5 Signs That You Might Need Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy, also known as physical therapy, is a treatment proactive which is able to prevent diseases and conditions, restore your balance and help you to recover from injuries and alleviate associated pain. Here, our Orleans physical therapists walk you through 5 signs that physiotherapy may be the best way to help you get back to 100%.

You might be familiar with physiotherapy as a method of helping professional athletes to perform at the high level that they do. Don't feel intimidated though! These treatments aren't reserved for high performing athletes or people suffering from injuries.

Physical therapy can help to improve your health in a number of ways, no matter who you are!

Physiotherapy encourage a healthy and active lifestyle throughout its treatment of health issues. You can use it to promote your strength and flexibility, prepare your body for an upcoming surgery (or help you recover from one you've just undergone) and alleviate your chronic pain. Doctors will often use physiotherapy as a conservative means of treating your health issue before resorting to more invasive methods. However, a prescription isn't a requirement for working with a physiotherapist.

Here are 5 signs you can look out for in your body that a visit to Motion Works Physiotherapy Orleans and a consultation with one of our experienced physiotherapists might be a good idea:

1. You experience discomfort at your desk.

The human body is built to move! Sitting all day, or for long periods, at your desk or in your car puts strain on your back, neck and joints. Getting up every so often to stretch is an excellent place to start, as is speaking with your HR manage about what resources they offer for safe and healthy desk setups.

Physical therapy can also help combat desk discomfort. Our physiotherapists can walk you through good posture at your desk and provide advice about what a good home office desk setup should include.

2. You are experiencing pain.

Are you suffering from pain which won't go away? While one might expect the pain of an injury to subside over time, it sometimes will remain and become chronic. This is especially common in lower back and neck injuries and can affect every part of your life, from work to sleep.

Physiotherapists can work with you to identify the root issue which is causing you pain and creating a physical therapy treatment plan to reduce or even eliminate your pain entirely.

3. You struggle with your daily tasks

If you are you struggling with your usual daily tasks and finding common movements suddenly harder to do, physiotherapy might help.

Before pain sets in, your body will naturally try to compensate for it and "solve" the developing issue, when you try to achieve a task (reaching for the top cupboard for a mug or bending down to pick up a ball). Your brain will instructr you body to complete the task, but the way you move to reach the mug or the ball may be challenging or suboptimal.

Physiotherapists can help assess your body’s functional and joint-specific movements, to determine if the quality of your movements are optimal and safe. Solve the problem before your brain & body say "time out" and experience more serious pain or dysfunction.

4. You are struggling with balance.

While you may not consider loss of balance to be cause by an injury, there's a good chance that if you have noticed a sudden loss of your sense of balance, it is caused by a condition, illness or injury affecting your vestibular system (also known as your inner ear).

Physiotherapists can help you to recover the loss of your balance through a treatment referred to as vestibular rehabilitation. Your physical therapist will assist you body in support of your vestibular system, or your inner ear, as it recovers from whatever condition was stopping it from functioning properly.

5. You have been considering physiotherapy.

While it may seem like a bit of a no-brainer, you wouldn't be thinking about speaking with a physiotherapist unless you were feeling like something was wrong.

If your think that physical therapy could help with whatever discomfort or pain has caused you to consider it as an option, the chances are that it can indeed help! Physiotherapy can address a wide range of health issues beyond injuries or pain and our Orleans physiotherapy team way have specific expertise in the issue you are seeking help with.