Hello, my name is Cindy. I live in the suburbs of Sydney with my family. Although I would occasionally visit the doctor when I was feeling too good or if one of the children had a cold. However, my whole view on doctors changed when I found a lump on breast last year. I went to my GP in a panic, but he was a real sweetie. He calmed me down and explained he would refer me for a further investigation. Thankfully, they caught my cancer early and after some treatment, I made a full recovery. Since this close call, I have taken a keen interest in everything health related.
Many people associate physiotherapy with sports injuries and pain, but its uses extend far beyond this. It certainly is helpful for working on joints and muscles, as illustrated by those common uses, but it can also be used to assist with nerve damage, the respiratory system, circulation and even brain-related conditions such as strokes and Parkinson's disease. Those who have cystic fibrosis or have suffered from heart attacks may also benefit. Here's how.
Massage
You might think of massage as something for relaxation only, and it's true that it can help with stress and be an enjoyable experience. A physiotherapist would certainly agree that's a valuable benefit. Most painful conditions are exacerbated by these negative feelings and tensions, which show in the body. However, there's so much more to it than that. Expert massage stimulates tissue and encourages healthy circulation. In stroke patients, for example, massage may help to promote circulation in body parts which the patient cannot move. Over time, massage can help increase movement and flexibility.
Monitored Movements
As well as promoting this healing themselves, as with massage, physiotherapists can design short exercise routines to address specific issues that the patient is experiencing or the condition they are working through. For example, they may design a balanced set of movements for a stroke victim with restricted movement or for a heart attack patient who may be avoiding more extreme or violent movements. Physiotherapists are trained to view the body as a whole rather than fixing one specific part; these routines will be carefully crafted to suit the patient and their needs to avoid causing more damage or stress.
Identifying and Solving Problems
It doesn't stop when the patient leaves the physiotherapist's office. In fact, a big part of the therapy is in identifying problem areas in everyday life and designing solutions to get around them or make them less difficult. For example, they may identify a part of a heart attack patient's routine which could be putting strain on their heart and develop a strategy to avoid that. It may be as simple as helping the patient to avoid heavy lifting or rearranging their bathroom to aid a patient with low flexibility. Whatever the plan is, it will make life outside the physiotherapist's office easier and prevent the patient from enduring further damage to their body.
Seeing a physiotherapist after suffering a heart attack or a stroke or when living with another serious medical condition is partly about getting the right support. Few people are prepared for the effect these conditions can have on their lives, and seeing this expert to help re-calibrate can be extremely helpful. It's certainly worth trying a session.
Share25 July 2018
