Tag: best physiotherapist in bangalore

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Healing Beyond the Break: The Vital Role of Physiotherapists in Fracture Recovery

Fractures are more than just physical injuries; they encompass a journey of challenges and triumphs that extend far beyond the initial trauma. The aftermath of fractures involves not only the physical healing of bones but also the rehabilitation of muscles, joints, and overall function. In this comprehensive exploration, we delve into the multifaceted aftermath of fractures and examine the indispensable role of physiotherapists in guiding individuals through the path to recovery.

Understanding the Aftermath of Fractures

The aftermath of fractures is a complexinterplay of physical, emotional, and functional challenges that individuals face during their recovery journey. Beyond the acute pain and discomfort associated with the  fracture itself, several factors contribute to the overall impact of the injury:

  • Physical Impairments: Fractures often result in a range of physical impairments, including muscle weakness, joint stiffness, reduced range of motion, and altered biomechanics. Immobilization during the healing process can lead to muscle atrophy and loss of strength, further exacerbating functional limitations.
  • Emotional Distress: The psychological impact of fractures should not be underestimated. The sudden loss of mobility and independence, coupled with fear of reinjury, can significantly impact an individual’s emotional well-being. Anxiety, depression, and feelings of frustration are common emotional responses experienced during the recovery period.
  • Functional Limitations: Fractures can disrupt daily activities and functional independence, requiring individuals to adapt their lifestyle and modify their routines. Simple tasks such as walking, climbing stairs, and performing household chores may become challenging or impossible in the immediate aftermath of the injury.
An athlete receiving rehibilitative care for a sports injury.

Role of A Physiotherapist in Fracture Recovery

Physiotherapists play a crucial role in facilitating the recovery process and guiding individuals towards optimal outcomes. Their expertise encompasses a wide range of interventions aimed at addressing the physical, functional, and emotional aspects of fracture recovery:

Comprehensive Assessment Of Fracture

A comprehensive assessment by a physiotherapist for fractures is essential to understand the extent of injury, identify impairments, and develop an effective rehabilitation plan. Below is an outline of the key components involved in a comprehensive assessment by a physiotherapist for fractures:

Medical History

  • The physiotherapist begins by gathering a detailed medical history, including information about the fracture, its mechanism of injury, any surgical interventions, and the current stage of healing.
  • They also inquire about any pre-existing medical conditions, medications, allergies, and previous experiences with fractures or musculoskeletal injuries.

Pain Assessment

  • Pain is a common symptom associated with fractures and can significantly impact rehabilitation.
  • The physiotherapist assesses the location, intensity, quality, and aggravating/alleviating factors of pain using standardized pain scales and subjective questioning.
  • They also evaluate the impact of pain on activities of daily living, sleep quality, and emotional well-being.

Physical Examination

  • The physiotherapist conducts a thorough physical examination to assess the musculoskeletal system, including the injured area and adjacent structures.
  • They examine for signs of inflammation, swelling, bruising, deformity, and skin integrity around the fracture site.
  • Range of motion, muscle strength, joint stability, and neurological status are evaluated to identify impairments and functional deficits.

Functional Assessment

  • Functional limitations resulting from the fracture are assessed through various functional tests and measures.
  • Activities of daily living (ADLs) such as walking, climbing stairs, reaching, and dressing are evaluated to determine the individual’s functional independence and mobility.
  • Functional mobility tests, balance assessments, and gait analysis provide valuable insights into the individual’s ability to perform daily tasks and navigate their environment.

Assessment of Mobility and Weight-Bearing Status

  • The physiotherapist assesses the individual’s ability to bear weight and move the affected limb or body part.
  • Weight-bearing status is determined based on the type and location of the fracture, as well as any weight-bearing restrictions imposed by the treating physician.
  • Mobility aids such as crutches, walkers, or braces may be provided as necessary to support safe and efficient movement during the rehabilitation process.

Psychosocial Assessment

  • Fractures can have a significant impact on an individual’s psychological well-being and quality of life.
  • The physiotherapist assesses psychosocial factors such as emotional distress, anxiety, depression, fear of reinjury, and social support systems.
  • Open-ended questioning and active listening help identify concerns and address any psychosocial barriers that may affect the individual’s recovery and adherence to rehabilitation.

Outcome Measures and Goal Setting

  • Objective outcome measures and functional assessments are used to establish baseline values and track progress throughout the rehabilitation process.
  • The physiotherapist collaborates with the individual to set realistic short-term and long-term goals based on their functional abilities, rehabilitation potential, and personal preferences.
  • Goal setting is an essential component of rehabilitation planning, providing motivation and direction for the individual’s recovery journey.

Early Mobilization and Range of Motion Exercises after fracture

Early mobilization and range of motion exercises are crucial components of rehabilitation after a fracture. These interventions aim to prevent complications associated with prolonged immobilization, promote tissue healing, restore joint mobility, and minimize stiffness. However, it’s essential to approach early mobilization and range of motion exercises with caution and under the guidance of a healthcare professional, such as a physiotherapist or orthopedic surgeon, to ensure safety and optimize outcomes.

Early Mobilization

  • Early mobilization refers to the initiation of movement and weight-bearing activities as soon as medically safe and appropriate after a fracture.
  • Benefits of early mobilization include improved circulation, prevention of muscle atrophy, maintenance of joint mobility, and psychological well-being.
  • The timing and extent of early mobilization depend on factors such as the type and location of the fracture, surgical interventions, and individual considerations.

Range of Motion Exercises

Range of motion exercises aim to restore flexibility, reduce stiffness, and improve joint mobility around the fracture site. Range of motion exercises should be performed within pain-free ranges and tailored to the specific needs and limitations of the individual. Types of range of motion exercises:

  • Passive Range of Motion (PROM): In passive range of motion exercises, the affected limb or body part is moved through its available range of motion by an external force, such as a physiotherapist or assistive device. This is particularly beneficial in the early stages of rehabilitation when active movement may be limited.
  • Active-Assistive Range of Motion (AAROM): Active-assistive range of motion exercises involve the individual actively moving the affected limb or body part with the assistance of the unaffected limb or an external device. This helps improve muscle activation and joint mobility while minimizing strain.
  • Active Range of Motion (AROM): Active range of motion exercises involve the individual independently moving the affected limb or body part through its available range of motion. These exercises promote muscle strength, coordination, and proprioception while improving joint mobility.

Progression of Range of Motion Exercises

  • Range of motion exercises should be progressed gradually based on individual tolerance, pain levels, and healing progression.
  • The physiotherapist will guide the progression of exercises, gradually increasing the range of motion, resistance, and complexity as the individual’s condition improves.
  • Monitoring for signs of pain, swelling, or increased discomfort is essential, and adjustments to the exercise program may be made accordingly.

Early assessment and mobilization exercises are essential components of fracture rehabilitation, promoting tissue healing, preventing complications, and restoring joint mobility. These interventions should be performed under the guidance of a healthcare professional and tailored to the individual’s specific needs and limitations

We Hope You Know

Fracture recovery is a multifaceted journey that requires a comprehensive approach addressing physical, emotional, and functional aspects of healing. The physiotherapists at RRCP play a pivotal role in guiding individuals through this journey, offering expertise in rehabilitation interventions, pain management, and emotional support. Through our unwavering commitment to optimizing recovery outcomes, physiotherapists like us believe in empowering individuals to regain control over their bodies and lives post-fracture. Join with us on this journey and become a triphumants of the field as physiotherapists.

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Board Games Can Keep Cognitive Degradation At Bay – A Study

We all know that board games are a fun way to be engaged in play in doors particularly for kids. But, here’s some news. A new study carried out by the Researchers at Edinburgh university of United Kingdom reveals that board games could actually help Older Adults avert off their cognitive decline. The paper was authored by Drew Altschul of School of philosophy, Pscychology and Language sciences in association with Professor Deary, director of Edinburgh Lothian Birth Cohorts and published in the Journals of Gerontology.

FBHDTJ Still-life selection of board games (Monopoly, Chess, Cluedo, Scrabble) with playing cards and gambling chips

The study was carried out on 1091 subjects born in the year 1936 for assessment of their mental and cognitive capabilities. The researchers did the evaluation for cognitive functioning across ages 11, 70, 73, 79 with the help of 14 different standard cognitive tests.

The study included asking questions to participants in the age group of 70 and 76 about how many times across the week they indulged in board games like bingo, chess, crosswords, cards, bingo and more . The researchers also took into account confounding factors like education, early life cognitive function, activity levels, sex and health issues to name a few, as a part of their analysis.

The results unleashed that the people who were more into board games in their later year’s post 70’s were better off maintaining their cognitive functioning. Particularly those older adults who indulged in analog games post 70’s showed relative less decline in cognitive abilities across 11 and 70 years and also between the age of 70 and 79.

Altschul, one of the study leads says “ these latest findings add to evidence that being more engaged in activities during the life course might be associated with better thinking skills in later life”.

While coauthor thinks that there is a possibility that there is an interpretation of results as push to start playing board games and avoid cognitive decline.

*Sourced from Internet

Just know about Best Medical Colleges in Bangalore

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Arm Exercise Help Regain Walking Ability in Stroke Patients

A study published in the journal of Neurophysiology shows that arm exercises helps stroke patients improve their walking ability even weeks and months after the occurrence of stroke. The researchers at the University of British Columbia, Canada did the study on a group of adults who were prone to stroke in the period of 7 months and 17 years before the commencement of the study.

Arm Exercise Help Regain Walking Ability in Stroke Patients

A training session was organized and the physical abilities of the volunteers was measured before and after the training which included a six minute walk daily to measure the distance covered in that time, 10 meter walk with a timer on to find out how fast a person can cover the distance and finally again another timer based activity which included getting up from a seated position, walking 10 meters and coming back the same distance.

The researchers also checked the stretch reflexes, electrical activity in muscles in wrists and lower legs through walking and cycling tests.

The researchers observed that the participants show good improvement in their performance particularly in the time up and go test. There was no notable improvement in grip strength of participants but the participants showed less tightness in muscles after their cycling trial.

Even their nerve activity levels showed improvement during the arm cycling task. As per the researchers, it also activated inter-limb networks and contributed to rhythmic walking coordination. In short, the arm nerved activated and helped in improving the spinal chords functioning in areas affected by stroke like legs.

The researchers added that these results are a positive sign about improvements in walking ability even afters years of having a stroke. The researchers did say that walking improvement could not be compared to other training modalities, arm training did play a significant role in human locomotion rehabilitation.

The department of physiotherapy was established in 2003 at RajaRajeswari Medical College and Hospital to cater to the preventive, creative, therapeutic and rehabilitation needs of the rural people need was felt to impart the much needed physiotherapy vocational and rehabilitation training programme.

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Career in Physiotherapy in India – Promising or not?

With pollution clogging up the air and chemicals degrading the quality of vegetables and greens, increased stress levels due to constant workloads, early age strokes, accidents while commuting, lifestyle diseases like obesity and more are taking a toll on people. Rehabilitation is slowly and steadily gaining importance in the healthcare sector. These days most of the multi-specialty hospitals have a rehabilitation centre with qualified Physiotherapists for treatment and therapy.

Physiotherapy Colleges in Bangalore

Experts are already forecasting the immense possibilities for expansion and growth of Physiotherapy. The career is definitely a promising one, considering the fact that even people have realized the potential of physiotherapy in significantly improving quality of life by working on body mobilization.

But, before you decide to take your plunge into this field which for sure offers total work satisfaction and is miles away from being monotonous in nature, you need to sit down and think about flip-side of the coin. You need to be aware that this career involves working with people of all ages and mental as well as physical disabilities or challenges. From kids to elderly, mentally challenged to accident victims, general populace to criminals, anyone for that matter could be your patient. Dealing with all kinds of people also means dealing with their tempers. So, primarily you need to have loads of patience and ability to keep calm during stressed times. It is a bit of physical work also because you need to demonstrate the exercises or body moves to the patients. This could be physically draining at times as well. So, take your decision about pursuing the career only after contemplating on these facts.

After giving it a thought, if you still feel passionate about pursuing the career, go ahead. Depending upon your interest you may either go for a Bachelors in Physiotherapy, Masters in Physiotherapy or you many are interested in doing research of taking up teaching as a profession. A doctorate is always advisable. In the US and UK, there is a high demand for Physiotherapists compared to India where the sun seems to be shining on this profession though its only into its initial growth phase. So, taking up a doctorate or a specialization in the field in an overseas university definitely would open doors to umpteen opportunities overseas for this profession. Even the payscale oversees is significantly high compared to India.

In India as a physiotherapist you may get to work in private hospitals, rehabilitation centres, defence establishments, sports and fitness centres, as private consultant to corporates, private practice at your own clinic or with the government hospitals, old age home, mental healthcare centres and more. The work timings are generally good and flexible to an extent. The good part is this profession does not require working during odd hours of the night, etc. So, you get ample time to spend with your family.

Well, Physiotherapy is a challenging field but it is interesting and self satisfying as well. If it interests you a lot and you want to work for serving people and augmenting their health and fitness levels, then this profession is the right choice for you.

* Disclaimer – Sourced from the internet. Verification required