Physiotherapy was first introduced in America during World War I to rehabilitate soldiers. The first physiotherapy services were offered in the form of massage, hydrotherapy and manual therapy. Generally speaking, this science is related to identifying and maximizing the quality of life and movement potential. Based on the dedicated and experienced physiotherapists at a well-known North York physio clinic, these specialists help to reduce pain, restore mobility and flexibility, increase joint range of motion, strengthen muscles and maintain proper posture. Physiotherapists are humble, understanding and compassionate toward patients. They listen carefully to the patient’s problem, examine the patient and then diagnose the patient’s problem. And finally, plan a unique treatment for every patient. If you desire to learn more about physiotherapy services and physiotherapists, continue reading this article.
Table of Contents
Types of Physiotherapy
1- Orthopedic Physiotherapy
Orthopedic physical therapy focuses on bones, joints, tendons, ligaments, and muscle injuries. These injuries include sports injuries. A sedentary or inactive lifestyle and an increase in the probability of accidents may all lead to problems and injuries that need the help of physiotherapists. Depending on the severity of the injury, orthopedic physiotherapy includes two main categories:
Short-term physiotherapy
Short-term physiotherapy is for patients who have minor skeletal-muscular-neural injuries. These injuries can be caused by accidents in which superficial soft tissue injuries or some minor fractures have occurred, or they may be non-traumatic injuries. These patients only need outpatient physiotherapy for a short period for definitive recovery.
Long-term physiotherapy
This is related to more complex diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis; significant fractures such as fractures in the hip joint or spine. These diseases may lead to severe physical disabilities and side effects such as paraplegia and quadriplegia or may require surgery. These patients need more sessions of extensive physiotherapy treatments, and their treatment will be non-ambulatory.
2- Neurological Physiotherapy
Various neurological problems require regular physical therapy treatments. Nervous system injuries, whether in the brain or spinal cord or related to peripheral nerves, may be due to various reasons such as trauma, stroke, MS, Parkinson’s, or some specific infections.
Long-term physiotherapy is needed for diseases and problems such as muscle paralysis, ataxia, dizziness, stiffness due to Parkinson’s disease, tremors and dystonia.
Benefits of Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy helps reduce pain, swelling and inflammation. Physiotherapy strengthens muscles, and strengthening muscles helps control pain. Posture correction is another advantage of physiotherapy services. Correcting posture helps relieve neck and back pain. Complications such as a frozen shoulder or stiffness after a fracture can be solved through physiotherapy services. Physiotherapy helps to improve coordination in various diseases such as Parkinson’s, MS, cerebral palsy, etc. It also improves balance to reduce the risk of falling. In cases such as rheumatoid arthritis, spinal cord injury and stroke, the physiotherapist helps to modify the activities according to the patient’s condition. Rehabilitation of stroke patients is effective in improving their quality of life. Timely consultation of stroke patients with a physiotherapist can lead to 100% recovery. Finally, physical therapy helps treat sports injuries such as knee ligament injuries, meniscus injuries, rotator cuff injuries, and ankle sprains.
