In this situation physiotherapy can help in strengthening pelvic muscles and improve your condition.
Pelvic floor physiotherapy would be recommended for people who have weak pelvic muscles. Through exercises, manual treatment and lifestyle changes you can eliminate these symptoms and improve your pelvic floor health.
Loss of flexibility
If you feel that you have difficulty in movement or don’t feel flexible like you used to then you can consider physiotherapy. You may find it difficult to perform simple activities or not be able to exercise. This can be due to any condition of injury you have. Moreover, with age you feel like your body is not flexible as it used to be. Any type of pain and discomfort can also make it difficult to move.
Physiotherapy can help restore movement back to your body and make you more flexible. Regular stretching and exercises can help strengthen your muscles and gradually increase your flexibility.
There may be other reasons why you would need to see a physiotherapist. These are just some common reasons why people seek physiotherapy. Physiotherapy can help people of all ages who seek help for various health issues. It is important to talk to your health care provider before you seek physiotherapy. Sometimes doctors may not give you a green signal for physical therapy based on your condition. For any issue you may have, it is best to consult your health care provider first.
When you go for physiotherapy, your physiotherapist will evaluate your condition and come up with a treatment plan that works best for you.
You can book a physiotherapy appointment with us here.
