Physiotherapists are clinical professionals that specialize in using education, exercise, and physical manipulation to help treat patients. Physiotherapy is one of the 14 allied healthcare professions and has a long history of effective practical application. This article is a quick introduction to some of the ailments that a physiotherapist can help you with. Seeing a combination of medical and physiotherapeutic professionals is a wise idea.
Lower Back Pain
Professionals like the folks at ATL physio spend a great deal of their time helping people who suffer from lower back pain. Lower back pain can be caused by all manner of things – from poor posture to muscular tears, and it varies from person to person. Physiotherapists will carefully diagnose the cause of lower back pain before using physical manipulation, education, and exercise to treat it.
Slipped Disc
Slipped discs can be extremely painful and require physiotherapy as soon as they are detected. A slipped disc occurs when one of the rubbery buffers between each vertebrae herniates or moves out of place. The area around the spinal cord is packed tightly with sensitive nerves, and these nerves shoot electrical messages of pain straight to the brain when aggravated by a slipped disc. Physiotherapists use manual massage techniques and exercise planning to help patients recover from a slipped disc. In certain cases, patients will have to undergo surgery to recover fully, although this should be avoided as much as possible.
Cardiopulmonary Conditions
People with cardiopulmonary conditions such as cystic fibrosis need physical therapy to help keep their lungs usable and healthy. Specialist cardiopulmonary physiotherapists are trained to massage the chest area of a patient so as to effectively remove ‘lung butter’ – a mucus that builds up in the lung cavities. People with severe cases of COPD may also seek the help of a physiotherapist to remove mucus from the lungs.
Rotary Cuff Tears
Around 2 million Americans visit their doctors to seek help with rotary cuff tears every single year. A great many of these people are referred to a local physiotherapist to aid in their recovery. The rotator cuff is made up of 4 muscular groups known as tendons that keep your shoulder joint together and taught. When any of these muscles are torn, the shoulder becomes weaker and more pressure is put on the remaining muscles. This means that rotary cuff injuries can worsen if left untreated, as remaining healthy muscles will be put under far too much strain.
Tennis Elbow
Tennis elbow is a common and painful condition that develops when the tendons connecting your elbow are overloaded. It is commonly caused by the repetitive straining and twisting of the elbow and wrist – which explains why the condition regularly develops in tennis players. Tennis elbow is most common among people aged 30 to 40. While most cases of tennis elbow can be fixed by taking rest and consuming painkillers, some doctors will recommend a trip to a physiotherapist so that they can use manual manipulation and exercise planning to speed up recovery.
2018 ·
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