Many patients don’t know that physiotherapy can be an effective form of treatment for a variety of conditions many of which are quite common. Also not generally known is the fact that these options can be explored directly with your physiotherapist; a doctor’s referral is not required. And there is no charge to consult with a physiotherapist on how a condition can be
treated with physiotherapy.
Headaches
– For instance, physiotherapy can be used to treat migraines and tension headaches. Approximately 8.3% of Canadians suffer from migraines. These common conditions have been clinically proven to be associated with trigger points in the head and neck muscles. Manual therapy such as the Mulligan Concept and intramuscular release of strategic muscles can dramatically decrease the frequency and severity of headaches and in some cases eliminates them all together.
Vert
igo – Physiotherapy can also help with vertigo. The most common form of vertigo, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), is associated with mechanical problems inside the inner ear. As many as 25% of individuals at some point in their lives will complain of vertigo-type symptoms. However, these problems can be corrected through physiotherapy, often with as little as one treatment.
Urinary Incontinence (UI)
– is another condition that can be addressed by physiotherapy. The prevalence of incontinence in Canada is about the same as in the United States – about 10% of the population. That means approximately 3.5 million Canadians experience some form of incontinence. UI can result from a variety of causes, including pregnancy, childbirth, surgery, and overall weakening of the pelvic muscles. Physiotherapists can help patients dramatically reduce symptoms by strengthening the pelvic floor muscles associated with incontinence through pelvic rehabilitation.
Lower Back Pain From Pregnancy
– 50 percent of pregnant women experience lower back painduring their pregnancy. This often results from one of the following conditions:
An increase in hormones
A change in the body’s center of gravity
Gaining additional weight
Change in posture
Added stress
Physiotherapists can help pregnant women relieve the last four of these conditions to reduce lower back pain. This is achieved by designing a comprehensive treatment plan that addresses common causes of lower back pain:
- Posture
- Joint alignment
- Muscle strength
- Flexibility
- Nerve involvement
In addition, a physiotherapist will devise an individual exercise program that increases physical endurance and muscle strength to prepare for delivery and aid in recovery after delivery.
Pre- and post-operative physiotherapy –
This plays a crucial role in reducing the discomfort and accelerating recovery from surgery. For instance, pre-operative physiotherapy can often decrease physiotherapy after surgery, thus dramatically reducing recovery time. The American Physiotherapy Association (APTA) reports that up to a third fewer total knee replacement patients require post-operative acute physiotherapy services after undergoing even a small number of pre-operative physiotherapy sessions.
Post-operative complications like nerve damage, low back pain, and brachial plexus stretch injury that often result from positioning on the operating table can also be addressed by physiotherapy. Post-operative physiotherapy for breast cancer patients has been shown to dramatically improve joint mobility and patients’ quality of life.
The best way to find out how these and other conditions can be treated by physiotherapy is to contact us for a free consultation with one of our physiotherapist. Physiotherapy can be a source of relief for many common medical conditions.
Source:
Statistics Canada; Prevalence of migraine in the Canadian household population; https://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/82-003-x/2014006/article/14033-eng.htm
Canadian Society of Otolarygology; https://www.entcanada.org/education/general-public/public-information-sheets-2/ears/dizziness-vertigo/
Cameron Institute; Incontinence: The Canadian Perspective; http://www.canadiancontinence.ca/pdfs/en-incontinence-a-canadian-perspective-2014.pdf
Hippokratia. 2011 Jul-Sep; 15(3): 205–210. PMCID: PMC3306025. Pregnancy-related low back pain: http://pubmedcentralcanada.ca/pmcc/articles/PMC3306025/
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