The true meaning of physical therapy

Movement is at the heart of everything that we love to do, and if we cannot participate to the fullest in the activities that we love, simply because of difficulties in movement, then you need to undergo physical therapy sessions.

What is physical therapy?

Physical therapy is a branch of science that deals with rehabilitative health through the use of specially designed exercises and equipment to help patients regain or improve their physical abilities.
However, today, physical therapy means different things to different people. For some, it’s just a way to help those who find themselves in excruciating pain, while for others it is the pathway to get rid of obstacles that limit them from leading a normal life.

Approaches to physical therapy

The rehabilitative treatment procedure differs from patient to patient. Some of these approaches are mentioned below:

Movement and exercise

Physical therapy makes use of therapeutic exercises that are designed to increase mobility and strength, to improve the functioning of affected areas in the body. Studies have revealed that people who have practiced exercises as prescribed by the physiotherapists have successfully been cured of major diseases like strokes and paralysis.

Therapies

In addition to exercises, physical therapy also makes extensive use of therapy to cure ailments in their patients. These include manual, ice, heat and ultrasound therapies.
Acupuncture and dry needling are also commonly used to relieve patients from excruciating pain.

How physiotherapy has changed lives

For a patient suffering from strokes and paralysis

This is an inspirational case of how a patient who suffered from a major stroke and paralysis got rid of the problem without even leaving traces of it. The patient, who lived with paralysis for over a year, walks without any support today and, for this, he gives all the credit to his physiotherapist. Through physical therapy’s strict treatment procedures that involved exercises and therapies in various forms, the patient was completely cured of the ailment. After his speedy recovery, he feels that there is no giving up because our bodies are never too old, frail or damaged to the point beyond repair.

For a patient suffering from Ehlers-Danlos syndrome

Joyce’s condition is one that she describes to be highly painful. In her initial days of pain, she thought she wouldn’t ever be able to even hold a key. This completely altered her lifestyle. After years of suffering, just when she was about to give up completely, Joyce gave physical therapy a chance. Today, she admits, it is one of the wisest decisions that she ever made. Physical therapy not only relieved her of the symptoms of this disease but also helped her in living a life that she had given up on.

Like mentioned before, physical therapy is different for different people and the difference is merely in terms of the impact that it leaves on people’s life. Today, physiotherapy is not only effective in curing ailments, but it is also used to maintain a healthy lifestyle.