There are variety of specialties in the field of physiotherapy. It is surprising that most individuals do not know this, hence a brief description of the common specialties in physiotherapy. Check out the specialty that is suitable for you or your family member.
This entails diagnosing, managing or treating musculoskeletal disorders and injuries such as those affecting the bones, tendons, intervertebral disc, meniscus, muscles, and joints. Orthopaedic physiotherapists also offer post-operative care to people following orthopaedic surgery, especially in outpatient clinical settings. They employed different therapeutic modalities such as hot or cold packs, shockwave therapy, non-surgical spinal decompression, electrical muscle stimulation, joint mobilization techniques, exercises, ultrasound therapy Low Level Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation (L.A.S.E.R) therapy and lots more. The primary goal of orthopaedic physiotherapists is to improve strength, power, endurance, agility, flexibility of individuals, even athletes.
Cardiopulmonary physiotherapists care for individuals with cardiopulmonary disorders and those who have had cardiac or pulmonary surgery. They make use of nebuliser, incentive spirometry and a wide variety of manual therapy techniques to mention a few. Their Primary goals are to improve strength, endurance and functional ability of patients usually in an inpatient clinical setting.
Pediatric physiotherapists work in both in and outpatient clinical setting. They help with in timely detection of health problems, diagnosis, treatment, and management of infants, children, and adolescents with a variety of injuries, disorders, and diseases that affect the brain, spinal cord, bones, muscles, joints and nerves. Children with delayed developmental milestones, Erb’s palsy cerebral palsy, hydrocephalus, spina bifida, Klumpke palsy, torticollis, injection palsy, Down’s syndrome benefit from the care given by Paediatric physiotherapists. The care rendered by paediatric physiotherapists is geared towards enhancing gross and fine motor skills, cognitive and sensory processing and integration, balance and coordination, strength and endurance.
Geriatric physiotherapists assist old people as they battle with diseases or disorders that distorts their cognitive function, balance, continence and lots more as they continue their aging process. These disorders include dementia, osteoporosis, arthritis, Parkinsonism, cancer and the likes. Geriatric physiotherapy covers numerous health problems affecting people as they go through the normal adult aging process. Geriatric rehabilitation may involve musculoskeletal, neurological and cardiopulmonary physiotherapy to help alleviate pain as well as improve balance, strength and functional independence.
Neurological Physical Therapy
Neurological physiotherapy involves diagnosing and management of individuals with neurological disorders which affect speech, vision, cognitive skills, balance, coordination, movement. These disorders include stroke, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury (SCI), Parkinsonism, multiple sclerosis (MS), Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), Alzheimer’s disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and a whole lot of others. Neurological physiotherapists assist in improving the symptoms of these disorders.