Physiotherapy, also known as Physical Therapy, is a profession in health care that uses physical means to treat a diagnosed illness, disability or disorder. Its function is to help improve physical performance and, with constant vigilance, maintain mobility independence.
Most physiotherapy is done by a Physical Therapist, or physiotherapist. These are people schooled in ways to aid a patient through faster recovery by working through mild to medium forms of exercise. Patients find physiotherapists inside hospitals throughout the United States and elsewhere.
Mention physical therapy and some people might think of a chiropractor. While a chiropractor is trained to help relieve the pain associated with injury or medical conditions. It has little to do with science, whereas physiotherapy is science based. A physical therapist usually earns a masters or doctoral degree. It is their job to help diagnose and evaluate the patients symptoms and needs before beginning any type of physical training. Their goal is recognize the problem and then treat it.
Some types of conditions that may require physiotherapy include, back and neck pain, motor vehicle accidents, hip or knee replacement, sports injuries such as pulled ligaments, spinal cord injury, Multiple Sclerosis, asthma, pneumonia, cerebral palsy and Parkinson’s Disease. Physiotherapy is used for any type of disease, disorder, or injury whether or physical, emotional or psychological that causes weakness to the body in some form or another.
The types of equipment used in physiotherapy differ from practice to practice. Some hospitals may require most of the work to be hands on. While others have more expensive medical devices to use for their patients.
More than just relief to the muscles and joints, some machines used in physiotherapy work to aid circulation through the means of heat, detoxifies lymphatic systems by draining excess tissue fluids, and helps maintain mobility through ligaments and tendons.
The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) is a nationally recognized association which lists physiotherapist members from all over the United States. Their website includes information for physiotherapists and other health officials. It also contains information and articles for doctors and patients along with students interested in what it takes to become a physical therapist. Read through their facts to learn everything from what their about, their membership fees, recommended programs, to working with insurers.
Physiotherapy consists of a large number of health care professions and professionals who are able to assist any patient of many needs. Included in the list of other physical therapy organizations are the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAPM&R), Chartered Society (CSP) of Physical Therapy located in the United Kingdom, Canadian Physiotherapy Association, and the Physiotherapy Association of British Columbia (PABC).