Physiotherapy can include:
- Exercises
- Massages
- Treatments based on physical stimuli, such as heat, cold, electrical currents, or ultrasound
- Assistive devices
- Patient education and training
Physiotherapists usually recommend movement and exercise to help improve your mobility and function. This may include:
- exercises designed to improve movement and strength in a specific part of the body – these usually need to be repeated regularly for a set length of time
- activities that involve moving your whole body, such as walking or swimming – these can help if you're recovering from an operation or injury that affects your mobility
- exercises carried out in warm, shallow water (hydrotherapy or aquatic therapy) – the water can help relax and support the muscles and joints, while providing resistance to help you gradually get stronger
- advice and exercises to help you increase or maintain your physical activity – advice will be given on the importance of keeping active, and how to do this in a safe, effective way
- advice on using mobility aids – such as crutches or a walking stick to help you move around
Your physiotherapist may also recommend exercises that you can continue doing to help you manage pain in the long term or reduce your risk of injuring yourself again.
Types of Therapy in Physiotherapy:
- Manual Therapy: Hands-on techniques to manipulate muscles and joints, aiming to relieve pain and improve mobility.
- Exercise Therapy: Customized exercise programs designed to strengthen muscles, enhance flexibility, and promote overall physical fitness.
- Electrotherapy: Use of electrical modalities, such as TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) and ultrasound, to manage pain and stimulate healing.
- Heat and Cold Therapy: Application of heat or cold to alleviate pain, reduce inflammation, and promote healing.
- Advanced high-power laser therapy: It is a medical treatment that uses focused light energy to promote healing and relieve pain.
- Dry Needling: Involves inserting thin needles into trigger points in muscles to relieve pain and tension.
- Acupuncture: Sometimes incorporated for pain management and to promote healing.
- Education and Counseling: Teaching patients about their condition, self-management strategies, and injury prevention techniques.
- Pediatric Physiotherapy: Specialized therapy for children to address developmental, neurological, or orthopedic issues.
- Cupping therapy: It is an ancient form of alternative medicine that involves placing cups on the skin to create suction. This suction can help improve blood flow, relieve pain, and promote healing.
- Interferential therapy: It is a type of electrotherapy that is used to relieve pain and promote healing skin.