Some ideas for better use of physiotherapy sessions

Sport and injuries (more or less relevant) are closely related. In addition, injuries exercising and physiotherapy can help improve recovery.

However, our resources (time, money or both) are limited, and it is normal that we want to recover quickly and well from an injury that prevents us from exercising, or even worse, that limits us in our daily lives. Therefore, here are some ideas to get more physiotherapy sessions:

Use more physiotherapy sessions

Find out, ask your questions: Knowing about your injury, how you can recover, how you can prevent, what to do, what you should avoid … It is vital to be an active part of recovery, and that this gets earlier and more quality. If you explain your injury or exercises you should do, ask your questions until you stay entirely clear.

There are no rigid prescriptions: This we have discussed talking about what happens in the physical therapy sessions. Do not accedes asking this or that treatment because you’ve seen on TV, or massage because it is more relaxed, or exercise because it is what you fancy … Listen to healthcare professionals, the proposed treatment, what to do to achieve the objectives, and works (along with your physical therapist) to get it.

Some ideas for better use of physiotherapy sessions

The treatment continues at home: It is customary that health professionals give you tips, guidelines, exercises, activities … To keep doing at home. In addition, the explanation should not be in the last two minutes of the session, for home treatment is helping the success of the sessions. Completing the treatment room with the continuity of the guidelines that the patient at home best results is achieved in doing fewer sessions (face) physiotherapy, as the patient himself practiced what the physio has taught him.

Follow the instructions: It is important to reach an agreement between the patient and the therapist, to work to achieve a common goal. Some people prefer passive treatment and do not follow the indications of exercise to do at home. Others think that more is better, and getting more exercise physio indicating the recovery will be better. We must speak and understand. If you think you can do more exercise, ask your physio if you can increase the intensity of treatment. If you are not doing the exercises, commentate also because of little use in the treatment room if the party you have to do at home missing.

Go with time, and neat: Your physical therapist will work better if you arrive with time to the session (to change clothes, face sitting calmly) and are not all the time watching the clock because a hurry to leave. It is ugly to say it, but some people need to be reminded: your physio will also work better if you go neat sessions, it is obvious, but there it is said…

When someone comes to physical therapy certainly you are thinking to recover, to improve, to get rid of pain or limitation … These tips are simple, but I think they are important because they can be carried out easily and can be useful in improving the way of dealing with the treatment, which can positively influence the results.

Alliance between patient and professional

All points are important (and more will I have left in the pipeline), but I have to go without haste and with an attitude of learning and correctly follow the treatment at home, it is most useful to help a recovery comes first and with more quality.

Logically, in these circumstances, add others, such as the therapist himself: however well go the patients interested in treatment, if the therapist does not put its part, the recovery will be more difficult.

Physiotherapy assessment and diagnosis: not overlook!

Exercising, playing sports or in everyday life can suffer injuries that are likely to improve with physiotherapy treatment. However, with our accelerated life, if we physiotherapy sessions sometimes we sin to seek “easy recipes” to alleviate the problem soon and without complications. We want to start from and treatment, but we should not underestimate the time required for the assessment and diagnosis in physiotherapy.

In Physiotherapy least is acting, that is, apply the treatment. Do not misunderstand, is not it simple or unimportant: I do not want to be extremist. What I mean is that it makes no sense to act, “lay hands” on the patient, if you have not assessed the problem and has reached a physiotherapy diagnosis that allows treatment to mark targets. The rush is not good and in health, less.

What is Physiotherapy valuation?

Briefly explained, valuation understands the different tests performed by the physical therapist to collect data about the patient and his suffering: pain characteristics injured area, limited mobility or strength, neurological involvement…

Manual testing can be, for example, the test to detect problems in the place of the knee, or physical examination of knee or shoulder.

However, they can also be used instruments of measurement, even my health that serve to analyze the position or movement by using mobile devices, or also measures such as ultrasound for diagnosis of physiotherapy.

No sense getting into a physiotherapy consultation and ask you get a massage, you place a strip of colors or make your mobilizations to heal your injury if the therapist has not had the opportunity to nurture and explore problems to think of possible solutions.

Diagnosis in Physiotherapy

With any injury, such as those occurring in sport (fall, stroke, muscle or joint pain, limited mobility, lack of strength …) it is necessary to go to the doctor for medical diagnosis and appropriate medical treatment. Now, one thing is for medical diagnosis, and another, the physiotherapy, which has its own characteristics and it is the duty of the physiotherapist.

In the physiotherapy diagnosis, we were not simply with the name or description of the injury, but, based on the physiotherapy assessment, problems are detected and classified according to a nomenclature, leading to physiotherapy diagnosis.

It is true that there are different methods of physiotherapy and that the way to assess and make the diagnosis, even the terminology used varies widely from a physical therapist to another. I recommend, if sports lessons, go to physiotherapists trained and specialized in these lesions, as will be easier to make an assessment and appropriate diagnosis, which will lead to good planning objectives. So, once you have all the information, you can plan the treatment sessions.

With this article, I want is to educate those who come in haste to the physiotherapist with a steering wheel of your insurance company that says “heat and massage” or “cut and ultrasonic wave”. In addition, to those who pay sessions pocket and they want something quick to send them home soon, without giving time professional to be able to detect the problem from the point of view of physiotherapy.

Good physiotherapy diagnosis and periodic reassessments are how to get the best treatment for optimal recovery. If as physios we just use your hands to try without evaluating or spend neurons, we do a disservice to patients.

If, as patients demand treatment from the first-minute consultation, and if it is a comfortable, passive treatment includes massage, the better, then disservice we do to ourselves.

Now it is up to you how your experiences with assessment and diagnosis have in physiotherapy?

Four things you expect from a good physiotherapist

Physical activity and the sports world are closely linked to physiotherapy, both preventive and curative level. Therefore, we discuss four important points to note in a good physical therapist.

Of course, a good health professional must have more than three qualities, but I mentioned them because I think that should never be lacking, which must be present in all physical therapy session. There they go.

A good assessment

Get in annoyance, lie, disconnect the brain and you get a massage is fine, but if you have a problem that can be improved through physical therapy, the key is to spend time each session in a good evaluation. The physiotherapist will benefit from knowing the medical diagnosis, but make no mistake: this often gives little information about the best treatment guidelines.

One girl who was injured in the elbow and shoulder by a blow; he was diagnosed with “epicondylalgia and shoulder pain.” No, she left unconvinced and less convinced that was when I explained that it was merely descriptive. “Pain in the epicondyle (a region of the elbow) and shoulder A good physiotherapist needs more data, and to find them you have to speak much with the patient, ask how the pain occurs, how came the first time, what makes it worse, what reduces it , if awake at night, what prevents you from doing activities …

To this, we must add physical examination, assessment tests and so long that lead many people to despair “But when I will give massage to heal me?” many think.

A good valuation possible to detect alterations and look l as best techniques to solve problems. Therefore, a good assessment (and reassessment over time) can reduce the duration of treatment, achieving optimally act on the problem with the right techniques. A good therapist will be some time of the session (especially on the first visit) assessing your situation and seeking the best solutions. Give it time.

Active treatment

Yes, the passive treatment is important and is indicated to treat and improve many illnesses and injuries. By passive treatment, we understand the technique of “I lie on the couch and the physiotherapist cure me”: massage, mobilization, stretching techniques, electrotherapy, thermotherapy, etc.

However, in all problems susceptible to physical therapy (or 99%, not too much exaggeration) the active treatment is a fundamental part of therapy, in and out of view, i.e. at home, in everyday life. Mainly by active treatment, we understand exercises, mobilization, postural corrections, dynamic stretching and another physical therapist teaches the patient to run.

Some people will give physical therapy to massage; you put a “machine” or “running” a little warm, colorful ribbons and home. Let ‘s see, as I say, the passive treatment may be indicated, but remains incomplete if active treatment is indicated to maintain and improve what has been achieved in the treatment session.

Tips for home

Physical therapy has to offer freedom. For a person to recover from an injury, especially if it is a sport, you need a set of guidelines, tips, changing habits, exercises and other guidelines that are applied to reduce the likelihood of relapse in the injury, and suffering other injuries.

Therefore, a good recovery needs to complement the passive and active work with a series of tips to try to prevent other problems that the person may suffer because of their activity, either daily or sports.

Referral to other professionals

Injuries, illnesses, people are multidisciplinary. I mean, there may be a single lesion, but needs the coordinated action of different professionals to get the best treatment.

A good therapist knows his limits and has no problem refer comrades prepared to deal with a particular topic. Derive not means showing ignorance, but know the best resources to solve the problem of your patient.

A good professional is not afraid to lead to other health professionals , whether physicians, podiatrists, etc. or also on – health professionals, such as a personal or professional trainer physical activity for the person to complete his recovery, once it is already healthy but needs some specific training requirements that should give a professional.

There will be many more things that should stand out in a good physical therapist but these are, in my view, the most basic. What other qualities would be needed?