What is
Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation?
Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation is a specialty
that covers the diagnosis and treatment of physical and functional disorders in
the musculoskeletal, nervous or cardiovascular systems.
Physical therapy means the use of physical methods and techniques in the treatment of
diseases. The physical therapy methods and techniques applied do not
create any lesions or wounds in our body. The aim of physical therapy
application is to reduce or eliminate the patient's pain, to increase the
functional capacity, to regain the activities of daily living, to make the
functions of the organs healthy, and to take their place in society as an
independent individual.
In Which
Areas Are Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Used?
What are
Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Applications?
After the diagnosis of the disease, an appropriate physical
therapy program is planned according to the patient's condition. Physical
therapy should be performed under the supervision of a specialist physician.
This treatment program may
include medication, the application of physical therapy techniques, and
one or more therapeutic exercises.
Heat, light, water agents
Electrotherapy
It is applied by giving current to the body at a
certain frequency and intensity. It can be used to treat acute or chronic pain,
edema, muscle strengthening, or to functionally work certain muscles.
Mechanotherapy
It is the application of mechanical devices and
apparatus for therapeutic purposes.
Walking robots, arm robots, traction, spinal
decompression (waist-neck pulling), pneumatic compression, CPM devices, etc.
are used.
Manual Therapy Methods
Manual therapy is a form of physical therapy that is applied only by hand without the use
of any device or machine. In manual therapy, practitioners use only their hands
to reduce problems caused by muscle spasm, muscle tension, and dysfunctions in
the joints.
Therapeutic Exercises
It is one of the most important parts of physical
therapy. Personalized exercises designed according to the patient and the
condition of the disease should be given only by specialist physicians and
physiotherapists.
Daily Life Modifications
In the process of treatment of the disease, the
patient can make some adjustments in his daily life. Activity regulations, the
addition of exercise and sports to daily life, the absence of movements that
may be harmful, nutritional recommendations, etc. can be examples of this.
The use of prosthesis-orthoses
How long
is the duration of physical therapy?
Physical therapy is done in sessions. In orthopedic diseases, a total of 10-20 sessions of
1 hour can usually be applied. In neurological diseases, rehabilitation is
usually a longer process, applied in 1-2 hour sessions, but depending on the
patient's condition, the rehabilitation process may take years.
Are
Physical Therapy Applications Painful?
During physical therapy applications, the patient
usually does not feel pain. However, if the patient has joint limitation, for
example, if there is a dull joint, there may be mild pain because the
physiotherapist can perform stretching exercises.
What are the Conditions to Be
Considered?
Attention is paid to applications on inflammatory
(inflammatory) conditions, active periods of rheumatic diseases (periods when
joints are swollen, hot and painful), vascular occlusions, varicose veins, open
wounds and infected areas or applications that the specialist physician does
not consider appropriate are not performed.