Physiotherapy
is a science-based profession that takes a whole person approach to health and
well-being. With this, the patient is also involved of his own care by way of
education, empowerment, and participation in his treatment. This is vital since
the patient must also understand his own
physiotherapy techniques.
People with movement
problems
physiotherapy techniques specialists work with people with a range of problems which affect movement.
The treatment techniques include using exercise, massages and other techniques.
Most of these problems arose because of several factors like injuries,
illnesses and plain aging of the patient.
This
whole philosophy of movement involves the whole person approach to health and
well-being which includes the patient’s general lifestyle.
This
is central to the health and well-being of the individual and the
identification and restoration of the maximizing movement debilitated by the
affliction. The treatment they do on patients can be done in conjunction with
the treatment of medical doctors.
Illnesses
Some
of the major afflictions they work on people includes groups like stroke,
multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s of the neurological group. They also do work on
neuro-muscular-skeletal grouping that includes back pains, whiplash due to
other disorders, sports injuries and arthritis.
On the cardio-vascular group, they help treat
people with chronic heart disease, and during the rehabilitation period after a
heart attack. The last group is the respiratory illnesses that include asthma,
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cystic fibrosis.
Treatment techniques
Once
they have diagnosed the patient’s movement problems, they will work with the
patient to decide on the type of treatment they need. Each of illnesses has its
own therapy needs and may not be the same. (Others have a combination of
techniques.)
First
line of action is the manual therapy (like the massage). Others would need a specialized
therapeutic exercise suited to the individual illness. Also, they work on
electrotherapy like the ultrasound, heat and cold therapies.
Other duties
Physiotherapists
may work in hospitals where they are needed in nearly every department in
intensive care. One example is working round-the-clock for the needed chest
physiotherapy to keep unconscious patients breathing.
There
are several specialties that physiotherapists can work in health and social
care. They can also go into education, research and service management. The
main point is that physiotherapy helps restore movement and function when
someone is affected by injury, illness or disability.
Places of work
Physiotherapists
can work at hospitals and clinics, in sports clubs and gyms, and in private
practice. There is a choice of equipments which he uses with patients like
gyms, hydrotherapy, and other high-tech equipments for specialist therapy.
You
may work alone or in a team alongside health and/or social care professionals.
Depending on where you work, this could include occupational therapists, GPs,
health visitors, district nurses and social workers. You may supervise the work
of support workers such as physiotherapy assistants.
These
days he can be in many places. He can be at outpatient’s departments, women’s
health , elderly care, stroke services, orthopedics, mental health and
learning disability services,
occupational health and pediatrics.
