Physiotherapy helps in restoring function and movement which might get affected by surgery, illness, injury or disability. Physiotherapy includes prevention of injury, physical rehabilitation and patient’s well-being by enhanced mobility and function. Physiotherapy can help in recovering from sudden injury, back pain and long-term medical conditions like sporting injuries, childbirth and so on.
It can also help in maintaining health for people of all ages and can help patients manage and prevent disease. Physiotherapists can help in encouraging development and facilitate recovery to enable people to stay in work while helping them to remain independent for a long time through musculoskeletal physiotherapy.
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Musculoskeletal Conditions
The musculoskeletal system consists of the human skeleton which is attached to bones and joints and also attached by tendons. There are five main tissues that comprises the musculoskeletal system – bones, ligaments that attach bone to bone, cartilage which is a gel-like protective substance lining the joints and vertebral disks, skeletal muscles and tendons that attach the muscle to bone. So when we think of musculoskeletal conditions, we are thinking of a broad range of conditions encompassing most of the joints, back or muscular pain.
Symptoms of Musculoskeletal Conditions
Most musculoskeletal conditions might cause symptoms of pain such as sharp or shooting pain, aches, darting and soreness, swelling or tenderness in the area. There are various symptoms that might also be connected with issues like fatigue, lack of energy or lethargy, sleep disturbance, stress or anxiety.
Musculoskeletal conditions differ in severity. Discomfort and pain can be secondary to such conditions and might interfere with daily activities – it may limit a person’s independence too. This is common and the risk of developing the issue increases with age. Musculoskeletal conditions have a range of causes like occupation, age, activity level, lifestyle, sport and comorbidities. Lower back pain can be one of the most common musculoskeletal conditions.
Treating Musculoskeletal Pain
There are different types of manual therapy or mobilisation which can help in treating people with spinal alignment problems. If there is acute musculoskeletal pain, such techniques have been shown to speed recovery. Medications like anti-inflammatories might be used to treat pain and inflammation. Patients who have musculoskeletal disorders like fibromyalgia require medications to increase the body’s level of norepinephrine and serotonin in low doses.
Certain medications are also used to promote sleep. Other treatments include injections that contain anti-inflammatory medications around the painful sites, exercise that might include muscle strengthening and stretching, acupressure, occupational physiotherapy, implementing relaxation techniques, therapeutic massage and chiropractic care.
The health of the musculoskeletal system is important for comfort, movement and quality. It is linked with the spine, tendons, cartilage and ligaments. Musculoskeletal physiotherapists are trained and specialise in treating various disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Few examples can be intervertebral discs, back instability and so on.
The physiotherapists are well trained in dealing with Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy and ailments related to it. They can help patients recover from issues with the help of manual techniques like dry needling, manipulation or customised exercises. Physiotherapists offer their services either in hospitals or in separate clinics. However, they might have more equipment and facilities available in a specialised centre when compared to hospitals.
