Touch Heals: The Real Benefits of Physiotherapy

I was in senior high school once when I accidentally slipped from a water puddle thawed from yesterday’s snow. Aside from the fact that the whole school saw me, I was subjected to a series of physical and medical examinations and a countless series of medications. And aside from another fact that I missed our JS Prom, I get to carry a bundle of cast for the whole three months. But yes, that was ten years ago and I was quite nostalgic after seeing a pop up from a sports medicine facility offering physiotherapy.

That prompted me to revisit that moment and then write this article. I was always appreciative of things. Writing this one here then says it all; I was a beneficiary of physiotherapy that somehow alleviated my disgust of the whole therapy process.

That was ten years ago but I can still remember a certain Ms. Janie who had me in her physio-care in the duration of my treatment. And yes, touches do heal. We should give more credit to physiotherapy than we normally do.

Introduction to Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy clinically speaking is a field that assists people to restore, maintain and maximize strength, movement and function of a certain body parts that was either result of an injury, physical deterioration or a recently concluded disease.

The term physiotherapy roots itself from the word physical and the word therapy. Thus, literally it would mean a therapy or healing through physical manipulations or touch. The one who performs such task or the professional who is licensed to do it is called a physiotherapist or a physical therapist.

Physiotherapy though isn’t a standalone practice. For physiotherapy to be successful it should be in collaboration with other different fields in medicine to help meet all the patient’s needs. Physiotherapy is a preventive as well as curative process. It also is available for people who are with disabilities and seeks the help.

The Physical and other benefits of Physiotherapy

So whether you sought the treatment as a person who wishes to be healed or a person who wishes to prevent a problem, physiotherapy can assist you throughout the process. Prior medical tests should be done though and after that physiotherapy can be recommended. If after recommendation that all needs are met, a physical evaluation will take place.

But before that, let me discuss to you first the benefits of Physiotherapy in physical and other human being aspects. (I was quite doubtful of the numbered enumeration because it puts a finite to the benefits but then I did it nevertheless.) Here they are.

1. Lessens pain and eradicates it along the process. The pain is the ultimate enemy of injuries. You can go on sporting an injury but pain can really bring you down. It’s the ultimate no goner. But then physiotherapy devises several techniques to lessen such problems and eliminate it along the process.

2. Muscle movement restored. This does not mean though full motion can be achieved right away. But then the flexibility and the strength have been improved throughout the process. Immovable muscles for a long period of time may gain stiffness. This muscle functions are often the main goal of the therapy. That is because they are the main cause of your movements.

3. Joint motion slowly restored. Joint range movements shouldn’t be rushed. It should be done deliberately. Physiotherapy can do the job for you. Joint motion is important because they provide the movements necessary for driving, bending, sports activity and holding or grabbing on to objects.

4. Renewed and increased function in movements. So if the physiotherapy isn’t goaled for an injury treatment it can be from a physical deterioration from old age or a disease. So by having to be able to get a physical therapy, such functions can be increased and optimized. This gives you a whole new life in the process.

5. Increases work potentialities. Physiotherapy can aim for strength restoration. You can have it to fulfill your need of increasing work done or sports played or chores done at home.  Potentialities and strength means production, production means profit. And that wouldn’t just be money profit that I was pointing out, mind you. It can range from your family time spent with quality or work done at home.

6. Replenishes your mind power. Yes, a physical therapy can give you that peace of mind as well as a whole new well being that had survived an ordeal or prevented one. Aside from the fact that because you have pain no more and its possibility of coming back is minimal, you also get the chance of a lifetime to be renewed.

7. Renewed energy. So because you don’t face the challenge of pain anymore and the immobility of some parts of your body, you get to be renewed and be able to sleep throughout the night without the mind of pain coming back the next morning.

8. It eliminates little by little the medications and other procedures you have. Because of its manual stimulation, a great thing can come out of it because there is no medication taken. Medication often requires medicines to be taken in and we shouldn’t deny the idea that medicines can have a little of side effects too. By gradually reducing medications, you also gradually lessen the toxins that enter your system.

9. You’re back to normal. Yes, that is the best part of ending a therapy. Getting back to normal. But I should say that physical therapy had let it all fall short for a period of time. And that makes the difference form all other medication. But then that would depend on the injury or query too.

And everything I guess goes without saying. The points above were just reminders for you though and for me to revisit some moment of me too.

Now, do you feel like you need physiotherapy? Or something to change the way you are living your life now? Don’t hesitate though. This might be your healing answer to what you are undergoing now.