For most people, a certain number of aches or pains may seem normal and are often dismissed as being typical due to age, their job, exercise or recovery from an injury. Physiotherapy is something that can provide many benefits for those with physical pain and discomfort and will help to treat the issue at the source.
However, a lot of people haven’t seen a physiotherapist before and aren’t sure of what exactly they do, how they can help or what symptoms might indicate you need to see someone.
We spoke to an experienced professional who carries out physiotherapy in Essex and put together this useful list of 5 signs that you should see a physiotherapist and how they can help to get you stronger, fitter and pain-free.
A Recent or Recurrent Injury
Injuries can really affect your overall health and well-being, especially if they are not properly treated.
If you’ve suffered a recent injury, then a physiotherapist can help to ensure that your damaged body is supported and treated in a way that promotes better healing, reduces pain and prevents the injury from happening again. They can also provide targeted exercises and rehabilitation plans which will work to strengthen the injured area and get you back to your best.
It is not uncommon for those with old injuries to have them get better, only for them to flare up time and time again due to improper healing and lack of treatment. A qualified physiotherapist will carry out an in-depth assessment to identify what the issue is and get an understanding of any underlying causes so that they can provide the tailored treatment needed to help you heal correctly.
You Have Pain
Pain is a clear indicator that there is something wrong and shouldn’t be ignored. There are many types of pain as well as causes such as;
- The pain that you get as a result of an injury
- General aches and pains
- Chronic, long-term pain
- Recurring pain
Nobody should have to suffer being in pain and often those with things such as a sprained ankle believe their pain will dissipate if they simply rest and leave it to heal without treatment. Unfortunately, this is where, in a lot of cases, short-term pain can become chronic pain as a result of improper healing.
In cases where there is pain, your physiotherapist will be able to look at the cause, assess the problem and come up with an effective treatment plan which can include things like;
- Massage
- Pain Education
- Exercises
- Manipulation
- Acupuncture
Using a combination of proven techniques, physiotherapy can help to gradually build you up and resolve the issues at the root of your pain for a happier, more comfortable life.
Mobility, Balance and Coordination
These 3 key areas are all linked and can have a huge effect on how we live and work, not to mention can result in injuries from falling or tripping if they are not effectively managed.
Mobility – Do you feel like movement isn’t as easy as it used to be or that you aren’t as flexible? Maybe you noticed that you can’t bend down properly to tie your shoes or that straightforward tasks aren’t as easy to carry out.
Physiotherapy can help by providing relevant, targeted exercises that work to strengthen the supporting tissues and relax the muscles, slowly increasing flexibility over time.
Balance – Losing your balance can be due to things like an inner ear issue which causes vertigo, dizziness and disturbances in balance.
Physiotherapy covers something called vestibular rehabilitation which can be used to treat these symptoms, retraining the central nervous system with a series of head, neck and eye exercises to compensate for the inner ear issues.
Coordination – Linked with balance, problems with coordination can be caused by a number of issues including soft tissue damage to the ligaments or tendons as well as the muscles. In these cases, your physiotherapist will be able to identify the cause and retrain your body, greatly improving your balance and coordination.
Impacts Your Everyday Life
Do you have a physical problem that has become detrimental to your life? It could be that it’s affecting your sleep, preventing you from exercising, stopping you from being able to work effectively or even carry out simple daily tasks.
Whether it’s due to an injury, a chronic problem, a structural issue or something else, when it is having such a negative impact on your everyday life, the best thing you can do is seek out treatment from a professional physiotherapist.
Uncontrollable Urination
This one is surprising to a lot of people, but incontinence is a very common occurrence, of which there are different types;
- Stress incontinence – when your bladder leaks urine as a result of experiencing pressure such as during a sneeze or laugh
- Urge incontinence – urine leaks when you feel a sudden and intense urge to urinate
- Total incontinence – the bladder cannot store urine, so you suffer from frequent leaks
- Overflow incontinence – you can’t completely empty your bladder which causes leakage
It is possible to have more than one type of incontinence and many people suffer from a combination of the above, with things like stress and urge incontinence often going hand in hand.
If you suffer from incontinence, then seek advice from a physiotherapist who will be able to help reduce the symptoms through things like pelvic floor exercises which target and strengthen the muscles.
