What Techniques Do Physiotherapists Use?

The wide range of ailments that physiotherapy techniques can treat is astonishing.

While physiotherapy is typically thought of as the science of movement and pinpointing an injury’s root cause, techniques of physiotherapy vary both in terms of type and application.

The overall goal of physical therapy is to restore and maintain a patient’s range of motions, function, and well-being. A successful physiotherapy treatment plan will reduce or even eliminate pain and restore physical health to the patient.

Physiotherapy techniques are applied in a variety of situations, including treatment of:

• Sports injury or general injuries
• Knee pain
• Tissue injuries
• Shoulder pain
• Back pain
• Joint pain
• Ankle sprains
• Restoring mobility in joints
• Strengthening muscles

This means that physiotherapy techniques are varied and tailored to the situation, and can include:

• Massage
• Ice treatments
• Manual therapy
• Stretching
• Electrotherapy (electrical stimulation)
• Ultrasound therapy

. . .  to name just a few.

Below, you’ll find a more in-depth description of some of the more common physiotherapy techniques.

Manual Therapy

Through a combination of kneading and muscle manipulation, a physiotherapist is able to relieve pain and restore joint mobilization through manual therapy.

Manual therapy is a technique that is used to flush out scar tissue from the source of your pain and stimulate the healing process.

Effective treatment typically involves regular exercise on top of your time with the physiotherapist. In fact, there’s a good chance that your physiotherapist will prescribe strengthening exercises to go along with the treatment you receive from them directly.

When used in conjunction with one another, the appropriate exercises and manual therapy can delay or even prevent the need for surgery. It can also help to dramatically shorten the rehabilitation process.

Manual therapy is used to increase mobility and address issues in the:

• Spine
• Arms
• Legs
• Knees
• Shoulders

Electrotherapy

Through the use of a mild, gentle electrical pulse, this physiotherapy technique is proven to stimulate your body’s natural painkillers.

This treatment can be used to cut down on toxic inflammation and improve range of motion in the muscles. Electrotherapy has also been shown to be effective at reducing pain.

Studies show that when combined with manual therapy and exercise therapy techniques, electrotherapy has been hugely beneficial to patient wellness.

Ultrasound Therapy

While you may typically associate ultrasounds with imaging technology, it actually has a great number of applications in the medical field.

Not the least of which in physiotherapy.

This deep heating technique is used to treat damaged soft tissue structures in the body such tendons, muscles, and ligaments. Ultrasound therapy promotes soft tissue mobilization which can help prevent injury and reduce pain.

Using sound waves, the ultrasound is able to non-invasively penetrate the body, increasing blood circulation to tissue which in turn helps support the healing process and pain reduction.

Ultrasound therapy can also be used to reduce local swelling at the source of an injury, while simultaneously cutting down on chronic inflammation that prevents your body from repairing damaged tissue.

How White Pine Health Can Help You Heal

Physiotherapy involves a multi-pronged approach to tackling physical limitations and ailments.

When done right, several techniques are combined into a comprehensive treatment plan with the aim of achieving pain reduction and the restoration of a full range of motion.

White Pine Health offers a full range of services in rehabilitation and physiotherapy in Brampton and the surrounding area area. Committed to patient-centred treatments, we don’t cut corners. We approach every patient’s unique conditions with a specialized treatment plan intended to relieve pain and restore you to optimum health.

White Pine Health also offers virtual physiotherapy sessions, so that you can receive the care you need right from the comfort of your own home. Contact us to book a free 20-minute video session today!