What is physiotherapy?

Physiotherapy plays an important role in ensuring good health and wellness. It is a nonsurgical approach to a variety of chronic and acute symptoms, including headache, shoulder and neck pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, frozen shoulder, low back pain, sciatica and other conditions that affect well-being and quality of life.

In the United States, physiotherapy is referred to as physical therapy, but the two are is essentially the same in education and practice.

Physiotherapy Career

A degree and a license are required in order to become a physiotherapist or physical therapist. The minimum requirement is a bachelor's degree; a master's degree is preferred. Classwork for this field of study includes anatomy, physiology, body systems, disease and injury to give a general but in-depth knowledge of human anatomy and condition. Further coursework focuses on body movement, joints, muscles, bones and tendons, as well as diagnostic studies and use of equipment.

A career in physiotherapy combines understanding of the human body and movement, expertise and methodology to handle certain physical problems of patients. Physiotherapists trace the roots of a physical problem to certain conditions of particular parts of the human body, such as the brain, nervous system, soft tissues, joints, bones, heart or lungs, and apply their knowledge and expertise to assist the patient in a therapy regimen to relieve pain and improve movement, resulting in a more satisfying quality of life.

Because physiotherapy focuses on health and wellness through nonsurgical means, it is anticipated that this field will continue to grow, as there is an increasing demand for managing disease and improving overall health and wellness. For many conditions, treatment through physiotherapy is seen to be more efficient and cost effective than other traditional medication or therapy.

How physiotherapy assists with healing

The role of a physiotherapist is to provide health services to assist patients in recovering from disease and injury, in addition to educating and training them in continued awareness of their physical structure and movement in order to maintain health. There are many clinics devoted solely to physiotherapy and rehabilitation through physiotherapy; physiotherapy associates may also work in clinics, sports centers, orthopaedic practices, schools, assisted living centers and athletic clubs.

One focus of physiotherapy is to restore and sustain mobility after an injury, in aging persons or in treatment of chronic diseases that limit mobility. Increased activity and strength improves overall wellness and frequently reduces the need for medical treatment or hospitalization.

Patients with injuries or chronic limiting illnesses may be referred by hospitals to specialists working under physiotherapy associates. The treatment may be carried out at a hospital branch or even in a private physiotherapy practice. These may include treatment for injuries to knee, ligament, broken bones, tendon and wrist. Sports physiotherapy goes beyond just treatment and teaches the athletes to prevent muscle strain, as well body strengthening exercises. There are also some programs to teach the science of correctly playing games like golf and tennis with the idea of injury prevention.

Physiotherapy has also been found to be helpful in treatment of patients with stroke, working on speech and mobility, as well as direction in how to perform activities of daily living. This training is also helpful for family members and other caretakers of stroke victims.

Some clinics go beyond conventional medicine and offer alternate medicine or even holistic treatments. These may vary from hypnotherapy, Reiki, aromatherapy, reflexology, herbs and crystal healing. Aromatherapy, reflexology and herbal medicines are already quite popular, while the others are gaining popularity as we gain better understanding of their effectiveness and how they work.