Physical Rehabilitation Treatment Is Effective In Treating These 4 Conditions
Physical rehabilitation treatment is part of physical therapy. It is a popular and effective form of treatment that helps individuals recover physical function and independence after an illness, injury, or surgery. It is recommended for stroke survivors, post-surgery rehab, arthritis patients, and persons who have suffered severe sports injuries. The physical therapist's goal is to help improve their patient's strength, reduce pain, and increase range of motion.
What Does Physical Rehabilitation Treatment Entail?
During physical rehabilitation treatment, the physical therapist will commonly use different treatment options, such as massage and soft tissue manipulation, manual traction, or physical agents such as heat, ice, and electrical stimulation to help calm pain and reduce swelling.
The physical therapist may also use physical treatments, such as therapeutic exercise, functional training, and physical modalities, such as electrical stimulation, to directly address the patient's physical impairments. In rehab, physical therapy can last from weeks to months, depending on how long it takes for the patient's physical impairments to resolve.
Physical rehabilitation treatment can be done one-on-one between a physical therapist and patient, or it can be part of a physical therapy group, where physical therapists work together to help multiple patients with similar physical issues.
Who Can Benefit from Physical Rehabilitation Treatment?
You can try physical rehabilitation treatment if you have any of these four conditions:
1. Heart Disease
People with heart disease who need physical rehab include those that have undergone coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) surgery to open clogged blood vessels.
2. Stroke
Physical rehabilitation treatment involves a group of therapies designed to help a patient regain physical function after a stroke. Types of treatments offered for this condition include physical agents, neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES), functional training, and gait training. These therapies are applied at different stages following a stroke, depending on the severity of impairment.
3. Auto Accidents
After an accident, one may experience physical trauma, making their muscles and joints stiff or painful. In such a case, physical rehabilitation treatment often involves using physical agents, such as ice or heat applied to the injured area. These agents help to reduce the pain and improve physical function. If an individual has suffered an injury that affects their physical mobility, physical rehab may include exercises specifically developed for this condition.
4. Multiple Sclerosis
Physical rehabilitation treatment is also available for individuals with multiple sclerosis. This treatment mainly involves physical agents and exercises to increase muscle elasticity, improve physical performance, and reduce physical pain. In some cases, gait training and bladder retraining may also be required after a person has been diagnosed with this condition.
The Bottom Line
Physical rehabilitation is a type of medical treatment that helps individuals recover physical function and independence after an illness, injury, or surgery. It is recommended for persons with a wide range of conditions, including stroke, motor injuries, chronic pain, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and heart disease.