Tuesday, July 3, 2018

Key Concepts Regarding Physical Therapy Wilmington Residents May Find Worthwhile

By Harold Powell


Injury and disease can cause impairment of body functions. Sporting activities such as athletics, football and rugby are known to put many people who engage in them at risk of suffering physical injury. Road traffic accidents can also cause serious damage to muscle, bone and other important tissues in the body. These and medical conditions including diabetes and stroke call for physiotherapy to restore lost body function. There are several facts relating to physical therapy Wilmington residents may find useful.

When you visit the doctor with any condition, however basic it may be, certain steps have to be followed. The first of these steps is the history of your condition. The doctor will ask you a set of questions aimed at characterizing the condition and making a diagnosis. It is important for the patient to be open while giving information as they majorly contribute to the success of treatment.

Physical examination works to assess the stability of the patient and how much damage has occurred. Investigations are also done to the severity of disease and its exact location in the body. Common investigations done include blood tests and radiographic imaging. Most common imaging techniques include x ray, CT scan and magnetic resonance imaging(MRI).

Physical therapy is more than just simple exercises. It incorporates massaging to relieve pain and relax fatigued muscles. It also entails providing various devices for patients with skeletal injuries. These could be in the form of traction kits, braces and corsets among other supportive devices. Other than exercises and supportive equipment, PT aims at educating clients on the best way to achieve good function while at home or in the work place. Since these individuals may not stay at the physiotherapy center twenty four hours daily.

There are quite a number of specialties in this area. Therapists can train in fields such as cardiovascular, pulmonary, geriatric and electrophysiology physiotherapy among others. Manual therapy is the mainstay of managing many conditions of the pulmonary system. It helps in stimulating the cough reflex and therefore enables the clearance of secretions from the respiratory tract. This is indicated in conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD), pulmonary fibrosis and cystic fibrosis.

Geriatric specialization focuses on conditions commonly affecting the elderly population including arthritis, osteoporosis, incontinence, joint replacement and so on. Inflammation of large joints in arthritis interferes with mobility and is also very painful for the patient. The therapy helps in minimizes the pain and enabling the patient to move around comfortably.

Arthritis, incontinence and osteoporosis are conditions that tend to commonly affect the elderly. Thus, specialization in this field is of great benefit to this group of patients. A geriatric physiotherapist focuses on managing musculoskeletal disease affecting the elderly. The goal is to keep the patients free of pain and to facilitate smooth running of their day to day activities.

The other important field of specialization is the integumentary which involves the skin. The skin is commonly affected by traumatic wounds and burns. Physiotherapists in this area work to relieve the patient from pain, swelling and infection. This is typically done through the use of dressings, topical medication and splinting among others.




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