Physiotherapy is based on physical processes scientists use in the treatment of patients with a disability, illness, or injury to achieve and maintain functional rehabilitation and to prevent a malfunction or deformity. The treatments are designed to minimize residual physical disability, to hasten convalescence, and to contribute to the comfort and welfare of the patient.
Physical therapy is prescribed in patients with orthopedic, neurologic, vascular and respiratory, which may be congenital, acquired disability by disease or trauma, or hereditary dysfunctions. Physiotherapists work in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, clinics, and centers for disabled children and in local, state and private. In addition to direct care to patients, physiotherapists are involved in other areas such as consultation, supervision, teaching, administration and research.
Types of PhysiotherapyTreatment
Among the diagnostic tests used by physiotherapists include manual muscle, electric, and the sensory perception, and measurement of the arc of movement of joints. Evidence of functional activity are important in determining patients’ ability to perform activities that require self-care. When treating a patient, the physiotherapist must use one or more of the following procedures: heat treatments consisting of the use of water at different temperatures, liquid paraffin, infrared lamps and ultraviolet rays, ultrasounds that produce heat in the interior organism, and diathermy (application of electric current to generate heat in the tissues).
One of the most important tasks of the physiotherapist is conducting various therapeutic exercises whose purpose is to increase strength and endurance, improve coordination and mobility necessary for everyday life, and increase and maintain mobility of the arc. Ambulation is accomplished with the aid of canes, crutches, walkers, orthoses, and artificial limbs. Physical therapists also use massage, bandaging, dressing function, and placement and removal of splints and plaster. Also, teach patients and their families the techniques of the exercises and the use of prosthesis such as artificial limbs and orthoses.
History of Physiotherapy
Most agents used in modern physiotherapy and were used in antiquity. The early writings of Greece and Rome refer to the beneficial effects of the sun and water, and exercise as both a massage were used by ancient Chinese, Persians, Egyptians and Greeks.
In our time the field of physiotherapy comes into England in the late nineteenth century. Shortly after the U.S. orthopedic surgeons began to train young women graduates in physical education to care for patients and medical consultations in hospitals. In 1916, when a severe polio epidemic struck New York and New England, women treated thousands of patients.
After World War II, physiotherapy is widely used in patient care. Among the reasons for the large increase in the demand for physiotherapy services were the excellent results obtained in the treatment of war wounded during World War II and the Korean and Vietnam wars, industrial accidents, the increase in chronic disabilities consequence of the increasing number of elderly in the population and the rapid development of hospital programs and medical care.
prevalent because of the age structure of population of course – even nervous, cardiovascular, metabolic or respiratory disorders are physical therapy to influence prices.
