Category: Mental Health

What Happens After Physiotherapy?

Physiotherapy can be a long, hard road. It takes willpower and endurance to keep at it. The mere act of keeping appointments can be grueling at times. One may feel like celebrating when it is all over; but what comes after physiotherapy?

The physiotherapist will leave you with words of advice to follow after your physiology is over. One important thing to keep in mind is that any exercises you are doing should be remembered for relapses.

For example, if you have a problem with a vertebra in your neck, physical therapy can often help. After physiotherapy, though, the neck might start getting stiff and painful again. Remembering and doing the physical therapy exercises may stop the condition from getting any worse, and may in fact alleviate it completely.

You will also be instructed on the proper use of heat packs and ice packs. It will be a refresher course for you, but you will be on your own, so you need to pay attention. You will be told to go to the doctor at the first sign of relapse after physiotherapy.

Prevention will be an important concern after physiotherapy. The last thing you need is to have to go through the process again. You can take certain steps to avoid physical injuries that would require you to go back.

Aerobic exercise is very beneficial both during and after physiotherapy. It strengthens the muscles, increases oxygen to the muscles, and helps you lose weight. Aerobic exercises you can do include walking, running, swimming, or bicycling. Any exercise that gets you breathing heavily and your heart rate up will do.

In injuries like low back pain, weight loss can be a factor. It can mean less stress on your bones and muscles. Therefore, diet can play an important role in prevention after physiotherapy. It does not have to be an elaborate diet; just a simple diet that limits foods, especially the carbohydrates and fats.

Other preventative features of life after physiotherapy involve the workplace. One needs to learn the proper movements to get the job done. If it seems that it is impossible, it is a legal right to call for an ergonomics study. Another thing to consider is to make sure you use all the ergonomic equipment that is already available in your office or workplace. There may be ergonomic keyboards in a storage room, if you would only ask.

One also needs to learn one’s limitations. No more trying to lift a two-hundred pound object by yourself. After physiotherapy one knows what can happen when one does not take care of one’s body properly. It only makes sense to stay away from anything that can harm you in the way you were hurt before.

Life after physiotherapy may be a more cautious affair than is was before. One may have to think before acting. No matter what one does, it is possible that a return to physiotherapy will take place. The best thing to do is to do your best to make all the right moves after physiotherapy.

What Are Physiotherapy Costs and Will Insurance Pay?

If you are referred to a physiotherapy clinic for an injury or condition, you might be wondering about the physiotherapy costs. More than that, it is important to find out if insurance will pay for treatment and procedures. These are questions to answer before going to the clinic for help.

The simple answer is that no one can pinpoint the exact amount of treatment a person will need, so overall physiotherapy costs are just an estimate. It is possible for an experienced and skilled physiotherapist to make a fairly accurate approximation of how long treatment will take.

There will usually be a flat clinic or office visit fee. This covers only the basic services of the team. If one does not provide adequate notice of cancellation, a fee can be assessed to recoup the fee that would have been taken in for that time slot. Yet, these are just the beginning of the fees. Physiotherapy costs go far beyond the basic fee.

Physiotherapy costs can vary greatly for different treatment sessions. This is because the same procedures are not always performed. Some cost more than others. To get an accounting of the prices for the different methods used, contact the billing department of the clinic or hospital. There should be a list of each type of treatment.

Since many insurance companies give patients a choice of doctors and physiotherapists, it is wise to discuss fees upfront. Physiotherapy costs may affect you even if you have insurance. This is especially true if your physiotherapist has a preference for many short visits instead of fewer longer ones. This will have a bearing on your deductible.

Then, all one has to do is to keep asking at each session what the next session’s procedures will likely be. This way, physiotherapy costs will come as little surprise to one. The only question is what kind of payment arrangements will be made. If the patient has no insurance, all physiotherapy costs will be due in full at the time of service.

Clinics often help arrange the payment of physiotherapy costs by contacting workman’s comp or insurance companies for one. This makes it possible for the clinic to collect their fees easily. It also takes the burden of phone calls and paperwork off the patient.

Physiotherapy costs may amount to the price of a deductible and a small co-pay for each visit. The number of visits varies, but there is an average to go on. One or two times a week will usually suffice for four to eight weeks. However, a chronic condition may need much more work.

Physiotherapy costs can be financially crippling, or small change. It depends upon the existence of insurance or the ability of the patient to pay out of pocket. Insurance covers most physiotherapy costs, but if there is any doubt, do not be afraid to ask. Physiotherapy is there to make you feel better, not to make you worry about how much it costs. Anything you can do to keep the focus on recovery will help you.

Using Physiotherapy to Deal with Occupational Injury

There is less occupational injury going on in the last few years than before. This is partly because of the influence of physiotherapy on the workplace. Physiotherapy principles are being used to design better work places and work habits. They are also important in dealing with the occupational injury that does happen.

Occupational injury problems include back and neck problems, carpal tunnel syndrome, shoulder and knee dislocations, tennis elbow, and leg and ankle strains. Physiotherapy can be used to treat any of these conditions.

Back and neck problems are major examples of occupational injury. They happen because of improper lifting, lifting while turning, repetitive turning, or sitting improperly. Workman’s comp will probably take care of treatment if the occupational injury is more than a slight one.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is often seen in offices. However, it may also occur in other jobs, such as on assembly lines. Tennis elbow can be an occupational injury as well, occurring any time one repetitively twists one’s wrists. This movement is often done in packing plants, for example, as workers twist products into containers.

Patients who have an occupational injury are often put on light duty. Some are even laid off. Physiotherapists can step in and help the patients recover their strength and health. Physiotherapy techniques may include exercises, massage, and ultrasound.

A physiotherapist will certainly give instructions about how to do home treatment. When the occupational injury is sufficiently healed, the patient will be given the go-ahead to return to work. If the patient was on light duty, he will be told when to go back to regular duty. If he was off work, he will be told when he can go onto light duty, and then the full daily routine.

Physiotherapy ideas can also be used to construct a better work environment. The work station in an office can be set up to accommodate the proper positioning of the body. This will ward off occupational injury caused by repetitive movements, like carpal tunnel syndrome.

Occupational injury caused by awkward movements in the workplace can also be eliminated if the work environment is set up in an ergonomic fashion. Physiotherapists have much knowledge about the way the workplace should be constructed.

Physiotherapists know what equipment is best used to avoid occupational injury. Ergonomic keyboards are recommended and correct mouse placement is crucial. The physiotherapist will suggest that you use a touch pad instead of a mouse if at all possible.

Physiotherapists can be very helpful in preventing occupational injury in any other type of workplace. They may be called in to consult with employers and ergonomics specialists about what changes need to be made to make the work environment acceptable for their patients.

Work environments are safer than they once were. Ergonomics principles are used and in many cases are required by law to be used if requested by workers. Workers who are injured have good physiotherapy available to them. However, until there is no occupational injury, physiotherapy will continue to have value in the workplace.

Types of Physiotherapy That Help Lower Back Pain

Lower back pain plagues Americans to the extent that 80% will suffer from it at some time in their lives. It is one of the most common reasons people visit the doctor. For many, the problem is more than a passing incident; they need physiotherapy.

Physiotherapy of different types can be used to treat lower back pain. Acupuncture is fast becoming an important method for the relief of such pain. The doctor has the patient lie face-down and inserts the acupuncture needles across the back. The doctor then finishes the procedure for lower back pain. Pain relief after a series of treatments usually lasts months.

Massage is also used for lower back pain. The massage used must be done by someone well-versed in the treatment of lower back pain. A massage done by an untrained person may do more harm than good.

These methods are called passive therapies, or modalities. They are done to the patient and not by the patient. There are other modalities that are commonly used. Heat and ice packs are a well-known form of passive physiotherapy. They can be used separately, or they can be used alternately by a person who is suffering from acute lower back pain.

A transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator (TENS) can be used as another modality for lower back pain. The patient will feel the sensation of the stimulator instead of his pain. If the TENS unit seems to work well for him, he will be sent home with one to use at his convenience.

Ultrasound is especially useful as a passive therapy for anyone with acute lower back pain. It delivers heat deep into the muscles of the lower back. This not only relieves pain. It can also speed healing.

Back exercises may be assigned by a physiotherapist. These exercises will help with lower back pain if one does them correctly and faithfully. The only exception is if the back is in an acute condition requiring emergency care or surgery.

The exercises that will help with lower back pain the most will be assigned and supervised by a physiotherapist. They may be done at home, but it will be necessary to follow instructions and check in frequently.

These exercises include ones for lower back pain that stretch or extend the back and ones that strengthen it. One is an exercise where one lies prone and moves as if swimming. This protects the back while giving the surrounding muscles a workout.

Lower back pain exercises called flexion exercises strengthen the midsection to provide support for the back. If the lower back pain is reduced when one sits, these exercises are important. One is a knee-to-chest exercise.

Aerobic exercise such as walking is excellent for reducing and preventing lower back pain as well. Massage and acupuncture can be counted on to relieve pain for most patients. Exercises can make the back stronger to both relieve and prevent lower back pain. Any physiotherapy that can help relieve lower back pain will help millions of people.