COMMON TYPES OF PHYSICAL THERAPY
Physical therapy is a form of rehabilitative treatment that aims to improve mobility, relieve pain, and restore function to the body. It can be used to treat a variety of conditions, from sports injuries to chronic pain. This blog post will explore six common types of physical therapy that you should know.
Neurological Physical Therapy
This type of physical therapy assists patients in recovering from neurological conditions. Alzheimer’s disease and strokes are examples of neurological conditions. Neurological physical therapy is also required for recovery from spinal and brain injuries. The issue with almost all neurological conditions is that they are chronic. This means that you can’t cure them with simple medication or a healthy lifestyle. That’s why doctors prescribe physiotherapy as a treatment for these conditions.
Neurological physical therapy dramatically improves the mobility and coordination of the affected. Neurological PT isn’t as involved and intense as some other types of physical therapy. It focuses on less intense and small physical exercises to reduce the effects of the neurological condition gradually. Depending on their conditions, patients can regain autonomy fully or significantly after neurological PT.
Occupational Physical Therapy
This is physical therapy for work-related physical activities. Patients frequently receive this therapy following non-accidental work-related injuries. Occupational Physical therapy teaches manual laborers how to lift objects properly. It is a type of physical therapy that encourages lifting with the knees rather than the back. One out of every five injuries or illnesses in the workplace is a back injury from improper lifting. The most affected area is the lower back, and it’s usually a reaggravation of a previous injury. Occupational therapy also assists you in adopting the right posture when doing manual work.
Apart from the above, the therapy also focuses on building core and upper body strength. That’s because these areas are the ones you use most for physical activities, including manual labor. Although occupational therapy seems like treating a localized area, this is far from the truth. This therapy is holistic and focuses on improving the entire being instead of a particular area. Occupational Physical therapy is successful only when the entire being is correct, and you’re all set for work.
Geriatric Physical Therapy
We become less nimble as we age, which can be a big problem. Coupling that with a few conditions and natural movements becomes extremely difficult for the elderly. Geriatric Physical Therapy is a type of therapy that addresses mobility and movement issues among the elderly. It includes addressing both natural movement and mobility issues and those from musculoskeletal conditions. Some of these conditions include osteoporosis, arthritis, and certain cancers.
Geriatric physical therapy addresses the movement limitations of elderly folk and reduces the pain associated with certain movements. Another aspect of this therapy is small exercises to keep the old folks fit for their age.
Pediatric Physical Therapy
You can think of pediatric physical therapy as the opposite of geriatric physical therapy. That’s because while Geriatric Physical Therapy focuses on the elderly, pediatric physical therapy focuses on infants.
Pediatric physical therapy focuses on the specific mobility and growth needs of infants, toddlers, and adolescents. So, contrary to popular belief, pediatric physical therapy is not just for babies. It is also intended for children and adolescents who have problems with their body movements, which may interfere with their learning and play.
Pediatric physical therapy addresses, but is not limited to, the following issues:
- Congenital Disabilities
- Genetic Conditions
- Severe Injuries
- Limb Disabilities
- Trauma to the head
Pediatric Physical Therapy is crucial for developing children into strong and healthy adults. Parents need to detect these issues early on so they can address them through pediatric physical therapy. If they don’t do so, it could present a host of problems for the children in the future.
Rehabilitative Physical Therapy
Major surgeries mostly take a toll on the mobility and movement of the affected body parts. Rehabilitative physical therapy focuses on patients’ recovery from these surgeries. This physical therapy begins while the patient is still in the hospital and continues until the patient is discharged.
Most rehabilitative physical therapy happens when the patient is recovering at home. This therapy stops only when the patient regains full mobility of the affected part. The therapy stops when the patient can tend to themselves without any assistance.
This type of physical therapy is common with athletes and bodybuilders after they get injured. The earlier they do it, the better and faster their recovery is. The therapy focuses on regular mild exercise to help the patient regain strength and reduce pain.
Contact Us Today
For professional and experienced physical therapy, call Elite Health and Wellness in Kearney, NE, today at (308) 455 1500.
