Physiotherapy Treatments

Physiotherapy is a branch of therapy that uses specialized equipment to heal physical conditions. It is particularly useful when treating patients that are in so much pain that they can't physically handle more effective treatments.

While some people believe that physiotherapy is specifically for athletes and sports-related issues, physiotherapy can be helpful for anyone. By increasing blood flow, muscle contraction, and nerve firing while decreasing pain they help patients recover faster from most physical injuries. Their pain relieving quality also makes patients in significant amounts of pain able to tolerate more effective treatments such as the adjustment. They also serve to warm up your body so the adjustments feel more comfortable.

We use physiotherapy for two types of conditions:

Musculoskeletal – This therapy focuses on the treatment of sprains, strains, arthritis, posture problems, workplace injuries, surgery recovery, and many other physical conditions.

Neurological – This therapy works with issues associated with the brain and nerves. Potential symptoms include neuropathy, sciatica, and numbness.
 

Treatment Options

The physiotherapies we use in our office include

Ice – Decreases swelling, pain and inflammation. Be mindful when using ice that you don't use it excessively right after an injury as new inflammation after an injury is actually healing taking place. Inflammation is painful however, and swelling can be excessive after a new injury so ice is helpful in moderation. Most people don't apply ice for long enough to have maximal effect. The acronym CBAN describes how long application should be: first the ice will feel Cold, then it will start to Burn, then it will start to Ache, then it will go Numb. You have cooled the muscles at the point of numbness instead of just the skin. Make sure to not go straight to physical activity before warming up your muscles (which is why we don't usually ice patients this much in the office)

Heat – Increases blood flow bringing fresh nutrients to the scene of an injury to help in repair.  Alternating both ice and heat is very effective as the ice decreases swelling pushing out toxins and used resources while heat brings in new resources. Wait approximately 15 minutes in between application so the tissues can return to a normal temperature before alternating.

Electrotherapy – Many homes have a tens machine that stimulates little more than skin deep and is very helpful for decreasing pain. We use interferrential therapy that penetrates much deeper, increasing blood flow and contracts the muscles which promotes healing more effectively.

Spinal decompression – Effective for disk protrusions, disc bulges, and disc herniations, along with general radicular pain. This therapy puts a stretch on your discs and relaxes repeatedly over time, effectively pumping the disks so they suck in more nutrients.

Overview

Physiotherapy is another option that patients should consider when planning out how to recover from an injury. Call today to schedule an initial consultation. It’s never too soon to start feeling better.