What are some available types of physiotherapy treatment options?

Physiotherapy treatment helps to develop, maintain and restore maximum functional ability by restoring and preventing disease, injury and the healing process. People are increasingly resorting to physical therapy treatment as a well being and healing method to achieve a healthier life.

Dependant on the dysfunction or diagnosed condition, the following physiotherapy treatment options are available to most clients:

Manual Therapy

• Soft tissue massage - Ideal for those sore achy muscles post exercise or during pregnancy. Aids in muscle relaxation and overall sense of wellbeing. Commonly used techniques such as effleurage and petrosage.

• Deep tissue massage - Effective on hard to reach deep muscle tissue or muscle spasms, and those deep muscle trigger points.

• Lymphatic drainage - A massage type aimed to sweep localised tissue swelling towards regional lymph areas for effective drainage. Very good for diabetes, heart disease, post-mastectomy lymphoedema or any other condition where local swelling is a problem.

• Acupressure - A technique used to release active trigger points commonly found in certain muscle groups or tissue. Trigger point are local knots in muscle tissue which can cause pain. This technique is where a practitioner applies compression usually through his/her thumb to a point to elicit that pain and then giving it a few seconds to subside. Occasionally a person might get a local twitch response from this compression which should soon ease as the session continues.

• Pregnancy massage - Specifically aimed at relieving neck pain, leg pain and tight buttock muscles. Increases a general sense of wellbeing and promotes relaxation.

Mobilisation Therapy

For pain reduction and restoring normal biomechanical function and joint position. Particularly effective in womens health and for nerve compression pain, hip, knee and ankle joint pain, neck joint pain, or general stiff joint pain from conditions such as osteoarthritis.

Ultrasound Therapy

Ultrasonic waves (high frequency sound waves) are produced by the mechanical vibration of a metal treatment probe or head of an ultrasound machine. Treatment is achieved when the probe is moved across skin surface and in the region of the injury.

The main benefits of ultrasound are:

• The increase in blood flow in the treated area whereby speeding up of the healing process.

• The decrease in pain from the reduction of swelling and edema.

• The gentle massage of muscles tendons and or ligaments in the treated area because no strain is added and any scar tissue is softened.

Dry needling

A westernised concept which relies on the presence of trigger points and is a method by which acupuncture needles are inserted into musculoskeletal tissues for localised pain relief and stimulation of the parasympathetic nervous system and the immune system.

Here is another related article discussing massage therapy, another physiotherapy treatment option. Hope you enjoy it too.