About Physiotherapy

HISTORY OF PHYSIOTHERAPY

Physiotherapy is dedicated to the restoration of the human function which has been impaired due to disease, trauma or injury. It is practiced in India since the last fifty years. It plays a big role in preventive aspects and pain management.


Physiotherapy dates back to 250 AD, when gold fish-electric fish was used for pain relief in gout and headache cases. Physiotherapists today use certain type of currents to give pain relief.

In prehistoric era, buddhists and hindus recognised "pain as a sensation" but gave greater importance to its emotional aspects. Non-invasive methods were used for pain relief. Today's physiotherapists also use non-invasive, electro-therapy modalities for pain relief.

Physiotherapy is "tending to the cure or providing relief from disease or injury." It involves rehabilitating the patient from "bed to job".

Be it acute or intensive care, respiratory and cardiac rehabilitation, pain management, Arthritis, headache, post-operative pain, heel pain, fitness, or sports injury, physiotherapy has a role to play in restoring the patient to normalcy or atleast a functional capacity.

PHYSIOTHERAPY TODAY


Physiotherapy today is an independent health care profession for all the age groups from neonatal to geriatrics. (from birth to old age.)

The task of early intervention in neonatal cases is taken over by a physiotherapist, new born babies with birth defects are evaluated and treated, which helps in minimizing disabilities and helps in early ambulation.

Women's wellness, maintaining healthy lifestyle after menopause needs attention.

Common problems are: obesity, Arthritis, incontinence of urine, fatigue, aches & pains in joints etc
Pain management in acute & chronic cases are managed by physiotherapists.

Sports physiotherapy is becoming popular amongst the young physios. In fact special post-graduate courses are conducted by the association, to promote this new emerging avenue of physiotherapy.

Industrial physiotherapy deals with ergonomics and safety measures. Guidance on work positions etc. is given by physiotherapists.

Manipulative Therapy is gaining momentum due to its instant relief in pain and increase in range of motion. Special training is required before practicing this technique.

All these have gained immense popularity for today's Physiotherapists.
 
PHYSIOTHERAPY TOMORROW AND FUTURE


There is scope for physiotherapy even in space, where there is a high possibility of gravity related injury.
Backpain, muscle strain and headache is common in space-craft. Micro-gravity induces calcium loss from bones. Assessment of the limbs or back are difficult in space.

The future of physiotherapy for the astronauts in space is promising. Physiotherapists can help "body positioning", and exercises for micro-gravity posture.

	Aims of Physiotherapy:
	1. To relieve pain and spasm. 2. To improve range of motion and mobility. 3. To prevent stiffness and contractures. 4. To teach ergonomics and self help care. 5. To prevent frequent falls in elderly persons. 6. To improve strength and co-ordination.

This article is taken from physiotherapytoday.com/. Credit to the original author.

Neurology - Internal Capsule and Nuclei

This is another great video uploaded by hyperhighs explaining about internal capsule and nuclei. Hope you enjoy studying.

Neurology - Basal Ganglia

A very very nice video on the web explaining clearly about basal ganglia. This video is more to physiology. Credit to the uploader, hyperhighs for such good video. Happy studying. 

The Sacrifice

Physiotherapist getting patient out of bed, 

strengthening their legs,

teaching them how to walk again, 

dance again,

run again,

live life again. 

They never always get the thanks that they deserve, 

they don't have parades for them, 

no TV shows about them... 

but they wake up the next day and are glad to do it all over again...

Manual Muscle Testing - Common Misconception

manual muscle testing is a manual technique used to determine the power and strength of muscles. many of the students and some professional practitioners describe this technique wrongly. this test is more to determine the power and strength of the muscles motion. for example, for elbow flexion, we determine the strength for elbow flexor, not the biceps strength. this is because the body movement is not succeeded by individual muscle but as a group. According to Hislop and Montgomery (2007) in their book entitled Muscle Testing, Techniques of Manual Examination, the techniques is actually based on test of motions rather than of individual muscle. the grades of the strength is represents the performance of all muscles as a group in that motion. the grading for manual muscle testing are as follows:

Score                                                    Description
5                                                           with maximal resistance by therapist/normal
4                                                           with minimal resistance by therapist/good
3                                                           against gravity, without extra resistance by therapist/fair
2                                                           with gravity minimised/poor
1                                                           only muscles contraction visible, no movement/trace
0                                                           no contraction/very week/zero

for more details about this technique, i have uploaded a good book as mentioned above. below is the link. suitable for students and professionals. Happy studying... =D
Manual Muscle Testing - Hotfile

Cold or Heat Therapy

 Hot pack

Cold pack

Last Friday (15th July 2011) was my last day of clinical practice at Hospital Sungai Buloh. There are much knowledge i had learn from the practice. Its give me a larger idea about being a physiotherapist. 

          Since I had been placed at the hospital, one thing that interests me is the issue of using ice or heat therapy to certain injury among patient. Patients always ask me whether to use ice or heat modalities for their case. Besides, they are also saying that they do not know which one to use at home and eventually, they use both without a correct guideline. 

This confusion is not only occurred in Hospital Sungai Buloh. When I was searching about the application of hot and cold therapy in the internet, many results show the confusion whether to use hot or cold. 

For quick guideline, I'll bring to you to this website for your reading:

Ice or Heat Therapy - Medicinenet.com

for summarization, this will be the simpler one. use cold treatment such as ice application for fresh injury like ankle sprain that usually characterized by occurrence of swelling and slightly increase in temperature (warmth)

use heat therapy such as hot pack for chronic pain such as back pain or OA knee.

There are two simpler methods on how to prepare the ice or heat applications at home. For ice application, a patient needs to wrap ices in a plastic bag. Then, cover the affected area with a handkerchief. Apply the ice bag and tie it with a cloth or another handkerchief so that the bag is compressed at the affected area. Next, elevate the affected area higher than heart level for circulation.

For heat therapy, a patient can buy hot pack from the pharmacies and just heat it up. Apply towel to the hot pack about 6 to 8 layers from the skin to prevent skin burn to affected area. Both these applications should be applied not more than 20 minutes for 1 session because the effectiveness of thermal treatment may reduce after 20 minutes. Besides, if you put ice application for more than 20 minutes, it may cause you frostbite.

Dermatome

A dermatome is an area of skin that is mainly supplied by a single spinal nerve. There are eight cervical nerves, twelve thoracic nerves, five lumbar nerves and five sacral nerves. Each of these nerves relays sensation (including pain) from a particular region of skin to the brain. Dermatomes are useful in neurology for finding the site of damage to the spine.

Below is the list of dermatomes key muscles:
C5 - clavicle
C6 - Thumb
T4 - level of nipples
T10 - level of umbilical
T12 - inguinal region
L2 - midthigh anteriorly
L4 - medial side of great toe

There are 2 standard ways to test the dermatome: by using sharp and blunt test using a pin and a light touch test using the cotton wool.