Physical therapy is an exercise treatment for patients who have been immobilized or impaired in their movement and flexibility. Patients are rehabilitated to use their own muscles to increase flexibility and range of motion as well as to advance to higher levels of muscular strength and endurance. To relieve pain and reduce swelling, physical therapy often includes the use of modalities, or passive physical therapy, such as electrical stimulation, hot packs, cold compresses, and ultrasound. Traction or deep-tissue massage may also be used to relieve pain. When necessary, therapists teach patients to use assistive and adaptive devices (such as crutches) as well as exercises to do at home to speed the recovery.
You may need it to:
- Relieve pain
- Improve movement or ability
- Prevent or recover from a sports injury
- Prevent disability or surgery
- Rehab after a stroke, accident, injury, or surgery
- Work on balance to prevent a slip or fall
- Manage a chronic illness like diabetes, heart disease, or arthritis
- Recover after you give birth
- Control your bowels or bladder
- Adapt to an artificial limb
- Learn to use assistive devices like a walker or cane
- Get a splint or brace
People of all ages get physical therapy. It can treat a variety of health problems.
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is one of the allied health professions that, by using evidence-based kinesiology, exercise prescription, health education, mobilization, electrical and physical agents, treats acute or chronic pain, movement and physical impairments resulting from injury, trauma or illness typically of musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological and endocrinological origins. Physical therapy is used to improve a patient’s physical functions through physical examination, diagnosis, prognosis, patient education, physical intervention, rehabilitation, disease prevention and health promotion. It is practiced by physical therapists (known as physiotherapists in many countries).
Sports Injuries and Physical Therapy
Physical therapists need to identify and understand the injured structure and the extent of the injury before planning on treating it.
The rehabilitation of an injured player should carefully and meticulously be evaluated regularly. Injuries are time-dependent, meaning that the normal healing process of the body follows a pattern of the acute phase, subacute phase, and the chronic phase.
The acute phase involves the R.I.C.E. (Rest-Ice-Compression-Elevation) notion, which lets healing take place and controls inflammation.
The subacute phase is a control motion phase. The chronic phase is also a return to function phase in which the athlete gradually returns to pre-injury workout schedules.
What are the common ways that athletes get hurt?
Depending on the kind of sports athletes participate in, they may be at risk for one or more of these kinds of injuries:
- Ankle injuries – Just about any athlete who runs a lot is at risk for an ankle injury. If the athlete rolls his ankle or if he twists it, he can strain or tear its connective tissue.
- Pulled muscles – Overusing the muscles, especially muscles that are tired after a long period of workout and performance can cause them to stretch or tear. This is prevalent in different areas of the legs because of constant running, jumping and switching back and forth that almost all kinds of sports require.
The Benefits of Physical Therapy After a Work Injury
When an employee gets injured at work, you want him or her to receive the best treatment possible so the employee can quickly return to health — and to work. But not all treatments are the sarne nor do they yield the sarne results. The best return-to-work plan for injured employees should involve.