What is Physiotherapy?
A physiotherapist is a health professional that offers physiotherapy. Physiotherapists are medically qualified health professionals who work in partnership with their patients to help them get better and stay well.
Physiotherapists assess, diagnose, treat and prevent a wide range of health conditions and movement disorders by using advanced techniques and evidence-based care. The focus is to help people affected by injury, illness or disability through movement and exercise, manual therapy, education and advice.
They maintain health for people of various age, helping them self-manage and prevent pain. The profession also enables people to remain in work while helping them remain independent. Besides, treating a person with a specific condition. A physiotherapist takes a holistic approach to health and well being, which includes the person’s general lifestyle.
At the centre of management is the person’s involvement in their own care, through education, awareness, empowerment and participation in their treatment. You can benefit from physiotherapy at any time in your life. Physiotherapy helps with back pain or sudden injury, managing long-term medical condition such as asthma, and in preparing for childbirth or a sporting event.
Who will benefit from Physiotherapy?
Everyone can benefit from physiotherapy at some point in their lives. While it is well-known that physiotherapists treat injuries or do rehabilitation, there have been increasing number of individuals seeking the expertise of physiotherapists to take control of their physical health and stay well. Some of the needs physiotherapists address include:
- Heart or lungs condition – prevents, rehabilitates and supports people living with, or at risk of diseases and injuries affecting the heart and lungs, such as heart disease or asthma. Physiotherapists help patients prepare for or recover from surgery, and prescribe exercises and other interventions to improve quality of life.
- Cancer, palliative care and lymphoedema– addresses a range of patient needs, including treating, managing or preventing fatigue, pain, muscle and joint stiffness, and deconditioning.
- Incontinence and men or women’s health– manages and prevents incontinence and pelvic floor dysfunction in men, women and children. Physiotherapists work in areas including pregnancy, birth, post-partum care, breastfeeding, menopause, bed wetting, prolapse, loss of bladder or bowel control, and with men living with or recovering from prostate cancer.
- Supporting older adults– uses evidence-based care to promote healthy and active ageing among older adults. Working in home and residential aged care settings, physiotherapists help manage or prevent the effects of conditions or risks such as osteoporosis, incontinence and falls.
- Musculoskeletal– prevents and treats clients with musculoskeletal conditions such as neck and back pain. Techniques include addressing underlying problems, preventing strain and injury, and prescribing exercises and other interventions to promote mobility.
- Neurology– promotes movement and quality of life in patients who have had severe brain or spinal cord damage from trauma, or who suffer from neurological diseases such as stroke, Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis.
- Orthopaedic– helps patients prevent or manage acute or chronic orthopaedic conditions such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and amputations. Physiotherapists also help patients prepare for or rehabilitate from orthopaedic surgery, or another orthopaedic hospital admissions.
- Occupational health– supports the health and well being of workers, reduces safety risks in the workplace, prevents and manages injuries and diseases, and support workers in returning to work.
- Paediatric (supporting infants and children)– aims to prevent conditions such as plagiocephally (misshapen head) or support a child’s development such as addressing milestone delays with sitting and walking, clumsiness, or hyperactivity.
- Sports – prevents, diagnoses and treats musculoskeletal and sporting injuries among all types of people, from professional athletes to everyday Malaysians.
Thank you for reading. We will continue our next blog on why is physiotherapy recommended, where can you have physiotherapy and what can you expect in a typical physiotherapy session.