MUSCULOSKELETAL PHYSIOTHERAPY
Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy treats all conditions relating to bones, joints, and muscles. Careful subjective and objective tests are performed to determine the root cause of injury. Rehabilitation is tailored to eliminate the source of pain, prevent re-injury, and allowing pain-free functional performance.
Musculoskeletal Treatments
Musculoskeletal pain and disorders can be treated by a number of different medical specialists. Diagnosing musculoskeletal pain requires a physiotherapist to take numerous things into account. Once the cause of your pain and discomfort has been determined, your physiotherapist will go through the treatment options available to you. Musculoskeletal pain can affect anyone and impact all major areas of the body, including the:
- Neck / Shoulders
- Hand / Arms / Wrists
- Back / Hips
- Legs / Knees / Feet
What is Vestibular Rehabilitation?
Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy is an exercise-based programme designed by a specialty-trained vestibular physiotherapist. Vestibular rehabilitation aims to improve balance and reduce problems related to dizziness. Dizziness is generally not serious but is often a sign of a mechanical problem. Dizziness can be caused by an inner ear disorder, side effect of medications, a sign of neck dysfunction, or due to more serious issues such as a brain or a heart problem.
Definition of Dizziness:
- Feelings of unsteadiness
- Lightheadedness
- Feelings of passing out
- Spinning / Floating
- Swaying / Tilting
- A feeling of “swimming” in the head
- Whirling (otherwise known as vertigo)
Who Benefits From Vestibular Rehabilitation?
Patients who are diagnosed with dizziness, imbalance, vertigo, Meniere’s syndrome, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), neck-related dizziness, or migraines will benefit from vestibular rehabilitation. Other candidates are patients who have had a stroke or brain injury, or frequent fallers.
How Can Vestibular Rehabilitation Help?
A thorough assessment will be done by your physiotherapist to evaluate your symptoms and review your medical history. This will include all or part of the following areas:
- Balance, leg strength, and flexibility
- Gait (how you walk)
- Visual stability and mobility
- Neck mobility and neck and arm strength
- Positional testing, including an inner ear exam
Based on the findings, your physiotherapist will develop a treatment plan to improve any deficits that were identified. This will improve your ability to function in activities of everyday living, reduce your risk for falling, and improve your quality of life. All treatment plans are unique to each individual. Your exercise programme will be developed after identifying your deficits. You will also learn how to do some self-treatment exercises, which allows you to continue your exercise plan at home, prevent and treat new dizziness and balance episodes. Patients are typically seen 1 to 2 times each week for 6 to 8 weeks, but this varies based on the patient’s diagnosis, the severity of symptoms, and response to therapy. Some patients may be seen for only 1 to 2 sessions; other patients may need continued treatment for a few months.