25 October 2019, Kathmandu
Health is the greatest wealth in the world. It is only our good health which stay with us in any bad or good circumstances. A good health allows us to work for more time without getting tired. A good health is the real pleasures and charm of life. An unhealthy person always worries about their physical or physiological complications. So, it is good to maintain the good health to get rid of all the complications of body as well as successfully face all the challenges of life. However, poor lifestyle choices, poor diet, hypertension, lack of physical activity and inadequate relief of chronic stress are key contributors in the development and progression of good health. Similarly, there are different ways of treatment to heal the disease. Among them, physiotherapy is the natural way of treatment of injury, disease and disorders through physical methods including exercise, massage, manipulation and other treatments over meditation and surgery. Krishna Prasad Nepal, chief physiotherapist of Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu spoke to Pariwartan khabar Online about how physiotherapy works and why it is crucial to heal the chronic disease.
What sort of treatment is physio therapy? How it works ?
Physiotherapy normally is the treatment conducted through soft tissue manipulation, exercise and modalities without using medicine and surgery. Generally, orthopedist examines the patient through X-ray, MRI and then refers for physiotherapy to heal the problem if any. Physiotherapist attempts to discern the level in which nerve is involved and examine through the level of pressure, providing modalities treatment. The modalities treatment generally includes Ultrasound therapy, TENS therapy, Traction etc.
What are the different sorts of treatment conducted under physio therapy ?
Generally, physio therapy widely encompasses Ultrasound therapy, TENS therapy, Traction therapy and hot packs etc. Ultrasound therapy is used to reduce the inner inflammation pain by increasing circulation and mobility of soft tissues. Similarly, from higher level endorphin enkephalin substance like pain killer type is flowed on side of injuries. Due to the extra boosting in ultrasound therapy, patient will feel relax which further helps to improve the healing process. Like this, TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) is the use of low voltage electrical current produced by a device to stimulate the nerves for the therapeutic purposes. The electric current block the pain receptors from being sent from the nerves to the brain. Similarly, traction is also used as physiotherapy treatment which is a technique that applies a longitudinal force to stretch and decompress the vertebral joints and soft tissues around the spine. Generally, traction will be performed with a force equal to 50% of the patient’s body. However, traction force is provided to remove unnecessary things and goes in rest for prompt circulation so that patient feel relief. In addition to this, hot pack is useful which is provided after all modalities having crucial role to make muscles relaxed.
What sorts of patient with health problems comes for physio therapy ?
In narrow sense, physio therapy has been associated to exercise only but it does have its own specialty. For instance, cardiothoracic rehabilitation is applied to overcome the problems related to chest and heart. Like this, musculoskeletal rehabilitation is applied for people with impairments or disabilities due to disease, disorders or injury to the muscles, tendons, ligaments or bones. Similarly, paralysis case, stroke and Guillain Barre Syndrome comes under neurological condition while to overcome sports injury, some sorts of protocol is used. For it, community-based rehabilitation relating to maintain exercise program, hygiene and to raise the consciousness level, physio therapy is referred for the treatment.
Why physio therapy ?
At first, medical doctors do not directly refer the patient for physio therapy. They prescribed medicines suggesting different tools. When the patient continuously comes with complains, then doctors refer them for physio therapy. Nowadays, surgeon and specialist also have felt the value of physio therapy though the outcome is delayed but result is positive. In the context of Nepal, mostly women have become the victim of such health hazards due to the weak hormone system and overload exercise. Thus, proper guidance on education and diet is key specially for women. Similarly, because of the hormonal imbalance, wear and tear is likely to occur more to women.
How is the reaction of the patients who healed their disease through physio therapy ?
Physio therapy has been proved as boon to avoid immediate surgery. It is such a treatment referred by the surgeon as well. I had handle so many cases having neurological problem. I would like to remember one such case of one Nepali citizen from Japan. I found people very happy and a sort of charm in their face to bring their life back.
What is your key message as a physio therapist ?
Physio therapy itself is specialist service that should be implemented to heal patient’s health problems. It should be developed as dynamic service in this globalized world, only then physiotherapist role will be proved.
