Does Telerehabilitation work? Who can benefit from it?

Telephysiotherapy also known as telerehab, Virtual physiotherapy, e-physiotherapy or Online Physiotherapy is a clinical application of consultative, diagnostic, preventive, and therapeutic services via two-way interactive technology. In Telephysiotherapy we use telecommunication such as the internet and telephones through which we share videos, images, and transfer data to provide physiotherapy services to the patients.

Researches have shown that Telephysiotheapy provides multiple benefits for both the health system and patients as it optimizes the use of health resources and improves patient’s quality of life. 

The main aim of Telephysiotherapy is to overcome the various barriers, which can refrain the patient/client from taking the treatment. Access to physiotherapy treatment can be hindered due to:

·        Services unavailable in far-flung areas (remote areas).

·        Adverse weather conditions.

·        Clashes between the availability of the patient's time and the therapist’s time.

·        Patients who are too ill to travel or have difficulty in mobility.

·        Family person, who has children, old people, or household tasks to take care of.

·        Cost-effective, when it comes to working patients/clients who can’t leave their jobs for treatment purposes.

·        Transportation can restrict patients/clients access to health care services.

·        The social distancing policies related to the COVID-19 pandemic have been examples of a major disruptor in the way of treatment.

The process starts with a proper evaluation of the patient via electronic mode. The history and onset of pain and symptoms can give many clues about the type of injury a patient has. Treatment will focus on sorting out the cause of the problem or condition, rather than just treating the symptoms. Baseline tests help to confirm the diagnosis. Once the cause is known the physiotherapist can start the treatment with exercises and self-treatment techniques.

Telephysiotherapy program is provided by the physiotherapist who designs the exercise schedule, sets, and repetitions for the patient which is to be performed by the patient in their home environment. Patients are provided with a detailed orientation about the exercise program by the physiotherapist, accessed by mobile phone, tablet, computer, video calls, and pre-recorded video material. The physiotherapist accurately monitors the progress of the patient from each session through telecommunication. Thus enabling the professional to track patient compliance to the exercise program.   

9 Benefits of Physiotherapy

Physical therapy: Who can benefit and how can it help?

Physiotherapy combines profound information on how the body functions and uses medically proven procedures for the assessment & treatment of patients. Other than helping in the treatment/management of various conditions, preventive physiotherapy can help in maintaining the overall wellness of a person. 

Below are some conditions/symptoms where physiotherapy has been proven to help in achieving the best possible results:

Reduces/Eliminates Pain: Therapeutic exercises and techniques like Soft Tissue Mobilization or the use of modalities like Ultrasound, IFT, and TENS can help relieve pain due to Arthritis, Tendonitis, Muscle strain/Sprain, etc. and restore normal functioning. Such therapies also help in preventing pain from returning back.

Helps to avoid surgery/drugs: While surgery cannot be avoided in some cases, physiotherapy can help to avoid the same by managing and healing in the earlier stage only. And even if surgery is required Pre and Post Rehabilitation Programs always help in mitigating the complications. Also, health care costs are reduced upon avoiding the surge

Improves overall strength and coordination: Physical therapy involves usually exercise and stretches which ultimately help you in improving the overall strength of the body. It also helps you with exercises and assistive devices to improve the overall coordination of the body. By providing specific rehabilitation techniques a physiotherapist can help you in reducing and eliminating symptoms like dizziness, vertigo, etc.

Improves Lung capacity and Cardiovascular Functioning: Physiotherapy helps post-stroke patients in regaining their degree of function, balance, and movement. Special exercise plans help them to retrieve their activities of daily living. While special breathing exercises help to restore optimal lung capacity and blood circulation.

Managing Sports-related Injury: Physical Therapists understand how various sports can increase the risk to certain types of conditions like Golfers Elbow, ACL Tear, Hamstring strain etc. and they accordingly draft a proper recovery or preventive exercise program to ensure a safe return to your sport.

Manage age-related issues: Certain age-related issues like Rheumatoid arthritis(RA), Sciatica, Osteoporosis, Dementia, Knee Replacement, Neck pain, Back pain etc can easily be treated by Physiotherapy.

Restores normal movement/Improves mobility: If you are having restricted movement due to Joint fracture, Tennis Elbow, Joint Swelling or Muscle Stiffness physical therapy can help. Proper Stretches and Strengthening exercises can help you in restoring the movement to its fullest.

Helps Managing Diabetes and Vascular conditions: Diabetic patients often complain of pain in the Knees, Shoulder, and Back, etc due to mismanagement of sugar levels. Diabetic pain management Plans and exercises can help in controlling sugar levels. Physical therapists can help and educate such patients regarding the conditions like Diabetic Foot, Diabetic Neuropathy, etc.

Improves Women’s Health: Specific health issues like those related to Pregnancy, Postpartum care, Pelvic pain, etc. can easily be treated with Physiotherapy. It also offers special treatment for bowel incontinence, breast cancer, constipation, fibromyalgia, etc.

 How to manage Pain in Winters with Physiotherapy?

As temperatures drop in the winter, weather-related health problems start to rise. Especially for patients with bone & joint-related issues. Pain, swelling, stiffness, fatigue, and other common symptoms are harder to control during the winter. Physiotherapy can help patients suffering from arthritis, spondylosis, asthma etc in managing pain in winters and living through winter pain-free.

 

Common conditions that get worsened in winters & How Physiotherapy helps:

 1. Joint pains and stiffened muscles are the most common health problem plaguing the lives of older people in low temperatures. There is a 50 percent spike in the number of senior citizens seeking treatment for bone and joint problems during winter.

 Various modalities like hot & cold therapy, TENS therapy, and therapeutic massages can help in managing joint pain & loosen muscles during winters. Also, your physiotherapist can suggest certain exercises/stretches to keep the pain at bay.

 2. Rheumatoid arthritis is another chronic ailment that concerns people during winters. Its symptoms including pain, swelling, stiffness, fatigue, and other common rheumatoid arthritis symptoms are harder to control during the winter

 Physical therapy is an effective and safe treatment for managing rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Under proper counseling individuals with rheumatoid arthritis can safely exercise, improving overall physical fitness, improved sense of wellbeing, and greater ease for activities of daily living

 3. Cervical Spondylosis, a condition affecting bones, discs, and joints of the neck of people have a tough time as temperatures dip in winter.

 

Physiotherapy plays a significant role in the management of cervical Spondylosis. In the active part of physical therapy, a physical therapist teaches various exercises to improve flexibility, strength, core stability, and range of motion.

 4. Asthma attacks are also triggered by cold weather, as winters come with a lot of allergens in the air, being the main causative factor for asthma. People with asthma have sensitive airways, which gets aggravated by cold or damp weather conditions.

 Diaphragmatic breathing exercises and pursing lip breathing techniques are widely used in asthma to prevent breathing abnormalities. Pursed lip breathing prevents the trapping of air into the lungs.

 5 Signs you might need Physiotherapy.

Pains and aches are common, whether it is a twinge after exercising or stiffness in joints caused by an injury, or any specific health condition. While most are transitional or temporary and can be remedied with over the counter painkillers, some type of pain or limited movement might require assessment and treatment by a physiotherapist. A physiotherapy rehabilitation program can help individuals return to their prior level of functioning and recommend lifestyle changes that can improve overall health and wellbeing.

 CB Physiotherapy lists down 5 signs that you need to seek a physiotherapist:

 Lack of balance: If you have trouble keeping your balance and your coordination is off, a physiotherapist can find the underlying issue and treat it. Often, a loss of balance is caused by issues in the structures of the inner ear—known as the vestibular system. A physiotherapist can treat your inner ear issues with vestibular rehabilitation. With physiotherapy, you can restore your balance and coordination and get back to living your life without impedance.

 

·        Chronic pain: If you have pain that lingers for more than a few days and is interfering with your ability to work and do other regular activities, you should see a professional. A physiotherapist will determine the underlying issue and help to relieve your pain, such as with physiotherapy treatment for neck pain. Physiotherapists can work with you to assess the issue and provide a targeted exercise and rehabilitation program that will ease your suffering and get you back to your best.

 

·        Delay in Recovery: As injuries heal, the pain should eventually go away. But sometimes the pain remains and becomes chronic. If you have an injury that hasn’t healed properly, a physiotherapist can assess the problem and create a targeted exercise and rehabilitation program to ease your pain and prevent the injury from recurring. Pain treatments include pain education, manipulation, massage, and exercises that will support the damaged body part.

 

·        Reduced Mobility: Mobility issues include reduced flexibility and feelings of pain or stiffness that get in the way of moving in specific motions, such as bending over, touching your toes, or extending your arms to reach upward. If you feel limited in your mobility and can’t move as easily as you used to, physiotherapy exercises can target the muscles and tissues in the problem areas, relax the muscles and strengthen supporting tissues to help increase your flexibility and mobility.

 

·        Uncontrolled Urination: If you experience sudden, intense urges to urinate or you urinate when you cough, sneeze or laugh, you may have urge incontinence, stress incontinence, or a combination of both. Incontinence is fairly common, especially as we get older. Physiotherapy exercises for incontinence include pelvic floor exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor and reduce incontinence.