The Benefits of Physiotherapy for Amputee Rehabilitation

Losing a limb is a devastating blow for anyone. It requires a team of professionals to make the adjustment to life without the limb. A physician, a prosthetist, nurses, and a psychologist are all needed. Add to that list a physiotherapy service, which will help with amputee rehabilitation.

The benefits of physiotherapy for amputee rehabilitation are numerous. For one, amputees will need help in overcoming phantom pains. These are pains where the limb used to be. The sensation really is in the nerve that would lead to that limb if it were still there. Physiotherapy can use its own techniques to treat this pain.

Most amputees will be getting a prosthetic limb. Some feel that it should be enough to learn how to put it on. It is not an automatic thing to get used to a prosthetic limb. Many patients have them for years without ever having normal functioning with them. This is one reason amputee rehabilitation is so important.

Physiotherapy can benefit amputee rehabilitation by gradually getting the patient accustomed to using a prosthetic limb. The physiotherapy plan for this will be based upon the needs and abilities of the patient.

The patient will probably need help during amputee rehabilitation to learn balance all over again. This is especially true is the affected limb is a foot or leg. However, having an arm that is of a different weight than the other may be unbalancing as well. Physiotherapy can help with these problems too.

One thing people going through amputee rehabilitation need to realize is that gait is a good deal of the battle. If one walks correctly, people will not even be able to detect one’s limp, even with a prosthetic leg. This skill can be learned from physiotherapists.

If a patient has waited a long while before seeking physiotherapy after surgery, a problem may arise. Certain muscles may become overdeveloped and others weakened. This happens because, without proper amputee rehabilitation, the patient relies on one set of muscles to the exclusion of others. A proper plan of physiotherapy can address this issue.

People who have lost a limb will need an individualized exercise program. Physiotherapy can provide such a program during amputee rehabilitation. This will take into account the different movements needed by amputees to perform normal exercises.

Manual therapies, such as massage, are a part of amputee rehabilitation with physiotherapy. This can relieve much pain and tension in the muscles that are overworked in getting used to their new situation. Other treatments can be used. Some of them are heat, acupuncture, ultrasound, and electrical stimulation.

There is a need for physiotherapy in amputee rehabilitation that no other discipline can fill. It is a basic kind of help that anyone who has lost a limb can use. Some amputees decline treatment because they do not think it is necessary. Others feel overwhelmed by their loss. If there is a way to convince amputees to get physiotherapy to help them with their rehabilitation, they will find recovery a much smoother path.

The Side Effects of Spider Vein Treatment

More and more people who are suffering from spider vein are now considering getting spider vein treatment for two reasons. The first reason is for them to look good and the other one is to maintain their health.

Experts say that there is a steady demand for spider vein treatment options because many people would want to get rid of the ugly lines on their legs as well on their faces. They believe that once these unsightly veins are removed, they can gain more self-confidence because they can now get their positive outlook in life from their fairer appearance.

The demand has also been increasing because many people have now realized the importance of their health in their lives. Many people who are suffering from spider vein treatment believe that these veins can cause them more complicated diseases and illnesses in the future so they would want to get rid of it as early as possible. Removal of these veins cannot only make people feel good about themselves but can also spare them from pain that is brought by this condition.

However, people are not paying attention to the possible side effects of the most common spider vein treatment options available today which is sclerotherapy.

Side effects of sclerotherapy

Sclerotherapy is the process of removing spider veins using a series of medicinal injections which contain saline and other solutions to collapse the damaged nerve wall and allow the system to reabsorb it. This is the most common procedure used by many physicians because it is convenient and less cheaper compared to other spider vein treatment options. The side effects of this procedure are considered minimal and short-lived while the permanent side effects are really rare.

The following are some of the side effects of the sclerotherapy procedure. Before undergoing this procedure, make sure that you have already discussed what to expect with you physician so you will know how to cope with it.

1. Pain or stinging at the site where the needle has been pricked. Usually, after the injection, the patient must expect that his or her ankles or feet will be swollen and his or her muscles are experiencing cramps. But, this should not be a big deal because the sting or pain is expected to disappear about 15 minutes after the injection.

2. Raised red dots present on the injection sites. These are medium sites red dots that are visible especially to those with fair complexion. These dots are expected to disappear in two days if the procedure has been administered correctly.

3. Small blood clot or hematoma. These refer to clots of blood that develop at the injected vein. These small blood clots will cause tenderness that will last in a week’s time.

4. Visible brown lines or dark spots on the site of injection. This is the result of blood that has escaped in the veins that have been injected or treated veins. People who have larger veins are prone to this but they should not worry too much because it can disappear when the year ends.

5. Inflamed blood vessels. This is one of the most common side effects with this spider vein. This is usually treated using with heating pad, oral aspirin or other antibiotics.

Pregnant women are not advised to undergo this type of spider vein treatment because the saline injectionswhich are known to contain large amounts of saltcan lead to high blood pressure as well to congestive heart failure.