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“Gaining control over your health and well-being is one of those times in your life that you get to be completely selfish and not feel bad about it. If you want to meet your goals, you have to make it about you. You have to make it work for you and you alone. Anything less is a setup for failure.”— Jennifer Hudson
During orthopaedic treatment, part of the recovery plan may involve physical therapy. Physical therapy involves a series of exercises that are dedicated to restoring physical mobility of the body. Physical therapy is a subset of physical rehabilitation. Physical rehabilitation involves prevention, diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions that affect the body. Direct treatments such as electrotherapy, therapeutic exercise and pharmaceutical pain management are normally applied.
Orthopaedic conditions, and treatments may often affect the body’s normal functionality. Physical therapy improves a patient’s quality of life by restoring the functionality that was lost during the duration of the condition, or even during the treatment process. Surgical procedures may often require a patient to limit their physical activity for a few weeks, to a few months. Muscles can atrophy with lack of use, so once the clearance is given for the restoration of movement, physical therapy is often prescribed as a means to acclimatise patients with normal movement.
Orthopaedic conditions can impact various parts of the body including:
*joints
*muscles
*tendons
*ligaments
*bones
*spinal cord
* brain
* nervous system
The process of physical therapy is proven to improve the general well-being of patients. Physical activity helps to release calming hormones in the body, positively impacting the mental and cognitive state of the patient. Physical rehabilitation has three primary categories in its therapeutic portfolio. These include physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy.
Physical Therapy
The physical therapy involves the treatment of orthopaedic conditions with a variety of physical techniques. These include:
Exercises: An exercise plan is created by your physical therapist, and applied in incremental intensity to improve strength and stamina.
Cold and Heat Treatments: These treatments are good for your cardiovascular system. Warm conditions cause dilation of blood vessels, while cold conditions cause a contraction of blood vessels.
Massage: Massages release pent up tension that is stored in the muscles in the body. Massages often result in patients feeling quite relaxed.
Stretching: Stretching is good for flexibility of the body. Strong bodies often benefit from being flexible, because they can withstand external pressures.
A variety of orthopaedic conditions can be effectively treated with physical therapy. These include arthritis, joint replacement, sports injury, knee pain, back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome. Physical therapy treatments can be applied in various places including out in nature. Some orthopaedic treatments can be treated effectively via therapies such as water therapy. Via adjusting the effects of gravity, the body can be relieved of stresses, and restore its normal functionality.
Your orthopaedic surgeon will best be able to identify if you need physical therapy as part of your orthopaedic treatment plan. Consult with your orthopaedic specialist if you have any applicable conditions that will qualify for physical therapy.
Reference:
- Physical Therapy vs Rehabilitation: https://www.shelteringarms.com/rehablog/physical-rehabilitation-vs-therapy/
