Feeling of pins and needles, restless pain, muscle ache, or sprain are commonly experienced by everyone. For people suffering from pain, their initial response is to avoid activity and seek rest. And yet, physiotherapy is prescribed as a treatment to alleviate pain and discomfort. Being an effective treatment, it is suitable for people of all ages. However, it is important to know that a Physiotherapy is a two-way approach!
While your therapist must have prescribed exercises and trained you, it will take time to see the effect requiring the consistency to practice it in a defined time.
Want to know what exercises can make it work for you?
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Stretching
Having joint pain tempts us to take rest as much as possible. It might seem like a good option to avoid aches but that’s not the case, as it can make joint pain even worse. Stretching is a good way, to begin with, helping to relieve pain and increase flexibility. Doing some stretches can improve your coordination and balance, enhance position awareness and reduce the risk of falling.
More importantly, it helps limber you up, making it easier to perform daily activities with comfort and ease. There isn’t one rule to stretching, you can do different forms suiting to your pain. Check with your doctor/therapist before practicing any type of stretching or exercise routine.
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Strengthening exercises
Strengthening exercises are designed to build and maintain strength in the muscles that support your joints. It’s an effective way to control pain and develop muscle ability around the site where the pain originates. If you have pain in your knee, strengthening your leg muscles may provide some relief.
Generally, working on core muscles using resistance bands, equipment or your own body weight is advisable. Depending on the injury site and affected muscles, it is important to follow correct exercises that are designed to improve or restore strength and follow the program involving a combination of both rehabilitation and strengthening measures. In addition, you will improve your quality of movement, and function and lessen the risk of injury with delayed onset of the arthritic condition under the right supervision.
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Water Exercises (Aquatic Therapy)
Hydrotherapy/Aquatic Therapy or simply water exercises come as a rescue to those who can’t manage to go for high-impact exercises. Some physiotherapists provide access to a pool where you can perform exercises in warm water, making it easier to move, and supporting your weight, joints and muscles without strain.
Water therapy creates a low-impact workout that many people have success using, especially children or people with any physical disability. The program combines the benefits of regular exercises with full support & safety of water exercises, usually curated according to specific needs.
Pain relief treatments
These exercises are performed on target areas, but sometimes that isn’t enough! A good combination of medications and other methods of pain relief are applied which a person can continue to practice at home, such as:
- Ice packs to soothe swollen joints (recent joint injury)
- Heat packs to relax tense and tired muscles
- Splints to support painful or swollen joints
TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) is an alternative therapy using a small electronic device that sends pulses to the nerve endings via pads placed on your skin. A tingling sensation generated from the device is supposed to soothe patients.
Some physiotherapists may apply additional training in other pain relief techniques, like:
- Massage to reduce stiffness and pain, relax muscles and help improve the range of motion.
- Acupuncture, involves the procedure of sending pain signals to the brain and causing the release of natural painkillers called endorphins.
Every individual responds differently to therapy depending on the injury, body type, alignment and so on. However, consistency with your physiotherapy program will surely make you get the benefits.
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