- Where does Physiotherapy get its name? The Physiotherapy Association in the UK first introduced the term ‘physiotherapy’ in 2021. The name was suggested by a physiotherapist who happened to be visiting a patient and was so impressed with the way he treated her that he decided to introduce the word to his patients.
- Where does Physiotherapy derive from? Physiotherapy comes from the Greek words Physi meaning ‘action of the body’ and ethos meaning ‘mind’. So when discussing the physical condition of an individual, what we are actually discussing is a type of ‘mind/body’ therapy. This approach is also used in conjunction with other forms of alternative medicine such as Acupuncture, Chinese Medicine, Massage Therapy, Chi Gong and Traditional Chinese Medicine.
- There are four main areas of physiology. These are vascular physiology, cardiovascular physiology, muscles and bones and joint physiology. All of these areas will help determine the overall functioning of the human body. Once a patient begins to experience pain, for example, they will usually undergo some form of examination under the supervision of their Physiotherapist to determine the cause of their pain. Once a diagnosis is made, a plan of treatment will be devised which will ultimately help to treat the cause of the pain in turn minimising further symptoms.
- What sorts of ailments can Physiotherapy help with? Many patients seek the assistance of a Physiotherapist when they experience pain from a particular disease or disability. Some common examples of ailments which Physiotherapists help with include chronic pain, arthritis, migraine headaches, back pain and sciatica. Whilst these are just a few examples, the list is quite extensive and covers the whole gamut of ailments and diseases that could potentially be helped by Physiotherapy.
Can you gain benefit from Physiotherapy? Yes, you certainly can. Just because you have a particular disease or disability does not mean you cannot still enjoy a healthy lifestyle. Through the application of physiotherapy and a well-structured exercise program, many people find they can live healthy, active lives despite having difficulties with movement. The application of physiotherapy to patients suffering from severe, debilitating conditions such as cerebral palsy or Parkinson’s disease has shown great potential. For those of us who are still a little unsure about how all of this works, it is often helpful to explore the basics of how physiology is applied and how it can help those who are less fortunate than ourselves.
To better appreciate the benefits of exercise and how it can affect your health and well-being, you should first be able to understand how physiology works. Your body is essentially composed of three separate parts – the muscles that comprise the skeleton, the organs that provide the nutrients necessary for growth and maintenance, and the blood which carry nutrients to all of these parts. By training your muscles, you can increase their strength, improve their endurance and build new bone structure as well. Similarly, your blood can carry oxygen to all of these parts of your body and improve your overall performance. By understanding how each of these parts of the body work, and how they interact, you will be better able to understand what you need to do to enhance your health and well-being through exercise.