What is PHYSIOTHERAPY ?

Now the world is becoming more forward and technological. Today’s world is super-computer and more stressful. Increased population and simultaneous increase in technology lead to the development of various health problems, for example:

·  Greater volume of road traffic accidents lead to increased no. of patients of fractures, hemorrhages, soft-tissue injuries, hemiplegia, burns and even death.

·  More people participate in sporting activities, resulting in more sports injuries like ms strain, ligament sprain, contusion, ms fatigue, overuse syndromes etc.

·  Computer and job works have made the people more sedative in their life-style and less physically fit. Also more work in every profession has made people more stressful in their life-style and mentally ill.—these all lead to, more incidences of various heart disease, smoking, backache, C.S., L.S., anxiety, depression, bad posture(kyphosis), sciatica, decreased immune response, hypertension, GIT problems, heart attack, diabetes in the early age of years of man.

·  Sedative life-style, junk-food, T.V. and western culture have also made people more weight gaining and lipid (fat) consumer – leading to obesity, O.A., spondylosis, diabetes, atherosclerosis and coronary artery diseases.

·  Deficient nutrition and diet in poor and middle-class people; more pizzas and burgers in rich-people have made the people more prone to early development of vitamin deficiencies, osteoporosis, eye weakness, various infections, nutrition deficiencies, scurvy, rickets, osteomalacia etc.

·  Pregnant women are more prone to develop backache, leg oedema, weight gain, psychological weakness etc.

·  Increased preference of people towards surgery has also lead to various post-operative complications like chest complications, deep vein thrombosis and embolism, general ms weakness, loss of mobility and stiffness of joints, bed sores, hemorrhages, wound infection, oedema and swelling, scar and adhesions etc.

·  Children have also disease like poliomyelitis, C.P., various congenital deformities like C.T.E.V., C.D.H.; spina bifida, congenital heart diseases like P.D.A., A.S.D., V.S.D.; genetic abnormalities etc.

·  More industrial and factory work have also lead to more soft tissue injuries, vascular injures, peripheral nerve injuries, fractures etc.

·  Miscellaneous : A.S., R.A., Prolapsed IVD, Facial palsy, Psoriasis, Acne, Parkinsonism, Multiple sclerosis, Motor neuron disease, CVA or CV stroke and hemiplegia, Thoracic outlet syndrome, Bone-lung-oesophageal cancer, and, complications after amputation, arthrodesis, arthroplasty, immobilizations etc. are also increased in number due to increased populations and more stressful life-style.

The profession, Physiotherapy, is useful to treat, overcome and prevent above mentioned health problems. Thus it is now becoming well progressive profession and there is good scope to earn money for skillful, co-operative, jolly, experienced and knowledgeable physiotherapist.

Thus it is the profession of para-medical branch and useful in assisting help of orthopedic, occupational therapist, general surgeon, chest and heart surgeon, neurologist, gynecologist, pediatrics, psychiatrics, sport coach, fitness and yoga coach, physician, sociologist etc.

Contents of Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy is the profession in which one needs 3 most imp things:

  1. Sound knowledge of every techniques and methods
  2. Proper skill of assessing the patient
  3. Skill of applying technique while treating the patient, which includes-

·  Clinical decision (Detecting indications, precautions, dangers and contraindications of particular treatment according to patient’s condition so that treatment will be more effective)

·  Plan of treatment program, for e.g., deciding number of exercises in one session, duration of sessions, deciding type of exercise and other electro modality, intensity and frequency of exercises etc. – according to the condition of the patient

·  Applying skillful technique and/or electro modality to treat the patient

·  Proper decision making to modify the treatment time-to-time according to prognosis of the patient

·  Good communication skill and co-operative, present minded(not absent minded), humble, friendly, easy-going, positive nature

·  Good psychological moral and ability to motivate the patient

Thus,

Physiotherapy includes –

  1. Assessing the patient
  2. Planning and implementing the treatment program
  3. Evaluation
  4. Altering the treatment as per the result of the evaluation

Thus physiotherapy is not only just treating the patient as given in any reference or standard book, but, in fact, it is fully developed skill.

Physiotherapist should develop following SKILLS: (Daily READ it)

1.  Ability to gain the co-operation of the patient

2.  Ability to make a good assessment

3.  Ability to select the appropriate technique

4.  Ability to implement and evaluate the treatment plan effectively

5.  Ability of complex decision-making process

6.  Ability to perform selected technique skillfully

7.  Good communication skill and psychological moral-endurance

8.  Ability to motivate the patient

9.  Nature of physiotherapist – Humble, Positive-attitude, Present minded, Friendly, Co-operative, Easy-going, Happy and having some sense of humor, Matured, Caring, Helping, Good-looking and jolly, Good clothing, Magnetic personality

10.  He should be punctual in his every work

11.  He should be physically, mentally and emotionally fit

12.  He should be hard-working person

13.  Health-conscious in every aspect and should have general knowledge about health related topics – diet, fitness, medicine, home remedies and nature cure

Duties and responsibilities of the DOCTOR:

Patient must be able to trust doctors with their lives and well-being. To justify that trust, we as a profession have a duty to maintain a GOOD Standard of Practice and Care & to show RESPECT for Human Life. In particular as a doctor you must:

1.  Make the CARE of your patient your first concern

2.  Treat every patient Politely and Considerately

3.  Respect patients’ Dignity and Privacy

4.  Listen to patients and Respect their views

5.  Give patients Information in a way they can understand

6.  Respect the Rights of patients to be fully involved in decisions about their care

7.  Keep your Professional Knowledge and Skills Up-to-date

8.  Recognize the Limits of your Professional Competence

9.  Be Honest and Trustworthy

10. Respect and Protect Confidential Information

11. Make sure that your personal Beliefs do not Prejudice your patients’ care

12. Avoid Abusing your position as a doctor

13.  Work with colleagues in the ways that best serve patients’ interests

In all these matters you must Never Discriminate unfairly against your patients or colleagues. And you must always be Prepared to justify your actions to them.