Author - Healyos Physiotherapy

Nowadays physiotherapy is a necessity as Humankind is no stranger to physical and musculoskeletal ailments, over years and years of evolution. More advanced lifestyles bring in newer, more advanced ailments. In the earlier days. most of these ailments or conditions used to be treated with medicines. Over the years, people have realized the essential role played by lifestyle changes, of which exercise is a major part- in preventing or alleviating most diseases or disorders that plague mankind.

Physiotherapy is a field built on the foundations of movement and exercise. Today, physiotherapists are gaining popularity for their pivotal role in healing individuals through exercise and movement.

Here are a few noteworthy roles played by physiotherapy in not only preserving health but also improving one's quality of life:

Roles of Physiotherapist

• Improves Mobility and Movement: Mobility exercises are known to enhance joint health, improve joint lubrication, and protect the joints against degenerative conditions like arthritis. While these mobility exercises are a boon for those wishing to remain flexible, they are also helpful for patients suffering from joint conditions when prescribed correctly.
• Helps in Pain Management: Exercises and modalities developed over years of research on the brain's responses and reactions to a certain stimulus have made physiotherapy a critical part of pain management. From the smallest sprain to the most intense labor pains, physiotherapy will be at the rescue!
• Management of injuries: Physiotherapists are trained to manage and rehabilitate injuries right from the first aid stage, through the recovery and finally return to activity. Be it an athlete suffering an injury on field, or a housewife having a fall resulting in a fracture. Physiotherapists work hand-in-hand with orthopaedic surgeons pre-operatively as well as post-operatively, to ensure optimal recovery and effective return to independent life. This reduces the negative impact of an injury on the individual's physical, mental as well as social well-being.
• Help in Pre- and Post Surgery Rehabilitation: A physiotherapist's role is not limited to orthopaedic injuries and surgery. When a patient has undergone a major operative procedure, he/she is confined to the bed for a certain period of time. In this scenario, the physiotherapist trains the patient to increase mobility while still in bed. Additionally, the therapist also teached breathing techniques to prevent loss of lung capacity due to bed rest. Gradually, train them to sit up, and transfer out of the bed to perform daily activities like eating, dressing, grooming, and using the washroom. This not only keeps the patient fit and healthy, but also allows them to be independent during their recovery process.
• Assist in managing chronic health conditions: As discussed, movement and exercise plays a crucial role in preventing and minimizing the impact of most chronic health conditions like diabetes, obesity, hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol), and heart disease. Physiotherapists have the knowledge and training to prescribe specific type and intensity of exercise to prevent the occurrence of these conditions in individuals at risk, and also to minimize the detrimental effects of the disease in patients diagnosed with these conditions. A supervised exercise program can help a patient live an active life even after open heart surgery.
• Increase strength and balance: Strengthening exercises specific to the needs and fitness levels of every individual are tailor-made and taught by a physical therapist depending upon the desired goals. For a healthy young adult, the exercises may be aimed at maximizing muscle strength, muscular endurance and improving sport performance. Meanwhile, in an elderly with a risk of fall, exercises are prescribed to improve balance and coordination. In this way, every individual is able to reap the maximum benefits of physiotherapy, irrespective of age, gender, health status, and desired outcome.
• Improves Women's Health: Women Health has become an area of increasing importance in the field of physiotherapy. It is aimed at rehabilitation of women's physical health at various stages of life, and various conditions affecting them. Pre and postnatal physiotherapy are aimed at management and rehabilitation of women before and after childbirth, to help them deal with the musculoskeletal changes caused during pregnancy. Physiotherapy also helps the post-menopausal woman cope with the changes she experiences and to protect from the damaging effects of osteoporosis.

How to get physiotherapy at home?

Consider this your sign to consult a physiotherapist for the small aches and pains you've been waiting to deal with. Click Here to Contact us for the best physiotherapy services in the city!

This Article will explain all the Back pain life hacks which makes your life easy and sound. Have you been experiencing nagging back pain lately? Has every home remedy failed to relieve your pain completely?

Our team of physiotherapists has put together the ultimate back pain remedy list so you can bid your back pain goodbye.

Top 10 Physiotherapist selected remedy :

1.Hot fomentation to relax your back muscles: After a long day of work at the desk, what could be more relaxing than a hot pack for your back? Be it a hot water bag, an electric heating pad, or a warm bath: warm temperatures are helpful in relaxing the muscle spasm that causes back pain in most people. 

2.Pelvic tilt exercise: To perform this simple exercise, lie down on your back with your knees bent. Slowly, lift your pelvis upwards to flatten the curve of your back. Maintain this position for 10 seconds, and repeat the same 10 times. This exercise works best if performed at least 2-3 times daily.

3.Postural correction: Maintaining an erect spine while sitting is often taken for granted, but is usually the key to preventing as well as overcoming back pain. Make sure that your neck is upright, shoulders pulled back, low back supported and buttocks level, with your knees 90 degrees, and feet flat on the ground.

4.Less sitting time: Sitting is one of the activities in which the compressive forces on the spine are the highest. If your job requires long hours of sitting in one place, make sure to take a 5 minute break every 45 mins- 1 hour, and use it to take a small walk or perform some mobility exercises if the space permits.

5.Get sufficient sleep: Sleep deprivation can be a major contributor to back pain. An adult needs a minimum of 7 hours of sleep every night to remain mentally and physically healthy. Further, sleeping before 11 pm is said to add to the benefits of getting enough sleep.

6.Improve protein intake: The recommended daily intake of protein for an adult is between 0.7 to 0.9 grams per kg body weight, depending upon your activity levels, health status, and gender. Consuming less than what is required by your body may cause weakness, frequent body or back pain, and fatigue.

7.Hit the gym more often: Having stronger muscles of the back, core and limbs can reduce your chances of developing back pain throughout life. If you already have back pain, muscle strengthening makes recovery faster and more effective. However, it must be noted that all exercises should be performed after consulting your orthopaedic doctor and/ or physiotherapist to avoid injuries.

8.Rule out digestive problems & gas: Gastric and digestive problems may give rise to referred pain in the back, and therefore these must be treated first to control back pain.

9.Meditation and relaxation: Overcoming stress and anxiety will contribute largely to saving you from chronic back pain. If you suffer from anxiety, it is important to get proper treatment for it before it progresses to cause physical symptoms.

10.Stretch more often: Tight muscles and fascia can contribute to back or joint pain, especially after physical exertion. It is important to consult a physiotherapist who can evaluate any tightness and prescribe mobility exercises accordingly.

How to avail back pain treatment at home?

Physiotherapy services to treat back pain and underlying cause can be availed in the comfort of your home, by our expert physiotherapists.
Additionally, you can visit our clinic in Kharadi, Pune or Aundh, Pune to receive treatment from our skilled physiotherapists.

Scoliosis is the condition in which the spine is curved laterally to one side, and is commonly seen in the mid and lower back. In most cases, scoliosis is idiopathic, which means it has no known cause. Around 80% of all idiopathic scoliosis cases are diagnosed in adolescence.

This is a period of rapid skeletal growth, and hence the conditions require early diagnosis and close monitoring. Some cases of scoliosis are also seen secondary to another disease or condition, such as neuromuscular and degenerative conditions.

Causes

It is a sideways curvature of the spine that most often is diagnosed in adolescents. While it can occur in people with conditions such as cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy, the cause of most childhood scoliosis is not known.

Symptoms

1. Parents or guardians are the first to notice when the child's spine or shoulders appear to be tilting to one side, or when clothes hang from one side when the child is standing
2. It can also be observed by a physician or orthopaedic doctor on examination, and on Xray by measuring the Cobb angle (higher than 10 degrees)
3. The symptoms become more obvious during adolescence due to rapid skeletal growth. Common observations include:

• The head may appear a bit off-center
• The ribs on each side may be slightly different heights
• One hip may be more prominent than the other
• The clothes may not hang evenly
• One shoulder or shoulder blade may be higher than the other
• The person may lean to one side
• The legs may be slightly different lengths

4. Idiopathic scoliosis generally does not cause significant pain, especially in adolescents and young adults. However, if it's curve progresses further, leading to imbalances of trunk muscles and soft tissues that increase the risk for muscle spasms, muscular and joint pain, tightness, and restricted breathing.

Treatment:

1. An orthopaedic doctor will advise observation for a scoliosis curve that has not yet reached 25 degrees. Every 4 to 6 months, the doctor will take follow-up X-rays of the spine to check for progression of the curve.
2. If the scoliotic curve has progressed beyond 20 or 25 degrees, a brace could be prescribed to be worn until the adolescent has reached full skeletal maturity. The goal of bracing is to prevent the curve from progressing further.
3. Exercises designed to strengthen weak muscles (on the convex side of the curve) and stretch tight muscles (on the concave side of the curve) are prescribed by a physiotherapist.
4. If the curve continues to progress despite bracing and physiotherapy, and causes severe discomfort and respiratory restrictions- surgery is considered. The most recent and effective surgical treatment for scoliosis is a posterior spinal fusion, which can offer better corrections with fewer fusion levels (thus preserving more back mobility).

How to get Treatment for Scoliosis in Pune?

Physiotherapy services for Scoliosis and underlying cause can be availed in the comfort of your home, by our expert physiotherapists.
Additionally, you can visit our clinic in Kharadi, Pune or Aundh, Pune to receive treatment from our skilled physiotherapists.