Physiotherapy: 15 Most Commonly Asked Questions

Physiotherapy: 15 Most Commonly Asked Questions - MalaysiaProcedures & Treatments

Physiotherapy: 15 Most Commonly Asked Questions

Are physiotherapists, doctors? Is physiotherapy painful? What kind of injuries and conditions can physiotherapists treat? Get the answers to the 15 most common questions asked about physiotherapy.

Are physiotherapists, doctors? Is physiotherapy painful? What kind of injuries and conditions can physiotherapists treat? Get the answers to the 15 most common questions asked about physiotherapy.

So What is Physiotherapy?

Physiotherapy, or physical therapy, is a treatment process that helps people restore, maintain and maximise strength, function, movement and overall well-being.

Physiotherapy helps anyone at any stage in life, as well as reducing the risk of physical injury and illness, or even promoting the recovery of injured muscles and/or joints.

Physiotherapy aims to find various solutions to treat an individual’s body and restore aching, stiff and dysfunctional muscles, as well as joints, back to health. These solutions generally involve the use of various procedures and equipment in order to restore a person’s overall mobility.

Some physiotherapy procedures include:

  • Guided range of motion (ROM) exercises
  • Electrotherapy
  • Manual therapy (something akin to massages)
  • Ultrasound
  • Hydrotherapy

All of these will be conducted by licensed physiotherapists.

Are Physiotherapists Doctors?

Physiotherapists are allied health professionals who have extensive knowledge of how the body works. They are equipped with specialised hands-on clinical skills to assess, diagnose and treat injuries and disabilities. They can also help restore functional movement and mitigate risks from said injuries or disabilities. They usually need an assessment of your current health in order to prescribe the best therapies to help with a person’s recovery.

However, physiotherapists arenotdoctors. To obtain the title of Doctor, a person will need to have a licensed, professional medical degree and a practising certificate. Physiotherapists are only able to provide physical therapy with their certification for physical therapy and are not at all involved in any medical decision-making. Simply put, they are not physicians and cannot be referred to as doctors.

Do I Really Need Physiotherapy?

One common misconception is that physiotherapy is only needed for those who are at higher risk of physical injuries, such as athletes, or those involved in serious accidents that impair their mobility. In fact, it’s not even specifically needed solely to treat musculoskeletal issues; physiotherapy can be beneficial for anyone at any stage of their life.

For young people, physiotherapy can help with their physical recovery while also promoting stronger, healthier muscles and joints. For senior citizens, it helps with managing long-term medical conditions such asarthritisand asthma and helps alleviate pains and discomforts they might feel.

What Injuries or Conditions can Physiotherapy Treat?

The applications of physiotherapy are beneficial to almost every aspect of the body, including rare conditions. Some of these include:

  • Orthopaedics: arthritis, back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Neurological: Parkinson’s disease, sclerosis, vertigo
  • Autoimmune conditions: Fibromyalgia
  • Cardiovascular: post-heart attack recovery
  • Occupational rehabilitation
  • Cerebral palsy

Note that this is not an exhaustive list.

Physiotherapy is able to help not just with one’s physical health, but even conditions like asthma can be managed through physiotherapy. Asthma might seem rather unlikely, but physiotherapists can help with imparting knowledge of proper breathing techniques, as well as managing symptoms like coughing, wheezing, and so forth. They can also help you figure out what might be possible asthma triggers, how to deal with them quickly, and prepare an action plan for when an asthma attack occurs.

Is Physiotherapy Expensive?

Depending on the type of treatment needed, sessions can usually go for between RM150 to RM300 per session. Prices will still vary between physiotherapy providers and may also include factors such as home physiotherapy (for those who would rather have it done from the comforts of their residence), the frequency of sessions, and so forth.

In ’s case, home physiotherapy is priced based on the market rate. On top of the sessions themselves, you will also need to factor in additional costs such as transportation as well as the time costs to accompany a loved one for their sessions. Doing it from home will help with keeping costs low, but you may need to compare prices between providers and factor in their distance from your home, and so forth.

Is Physiotherapy Painful?

Physiotherapy will not be a painful experience, since its primary aim is to alleviate any pain that you or your loved one are experiencing. Moreover, the physiotherapist will give guidance on how treatment methods will be performed; you and your loved one’s safety are always paramount. However, some degree of pain is still inevitable since physiotherapy is needed for whichever part of the body is experiencing pain or discomfort.

For any recovery plan to work, your physiotherapist will frequently adjust the therapy plan accordingly. To promote recovery, they may advise taking things a step further, such as focusing on more strengthening exercises in order to push you or your loved one forwards. It will mean that you or your loved one will eventually deal with more discomfort over time, so be sure to let the physiotherapist know whenever you or your loved one needs a break; they will not force you to go beyond tolerable limits.

As you or your loved one’s condition begins to improve, the plan will again be changed over time to match your current status. Be sure to keep communication channels open at all times so you or your loved one are not taxed during sessions.

Is Physiotherapy the Same as Massage?

You may be thinking of one of the physiotherapy components: manual therapy. Some aspects can be likened to massage, but are fundamentally different. Manual therapy essentially covers a number of hands-on therapeutic techniques to help address various pains, stiffness, or other concerns that limit a person’s range of motion (ROM) or cause discomfort when using certain limbs, among other things.

You can take the “hands-on” approach to be quite literal: physiotherapists will help you or your loved one with performing passive ROM activities – including therapeutic massages – that provide a few benefits, such as improving joint and muscle flexibility and alleviating aches and pains.

Normal massage routines usually give a person a degree of comfort in relaxing their muscles, as well as relieving some pain. After a while, though, the symptoms tend to return and you will require a follow-up session.

Manual therapy aims not just to promote better flexibility and alleviate pains and other issues, but also to address the source causing these physical complications in tandem with other physiotherapy treatments. In fact, manual therapy sessions are performed in conjunction with other forms of physiotherapy to deliver the best results in the recovery phase.

What Can I Expect from My First Session?

Before you go for your first session, make sure you wear something comfortable. The first session may have you doing some simple exercises with help from the physiotherapist, so something loose and light should be ideal.

The physiotherapist will first need to conduct a health assessment to know more about a person’s health, lifestyle habits and more. Much like a regular doctor’s assessment, they will ask about you or your loved one’s current state of health, if there are any medications being taken, daily routine, eating habits, and much more. It can help if you prepare ahead of time a list of questions that you or your loved one might be asked or questions you may want to ask the physiotherapist.

  • When did the issue begin? Do symptoms recur frequently or infrequently?
  • Have there been any positive/negative changes since then?
  • Have you taken any steps to address the issue before going for a physiotherapy assessment?

You or your loved one may then be instructed to do some things that allow the physiotherapist to get a better understanding of your or your loved one’s mobility and physical status. You or your loved one might need to just walk from one point to another, or you may be asked to perform some simple exercises. They may also perform a physical examination to gauge where the pain is, how intense it can get, and so forth.

With all the information gathered, the physiotherapist can make recommendations for what physiotherapy treatments or techniques will be employed to help treat you or your loved one’s condition. The plan is flexible and tailored to suit you or your loved one’s needs, so do not hesitate to communicate any concerns either of you might have before, during and after sessions.

Will Physiotherapy Help Lower Back Pain?

Lower back paincases account for an estimated 23% of the world’s adult population. Lower back pain has a few different causes, involving a combination of physical, psychological and other factors. All of them can be treated effectively with physiotherapy.

Once they perform the initial assessment, they will then ask about the intensity of pain, how frequently it occurs, where it happens, and various other follow-up questions. Once they have a picture of the person’s overall health, they may ask for a physical examination to get a better understanding of what they’re going through.

With all this information, the physiotherapist may come up with a detailed plan that involves manual therapy and other active treatments to address lower back pain. Therapy will seek to alleviate the pain and treat it at its source over time. This will involve manual therapy practices, such as ROM manipulation and mobilization, stretches and strengthening exercises.Physical exerciseis also recommended at all times, even once the pain has been treated, as a means to reduce the risk of recurring lower back pain.

The first session can help the physiotherapist decide the best course of action to take for future sessions, as well as the total number and frequency of sessions. This is not a fixed plan, though, as the physiotherapist can make changes to it depending on how the person’s recovery is going.

Can Physiotherapy Help with Frozen Shoulder?

Frozen shoulder is a condition where there is pain and temporary loss of normal ROM in a person’s shoulder. Over time, the condition may worsen and cause a debilitating disability that affects your shoulder’s active and passive movement. While its cause is still not fully understood, physiotherapy interventions are able to reverse it and return your shoulder to its normal functioning capacity.

While letting the shoulder rest or using ice packs several times a day can somewhat help, physiotherapy is still necessary to return the shoulder to its normal movement. Again, an assessment and physical examination will be needed, factoring in points such as the areas affected, the intensity of pain, time periods where the pain is more pronounced, how limited shoulder movement is, and so on.

Frozen shoulder usually consists of three phases: freezing (where the pain and stiffness start and gradually increase over time), frozen (pain subsides but shoulder movement continues to deteriorate), and thawing (slow recovery to normal shoulder ROM and pain eventually disappear). Treatment will vary depending on which phase a person is currently experiencing.

In the freezing phase, for example, techniques such as acupuncture, short-duration ROM exercises and hot pack applications can help provide relief and reduce the severity of a frozen shoulder. Again, customised treatment approaches tailored to a person’s needs will ensure the best results from every treatment session.

Can Physiotherapy Help with Scoliosis?

Scoliosis is a spinal condition that causes the spine to curve laterally (from side to side). Scoliosis can affect anyone at any age and at any point in their life, causing a great deal of pain. Symptoms of scoliosis include uneven shoulders and prominent malformation of the upper body.

Surgery is usually recommended to correct scoliosis, especially severe cases, while physiotherapy is able to correct mild to moderate cases. As per usual, an assessment is first undertaken to determine whether it is indeed scoliosis or something else. As part of the assessment, the physiotherapist may look at the following areas (and more):

  • Physical examination
  • Postural assessment
  • ROM for the spine
  • Overall strength and balance of the body

Depending on your or your loved one’s condition, a brace may need to be used to prevent further curvature. Different braces are used for specific cases; the Boston brace, for example, helps hold your spine in place. Physiotherapy activities will focus on strengthening weakened muscles, relaxing tightened ones, as well as decrease pain and inflammation. Frequent exercise can also help with alleviating your condition, improve your physique and further decrease pain.

How Long is a Normal Session?

Physiotherapy sessions cater to different people to address different needs, so no two sessions will be the same. For mild cases, some sessions may only take between 30 minutes to an hour, but again, this is not a fixed time. For example, a home physiotherapy session with a penjaga may take about an hour or so.

The first session usually takes a little longer than the following ones owing to the fact the physiotherapist needs all the information available to provide the best treatment needed for you or your loved one’s recovery.

How Often Will I Need Sessions?

The frequency of sessions will be determined by the physiotherapist. For the initial recovery phase, physiotherapy sessions should be held at least 1-2 times a week or more. Regular movement encourages blood circulation while also conditioning muscles and improving joints. Athletes may undergo two sessions per day every day, either for prevention or to make a quick recovery!

As you or your loved one recover, the frequency of sessions can be reduced. You should still have infrequent sessions to allow the physiotherapist to review the overall progress. You or your loved one may also be encouraged to continue several exercises at your own pace, so as to retain the benefits of these exercises for the long term.

Do I Need a Medical Referral for Physiotherapy?

If you are planning to see a physiotherapist at a government/public hospital, you may need a referral letter from a government clinic first. If you are going to a private hospital/physiotherapist, you can see one without a referral. You can always contact whichever physiotherapist you plan to see to find out if a referral is needed or otherwise.

How Do I Start with Physiotherapy?

Looking to begin physiotherapy sessions of your own to treat pains or discomforts that you or your loved one is facing? Why not consider home physiotherapy from our qualified penjaga? We provide in-home physiotherapy sessions for people in the comforts of their own home. Worry not about commuting to and from sessions, or concerns about moving senior members of your family; we deliver a hassle-free experience focused on recovery and rehabilitation.

allows the flexibility to arrange care from 1 session onwards, whether weekdays or weekends, where seniors are well taken care of by our skilled and certified Malaysian-only penjaga.

Contact our Care Advisory team by filling in the form below for more information on how we can help you and your loved ones!

References

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