If you feel pain in joints, muscles or tendons such as back pain, physical therapy is your solution. Physical therapy is a practical and effective remedy for this type of pain and injury. It has its origin in 460 BC and is also known as physical therapy. Physical therapy is a remedy that maintains and restores most of the patient’s functions, mobility and comfort. This treatment involves the use of many exercises that you must practice daily for the treatment to work. There are several techniques for treating short-term problems or disabilities. Massage is one of the most important methods to stimulate blood circulation. Physiotherapy for back pain is very widely used.
Why do you need physiotherapy?
Physical therapy is health work. The physical therapist uses his knowledge and talent to improve the various circumstances related to the different body systems:
- Neuromuscular skeletal (back pain, whiplash, sports injury, arthritis).
- respiratory tract (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, cystic fibrosis).
- Neurological (stroke, various sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease)
- Cardiovascular (chronic heart disease, rehabilitation after myocardial infarction)
Different types of physiotherapy
The benefits of physiotherapy are already known to many. However, most people are not aware that this treatment is divided into different categories. However, all types address specific conditions and include different treatment methods. All types of physiotherapy include several exercises. The primary goal is to improve your health and quality of life.
Geriatric physiotherapy
It focuses on the needs of people of older age. It is used to treat conditions such as cancer, arthritis, balance disorders, joint replacement and Alzheimer’s disease. The primary purpose of geriatric physical therapy is to restore mobility, maximize physical fitness, relieve pain, and reduce physical limitations.
Pediatric physiotherapy
In childhood, the body develops rapidly, and problems in adolescence can adversely affect the rest of an individual’s life. Therefore, pediatric physical therapy is primarily focused on helping adolescents, babies and children develop and overcome problems. In addition, it also helps build muscle and bone strength. Most physical therapists use therapeutic exercises and treatments to help children relieve pain and develop the proper body for balance and flexibility.
Orthopedic physiotherapy – physiotherapy for back pain
It is also known as musculoskeletal physiotherapy, which is used to restore the function of the musculoskeletal system, including all muscles, bones, ligaments, tendons and joints. Most often, sports injuries fall into this class. Specialized treatment techniques such as strength training, stretching, endurance training, ultrasound, hot and cold packs ensure that your body moves optimally. Particularly well known is physiotherapy for back pain.
Neurological physiotherapy
The focus is on impairments and neurological circumstances such as brain injury, cerebral palsy, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, stroke and spinal cord injury. However, it is unlikely that most neurological problems will be completely cured. However, physical therapy helps to positively impact life with the neurological disorder. Treatment is provided to achieve the highest level of independent function for the patient’s life over an extended period of time. Physiotherapy for back pain is prescribed particularly frequently.
Cardiopulmonary Physiotherapy
The so-called pulmonary physiotherapy helps people suffering from lung and cardiovascular problems such as pulmonary fibrosis, heart attack and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Therapy is provided to increase endurance and improve functional autonomy.
Physiotherapy for women’s health
It deals mainly with situations of the female reproductive system, infertility, childbirth, prenatal and postnatal care. Physical therapists help women reduce lymphatic swelling, control urinary incontinence, relieve stress on the hips, lower back and pelvis during and after pregnancy.
Active therapy
Active therapy is best for adolescents and youth who can benefit from it in a more lively and athletic environment. It includes movement-based activities like playing table tennis and the like. This therapy increases energy levels and physical and cardiovascular health. In addition, it helps reduce negative mood symptoms and symptoms of anxiety in children. It also helps to improve self-confidence in children.
Passive therapy
Passive physiotherapy is mainly concerned with pain management with the aim of moving to a more active approach. Passive treatment techniques may include applying heat to tight muscles, using cryotherapy to reduce the swelling of damaged tissue, or using an ultrasound machine to immensely stimulate specific muscles and periodically restore range of motion to the tissue or joint.
Some common physiotherapeutic treatment techniques
and instruments
Ultrasound
The use of ultrasound equipment has become increasingly common in physical therapy. It is a deep healing that is used to treat many injuries and helps identify the region of decreased blood flow that is injured under the skin. Ultrasound has high frequency sound waves and is controlled by the practitioner using an ultrasound machine. They use gel so that ultrasound waves are properly absorbed into muscles and skin.
Traction
Traction is used to treat back pain. It helps minimize pain and improve mobility in the spine, reducing pressure on the spinal nerves. The cervical spine traction is performed either sitting or lying down
Whirlpool
It is a hydrotherapy that helps to improve blood circulation, control inflammation. The warm whirlpool has a temperature between 35 and 45 degrees Celsius. While a cold whirlpool has a temperature of 10-15 degrees Celsius. These baths have a motor or agitator that moves the water around the treated body part. This therapy has a soothing result and helps in wound regeneration. A regular whirlpool deepens your body that needs to be treated and feels calm as the water swirls around it.
Kinesiology taping
Also known as K-tape, it is used by a physical therapist to improve your mobility and support tendons, muscles and joints. Kinesiology Tape is a flexible, thin and elastic cotton strip with acrylic adhesive. It is used for many purposes such as pain relief, bruise and swelling management, muscle inhibition and relief.
Manual therapy
This type of technique is used by professionals, where they use their hands to influence, massage and mobilize body tissues. It helps improve circulation, promote relaxation and reduce pain and stiffness. It also helps to consume fluids from different parts of the body more efficiently and improve the movement of body parts. Manual therapy is also used in physical therapy for back pain.
Massage
Massage is done with hands to press the injured tissues of your body. This helps to relieve pain, advance blood circulation and reduce muscle tension. There are many massage techniques such as classic massage or trigger point massage. Trigger point therapy is used to direct pressure to specific points in soft muscle tissue. It helps to reduce muscle tension and pain relief. It can be combined with other treatments such as massage, physical therapy, and other modalities for improved effects and mobility. It is beneficial to eliminate knee, joint, neck, shoulder and back pain.
Electrical stimulation
It is also known as ESTIM, a general treatment to restore muscle function after traumatic injuries. Experts use electrostimulation for physiotherapy of facial conditions such as paralysis. It uses only a small amount of electricity to relieve the muscles in the face. It helps to relieve pain in the area of the injured tissue.
Living with back pain can be a harrowing experience. Some people have such deep depression that they are constantly reminded of it every minute. This ultimately has the effect of dampening the mood.
If you have back pain, the following tips will help you manage it effectively.
Take breaks while sitting
If you work in an area that requires you to sit continuously for long periods of time, remember to take breaks in between. Stand up and walk for a few minutes. Sitting inactive for hours on end only makes back pain worse. Ideally, you should take a 5-minute break every 30-40 minutes.
Keep your weight in check
An important factor in back pain is your weight. If you are overweight, this can easily strain your back muscles. And the more voluminous you become, the more pain you will feel in your back. The only way to deal with the problem is to sign up for some weight management classes so you can reduce the excess body fat. You also need to eat healthy to make sure you don’t accumulate fat.
Sleep comfortably
It is crucial that you prefer to sleep on your sides. Sleeping on your back will only aggravate the situation and delay the pain in the long run…. Ideally, you should place a pillow between your legs to neutralize the extra pressure on your hips and lower back. And if you want to sleep on your back, place the pillow under your knees enough to relax your lumbar spine
Use heat
If you feel that the back pain has become severe, try heating the affected area. Heat helps relax muscle spasms and also improves circulation in the area. Holding a hot water bottle or heating pad in your lower back for about 20 minutes will go a long way in relieving the pain. However, be sure to place a towel or similar between the heat pack and your back to prevent skin burns.
Do stretching exercises
Your back pain will also increase if you leave the area inactive for a long period of time. For this reason, it is strongly recommended to perform some stretching exercises. This helps to move the muscles and joints, relax the area and minimize the pain on the back. Do stretching exercises every day to protect your back for a long period of time.
Breathe correctly
Finally, remember to breathe properly. People with back pain tend to breathe incorrectly, which increases the pain. With a proper breathing exercise, you can relax the muscles, not tense them. As a result, the pain subsides and may even disappear completely for a short time. In addition, breathing helps manage your anxiety and keeps your mind calm and collected.