What Techniques are Used in Physiotherapy?

There are several techniques that physiotherapists use to help their patients enhance their quality of life. The specific techniques that your physiotherapist will use will depend on your injury or source of chronic pain. Your exercise physiologist will assess your needs during your first consultation and develop a treatment plan designed to improve your mobility and reduce your pain levels.

There are a wide range of physiotherapy techniques that can help you feel stronger and get better. Here are some of the most common types of physiotherapy techniques you may encounter during your sessions:

Massage

As one of the most popular manual therapies, massage allows physiotherapists to manipulate your muscles and tissue, increasing blood flow and improving mobility. These short-term effects are as important as massage’s long-term benefits, such as helping to reduce stress, improve sleep, and lower anxiety levels.

Movement and Exercise

Your physiotherapist may recommend specific movements and exercises that will help you recover from an injury or reduce your pain levels. Regular activity can increase your mobility, and your physiotherapist can help you find the right tools to help you move, such as a walker or crutches.

Remedial exercises are designed to help you strengthen the part(s) of your body that need attention. You will usually perform these exercises under the careful supervision of your physiotherapist before being given instructions for home exercises. Your physiotherapist may recommend trying stretching exercises such as Pilates in between sessions.

Taping

Therapeutic tape is applied to specific areas of your body to provide additional support and to aid your recovery.

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)

A TENS unit can provide pain relief, whether you have chronic pain or acute pain. It works by sending electrical impulses to your nervous system through units attached to your body via adhesive pads.

While sending electrical impulses may sound painful, the result is actually a reduction in pain, as the electrical waves reduce the nervous system’s ability to transmit pain signals to your brain. At the same time, these electrical impulses stimulate the production of endorphins, which act as natural pain relievers.

Ultrasound

An ultrasound is often used to improve soft tissue mobility. It works by using high-frequency sound waves to stimulate blood circulation and speed up healing at the cellular level.

Acupuncture and Dry Needling

These ancient methods of healing have been shown to reduce pain and aid recovery. Both acupuncture and dry needling work by placing extremely thin needles in specific points throughout the body. 

With acupuncture, the goal is to restore energy throughout the body by placing needles along your meridian. With dry needling, the goal is to reduce pain by placing needles on trigger points. Not all physiotherapists can perform acupuncture or dry needling, as they both require additional training.

Hydrotherapy

Performing movements and exercises in water can increase mobility without placing excessive pressure on the joints. Also, because you do not need to worry about getting hurt from falling over, hydrotherapy can be useful for practicing balance exercises for patients with cerebral palsy or other conditions that can cause imbalance.

Workplace Physiotherapy

A lot of office workers get injured because they lack the proper desk set up. A physiotherapist can help you find an ergonomic solution and work with you on improving your posture to reduce back, neck, and shoulder pain. 

Icing

Many physiotherapists will ask you to ice the part of your body that they worked on for at least 15 minutes at the end of your session. This is to reduce inflammation and aid in the healing and recovery process.

No matter what treatment plan your physiotherapist prepares for you, it is essential for you to follow their advice, even when you are at home. Speak up if you have any pain during your treatment, as your treatment plan may need to be adjusted to make sure you aren’t overdoing it.

You don’t have to live with pain. Book an appointment online to start your personalised physiotherapy program.