Body Aches are the kind of pain which do not have one definite reason for a cause – it can be due to flu, an injury or anything which makes your muscles sore. While some of these pains can be treated with medicine, the long term aches, which are often called chronic illnesses, need proper treatment such as Physiotherapy.
Why Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy is a health care profession which helps people in the treatment of their diseases, injury or malformation by using physical methods like massages, exercises and heat treatments. It helps with all sorts of body aches and chronic pains, including Arthritis, Osteoporosis, Stroke, Cerebral palsy and Spinal cord injury. It is also known as Physical therapy, and the professionals who carry out these methods are called physiotherapists.A physiotherapist assists people in gaining back their strength and movement; helps in minimising or eliminating the patient’s pain and disabilities. The primary goals of Physiotherapy are:
- Strengthening muscles which have become weak
- Movement of stiff joints
- Correct movement of muscles to avoid pain while moving
How Physiotherapy Helps Remove Body Aches
The aim of Physiotherapy is not just to treat the pain but also the source which is causing it. A physiotherapist looks for areas showing signs of stiffness and weakness, which can be the source of causing stress to parts of your body that hurt. The therapy treats those areas using different methods making your body aches go away and improve your movements. Here’s how pains are treated in a physio session;- Low Impact Aerobic Training
- Pain Relief and Strengthening Exercises
- Stretching
- Massage
Physiotherapists are highly trained professionals who prescribe you the best techniques for your pain, but it’s always recommended to ask your physiotherapist every detail of the exercise you’ll be doing so it helps you understand and perform them better.
Popular Physiotherapy Techniques
With the advancements in science, Physiotherapists have begun using modern techniques based on the type of injury or pain they are treating. Some of my favourite methods are as follows:Electric Nerve Stimulation: Muscles are stimulated by giving small currents of electricity that advances abolition and blocking of pain signals to the central nervous system.
- Demonstration: Physiotherapists demonstrate proper and convenient movement techniques to help patients heal themselves better.
- Manual Manipulation: Manipulation of joints and soft tissue to boost circulation, relax muscles with contractions and drain fluid from the body.
- Acupuncture: Stimulation using needles to work dull pain, improve the immune system, release muscles and balance different functions of the body.
- Device Provision: Use and prescription of a dependable, supportive, complaint and protective equipment and devices.
- Functional Testing: Patient testing to assess their physical capabilities.
6 Reasons Why Physiotherapy Can Help You
Below mentioned are some of the reasons how Physiotherapy deals with a variety of diseases and conditions so you must not miss a single session.It can Alleviate Chronic Pain
Patients who experience chronic pains find difficulty in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, as they are easily subjected to injury because of weak joints and tissues. Physiotherapy is known to eliminate chronic pain that surrounds painful joints and muscles in the human body. This is done by various strengthening exercises, which make the muscles strong and help them get rid of the pain.Research conducted in Denmark studied the results of women with Osteoporosis who had chronic pain associated with spinal compression fractures. The study showed that patients who used less medication and got physiotherapy showed improvement in just 10 weeks. The physiotherapy program helped them boost their balance and sustain the lumbar spine.
It can Cure Back Pain
Back pain is often caused by muscle strain, arthritis or a poor posture. Physiotherapists say that the treatment of this ache depends on the source where the pain comes from. The most common approach for the cure of back pain is called a three-fold approach – this includes strengthening of muscles, weight management and muscle re-patterning.The strengthening exercises help in improving mobility and minimise recurrence of pain. Weight management reduces joints’ stress, while re-pattering of muscles changes the alignment of all the muscles in the pain area.
Through medicines, you can get rid of the pain in one or two muscles, but in physiotherapy, all 24 muscles in the lower back are taught to work together. There are physio centres like Sydney Physio Solutions that use this approach for treating back pains, so look for one that offers all treatments.
It Helps with Bad Knees
There are several types of knee injuries and conditions; from tendon and muscular strains to ligament and cartilage problems. Knee pain can also cause due to the reoccurrence of an injury or diseases like arthritis or gout. A study conducted by the University of Western Ontario showed that medication and physiotherapy combined had the same useful results as arthroscopic surgery in curing osteoarthritic knees.A physiotherapist first identifies the source of knee pain and then treats it accordingly – in case of knee muscle tightening, stretching, and exercise helps. A therapist analyses everything – from the tightening of muscles to the movement of joints – based on which they prescribe exercises to calm the bones or balance gaits. Arthritic joints are also cured by treating their flexibility and strength.
It Relieves Pelvic Floor Disorders
One area where physiotherapy treatments have become a widespread practice is curing pelvic floor disorders. The pelvic floor is involved in the functioning of bladder, bowel and sexual activity; they give support to the abdominal organs and spine. The pelvic floor disorders can happen because of the tightening of pelvic muscles, usually after pregnancy, childbirth or abdominal surgery, which causes pain in sexual intercourse, dissoluteness in urine or bowel movements and abdominal ache.It Teaches Breathing Techniques
Asthma or Sleep Apnea is also treated by physiotherapy – the professionals who do this are known as cardiovascular physiotherapists. They address such issues by using breathing control exercises or working on the mobility of neck and chest muscles by strengthening and stretching techniques.A breathing control exercise can be as simple as blowing up a balloon or taking a deep breath and exhaling it out slowly. With the rapid work being done in the field of physiotherapy, now it’s not just limited to muscles and joints but also helps in curing conditions caused in the nervous system.
It Combats Obesity
Lifestyle Physiotherapy is becoming immensely popular. This involves health preventatives and management of long-lasting body aches. The physiotherapists working in this field use techniques which make exercising easier for obese patients.Excessive weight has a lot of impact on the musculoskeletal system which is the physical backbone of the human body. Exercises included in lifestyle physiotherapy can cure sore knees and other pains without harming the joints. The techniques involved in this physical therapy have also proven to be useful for people undergoing chemotherapy and those who face issues in mobility because of age.
It is important to note that physiotherapy can only be useful if you put the right amount of time and effort in it – if you believe it can help you cure your body aches overnight, then you are wrong. Stretching and strengthening of muscles take time, especially the ones that have no constant movement. By doing so, you can keep those body aches away and also eliminate the chance for recurrence of injuries.
