You know when an injury occurs. There may be pain, swelling, bruising or even bleeding. The first and best thing to do is to apply the RICE formula; a tried and tested treatment for reducing pain and swelling and preparing the body for the next stage of treatment. Many sports injuries such as muscle strains, …
An ultrasound machine, which is very commonly used in physiotherapy, works by using high-frequency sound waves (that can’t be heard by the human ear) to effectively treat deep tissue injuries. Therapeutic ultrasound is in the frequency range of 0.9 -3Mhz and it is used either as a continuous or intermittent sound wave with varying frequency …
Therapeutic exercise is a form of bodily movement aimed at correcting a physical impairment, restoring normal function and promoting a state of well being. It has to be tailored to meet the specific goals, capabilities and precautions relative to the client. Physiotherapists use therapeutic exercise to improve range of motion, flexibility, strength and endurance and cardiovascular …
Athletes regularly perform exercises to maintain or improve strength. However, they are not the only ones who can benefit from strengthening exercises. If you are recovering from surgery or prolonged illness, from muscle strain, ligament sprain or another type of soft tissue injury, if you have suffered a fractured bone, if you have just had …
Muscle energy techniques are osteopathic techniques used by physiotherapists to assess and correct asymmetry and dysfunction in the body. This asymmetry and dysfunction may be the response to acute trauma (such as a muscle tear) or may be related to more chronic conditions (such as prolonged poor posture), both of which can cause certain muscles …
Massage therapy, which physiotherapists commonly refer to as soft tissue therapy, is a popular treatment choice in many clinical settings. Massage therapy at a physiotherapy clinic is often called remedial massage therapy, which means that is practised by a qualified health care professional to help in the healing of muscle dysfunction rather than a massage …
One of the most common complaints that bring people to the physiotherapy clinic is low back pain or pain in the lumbar region. In some people, it may be a sudden onset after lifting or bending, or it may be a chronic condition with frequent flare-ups. Lumbar stabilisation involves strengthening your core stabilising muscles to …
Joint mobilisation is a “hands-on” physiotherapy technique commonly used in a clinical setting to improve the range of movement of a joint to lessen stiffness and pain. The technique involves small movements performed by the physiotherapist in an oscillating manner on the joints, Before commencing joint mobilisation, the physiotherapist will determine if it is a …
When a physiotherapist manipulates a joint, it means we take the joint to its end of range and then we perform a quick thrust movement to which takes the joint past its normal range of movement. The reason behind passively manipulating joints is that it is an effective way to “free up” an acute locked …
As physiotherapists, we pride ourselves on our “hands-on” approach with our patients. We are respected in the field of health as having excellent manual skills. However, we may also make the most of electrotherapy modalities as an effective adjunct to our hands-on treatment. The most commonly found electrotherapy machines in physiotherapy practises are laser, ultrasound …
